Record Number: 22430

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I shewed him some verses on Lichfield by Miss Seward, which I had that day received from her, and had the pleasure to hear him approve of them. He confirmed to me the truth of a high compliment which I had been told he had paid to that lady, when she mentioned to him "The Colombiade", an epick poem, by Madame du Boccage:--"Madam, there is not any thing equal to your description of the sea round the North Pole, in your Ode on the death of Captain Cook".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

25 Jun 1784

Country:

England

Time

afternoon: dinnertime

Place:

city: London
other location: home of General Paoli

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Samuel Johnson

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

18 Sep 1709

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Anna Seward

Title:

[poem on Lichfield]

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

read in situ
shown to him by Boswell over dinner at General Paoli's

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Source Information:

Record ID:

22430

Source:

Print

Author:

James Boswell

Editor:

R.W. Chapman

Title:

Life of Johnson

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1980

Vol:

n/a

Page:

1320

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 1320, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22430, accessed: 19 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

Original date of publication 1791.