√ Century of Experience Evidence Name of Reader / Listener / Reading Group Author of Text Title of Text Form of Text 1700-1799 'These Voyages, (pointing to the three large volumes of "Voyages to the South Sea", which were just come out) who will read them through? A man had better work his way be... Samuel Johnson [books of Voyages to the South Seas] Print : Book1700-1799 'On Wednesday, June 19, Dr. Johnson and I returned to London; he was not well to-day, and said very little, employing himself chiefly in reading Euripides'.
Samuel Johnson Euripides Print : Book1700-1799 'When I pointed out to him in the newspaper one of Mr. Grattan's animated and glowing speeches, in favour of the freedom of Ireland, in which this expression occurred (I ... Samuel Johnson [a newspaper] Print : Newspaper1700-1799 'He censured a writer of entertaining Travels for assuming a feigned character, saying, (in his sense of the word,) "He carries out one lye; we know not how many he bring... Samuel Johnson John Moore [travels] Print : Book1700-1799 'Though he had no taste for painting, he admired much the manner in which Sir Joshua Reynolds treated of his art, in his "Discourses to the Royal Academy". He observed on... Samuel Johnson Joshua Reynolds Seven Discourses Delivered in the Royal Academy Print : Book1700-1799 'Though he had no taste for painting, he admired much the manner in which Sir Joshua Reynolds treated of his art, in his "Discourses to the Royal Academy". He observed on... Samuel Johnson Joshua Reynolds Seven Discourses Delivered in the Royal Academy Print : Book1700-1799 '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 tr... Samuel Johnson Anna Seward [poem on Lichfield] Manuscript : Unknown1700-1799 '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 tr... Samuel Johnson Anna Seward 'Elegy on Captain Cook' Print : Unknown1700-1799 ' [Johnson having asked for details about Lord Peterborough] "But, (said his Lordship [Lord Eliot,) the best account of Lord Peterborough that I have happened to meet wit... Samuel Johnson Daniel Defoe Memoirs of Captain George Carleton Print : Book1700-1799 '[letter from Johnson to Dr Brocklesby] Tell Dr. Heberden, that in the coach I read "Ciceronianus" which I concluded as I entered Lichfield. My affection and understandin... Samuel Johnson Desiderius Erasmus Ciceronianus Print : Book1700-1799 '[Letter from Johnson to John Nichols] At Ashbourne, where I had very little company, I had the luck to borrow "Mr. Bowyer's Life"; a book so full of contemporary history... Samuel Johnson [Mr Bowyer's Life] Print : Book1700-1799 'Still [in his last days] his love of literature did not fail. A very few days before his death he transmitted to his friend Mr. John Nichols, a list of the authours of t... Samuel Johnson Universal history, from the earliest account of ti... Print : Book1700-1799 'During his sleepless nights he amused himself by translating into Latin verse, from the Greek, many of the epigrams in the "Anthologia"'. Samuel Johnson Anthologia Graeca Print : Book1700-1799 'when talking on the subject of prayer [to Johnson on his deathbed], Dr. Brocklesby repeated from Juvenal,--
"Orandum est, ut sit mens sana in corpore sano",
and s... Samuel Johnson Juvenal Tenth Satire Print : Unknown1700-1799 'He seriously entertained the thought of translating "Thuanus". He often talked to me on the subject; and once, in particular, when I was rather wishing that he would fav... Samuel Johnson Jacques-Auguste de Thou Print : Book1700-1799 'He pressed me to study Dr. Clarke and to read his Sermons. I asked him why he pressed Dr. Clarke, an Arian. "Because, (said he) he is fullest on the propitiatory sacrifi... Samuel Johnson Samuel Clarke Sermons Print : Book1700-1799 '[Mrs Thrale gives an epitaph translated from French by Bennet Langton, and her own translation] 'I remember Johnson preferred mine at the Time it was fresh among us'. Samuel Johnson [French epitaph translated by Mrs Thrale and Benne... Manuscript : Unknown1700-1799 'the Verses written by Bentley upon Learning & publish'd in Dodsley's Miscellanies - how like they are to Evelyn's Verses on Virtue published in Dryden's Miscellanies! ye... Samuel Johnson Boethius Consolation of Philosophy Print : Book1700-1799 'We were speaking of Young as a Poet; Young's works cried Johnson are like a miry Road, with here & there a Stepping Stone or so; but you must always so dirty your Feet b... Samuel Johnson Edward Young Print : Book1700-1799 '[having been searching for evidence of the truth of Christianity, Johnson] recollecting a Book he had once picked up in the Shop, & again thrown by, entitled De Veritate... Samuel Johnson Hugo Grotius De veritate religionis Christianae Print : Book1700-1799 'He [Johnson] was just nine Years old when having got the play of Hamlet to read in his Father's Kitchen, he read on very qu[i]etly till he came to the Ghost scene, when ... Samuel Johnson William Shakespeare Hamlet Print : Book1700-1799 'It was on the 18: day of July 1773 that we were sitting in the blue Room at Streatham and were talking of Writers - Steele's Essays were mentioned - but they are too thi... Samuel Johnson Richard Steele [Essays] Print : Book, Serial / periodical1700-1799 'To Richardson as a Writer he gave the highest Praises, but mentioning his unquenchable Thirst after Applause That Man said he could not be content to sail gently down th... Samuel Johnson Samuel Richardson Print : Book1700-1799 'We were speaking of Young as a Poet; Young's works cried Johnson are like a miry Road, with here & there a Stepping Stone or so; but you must always so dirty your Feet b... Samuel Johnson John Dryden Print : Book1700-1799 'It was on the 18: day of July 1773 that we were sitting in the blue Room at Streatham and were talking of Writers - Steele's Essays were mentioned - but they are too thi... Samuel Johnson Thomas Gray Print : Book1700-1799 'It was on the 18: day of July 1773 that we were sitting in the blue Room at Streatham and were talking of Writers - Steele's Essays were mentioned - but they are too thi... Samuel Johnson William Mason Print : Book1700-1799 'Of Swift's Style which I praised as beautiful he observed; that it had only the Beauty of a Bubble, The Colour says he is gay, but the substance slight.'
Samuel Johnson Jonathan Swift Print : Book1700-1799 'We talked of Dryden - Buckingham's Play said I has hurt the Reputation of the Poet, great as he was; such is the force of Ridicule! - on the contrary my dearest replies ... Samuel Johnson George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham Rehearsal, The Print : Book1700-1799 'Burney likewise has experienced his [Johnson's] sportive Humour; when he shewed him his Book about Musick and enquired his Opinion concerning it; the Words are well arra... Samuel Johnson Charles Burney History of Music Print : Book1700-1799 'He had in his Youth been a great Reader of Mandeville, and was very watchful for the Stains of original corruption both in himself & others'.
Samuel Johnson Bernard Mandeville Print : Book1700-1799 'He had however no Taste for Modern Poetry - Gray Mason &c - Modern Poetry says he one day at our house, is like Modern Gardening, every thing now is raised by a hot bed;... Samuel Johnson Thomas Gray Print : Book1700-1799 'He had however no Taste for Modern Poetry - Gray Mason &c - Modern Poetry says he one day at our house, is like Modern Gardening, every thing now is raised by a hot bed;... Samuel Johnson William Mason Print : Book1700-1799 'A propos to Gardening he once advised me to buy myself some famous Book upon the Subject, and read it says he attentively, but do not believe it'
Samuel Johnson [book on gardening] Print : Book1700-1799 'Rose [in a debate about the relative worth of Scottish and English writers] to make sure of the Victory - named Ferguson on Civil Society: I do not says Johnson perceive... Samuel Johnson Jonathan Swift History Of the Four last years Of the Queen Print : Book1700-1799 'Rose [in a debate about the relative worth of Scottish and English writers] to make sure of the Victory - named Ferguson on Civil Society: I do not says Johnson perceive... Samuel Johnson Adam Ferguson Essay on the History of Civil Society Print : Book1700-1799 'He was however very much nettled by Churchill's Satire that's certain; for he rejected him from among the Poets when the Booksellers begged him a Place in the Edition th... Samuel Johnson Charles Churchill Ghost, The Print : Book1700-1799 'When I shewed him [Johnson] his Character next day - for he would see it; he said it was a very fine Piece of Writing; and that I had improved upon [italics] Young [end ... Samuel Johnson Hester Lynch Thrale [MS 'character' of Johnson] Manuscript : Unknown1700-1799 'of James Harris Dedication to his Hermes he said that tho' but 14 Lines long, there were 6 Grammatical faults in it'.
Samuel Johnson James Harris [Dedication in] Hermes: or, a Philosophical Inquir... Print : Book1700-1799 'of Elphinstone's specimen of Martial he [Johnson] said, there was too much Folly in them for Madness, and too much Madness for Folly'.
Samuel Johnson Martial Epigrams Print : Book1700-1799 'I shall transcribe some Verses of Doctor Burney's on the same unworthy Subject [herself]; on which Verses Johnson made this remark when he saw them. These says he are so... Samuel Johnson Charles Burney [poem about Mrs Thrale] Manuscript : Unknown1700-1799 ''15:Jan: 1778 Mr Johnson told me today that he had translated Anacreon's Dove, & as they were the first Greek Verses that had struck him when a Boy; so says he they cont... Samuel Johnson Anacreon Dove Print : Book1700-1799 'Doctor Grainger, Author of the fine Ode to Solitude printed in Dodsley's Miscellanies wrote a poem while he was in the West Indies and called it the Sugar Cane; it was s... Samuel Johnson James Grainger Sugar Cane, The Print : Book1700-1799 'I have heard Johnson say that there was no Series of Verses in any English Tragedy so sublime & striking as the passage in Congreve's Mourning Bride: beginning thus
H... Samuel Johnson William Congreve Mourning Bride, The Print : Book'I was shewed a little Novel t'other Day which I thought pretty enough & set Burney to read it, little dreaming it was by his second Daughter Fanny, who certainly must be... Samuel Johnson Frances Burney Evelina Print : Book'Johnson says the following 8 lines of Burney are actually sublime - they are the End of a dull copy of Verses enough, but the Lines themselves are most excellent' [the l... Samuel Johnson Charles Burney [verses on death] Manuscript : Unknown'The two [italics] wittiest [end italics] things in our Language in Verse & Prose are Dr Young's Conjectures on Original Composition I think, and Dr Swift's Ballad on the... Samuel Johnson William Congreve Mourning Bride, The Print : Book1700-1799 '1: August 1779.] Johnson has been diverting himself with imitating Potter's Aeschylus in a translation of some verses of Euripides - he has translated them seriously bes... Samuel Johnson Aeschylus Print : Book1700-1799 '1: August 1779.] Johnson has been diverting himself with imitating Potter's Aeschylus in a translation of some verses of Euripides - he has translated them seriously bes... Samuel Johnson Euripides Print : Book1700-1799 'Dr Franklyn, the famous Franklyn contrived a Stove in such a Manner as to make the Flame descend instead of rising upward. it was in the Form of an Urn: here are some pr... Samuel Johnson Jonathan Odell [verses on Franklin's stove] Manuscript : Unknown1700-1799 'Wyndham and Johnson were talking of Miss Burney's new Novel - 'Tis far superior to Fielding's, says Mr Johnson; her Characters are nicer discriminated, and less prominen... Samuel Johnson Frances Burney Cecilia Print : Book1700-1799 'The town soon went wild about the story [Evelina] [...] Mrs. Thrale read it, and liked it better
than Madame Riccoboni's Tales [...] she lent it to Dr. Johnson. He was... Samuel Johnson Frances Burney Evelina, or a Young Lady's Entrance into the World Print : Book