Record Number: 21536
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'Friday, April 7, I dined with him at a Tavern, with a numerous company. Johnson. "I have been reading Twiss's 'Travels in Spain', which are just come out. They are as good as the first book of travels that you will take up. They are as good as those of Keysler or Blainville: nay, as Addison's, if you except the learning. They are not so good as Brydone's, but they are better than Pococke's. I have not, indeed, cut the leaves yet; but I have read in them where the pages are open, and I do not suppose that what is in the pages which are closed is worse than what is in the open pages. It would seem (he added), that Addison had not acquired much Italian learning, for we do not find it introduced into his writings. The only instance that I recollect is his quoting '[italics] Stavo bene, per star meglio, sto qui' [end italics]".'
Century:1700-1799
Date:Until: 7 Apr 1775
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: London
Type of Experience(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: 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
Text Being Read:
Author:Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville
Title:Travels through Holland, Germany and Switzerland, but especially Italy, with maps
Genre:Geography / Travel
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:21536
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.W. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:614
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 614, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21536, accessed: 09 October 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791.