Record Number: 21551

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'The late "worthy'' Duke of Queensberry, as Thomson, in his "Seasons," justly characterises him, told me that when Gay showed him "The Beggar's Opera," his Grace's observation was, "This is a very odd thing, Gay; I am satisfied that it is either a very good thing, or a very bad thing." It proved the former, beyond the warmest expectations of the authour or his friends'.

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1791

Country:

n/a

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Charles Douglas, Third Duke of Queensberry

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1698

Socio-Economic Group:

Royalty / aristocracy

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

John Gay

Title:

Beggar's Opera, The

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

read in situ
shown by Gay

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

21551

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:

629-30

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 629-30, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21551, accessed: 18 January 2025

---

Additional Comments:

Original date of publication 1791. Could have been either print or MS - more likely MS?