Record Number: 21721

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I have no doubt that a good many sermons were composed for Taylor [with whom Johnson and Boswell were staying] by Johnson. At this time I found, upon his table, a part of one which he had newly begun to write: and [italics] Concio pro Tayloro [end italics] appears in one of his diaries. When to these circumstances we add the internal evidence from the power of thinking and style, in the collection which the Reverend Mr. Hayes has published, with the [italics] significant [end italics] title of "Sermons [italics] left for publication [end italics] by the Reverend John Taylor, LL.D.", our conviction will be complete. I, however, would not have it thought, that Dr. Taylor, though he could not write like Johnson, (as, indeed, who could?) did not sometimes compose sermons as good as those which we generally have from very respectable divines. He showed me one with notes on the margin in Johnson's hand-writing; and I was present when he read another to Johnson, that he might have his opinion of it, and Johnson said it was "very well". These, we may be sure, were not Johnson's; for he was above little arts, or tricks of deception.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Between 1 Sep 1777 and 30 Sep 1777

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Ashbourne
county: Derbyshire

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:

John Taylor

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Clergy (includes all denominations)

Occupation:

clergyman

Religion:

Anglican

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

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

Johnson and Boswell

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

John Taylor

Title:

[sermon]

Genre:

Sermon

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned

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Source Information:

Record ID:

21721

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:

861

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 861, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21721, accessed: 26 April 2025

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791.