Record Number: 21939

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'On Saturday, April 25, I dined with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, with the learned Dr. Musgrave, Counsellor Leland of Ireland, son to the historian, Mrs. Cholmondeley, and some more ladies. "The Project", a new poem, was read to the company by Dr. Musgrave. JOHNSON. "Sir, it has no power. Were it not for the well-known names with which it is filled, it would be nothing: the names carry the poet, not the poet the names." MUSGRAVE. "A temporary poem always entertains us". JOHNSON. "So does an account of the criminals hanged yesterday entertain us".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

25 Apr 1778

Country:

n/a

Time

daytime: dinnertime

Place:

other location: home of Sir Joshua Reynolds

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:

Dr Musgrave

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

n/a

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

Dr Johnson, Boswell, Counsellor Leland, Reynolds, Mrs cholmondeley, other ladies

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Richard Tickell

Title:

Project, The

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

21939

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:

967

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 967, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21939, accessed: 23 May 2025

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791