Record Number: 22248

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Lord Hailes had sent him a present of a curious little printed poem, on repairing the University of Aberdeen, by David [italics] Malloch [end italics], which he thought would please Johnson, as affording clear evidence that Mallet had appeared even as a literary character by the name of Malloch; his changing which to one of softer sound, had given Johnson occasion to introduce him into his "Dictionary", under the article [italics] Alias[end italics]. This piece was, I suppose, one of Mallet's first essays. It is preserved in his works, with several variations. Johnson having read aloud, from the beginning of it, where there were some common-place assertions as to the superiority of ancient times;--"How false (said he) is all this, to say that in ancient times learning was not a disgrace to a Peer as it is now. In ancient times a Peer was as ignorant as any one else. He would have been angry to have it thought he could write his name. Men in ancient times dared to stand forth with a degree of ignorance with which nobody would dare now to stand forth".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

1 May 1783

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: London

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:

Samuel Johnson

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

Boswell

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

David Mallet

Title:

[a poem about Aberdeen]

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Print: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned
or borrowed - sent by Lord Hailes

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Source Information:

Record ID:

22248

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:

1233

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 1233, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22248, accessed: 16 March 2025

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791. Mallet was the adopted name of David Malloch.