Record Number: 22471
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'He seriously entertained the thought of translating "Thuanus". He often talked to me on the subject; and once, in particular, when I was rather wishing that he would favour the world, and gratify his sovereign, by a Life of Spenser (which he said that he would readily have done, had he been able to obtain any new materials for the purpose,) he added, "I have been thinking again, Sir, of "Thuanus": it would not be the laborious task which you have supposed it. I should have no trouble but that of dictation, which would be performed as speedily as an amanuensis could write'.
Century:1700-1799
Date:Until: 13 Dec 1784
Country:n/a
Timen/a
Place:n/a
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:n/a
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:n/a
Genre:History
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsin French or Latin
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:22471
Source:James Boswell
Editor:n/a
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:1387
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 1387, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=22471, accessed: 23 May 2025
Additional Comments:
Original date of publication 1791. Writer known as 'Thuanus'. This may be an anecdote of someone else's related to Boswell - it is ambiguous.
