Record Number: 20970
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'The King then asked him what he thought of Dr. Hill. Johnson answered, he was an ingenious man, but had no veracity; and immediately mentioned, as an instance of it, an assertion of that writer, that he had seen objects magnified to a much greater degree by using three or four microscopes at a time than by using one. "Now, (added Johnson,) every one acquainted with microscopes, knows, that the more of them he looks through, the less the object will appear." "Why, (replied the King,) this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumsily; for, if that be the case, every one who can look through a microscope will be able to detect him."'
Century:1700-1799
Date:Until: 28 Feb 1767
Country:England
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:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:[unknown]
Genre:Science
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:20970
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.C. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:382
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.C. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 382, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=20970, accessed: 22 November 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791. This conversation occurred between George III and Johnson in the library at Queen's house.
