Record Number: 21033
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'Swift having been mentioned, Johnson, as usual, treated him with little respect as an author. Some of us endeavoured to support the Dean of St. Patrick's, by various arguments. One in particular praised his "Conduct of the Allies." Johnson. "Sir, his 'Conduct of the Allies,' is a performance of very little ability." "Surely, Sir, (said Dr. Douglas,) you must allow it has strong facts." Johnson. "Why yes, Sir; but what is that to the merit of the composition? In the Sessions-paper of the Old Bailey there are strong facts. Housebreaking is a strong fact; and murder is a mighty strong fact; but is great praise due to the historian of those strong facts? No, Sir, Swift has told what he had to tell distinctly enough, but that is all. He had to count ten, and he has counted it right."'
Century:1700-1799
Date:Until: 1 Sep 1768
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: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
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:The Conduct of the Allies, and of the Late Ministry, in Beginning and Carrying on the Present War
Genre:Politics
Form of Text:Print: Pamphlet
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceunknown
Source Information:
Record ID:21033
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.W. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:399
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 399, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21033, accessed: 21 December 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791.
