Record Number: 21034

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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:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Jonathan Swift

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 Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

21034

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:

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=21034, accessed: 30 December 2024

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791.