Record Number: 21358

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'In his [Johnson's] manuscript diary of this year, there is the following entry: "Nov. 27. Advent Sunday. I considered that this day, being the beginning of the ecclesiastical year, was a proper time for a new course of life. I began to read the Greek Testament regularly at 160 verses every Sunday. This day I began the Acts. In this week I read Virgil's 'Pastorals'. I learned to repeat the 'Pollio' and 'Gallus'. I read carelessly the first 'Georgick'." Such evidences of his unceasing ardour, both for "divine and human lore," when advanced into his sixty-fifty year, and notwithstanding his many disturbances from disease, must make us at once honour his spirit, and lament that it should be so grievously clogged by its material tegument. It is remarkable, that he was very fond of the precision which calculation produces. Thus we find in one of his manuscript diaries, "12 pages in 4to Gr. Test, and 30 pages in Beza's folio, comprize the whole in 10 days".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 27 Nov 1774

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

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

[n/a]

Title:

[Greek Testaments]

Genre:

Bible

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

in Greek

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

21358

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:

570-71

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 570-71, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21358, accessed: 21 December 2024

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791