Record Number: 21719
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
'I have no doubt that a good many sermons were composed for Taylor [with whom Johnson and Boswell were staying] by Johnson. At this time I found, upon his table, a part of one which he had newly begun to write: and [italics] Concio pro Tayloro [end italics] appears in one of his diaries. When to these circumstances we add the internal evidence from the power of thinking and style, in the collection which the Reverend Mr. Hayes has published, with the [italics] significant [end italics] title of "Sermons [italics] left for publication [end italics] by the Reverend John Taylor, LL.D.", our conviction will be complete. I, however, would not have it thought, that Dr. Taylor, though he could not write like Johnson, (as, indeed, who could?) did not sometimes compose sermons as good as those which we generally have from very respectable divines. He showed me one with notes on the margin in Johnson's hand-writing; and I was present when he read another to Johnson, that he might have his opinion of it, and Johnson said it was "very well". These, we may be sure, were not Johnson's; for he was above little arts, or tricks of deception.'
Century:1700-1799
Date:Between 1 Sep 1777 and 30 Sep 1777
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: Ashbourne
county: Derbyshire
(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:29 Oct 1740
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:writer and lawyer
Religion:Anglican
Country of Origin:Scotland
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:[sermon written for John Taylor]
Genre:Sermon
Form of Text:Manuscript: Unknown
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceread in situ
Source Information:
Record ID:21719
Source:James Boswell
Editor:R.W. Chapman
Title:Life of Johnson
Place of Publication:Oxford
Date of Publication:1980
Vol:n/a
Page:861
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson, (Oxford, 1980), p. 861, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=21719, accessed: 17 August 2024
Additional Comments:
Originally published 1791.