Life of Samuel Johnson ...Richarson, 1823 |
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66 DEAR SIR 66 TO JAMES admiration afraid answered appeared asked authour Beggar's Opera believe BENNET LANGTON character church compliments consider conversation Court dined Edinburgh edition eminent England Erse favour Fleet Street Garrick gentleman give Goldsmith happy hear heard Hebrides honour hope humble servant humour JAMES BOSWELL John Johnson judge King lady Langton laugh learning letter Lichfield literary live London Lord Bute Lord Hailes Lord Mansfield Lord Monboddo Lucy Porter manner ment mentioned merit mind nation never obliged observed occasion opinion Oxford perhaps pleased pleasure poem publick racter reason remark SAMUEL JOHNSON Scotch Scotland seemed Shakspeare Sir Joshua Sir Joshua Reynolds speak Streatham suppose sure talked tell thing thought Thrale tion told Tom Davies wish wonder write written wrote
Popular passages
Page 363 - Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a' subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.
Page 344 - The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.
Page 326 - There are few ways in which a man can be more innocently employed than in getting money.
Page 123 - He loved, he said, the old black letter books; they were rich in matter, though their style was inelegant; wonderfully so, considering how conversant the writers were with the best models of antiquity. " Burton's ' Anatomy of Melancholy,' he said, was the only book that ever took him out of bed two hours sooner than he wished to rise.
Page 271 - ... and uncouth habits, such as turning the candles with their heads downwards, when they did not burn bright enough, and letting the wax drop upon the carpet, could not but be disagreeable to a lady. Besides, she had not that high admiration of him which was felt by most of those who knew him; and what was very natural to a female mind, she thought he had too much influence over her husband. She once in a little warmth, made, with more point than justice, this remark upon that subject: "I have seen...
Page 46 - Johnson came next to the library. Accordingly, the next time that Johnson did come, as soon as he was fairly engaged with a book, on which, while he sat by the fire, he seemed quite intent, Mr. Barnard stole round to the apartment where the King was, and, in obedience to his Majesty's commands, mentioned that Dr. Johnson was then in the library. His Majesty said he was at leisure, and would go to him; upon which Mr. Barnard took one of the candles that stood on the King's table, and lighted his Majesty...
Page 94 - But suppose now, Sir, that one of your intimate friends were apprehended for an offence for which he might be hanged.' JOHNSON. 'I should do what I could to bail him, and give him any other assistance; but if he were once fairly hanged, I should not suffer.
Page 154 - If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
Page 132 - Where a great proportion of the people,' said he, ' are suffered to languish in helpless misery, that country must be ill policed, and wretchedly governed : a decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization.
Page 302 - What would you have me retract? I thought your book an imposture; I think it an imposture still. For this opinion I have given my reasons to the publick, which I here dare you to refute.