Selections from the Life of Samuel Johnson

James Boswell, R. W. Chapman

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9780486828435
• eBook ISBN: 9780486836379
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Historical Biographies
• Index: Literature

The most famous friendship in English literature arose between a distinguished eighteenth-century writer and his young admirer. The result is this brilliant narrative and its enduring portrait of an age as well as person. James Boswell profiles critic, author, and poet Samuel Johnson, recapturing the sage's wit and conversational style on topics from literature and politics to religion and gossip.
Much of their association was conducted from afar; from his home in Edinburgh, Boswell visited London for several weeks each year, where the men socialized in taverns, in Johnson's dwelling, and at dinner with friends — a circle that included playwright Oliver Goldsmith, painter Sir Joshua Reynolds, actor David Garrick, and other luminaries. Boswell's remarkably modern approach interweaves letters and a series of vignettes that he called "scenes." Published in 1791, the book has become far more familiar than Johnson's own works, and this edition provides an accessible, abridged edition of the classic biography.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Note
• Contents
• 1. Title-page of third edition
• 2. From the Dedication to Sir Joshua Reynolds
• 3. From the Advertisement to the Second Edition
• 4. Introductory
• 5. Birth and Parentage
• 6. Oxford [1728]
• 7. Study [1729]
• 8. David Garrick [1731]
• 9. Johnson’s Private Academy [1736]
• 10. He goes to London [1736]
• 11. Plain Living [1737]
• 12. The Gentleman’s Magazine [1738]
• 13. London, a Poem: Pope’s Admiration [1739]
• 14. The Dictionary [1747]
• 15. Death of his Wife [1752]
• 16. Bennet Langton and Topham Beauclerk [1752]
• 17. Letter to Lord Chesterfield [1754]
• 18. The Dictionary Published [1755]
• 19. Defence of Tea [1756]
• 20. Dedication to the Earl of Rochford of Mr. William Payne’s Introduction to the Game of Draughts [1756]
• 21. The Irish Language [1757]
• 22. Shakespeare [1757. From a Letter to Burney. Communicated by Burney. 1758. From a Letter to Thomas Warton.]
• 23. Death of his Mother [1759]
• 24. The Pension [1762]
• 25. Boswell meets Johnson [1763]
• 26. Kit Smart [1763]
• 27. Late Hours [1763]
• 28. Religion [1763]
• 29. Critical Strictures [1763]
• 30. Oliver Goldsmith [1763]
• 31. The Vicar of Wakefield [1763]
• 32. Boswell’s Method [1763]
• 33. Rhyme [1763]
• 34. Let us Count our Spoons [1763]
• 35. Charles the Second [1763]
• 36. The Virtues of the Young [1763]
• 37. The Western Islands [1763]
• 38. Education of Children [1763]
• 39. Thomas Sheridan [1763]
• 40. Boswell’s Method [1763]
• 41. A Woman’s Preaching [1763]
• 42. Boswell sets out on his Travels [1763]
• 43. Boswell at Utrecht [1763]
• 44. The Club [1764]
• 45. Johnson’s Singularities [1764]
• 46. Letter to Reynolds [1765]
• 47. The Thrales [1765]
• 48. Making Verses [1766]
• 49. On Translating the Bible into Gaelic [1766]
• 50. Interview with George III [1767]
• 51. Conglobulation of Swallows [1767]
• 52. Corsica [1768]
• 53. Nothing of the Bear but his Skin [1768]
• 54. Letter to Boswell [1769]
• 55. Garrick and Goldsmith [1769]
• 56. Real Criticism [1769]
• 57. Death [1769]
• 58. Apple Dumplins [1770. Communicated by Dr. Maxwell]
• 59. Mimickry [1772]
• 60. The Dictionary [1772]
• 61. Scotch Accents [1772]
• 62. A Vile Whig [1772]
• 63. Goldsmith [1772]
• 64. Scotchmen [1772]
• 65. Goldsmith [1772]
• 66. Letter to Boswell [1773]
• 67. Gesticulation [1773]
• 68. Lord Chesterfield [1773]
• 69. Goldsmith [1773]
• 70. Reading Books Through [1773]
• 71. Goldsmith [1773]
• 72. Historians [1773]
• 73. Boswell’s Election to the Club [1773]
• 74. The Migration of Birds [1773]
• 75. The Government of Ireland [1773]
• 76. Goldy [1773]
• 77. Copyright [1773]
• 78. Journey to the Western Islands [1773]
• 79. Mrs. Boswell [1773]
• 80. Fancy and Devotion [1773. Letter to Boswell]
• 81. Goldsmith’s Death [1774. Letters to Boswell and Langton]
• 82. Ossian [1775]
• 83. Scotchmen and Irishmen [1775]
• 84. Getting Money [1775]
• 85. Gray [1775]
• 86. Orange Peel [1775]
• 87. Doctor of Civil Law [1775]
• 88. Nobleness of Resolution [1775]
• 89. Charles II: William III [1775]
• 90. Books of Travel [1775]
• 91. Domestick Satisfaction [1775]
• 92. Lord Bute [1775]
• 93. Hemming Ruffles [1775]
• 94. Hell Paved with Good Intentions [1775]
• 95. Advantages of Reading [1775]
• 96. Polite Learning in Scotland [1775]
• 97. The Backs of Books [1775]
• 98. Scotch Oat-cakes and Scotch Prejudices [1775. Letter to Boswell]
• 99. The State of Life [1775. Letter to Boswell]
• 100. Melancholy [1776]
• 101. Biography [1776]
• 102. Getting Information [1776]
• 103. Taverns [1776]
• 104. The Grey Rat [1776]
• 105. Marriage [1776]
• 106. Vexing Thoughts [1776]
• 107. Whole Libraries [1776]
• 108. Omai [1776]
• 109. The Character of a Soldier [1776]
• 110. Mutilated Editions [1776]
• 111. The Reviews [1776]
• 112. The Mediterranean [1776]
• 113. Translation [1776]
• 114. Poetry [1776]
• 115. Reading with Inclination [1776]
• 116. Writing for Money [1776]
• 117. Chatterton [1776]
• 118. You have but two topicks [1776]
• 119. The Liberty of the Pulpit [1776]
• 120. Johnson and Wilkes [1776]
• 121. Dryden and Cibber [1776]
• 122. Goldsmith’s Epitaph [1776]
• 123. Sir Alexander Dick to Dr. Samuel Johnson [1777]
• 124. Johnson to Boswell [1777]
• 125. The Lives of the Poets [1777]
• 126. Irish Antiquities [1777]
• 127. Dedication to the King [1777]
• 128. Johnson to Boswell [1777]
• 129. Driving in a Post-chaise [1777]
• 130. Early Rising [1777]
• 131. Criticisms of Johnson’s Style [1777]
• 132. Tired of Life [1777]
• 133. Colloquial Barbarisms [1777]
• 134. The Slave Trade [1777]
• 135. Hurd’s Cowley [1778]
• 136. Human Powers [1778]
• 137. Virtues and Vices [1778]
• 138. Diffusion of Good Writing [1778]
• 139. London and Minorca [1778]
• 140. Scotland [1778]
• 141. A Soldier’s Grievance [1778]
• 142. Tardiness of Locomotion [1778]
• 143. Old Age [1778]
• 144. Numerous Prose [1778]
• 145. Soldiers and Sailors [1778]
• 146. The Wall of China [1778]
• 147. Ravenous Reading [1778]
• 148. Flattery [1778]
• 149. Travels [1778]
• 150. Johnson and Edwards [1778]
• 151. Boswell is Tossed [1778]
• 152. Wasting a Fortune [1778]
• 153. Demosthenes Taylor [1778]
• 154. A Staffordshire Whig [1778]
• 155. Wine [1778]
• 156. Johnson’s Admirers [1778]
• 157. The King of Siam [1778]
• 158. They talk of Runts [1778]
• 159. A Quarrel and Reconciliation [1778]
• 160. A Man whom every body likes [1778. Johnson to Boswell. 1779. Boswell to Johnson]
• 161. London [1779]
• 162. Read any Book [1779]
• 163. Garrick [1779]
• 164. Beauclerk [1779]
• 165. Unemployment [1779]
• 166. Union with Ireland [1779]
• 167. Bereavement [1780]
• 168. Death of Beauclerk [1780. Letter to Boswell]
• 169. Beauclerk’s Wit [1780]
• 170. Idleness. Pope. [1780. Communicated by Langton]
• 171. Queen Elizabeth [1780. Langton]
• 172. Burke [1780. Langton]
• 173. Goldsmith [1780. Langton]
• 174. The Lives of the Poets [1781]
• 175. The Life of Milton [1781]
• 176. Imitations of Johnson [1781]
• 177. Johnson to Warren Hastings [1781]
• 178. Voracity [1781]
• 179. Quotation [1781]
• 180. Bluestockings [1781]
• 181. Publication by Subscription [1781]
• 182. Of Tory and Whig [1781]
• 183. Letter to Chesterfield [1781]
• 184. Chatterton [1782]
• 185. Thrift [1782. Letter to Boswell]
• 186. Conversation [1783]
• 187. Burke’s Talk [1783]
• 188. Truth and Fiction [1783]
• 189. Inculto sub Corpore [1783]
• 190. Dexterity in Retort [1783]
• 191. Maurice Morgann [1783]
• 192. Johnson’s Kindness [1783]
• 193. Publick Affairs [1783]
• 194. Mrs. Siddons [1783]
• 195. Burke’s Talk [1784]
• 196. Collecting Books [1784]
• 197. Weak-nerved People [1784]
• 198. Carve Heads upon Cherry-Stones [1784]
• 199. Argument and Understanding [1784]
• 200. The Rehearsal [1784]
• 201. Application to Lord Thurlow [1784]
• 202. The Same [1784]
• 203. Johnson’s and Boswell’s Last Meeting [1784]
• 204. The Balloon [1784. Letters to Dr. Brocklesby and Sir Joshua Reynolds]
• 205. Johnson’s Last Days [1784]
• 206. His Epitaph [1784]
• 207. Johnson is Dead [1784]
• 208. Boswell’s Conclusion [1784]
• Editor’s Notes
• Index