Selected Essays (Penguin Classics)
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11. miserrimi Peccatoris: ‘Pray for the soul of — a most miserable sinner.’
12. what it cannot comprehend: Contrast, however, the opinion of Burke, that the mind is most powerfully affected precisely by what it cannot comprehend (A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful, pt. 2, sect. 3 and 4).
13. per ora virum: Quintus Ennius (239–169 BC), one of the greatest of the early Roman poets. The epitaph translates as follows: ‘Let no one honour me with tears, nor lay me in the earth with weeping. Why? I live in the mouths of men.’
14. Monument of Augustus: A weakness for luxury was allegedly the failing of Gaius Maecenas (c. 74–8 BC), the chief minister of Augustus (63 BC–AD 14), whose own approach to supreme power in the Roman state had been blemished by the proscription which followed the assassination of Julius Caesar, and in which Augustus’ enemies were executed without trial or other legal process.
15. two Greek Inscriptions: Both taken from the Greek Anthology. The translations into Latin and English are Johnson’s own.
16. Epictetus, the Stoic Philosopher: Epictetus (60–140 AD), originally a slave, subsequently a philosopher, who taught that through endurance and abstention men might achieve independence of external circumstances.
‘Introduction’ to the Harleian Miscellany.
1. Harleian Miscellany: The Harleian Miscellany is a selection of tracts from the Harleian collection, the books, pamphlets and manuscripts amassed by Robert and Edward Harley, respectively the first and second earls of Oxford. On the death of Edward Harley in 1753 the collection was purchased by Parliament and placed in the British Museum. The Miscellany was co-edited by Johnson and the antiquary William Oldys (1696–1761), and published in 1744–6 by the bookseller Thomas Osborne (d. 1767).
2. MORE WORK FOR A COOPER: One of the scurrilous pamphlets published in 1588–9 under the pseudonym of Martin Marprelate, in which the episcopalian government of the Elizabethan Church of England was subjected to presbyterian attack. The title of this particular pamphlet glances at Thomas Cooper, bishop of Winchester.
3. Rawlinson: Thomas Rawlinson (1681– 1725), book-collector and antiquarian.
4. Photius: Photius (c. 820–91), patriarch of Byzantium, lexicographer and literary critic.
Observations on the present State of Affairs.
1. State of Affairs: First published in the Literary Magazine, iv, 15 July–15 August 1756. The conflict in question is the Seven Years’ War between France and Britain (1756–63). Compare Idler No. 81.
2. New-Scotland: I.e. Nova Scotia.
3. Dettingen: See note 6 to Idler No. 10.
4. Fontenoy and Val: See note 7 to Idler No. 10. Val was another battle of the War of the Austrian Succession.
5. Cape-Breton: Sir William Pepperell (1696–1759), shipbuilder and soldier of Massachusetts.
6. Charles Stuart: I.e. the Young Pretender, who had raised rebellion in Scotland in 1745.
7. (To be continued.): No continuation was in fact published.
Of the Duty of a JOURNALIST.
1. Of the Duty of a JOURNALIST: First published in Payne’s Universal Chronicle, no. 1, 8 April 1758, pp. 1–2.
The Bravery of the English Common Soldiers.
1. English Common Soldiers: First published in The British Magazine for January 1760, pp. 37–9.
2. perverse Cartesians: A critical glance at the Cartesian doctrine that animals are insensate; cf. Idler No. 17.
3. Russian Empires, and Prussian Monarch: Tsarina Elizabeth (1709-62) and Frederick II, or the Great (1712–86).
4. French Count: Lancelot, comte Turpin de Cressé (1715–95), French soldier and tactician. Essai sur l’Art de la Guerre (1754).
* Mr. ELPHINSTON, to whom the author of these papers is indebted for many elegant translations of the mottos which are inserted from the Edinburgh edition, now keeps an academy for young gentlemen, at Brompton, near Kensington.
* This number was at that time confidently published, but the authour has since found reason to question the calculation.
* It would be proper to reposite, in some publick Place, the Manuscript of Clarendon, which has not escaped all suspicion of unfaithful publication.
* Which begins thus, KNOW YE, that WE considering, and manifestly perceiving, that several seditious and heretical Books or Tracts—against the Faith and sound Catholic Doctrine of holy Mother, the Church, &c.
* ‘Know thyself.’
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
A Chronology of Samuel Johnson
Introduction
Further Reading
A Note on the Texts
Selected Essays
THE RAMBLER (1750–52)
No. 1. Tuesday, 20 March 1750.
No. 2. Saturday, 24 March 1750.
No. 4. Saturday, 31 March 1750.
No. 6. Saturday, 7 April 1750.
No. 7. Tuesday, 10 April 1750.
No. 8. Saturday, 14 April 1750.
No. 9. Tuesday, 17 April 1750.
No. 13. Tuesday, 1 May 1750.
No. 14. Saturday, 5 May 1750.
No. 16. Saturday, 12 May 1750.
No. 17. Tuesday, 15 May 1750.
No .18. Saturday, 19 May 1750.
No. 22. Saturday, 2 June 1750.
No. 23. Tuesday, 5 June 1750.
No. 24. Saturday, 9 June 1750.
No. 25. Tuesday, 12 June 1750.
No. 28. Saturday, 23 June 1750.
No. 29. Tuesday, 26 June 1750.
No. 31. Tuesday, 3 July 1750.
No. 32. Saturday, 7 July 1750.
No. 33. Tuesday, 10 July 1750.
No. 36. Saturday, 21 July 1750.
No .37. Tuesday, 24 July 1750.
No. 39. Tuesday, 31 July 1750.
No. 41. Tuesday, 7 August 1750.
No. 45. Tuesday, 21 August 1750.
No. 47. Tuesday, 28 August 1750.
No. 49. Tuesday, 4 September 1750.
No. 60. Saturday, 13 October 1750.
No. 63. Tuesday, 23 October 1750.
No. 64. Saturday, 27 October 1750.
No. 70. Saturday, 17 November 1750.
No. 71. Tuesday, 20 November 1750.
No. 72. Saturday, 24 November 1750.
No. 73. Tuesday, 27 November 1750.
No. 76. Saturday, 8 December 1750.
No. 77. Tuesday, 11 December 1750.
No. 79. Tuesday, 18 December 1750.
No. 85. Tuesday, 8 January 1751.
No. 87. Tuesday, 15 January 1751.
No. 90. Saturday, 26 January 1751.
No. 93. Tuesday, 5 February 1751.
No. 101. Tuesday, 5 March 1751.
No. 106. Saturday, 23 March 1751.
No. 108. Saturday, 30 March 1751.
No. 113. Tuesday, 16 April 1751.
No. 114. Saturday, 20 April 1751.
No. 115. Tuesday, 23 April 1751.
No. 121. Tuesday, 14 May 1751.
No. 129. Tuesday, 11 June 1751.
No. 134. Saturday, 29 June 1751.
No. 135.Tuesday, 2 July 1751.
No. 137. Tuesday, 9 July 1751.
No. 142. Saturday, 27 July 1751.
No. 145. Tuesday, 6 August 1751.
No. 146. Saturday, 10 August 1751.
No. 148. Saturday, 17 August 1751.
No. 151 . Tuesday, 27 August 1751.
No. 156. Saturday, 14 September 1751.
No. 158. Saturday, 21 September 1751.
No. 159. Tuesday, 24 September 1751.
No. 161. Tuesday, i October 1751.
No. 165. Tuesday, 15 October 1751.
No. 167. Tuesday, 22 October 1751.
No. 168. Saturday, 26 October 1751.
No. 170. Saturday, 2 November 1751.
No. 171. Tuesday, 5 November 1751.
No. 176. Saturday, 23 November 1751.
No
. 181. Tuesday, 10 December 1751.
No. 183. Tuesday, 17 December 1751.
No. 184. Saturday, 21 December 1751.
No. 188. Saturday, 4 January 1752.
No. 191.Tuesday, 14 January 1752.
No. 196. Saturday, 1 February 1752.
No. 207. Tuesday, 10 March 1752.
No. 208. Saturday, 14 March 1752.
THE ADVENTURER (1753–4)
No. 39. Tuesday, 20 March 1753.
No. 45. Tuesday, 10 April 1753.
No. 50. Saturday, 28 April 1753.
No. 67. Tuesday, 26 June 1753.
No. 69. Tuesday, 3 July 1753.
No. 84. Saturday, 25 August 1753.
No. 85. Tuesday, 28 August 1753.
No. 95. Tuesday, 2 October 1753.
No. 99. Tuesday, 16 October 1753.
No. 102. Saturday, 27 October 1753.
No. 107. Tuesday, 13 November 1753.
No. 111. Tuesday, 27 November 1753
No. 119. Tuesday, 25 December 1753.
No. 126. Saturday, 19 January 1754.
No. 137. Tuesday, 26 February 1754.
No. 138. Saturday, 2 March 1754.
THE IDLER (1758–60)
No. 1. Saturday, 15 April 1758.
No. 5. Saturday, 13 May 1758.
No. 10. Saturday, 17 June 1758.
No. 17. Saturday, 5 August 1758.
No. [22]. Saturday, 9 September 1758.
No. 22. Saturday, 16 September 1758.
No. 23. Saturday, 23 September 1758.
No. 27. Saturday, 21 October 1758.
No. 30.Saturday, 11 November 1758.
No. 31. Saturday, 18 November 1758.
No. 32. Saturday, 25 November 1758.
No. 36. Saturday, 23 December 1758.
No. 38. Saturday, 6 January 1759.
No. 40. Saturday, 20 January 1759.
No. 41. Saturday, 27 January 1759.
No. 44. Saturday, 17 February 1759.
No. 48. Saturday, 17 March 1759.
No. 49. Saturday, 24 March 1759.
No. 50. Saturday, 31 March 1759.
No. 51. Saturday, 7 April 1759.
No. 57. Saturday, 19 May 1759.
No. 58. Saturday, 26 May 1759.
No. 59. Saturday, 2 June 1759.
No. 60. Saturday, 9 June 1759.
No. 61. Saturday, 16 June 1759.
No. 65. Saturday, 14 July 1759.
No. 66. Saturday, 21 July 1759.
No. 72. Saturday, 1 September 1759.
No. 81. Saturday, 3 November 1759.
No. 84. Saturday, 24 November 1759.
No. 88. Saturday, 22 December 1759.
No. 94. Saturday, 2 February 1760.
No. 100. Saturday, 15 March 1760.
No. 103. Saturday, 5 April 1760.
MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS
A Compleat Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage,
An ESSAY on EPITAPHS.
‘Introduction’ to the Harleian Miscellany.
Observations on the present State of Affairs.
Of the Duty of a JOURNALIST.
The Bravery of the English Common Soldiers.
Appendix I: Johnson’s prayer on beginning The Rambler
Appendix II: Parallel texts of the original and revised states of The Rambler No. 1
Appendix III: Bonnell Thornton’s parody of The Rambler
Notes
Footnotes
THE RAMBLER (1750–52)
Page 3
THE IDLER (1758–60)
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Page 472
MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS
Page 521
Appendix III: Bonnell Thornton’s parody of The Rambler
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