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the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

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Record Number: 21343


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'He [Johnson] attacked Lord Monboddo's strange speculation on the primitive state of human nature; observing, "Sir, it is all conjecture about a thing useless, even were it known to be true. Knowledge of all kinds is good. Conjecture, as to things useful, is good; but conjecture as to what it would be useless to know, such as whether men went upon all four [sic], is very idle." '

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 10 May 1773

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

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


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



Text Being Read:

Author:

James Burnett, Lord Monboddo

Title:

Of the Origin and Progress of Language

Genre:

Science

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

only first volume had been published at this time (1773), another 5 appeared by 1792

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

21343

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:

547

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 547, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=21343, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791. Probably the text in question, though it could have been an earlier essay

   
   
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