Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 20970

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'The King then asked him what he thought of Dr. Hill. Johnson answered, he was an ingenious man, but had no veracity; and immediately mentioned, as an instance of it, an assertion of that writer, that he had seen objects magnified to a much greater degree by using three or four microscopes at a time than by using one. "Now, (added Johnson,) every one acquainted with microscopes, knows, that the more of them he looks through, the less the object will appear." "Why, (replied the King,) this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumsily; for, if that be the case, every one who can look through a microscope will be able to detect him."'
Century: 1700-1799
Date: Until: 28 Feb 1767
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, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Dr Hill
Title: [unknown]
Genre: Science
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: n/a
Provenance: unknown

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 20970  
Source - Print  
  Author: James Boswell
  Editor: R.C. Chapman
  Title: Life of Johnson
  Place of Publication: Oxford
  Date of Publication: 1980
  Vol: n/a
  Page: 382
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: James Boswell, R.C. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 382, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=20970, accessed: 25 April 2024

Additional comments:

Originally published 1791. This conversation occurred between George III and Johnson in the library at Queen's house.

 

 

Reading Experience Database version 2.0.  Page updated: 27th Apr 2016  3:15pm (GMT)