Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 22073

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'In the interval between morning and evening service, he [Johnson] endeavoured to employ himself earnestly in devotional exercises; and as he has mentioned in his "Prayers and Meditations", gave me "Les Pensees de Pascal", that I might not interrupt him. I preserve the book with reverence. His presenting it to me is marked upon it with his own hand, and I have found in it a truly divine unction.'
Century:
Date: 2 Apr 1779
Country: England
Time: daytime: between morning and evening service
Place: city: London
other location: Johnson's house
   
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:James Boswell
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Male
Date of Birth 29 Oct 1740
Socio-economic group: Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation: writer and lawyer
Religion: n/a
Country of origin: Scotland
Country of experience: England
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Blaise Pascal
Title: Pensees
Genre: Other religious
Form of Text: Print: Book
Publication details: n/a
Provenance: owned
given by Johnson

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 22073  
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: 1015
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 1015, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=22073, accessed: 29 March 2024

Additional comments:

Originally published 1791.

 

 

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