Record Number: 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

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/RED/record_details.php?id=22073, accessed: 29 September 2023

---

Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791.