Record Number: 22152

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'[from the Johnsoniana imparted by Bennet Langton to Boswell in 1780] Mr. Langton, when a very young man, read Dodsley's "Cleone, a Tragedy", to him, not aware of his extreme impatience to be read to. As it went on he turned his face to the back of his chair, and put himself into various attitudes, which marked his uneasiness. At the end of an act, however, he said, "Come let's have some more, let's go into the slaughter-house again, Lanky. But I am afraid there is more blood than brains." Yet he afterwards said, "When I heard you read it, I thought higher of its power of language: when I read it myself, I was more sensible of its pathetick effect;" and then he paid it a compliment which many will think very extravagant. "Sir, (said he,) if Otway had written this play, no other of his pieces would have been remembered": Dodsley himself, upon this being repeated to him, said, "It was too much": it must be remembered, that Johnson always appeared not to be sufficiently sensible of the merit of Otway'.

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Until: 31 Dec 1780

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 reactive unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Bennet Langton

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1736

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Dr Johnson

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Robert Dodsley

Title:

Cleone, a Tragedy

Genre:

Drama

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

22152

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:

1079

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 1079, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=22152, accessed: 24 September 2023

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Additional Comments:

Originally published 1791