Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

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

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
  RED International Logo

RED Australia logo


RED Canada logo
RED Netherlands logo
RED New Zealand logo

Record Number: 22430


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I shewed him some verses on Lichfield by Miss Seward, which I had that day received from her, and had the pleasure to hear him approve of them. He confirmed to me the truth of a high compliment which I had been told he had paid to that lady, when she mentioned to him "The Colombiade", an epick poem, by Madame du Boccage:--"Madam, there is not any thing equal to your description of the sea round the North Pole, in your Ode on the death of Captain Cook".'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

25 Jun 1784

Country:

England

Time

afternoon: dinnertime

Place:

city: London
other location: home of General Paoli

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:

Anna Seward

Title:

[poem on Lichfield]

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

read in situ
shown to him by Boswell over dinner at General Paoli's


Source Information:

Record ID:

22430

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:

1320

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 1320, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=22430, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

Original date of publication 1791.

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design