Reading Experience Database
1450-1945

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Record 22120

Reading Experience:

Evidence:
'[from Bennet Langton's collection of 1780 Johnsoniana, passed to Boswell] 'One night at The Club he produced a translation of an Epitaph which Lord Elibank had written in English, for his Lady, and requested of Johnson to turn into Latin for him. Having read "Domina de North et Gray", he said to Dyer, "You see, Sir, what barbarisms we are compelled to make use of, when modern titles are to be specifically mentioned in Latin inscriptions." When he had read it once aloud, and there had been a general approbation expressed by the company, he addressed himself to Mr. Dyer in particular, and said, "Sir, I beg to have your judgement, for I know your nicety." Dyer then very properly desired to read it over again; which having done, he pointed out an incongruity in one of the sentences.'
Century:
Date: Until: 31 Dec 1780
Country: England
Time: n/a
Place: city: London
other location: meeting of the 'Club' of literary friends of Johnson
   
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:Mr Dyer
Age Adult (18-100+)
Gender Male
Date of Birth n/a
Socio-economic group: Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation: n/a
Religion: n/a
Country of origin: n/a
Country of experience: England
Listeners present if any:
(e.g. family, servants, friends, workmates)
n/a
Additional comments: n/a

 

Text Being Read:

Author: Lord Elibank
Title: [Epitaph on his Lady]
Genre: epitaph
Form of Text: Manuscript: Unknown
Publication details: translated into Latin by Johnson
Provenance: read in situ

 

Source Information:

Record ID: 22120  
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: 1072
  Additional comments: n/a

Citation: James Boswell, R.W. Chapman (ed.), Life of Johnson (Oxford, 1980), p. 1072, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/reading/recorddetails2.php?id=22120, accessed: 24 April 2024

Additional comments:

Originally published 1791.

 

 

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