Selected Essays of Samuel Johnson

by Samuel Johnson, Stuart Johnson Reid

69 chapters13h 12mEnglish1888

About this book

This is a volume of selected essays by "the great master of reason" Samuel Johnson. The most famous exerpts from The Rambler, The Adventurer and The Idler are included, covering a vast range of topics. - Summary by Carolin

Chapters (69)

1Bibliographical Introduction, part 1

2302

2Biographical Introduction, part 2

2150

3The Necessity and Danger of Looking into Futurity. Writers Naturally Sanguine. Their Hopes Liable to Disappointment

983

4An Allegory on Criticism

734

5The Modern Form of Romances Preferable to the Ancient. The Necessity of Characters Morally Good

906

6The Folly of Anger. The Misery of a Peevish Old Age

905

7The Difference Between an Author's Writings and his Conversation

886

8The Dangers and Miseries of Literary Eminence

840

9The Anxieties of Literature not Less than Those of Publick Stations. The Inequality of Authors' Writings

807

10An Allegory on Wit and Learning

745

11The Contrariety of Criticism. The Vanity of Objection. An Author Obliged to Depend upon his own Judgment

576

12The Various Arts of Self-Delusion

851

13The Difficulty of Giving Advice Without Offending

745

14The Proper Means of Regulating Sorrow

715

15A Virtuous Old Age Always Reverenced

610

16The Desire of Wealth Moderated by Philosophy

568

17The Dignity and Usefulness of Biography

769

18Inconstancy Always a Weakness

709

19The Requisites to True Friendship

708

20The Garden of Hope - A Dream

530

21Every Man Chiefly Happy or Miserable at Home. The Opinions of Servants not to be Despised

577

22The Necessity of Good Humor

656

23The Learned Seldom Despised but when they Deserve Contempt

785

24The Reasons Why Advice is Generally Ineffectual

695

25The Luxury of Vain Imagination

681

26The Voyage of Life

720

27Life Sufficient to All Purposes if well Employed

725

28The Advantages of Living in a Garret

984

29Diligence too Soon Relaxed. Necessity of Perseverance

710

30The Necessity of Literary Courage

706

31The Criterions of Plagiarism

961

32The Usefulness of Advice. The Danger of Habits. The Necessity of Reviewing Life

808

33The Revelations of a Garret

618

34Labour Necessary to Excellence

611

35Directions to Authors Attacked by Criticks. The Various Degrees of Critical Perspicacity

507

36Many Advantages not to be Enjoyed Together

573

37The Prohibition of Revenge Justifiable by Reason. The Meanness of Regulating our Conduct by the Opinions of Men

768

38Human Opinions Suitable. The Hopes of Youth Fallacious

504

39The Importance of Punctuality

633

40The Art of Living at the Cost of Others

564

41The Folly of Continuing too Long upon the Stage

611

42The Character of a Liar

674

43The Faults of Books Sometimes Imputable to the Reader

799

44To Read, Write, and Conserve in Due Proportions the Business of a Man of Letters

914

45Unjust Charges of Plagiarism

703

46Mercator Complains that he can Find no Happiness in Rural Life

721

47That kind of Life most Happy which Affords us most Opportunities of Gaining our own Esteem

821

48Our Present State one of Danger and Infelicity

659

49On the Duty of Self-Examination

807

50The Happiness and Vexation of Authors

612

51The Idler's Character

536

52Invitation to Correspondents

421

53Robbery of Time

370

54Uncertainty of Friendship

432

55Corruptions of News-Writers

445

56Disguises of Idleness. Sober's Character

512

57The Terrifick Diction

601

58On the Death of a Friend

513

59Monitions on the Flight of Time

356

60Deborah Ginger's Account of City Wits

457

61Minim the Critick I.

577

62Minim the Critick II.

416

63Dick Shifter's Rural Excursion

537

64Steady, Snug, Startle, Solid, and Misty

490

65Biography, How Best Performed

405

66Books Multiplied by Useless Compilations

330

67What Have Ye Done?

324

68Omar's Plan of Life

438

69The Itch of Writing Universal

793

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