Samuel Johnson 1709-1784

Samuel Johnson  1709-1784

LIFE

Son of a Lichfield bookseller, he proceeded in 1728 to Pembroke College,

Oxford but, owing to poverty, had to leave (1731) without taking a

degree. After an unsuccessful period as a country schoolmaster and

working for a publisher in Birmingham, he moved (1737) to London with

one of his pupils, David Garrick.

In London he struggled as a Grub Street hack journalist, parliamentary

reporter, poet, lexicographer, editor and so on, until in 1762 he

received a state pension - which eased his lot.

Boswell met him in 1763. Indications of Johnson's stature and fame -

celebrated by Boswell's superb Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) - are

his burial in Westminster Abbey, the monument erected to him by the

Literary Club in St Paul's, statues of him erected in Lichfield and

Uttoxeter, and his being awarded the degree of LLD by the universities

of Oxford and Dublin. 

PRINCIPAL WORKS

Poetry:

London: A Poem  1737

The Vanity of Human Wishes  1749

Drama:

Irene: A Tragedy  1749

Prose etc.:

The Life of Savage  1744

The Rambler  1750-1752

A Dictionary of the English Language  1755

Rasselas  1759

The Plays of William Shakespeare (ed)  1765

A Journey to the Western Isles of Scotland  1775

Prefaces to the Works of the English Poets  1779-1781  (published as 

Lives of the Poets  1781)

THE POEM

ON THE DEATH OF DR. ROBERT LEVET

Written in 1782. The following are of interest:

Letter from Johnson to Dr Lawrence:

                                       January 17, 1782

Sir,

Our old friend Mr Levet, who was last night eminently cheerful,

died this morning. The man who lay in the same room, hearing

an uncommon noise, got up and tried to make him speak, but

without effect. He then called Mr. Holder, the apothecary, who,

though when he came thought him dead, opened a vein, but

could draw no blood. So has ended the long life of a very

useful and very blameless man.

     I am, Sir,

           Your most humble servant,

                       Sam. Johnson

Extract from one of Johnson's memorandum books:

January 20, Sunday

Robert Levet was buried in the churchyard of Bridewell,

between one and two in the afternoon. He died on Thursday.

17, about seven in the morning, by an instantaneous death.

He was an old and faithful friend; I have known him from

about 46. Commendavi. May God have mercy on him. May 

he have mercy on me.

Officious = "Kind, doing good offices," according to Johnson's Dictionary.