• About Dr. Johnson
  • About This Blog

Samuel Johnson's Essays

~ republished 260 years later

Samuel Johnson's Essays

Monthly Archives: July 1751

No. 143. The criterions of plagiarism.

July 30, 1751

—Moveat cornicula risum Furtivis nudata coloribus.— HOR. Lib. i. Ep. i. 19.   Lest when the birds their various colours claim, Stripp’d …

Continue reading »

No. 142. An account of squire Bluster.

July 27, 1751

  [Greek: Entha d aner eniaue pelorios— —oude, met allous Poleit, all apaneuthen eon athemistia ede. Kai gar Oaum etetukto …

Continue reading »

No. 141. The danger of attempting wit in conversation. The character of Papilius.

July 23, 1751

Hilarisque, tamen cum pondere, virtus. STAT. Greatness with ease, and gay severity. TO THE RAMBLER. SIR, Politicians have long observed, …

Continue reading »

No. 140. The criticism continued.

July 20, 1751

 —Quis tam Lucili fautor inepte est, Ut non hoc fateatur? HOR. Lib. i. Sat. x. 2.   What doating bigot, to his …

Continue reading »

No. 139. A critical examination of Samson Agonistes.

July 16, 1751

—Sit quod vis simplex duntanat et unum. Hor. Art. Poet. 23. Let ev’ry piece be simple and be one. It …

Continue reading »

No. 138. Original characters to be found in the country. The character of Mrs. Busy.

July 13, 1751

O tantum libeat mecum tibi sordida rura, Atque humiles habitare casas, et figere cervos. VIRG. EC. ii 28.   With me …

Continue reading »

No. 137. The necessity of literary courage.

July 9, 1751

  Dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt. Hor. Lib. i. Sat. ii. 24.   —Whilst fools one vice condemn, They run …

Continue reading »

No. 136. The meanness and mischief of indiscriminate dedication.

July 6, 1751

  [Greek: Echthrus gar moi keimos, omos aidao pulusin, Os ch eteron men keuthei eni phresin, allo de bazei.] HOMER, …

Continue reading »

No. 135. The folly of annual retreats into the country.

July 2, 1751

    Coelum, non animum, mutant. HOR. Lib. i. Ep. xi. 27.     Place may be chang’d; but who …

Continue reading »

♣ Essays By Publication

    Published in:
  • The Rambler
  • The Adventurer
  • The Idler



♣ The Best Collection of Samuel Johnson’s Essays



It's not all of them, but here's the most accessible collection of Johnson's most popular and influential essays: Johnson's Collected Essays.


♣ Archives

  • April 1760 (1)
  • March 1760 (5)
  • February 1760 (4)
  • January 1760 (4)
  • December 1759 (5)
  • November 1759 (4)
  • October 1759 (4)
  • September 1759 (5)
  • August 1759 (4)
  • July 1759 (4)
  • June 1759 (5)
  • May 1759 (4)
  • April 1759 (4)
  • March 1759 (5)
  • February 1759 (4)
  • January 1759 (4)
  • December 1758 (5)
  • November 1758 (4)
  • October 1758 (4)
  • September 1758 (3)
  • August 1758 (4)
  • July 1758 (5)
  • June 1758 (4)
  • May 1758 (4)
  • April 1758 (3)
  • March 1754 (1)
  • February 1754 (2)
  • January 1754 (2)
  • December 1753 (3)
  • November 1753 (3)
  • October 1753 (3)
  • September 1753 (1)
  • August 1753 (3)
  • July 1753 (2)
  • June 1753 (2)
  • May 1753 (2)
  • April 1753 (2)
  • March 1753 (4)
  • March 1752 (4)
  • February 1752 (9)
  • January 1752 (8)
  • December 1751 (9)
  • November 1751 (9)
  • October 1751 (9)
  • September 1751 (8)
  • August 1751 (9)
  • July 1751 (9)
  • June 1751 (9)
  • May 1751 (8)
  • April 1751 (9)
  • March 1751 (9)
  • February 1751 (8)
  • January 1751 (9)
  • December 1750 (9)
  • November 1750 (8)
  • October 1750 (9)
  • September 1750 (9)
  • August 1750 (8)
  • July 1750 (9)
  • June 1750 (9)
  • May 1750 (10)
  • April 1750 (8)
  • March 1750 (4)
  • July 1416 (1)

♣ An Overview of Johnson’s Major Works



Here's a collection of the most influential and popular writing by Dr. Johnson: Samuel Johnson - the Major Works.


♣ Read More Samuel Johnson

  • The Major Works
  • Selected Writings
  • The History of Rasselas
  • Journey to the Western Isles
  • Selected Essays
  • Johnson's Dictionary


♣ More Info

  • About Dr. Johnson
  • About This Blog

♣ Samuel Johnson on Twitter

  • Stay up to date with these essays by following @JohnsonEssays
  • Find a humorous version of Johnson on Twitter at @DrSamuelJohnson


Samuel Johnson's Collected Essays




Samuel Johnson's Major Works, Oxford Classics



James Boswell's Life of Johnson



Samuel Johnson: A Biography



Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784. Find Samuel Johnson's work and writings online.