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Samuel Johnson's Essays

~ republished 260 years later

Samuel Johnson's Essays

Monthly Archives: April 1758

No. 3. Idler’s reason for writing.

April 29, 1758

Otia vitae Solamur cantu. STAT. It has long been the complaint of those who frequent the theatres, that all the …

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No. 2. Invitation to correspondents.

April 22, 1758

Toto non quater anno Membranam.—HOR. Lib. ii. Sat. iii. 1. Many positions are often on the tongue, and seldom in …

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No. 1. The Idler’s character.

April 15, 1758

Vacui sub umbra Lusimus.—Hor. Lib. i. Ode xxxii. 1. Those who attempt periodical essays seem to be often stopped in …

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♣ Essays By Publication

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



♣ Archives

♣ 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.


♣ 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

Hi; this is a project by Matt Kirkland. I make a bunch of weird things and put them on the internet. Sometimes they're literature-related like Dracula Daily, Dumb Cuneiform, or our publishing projects with Studio Kirkland.

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Samuel Johnson's Collected Essays




Samuel Johnson's Major Works, Oxford Classics



James Boswell's Life of Johnson



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