A Diary of a Journey Into North Wales, In the Year 1774.

JOHNSON, Samuel.

$2,250.00

Item Number: 147758

London: Printed for Robert Jennings, 1816.

First edition of Samuel Johnson’s diary of a trip to Wales in July-August of 1774, which was later incorporated into various editions of Boswell’s ‘Life of Johnson’. Octavo, original half-cloth, two engraved facsimile plates of Johnson‘s handwriting, errata slip tipped in at rear. In very good condition. Housed in a custom folding chemise and half morocco slipcase. From the library of noted collector William A. Strutz with his small bookplate to the left flap of the slipcase. Rare in the original binding.

Samuel Johnson was a towering figure in 18th-century English literature, celebrated for his contributions as a lexicographer, essayist, critic, and poet. His most notable work, 'A Dictionary of the English Language', was a landmark achievement that standardized English lexicography and profoundly influenced subsequent dictionaries. Johnson's incisive essays, particularly those published in The Rambler and The Idler, reflect his deep engagement with moral philosophy, literary criticism, and the human condition. He was also a biographer of distinction, as exemplified by 'The Lives of the Poets', a collection of critical essays that blended biographical detail with critical analysis. Known for his conversational brilliance, Johnson's wit and intellect were immortalized in James Boswell's 'The Life of Samuel Johnson', a foundational text of modern biography.