Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson, often referred to as Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history". He is also the subject of "the most famous single biographical work in the whole of literature," James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionNon-Fiction Author
Date of Birth18 September 1709
Much is due to those who first broke the way to knowledge, and left only to their successors the task of smoothing it.
When two Eglishmen meet, their first talk is of the weather.
When I first collected these authorities, I was desirous that every quotation should be useful to some other end than the illustration of a word; I therefore extracted from philosophers principles of science; from historians remarkable facts; from chymists complete processes; from divines striking exhortations; and from poets beautiful descriptions.
Every government is perpetually degenerating towards corruption, from which it must be rescued at certain periods by the resuscitation of its first principles, and the re-establishment of its original constitution.
The great effect of friendship is beneficence, yet by the first act of uncommon kindness it is endangered.
Criticism, as it was first instituted by Aristotle, was meant as a standard of judging well.
It is our first duty to serve society.
Flattery pleases very generally. In the first place, the flatterer may think what he says to be true; but, in the second place, whether he thinks so or not, he certainly thinks those whom he flatters of consequence enough to be flattered.
It is our first duty to serve society, and after we have done that, we may attend wholly to the salvation of our own souls.
The first step to greatness is to be honest.
If we estimate dignity by immediate usefulness, agriculture is undoubtedly the first and noblest science.
When any calamity has been suffered the first thing to be remembered is, how much has been escaped.
In discussing these exceptions from the course of nature, the first question is, whether the fact be justly stated. That which is strange is delightful, and a pleasing error is not willingly detected.
I have always said the first Whig was the Devil.