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Works of Samuel Johnson
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Table of Contents
  • Audiet Pugnas vitio Parentum / Rara Juventus. Hor: Young men—the few who are left after the crimes of their fathers—will hear of battles. [School and College Latin Exercises]
  • Bonae leges ex malis moribus proveniunt: Good laws spring from bad habits [School and College Latin Exercises]
  • Malos tueri haud tutum: Save a thief from the gallows and he’ll cut your throat [School and College Latin Exercises]
  • Quis enim virtutem amplectitur ipsam Praemia si tollas?: For who embraces virtue herself, if you take away the reward? [School and College Latin Exercises]
  • Adjecere bonae paulo plus artis Athenae: Kind Athens Added a Little More Skill [School and College Latin Exercises]
  • Mea nec Falernae Temperant Vites, neque Formiani Pocula Colles: Neither Falernian vines nor Formian hills mellow my cups [School and College Latin Exercises]
  • Scheme for the Classes of a Grammar School
  • Advertisement for the School at Edial
  • Observations on Common Sense
  • Preface to the 1738 Volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine
  • Letter to the Gentleman's Magazine on Political Journalism
  • Appeal to the Publick
  • To the Reader. [Gentleman’s Magazine]
  • Considerations on the case of Dr T.—s Sermons abridg’d by Mr Cave
  • The Jests of Hierocles
  • Preface to the 1741 Volume of the Gentleman's Magazine
  • Review of An Account of the Conduct of the Dowager Duchess of Marlborough
  • Proposals for Printing, by Subscription, the Two First Volumes of Bibliotheca Harleiana
  • An Account of the Harleian Library
  • Notice in Volume Two of Catalogus Bibliothecae Harleianae
  • Proposals for Printing, by Subscription, the Harleian Miscellany with An Account of this Undertaking
  • Introduction to the Harleian Miscellany: An Essay on the Origin and Importance of Small Tracts and Fugitive Pieces
  • Preface to the 1742 Volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine
  • Dedication for Robert James's Medicinal Dictionary
  • Preface to the 1743 Volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine
  • PROPOSALS For Printing every Fortnight, (Price Sixpence) THE PUBLISHER: CONTAINING MISCELLANIES In PROSE and VERSE. Collected by J. CROKATT, Bookseller.
  • Proposals for Printing Anchitell Grey's Debates
  • Some Remarks on the Progress of Learning Since the Reformation
  • Proposals for Printing by Subscription Hugonis Grotii Adamus Exul
  • Postscript to Lauder’s Essay on Milton’s Use and Imitation of the Moderns
  • A Letter to the Reverend Mr. Douglas
  • Preface to The Preceptor
  • The signification of WORDS how varied
  • Letter Concerning the Benefit Performance of Comus for Milton's Granddaughter
  • Proposals for printing by subscription, Essays in Verse and Prose.
  • Notice of The life of Harriot Stuart
  • Dedication to The Female Quixote
  • Dedication to Memoirs of Maximilian de Bethune, Duke of Sully
  • Dedication to Philander
  • Dedication to The Greek Theatre of Father Brumoy
  • Dedication to Henrietta, 2nd Ed.
  • Proposals for Printing by Subscription The Original Works of Mrs. Charlotte Lennox
  • Letter to the Daily Advertiser concerning James Crokatt
  • Preface to A General Index of the First Twenty Volumes of the Gentleman's Magazine
  • Preface to the 1753 Volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine
  • An Account of an Attempt to Ascertain the Longitude by Sea, by an Exact Theory of the Variation of the Magnetical Needle
  • Dedication and Preface to An Introduction to the Game of Draughts (1756)
  • Dedication to An Introduction to Geometry (1767)
  • Preface to Richard Rolt, A New Dictionary of Trade and Commerce
  • Reflections on the Present State of Literature
  • TO THE PUBLIC
  • Review of John Armstrong, The History of the Island of Minorca (1756)
  • Review of Stephen White, Collateral Bee-Boxes (1756)
  • Review of Thomas Birch, The History of the Royal Society, vols. 1–2 (1756)
  • Review of Arthur Murphy, The Gray’s-Inn Journal, 2 vols. (1756)
  • Review of Joseph Warton, An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Pope (1756)
  • Review of James Hampton, The General History of Polybius (1756)
  • Review of Thomas Blackwell, Memoirs of the Court of Augustus (1753–56)
  • Review of Alexander Russell, The Natural History of Aleppo (1756)
  • Review of Four Letters from Newton to Bentley (1756)
  • Review of William Borlase, Observations on the Islands of Scilly (1756)
  • Review of Archibald Bower, Affidavit (1756); John Douglas, Six Letters and Review of Mr. Bower’s Answer (1757); and John Douglas, Bower and Tillemont Compared (1757)
  • Review of Francis Home, Experiments on Bleaching (1756)
  • Review of Stephen Hales, An Account of a Useful Discovery (1756)
  • Review of Charles Lucas, An Essay on Waters (1756)
  • Review of Robert Keith, A Large New Catalogue of the Bishops (1756)
  • Review of Patrick Browne, The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica (1756)
  • Review of Charles Parkin, An Impartial Account of the Invasion under William Duke of Normandy (1756)
  • Review of A Scheme for Preventing a Further Increase of the National Debt (1756)
  • Review of Conferences and Treaties (1756)
  • Review of Philosophical Transactions (1756)
  • Review of Richard Lovett, The Subtil Medium Prov’d (1756)
  • Review of Benjamin Hoadley and Benjamin Wilson, Observations on a Series of Electrical Experiments (1756)
  • Review of Johann Georg Keyssler, Travels (1756)
  • Review of Elizabeth Harrison, Miscellanies (1756)
  • Review of Jonas Hanway, A Journal of Eight Days Journey (1757)
  • Review of Jonas Hanway, A Journal of Eight Days Journey, Second Edition (1757)
  • Reply to a Letter from Jonas Hanway in the Gazetteer (1757)
  • Review of Samuel Bever, The Cadet (1756)
  • Review of the Test and Con-Test (1756)
  • Review of William Whitehead, Elegies (1757)
  • Review of A Letter to a Gentleman in the Country on the Death of Admiral Byng (1757)
  • Preliminary Discourse in the London Chronicle
  • Advertisement for Francis Barber in the Daily Advertiser
  • "Dedication to John Lindsay, Evangelical History of Our Lord Jesus Christ Harmonized
  • Introduction to the Universal Chronicle (1758)
  • Of the Duty of a Journalist (1758)
  • Advertisement Against Unauthorized Reprints of the Idler (1759)
  • Advertisement for the Public Ledger in the Universal Chronicle (1760)
  • To The Public in the Public Ledger (1760)
  • The Weekly Correspondent Number I [Public Ledger]
  • The Weekly Correspondent Number II [Public Ledger]
  • The Weekly Correspondent Number III [Public Ledger]
  • Preface to J. Elmer, Tables of Weights and Prices
  • From The Italian Library Containing an Account of the Lives and Works of the most valuable authors of Italy (1757)
  • Proposals for Printing by Subscription, Le Poesie di Giuseppe Baretti (1758)
  • Dedication to A Dictionary of the English and Italian Languages (1760)
  • Preface to Easy Phraseology, for the Use of Young Ladies Who Intend to Learn the Colloquial Part of the Italian Language (1775)
  • Advertisement [For The World Displayed]
  • Introduction (1759) [From The World Displayed]
  • Advertisement for Pilgrim's Progress
  • Letter I. [Daily Gazetteer]
  • Letter II. [Daily Gazetteer]
  • Letter III. [Daily Gazetteer]
  • Letter to the Society of Arts (26 February 1760)
  • Letter to the Society of Arts (8 December 1760)
  • Address of the Painter’s, Sculptors, &Architects to George III (1761)
  • Preface to A Catalogue of the Pictures, Sculptures, Models, Drawings, Prints, &c Exhibited by the Society of Artists of Great-Britain at the Great Room in Spring Gardens Charing Cross May the 17th Anno 1762 Being the Third year of their Exhibition (1762)
  • Review of William Tytler, Historical and Critical Enquiry into the Evidence Produced … Against Mary Queen of Scots
  • Contributions to John Kennedy, A Complete System of Astronomical Chronology, Unfolding the Scriptures
  • Proposals and Advertisement [for Anna Williams, Miscellanies in Prose and Verse] (1762)
  • Advertisement [for Anna Williams, Miscellanies in Prose and Verse] (1766)
  • Dedication to Jerusalem Delivered (1763)
  • Dedication to The Works of Metastasio (1767)
  • Dedication to Cyrus: A Tragedy (1768)
  • Review of Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller
  • Dedication for Thomas Percy, Reliques of Ancient English Poetry
  • 23 Sept. 1765 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 1–4 Oct. 1765. [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 20 Nov. 1765. [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 19 Dec. 1765. [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 24 December 1765 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 3 March 1768 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 8 March 1768 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 14 March 1768 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 23 March 1768 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 23 March 1768 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 13 March 1769 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 1 October 1774 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 4 October 1774 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 13 October 1774 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 4 September 1780 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 4 September 1780 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • 5 Sept. 1780 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
  • Dedication for George Adams, A Treatise Describing and Explaining the Construction and Use of New Celestial and Terrestrial Globes
  • Dedication to John Gwynn, London and Westminster Improved
  • Preface to Alexander MacBean, A Dictionary of Ancient Geography
  • Meditation on a Pudding
  • Hereford Infirmary Appeal
  • Dedication for A General History of Music (1776)
  • From A General History of Music, Vol. II (1782)
  • Dedication to An Account of the Musical Performance . . . in Commemoration of Handel (1785)
  • Advertisement for the Spectator
  • Dedication to Zachary Pearce, A Commentary, with Notes, on the Four Evangelists and the Acts of the Apostles
  • Letter of 16 May 1777
  • The Petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council Assembled, Friday 6 June 1777
  • Letter to Lord Bathurst, the Lord Chancellor, 8 June 1777
  • Letter to William Murray, First Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, Wednesday, 11 June 1777
  • Petition of Mrs. Mary Dodd to the Queen
  • Dodd’s Letter to the King, Sunday, 22 June 1777
  • Petition of William Dodd to the King, Monday, 23 June 1777
  • Dodd’s Last Solemn Declaration, Wednesday, 25 June 1777
  • Johnson’s Observations on the Propriety of Pardoning William Dodd, Wednesday, 25 June 1777
  • Introduction and Conclusion to Occasional Papers (1777)
  • Proposal for Printing William Shaw, An Analysis of the Scotch Celtic Language
  • Dedication to Sir Joshua Reynolds, Seven Discourses
  • Preface to Thomas Maurice, Oedipus Tyrannus
  • The Case of Collier v. Flint
  • Translation of Sallust, De Bello Catilinario
  • General Rules of the Essex Head Club
  • On the Character and Duty of an Academick
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© 2023
Observations on Common Sense
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By Johnson, Samuel

Samuel Johnson: Johnson on Demand

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OBSERVATIONS ON COMMON SENSE (1738)
In 1731 Edward Cave had the brilliant idea of founding a monthly periodical, filling it with excerpts and abridgments of the contents of other journals, and calling it a “magazine”—a storehouse, the first publication to bear that title. The unwilling sources of copy for the Gentleman’s Magazine were indignant, but other printers and booksellers were quick to follow Cave’s example, and inaugurated competing “magazines.” For several years, mutual accusations of piracy and incompetence were exchanged in the columns of the rival journals, and in late 1738 the newest recruit to Cave’s staff exuberantly joined the fray. In fact, with the exception of the “Proposals for Printing Anagrammata Rediviva” (Yale, lxxxiii–xc.) and the Life of Boerhaave (Yale, XIX.19–55), all of Johnson’s remaining contributions to the Gentleman’s Magazine through May 1739, at which time he seems to have temporarily ceased writing for the magazine, are salvos in the periodical war. These editorial squibs provide amusing early testimony to Johnson’s talent for witty invective. The battle was nearing its end, however, for the Gentleman’s Magazine, partly no doubt at Johnson’s urging, was printing more and more original work and less and less from other periodicals. The soon-to-be-made decision to include a parliamentary debate in each issue, moreover, left less room for abridgements and attacks on rivals.1
F. V. Bernard (Notes and Queries, n. s. XIV [May 1967], 176–80) has argued that the following “Observations” in the Gentleman’s Magazine for December 1738 (VIII.640–41) are by Johnson. Thomas Kaminski thinks “the hand is undoubtedly Johnson’s” (Kaminski, p. 55). The piece lacks the dignity and classical references of many of Johnson’s most characteristic writings, and the ironies, though witty, are sometimes labored. The stylistic economy that is recommended and the grammatical sharpness, however, seem Johnsonian. Moreover, the use of full verbal irony was not foreign to him during this period.


Page 24

The “Observations” follow an allegorical piece which the Gentleman’s Magazine reprints from Common Sense for 2 December 1738, abridging it, however, by placing brackets around the many words and phrases in the piece that the Gentleman’s Magazine judges superfluous. As Kaminski shows (p. 55), the opening sentences suffice to demonstrate the procedure: “I am scarce able to express the pleasure your letter gave me; [for it came to my hands at a time that] I really began to fear there was not one of your branch of our family left [in the land of the living.]” The complaint about the prolixity of the writing in Common Sense—by contrast with that in the Gentleman’s Magazine, in which matters are “concisely and clearly stated”—was an old one. But the immediate occasion for this attack was the accusation in the issues of Common Sense for 18 January and 11 March that in the process of abridging essays, the Gentleman’s Magazine butchered them, eliminating “everything that looks like spirit in writing.” On the contrary, the Gentleman’s Magazine demonstrated that abridging the essays actually improved them.
Observations on the foregoing.
An ingenuous and artless confession of a fault is generally admitted as an extenuation of it, and, if accompanied with amendment, entitles the offender to pardon and compassion. In hopes therefore of regaining the favour, or at least pacifying the resentment, of these great reformers of our politicks, and refiners of our language, the illustrious authors of Common Sense, I have reprinted the foregoing elaborate and elegant dissertation literally from the weekly paper, without attempting to deprive the reader of a single syllable. This I am now convinced is the only way of doing justice to these wonderful originals, equally estimable for chastity of sentiment, and purity of diction.
This method is so safe, so obvious to discover, and so easy to follow, that it may well be wondered, how I could so long either obstinately decline, or negligently overlook it. I had imbibed an early prejudice in favour of brevity, and erroneously believed that, supposing equal perspicuity and elegance, the shortest expression was the best. I fancied that the rays of sense, like those of the sun, acquired force by converging, and acted most vigorously in a narrow compass.
That I am at length convinced of the ill tendency of these


Page 25

false opinions, I owe entirely to the candid1 admonitions of these excellent writers, and hope they will accept of my humble recantation. I now acknowledge that diffusion and redundancy “look,” at least, “like spirit in writing,” and that whoever shall impiously presume to lop from those sacred lines one monosyllable, however superfluous, or an epithet, however improper, or insignificant, is, in their own elevated and polite language, a “barbarian, a hacker, a cutter, an enemy to every ingenious sentiment, a thief, a mangler, a butcher, and a murderer.”
O thou great directress of political pens! known amongst the moderns by the names of FLUENCY and COPIOUSNESS, and amongst the men of former ages by the title of PROLIXITY! Thou, that weariest attention with invincible tautology, and bewilderest reason in inextricable mazes! Forgive, great goddess! the injuries rashly offered to the most zealous of thy votaries, the AUTHORS OF Common Sense, and accept of the small atonement which I now offer thee by publishing, in the Gentleman’s Magazine, four columns SACRED TO PROLIXITY.
Never was I so sensible of the advantages of this reformed taste, as in the perusal of the foregoing paper, so full of those elegancies which I have lately learned to value. I could not forbear looking back upon my days of ignorance, and congratulating myself, that this inestimable piece was not violated by my “merciless” hand. How many delicacies of expression


Page 26

had I contemptuously expunged! How many beautiful circumlocutions had I reduced to single words! How had I “mangled” and “butchered” this most finish’d piece of modern rhetoric! Fill’d with these thoughts, I returned to my author, and, that I might have a full sense of my obligations to him, collected into one view (by the help of the marks [ ] I made in perusinga this epistle) those enchanting phrases, and graceful figures, which I was accustom’d formerly to despise and cut away. And I doubt not but all my readers will peruse them in the2 margin with no less pleasurec than improvement.
As a farther proof of gratitude, I shall, without any regard to the censures that I have reason to apprehend for so rash and arduous an attempt, endeavour to assist these great authors in the noble design which they have formed, of reducing our language, like the Chinese, to monosyllables. Long have they conceived this useful scheme, and much have they laboured


Page 27

to compleat it; but as they have not hitherto, with all their efforts, been able to bring together more than THREE AND TWENTY words of one syllable, I hope entirely to recover their good opinion, by pointing out a method by which they may extend their rank of monosyllables to THIRTY. The unlucky word always, might, by following the most ancient and most authorized orthography, be resolved into “in all ways.” His sentence will then flow with wonderful harmony thus— “She will have her in all ways close at her heels, as if she was proud to let the world see how she treats her. I leave you to judge.”3
The same analysis may be very successfully practised in other places, and by the assistance of a few men of equal genius with our authors, might in less than fifty years be brought to perfection. S. U.4


Page 28

Editorial Notes
1 Detailed accounts of the warfare are given in C. Lennart Carlson, The First Magazine: A History of the Gentleman’s Magazine, Brown University Studies, vol. 4 (1938); Albert Pailler, Edward Cave et le Gentleman’s Magazine, 1731–1754 (1975); and Barker.
1 [SJ’s note.] Common Sense, January 18, has the following ELEGANT paragraph:
We can’t help bestowing a word or two upon the Gentleman’s Magazine, of WHOM we may truly say, HE has not only robb’d but murder’d common-sense: not content with stealing every thing he can lay his hands on, he so mangles and defaces WHAT he steals, that it is impossible their natural parents should know THEM. This butcher bears a most barbarous hatred against every THING that looks like SPIRIT in writing,—an ingenious sentiment has some THING in it he cannot bear; wherever he meets a thought of wit, he cuts it off without mercy; he is determined no such THING shall be seen in his magazine.
In their paper of March 11, the Gentleman’s Magazine is complimented with the title of barbarian, and pirate, to which they add, instead of performing the operation like an artist, he cuts and hacks like a butcher.
a perusing emend] pursing GM
2 [SJ’s note] In my unenlightened state I should have changed or dropt the following expressions in this essay.—— I should certainly have put it out of your head to think of ——The people who ruled the roostb——It is not to be expressed what——does no one thing in this world——this being the case—— If that should happen.——We had best troop off together.——There is one there.——Opposite in person and mind——was owing——As your fathers had done BEFORE you.——What he has done has been——upon this.—— She’d have her to know, she.——Now and then——I should not wonder at it. ——At her first appearance in THIS TOWN IT was expected SHE would have been admired by all the world, but those at that time at the head of the fashion, thought otherwise.——She retired into France, where, when strangers became acquainted with her, all the world was in love with her.——Two most opposites.——Topic of conversation was to rail at you.——reasons why. I will tell it you in as FEW (’tis supposed he means SHORT) words as I can.——His name is WIT, he formerly writ.——Carry along with us——At a time that——I began to fear there was not one, I assure you there was——Without making enquiry [AT THE INNS OF COURT should be added] I went into the City.——Once more before I died——You were retired to America, for they had heard you say, you were——And the cant amongst them was” ——Beauties, which the reader will perceive included within hooks [] or distinguished in italic, I shou’d have very much defaced.
b roost emend] roast GM
c no less pleasure emend] no pleasure GM
3 This sentence appears in the abridged piece; “she” is Luxury, and “her” is poverty in the Common Sense allegory.
4 Sylvanus Urban, Edward Cave’s pseudonym. The London Magazine and other opponents lampooned him as Dr. Urban, a quack.
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Document Details
Document TitleObservations on Common Sense
AuthorJohnson, Samuel
Creation Date1738
Publ. DateN/A
Alt. TitleN/A
Contrib. AuthorCave, Edward
ClassificationSubject: Periodical; Subject: Common Sense; Subject: Plagiarism; Subject: Criticism; Subject: Language; Genre: Book Review; Genre: Magazine controversy; Genre: Satire
PrinterN/A
PublisherEdward Cave
Publ. PlaceLondon
VolumeSamuel Johnson: Johnson on Demand
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