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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
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  • Observations on Common Sense
  • Preface to the 1738 Volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine
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  • Preface to the 1742 Volume of the Gentleman’s Magazine
  • Dedication for Robert James's Medicinal Dictionary
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  • PROPOSALS For Printing every Fortnight, (Price Sixpence) THE PUBLISHER: CONTAINING MISCELLANIES In PROSE and VERSE. Collected by J. CROKATT, Bookseller.
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  • 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.
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  • Review of A Letter to a Gentleman in the Country on the Death of Admiral Byng (1757)
  • Preliminary Discourse in the London Chronicle
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  • "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)
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  • To The Public in the Public Ledger (1760)
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  • 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)
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  • Dedication to Jerusalem Delivered (1763)
  • Dedication to The Works of Metastasio (1767)
  • Dedication to Cyrus: A Tragedy (1768)
  • Review of Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller
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  • 23 Sept. 1765 [Political Writing for Henry Thrale]
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  • 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)
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  • 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
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  • 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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Dedication to The Female Quixote
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By Johnson, Samuel

Samuel Johnson: Johnson on Demand

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Dedication to The Female Quixote (1752)
[Editorial Introduction]
Charlotte Lennox’s most popular work, The Female Quixote; or, the Adventures of Arabella, was first published on 13 March 1752. Correspondence between Lennox and Johnson shows that Johnson helped Lennox publish this work, not only by speaking to Andrew Millar but also by engaging Richardson and Lord Orrery in the effort.1 One letter also seems to indicate that Johnson did not write the penultimate chapter of the book, as has frequently been thought.2 As Fleeman notes, Boswell attributed the dedication to Johnson on the basis of internal evidence (Life, I.367), but in his journal for 7 April 1778, he indicates that Johnson told him it was his: “Saw dedication of Female Quixote to Lord Middlesex. He owned it.”3 The dedication was first published as Johnson’s in Works 1788 (XIV.476–77).
To the Right Honourable The Earl of Middlesex1
My Lord,
Such is the power of interest over almost every mind, that no one is long without arguments to prove any position which is ardently wished to be true, or to justify any measures which are dictated by inclination.
By this subtil sophistry of desire, I have been persuaded to hope, that this book may, without impropriety, be inscribed to your Lordship; but am not certain, that my reasons will have the same force upon other understandings.


Page 206

The dread which a writer feels of the public censure; the still greater dread of neglect; and the eager wish for support and protection, which is impressed by the consciousness of imbecillity;2 are unknown to those who have never adventured into the world; and I am afraid, my Lord, equally unknown to those, who have always found the world ready to applaud them.
’Tis, therefore, not unlikely, that the design of this address may be mistaken, and the effects of my fear imputed to my vanity: they who see your Lordship’s name prefixed to my performance, will rather condemn my presumption, than compassionate my anxiety.
But, whatever be supposed my motive, the praise of judgment cannot be denied me; for, to whom can timidity so properly fly for shelter, as to him who has been so long distinguished for candour and humanity? How can vanity be so completely gratified, as by the allowed patronage of him whose judgment has so long given a standard to the national taste?3 Or by what other means could I so powerfully suppress all opposition, but that of envy, as by declaring myself,
My Lord, Your Lordship’s obliged and most obedient humble servant, The Author.
Editorial Notes
1 See Schürer, Charlotte Lennox, pp. 6–10, 23–33.
2 O M Brack, Jr., and Susan Carlile canvass the controversy in “Samuel Johnson’s Contributions to Charlotte Lennox’s ‘The Female Quixote,’” Yale University Library Gazette, 77.3/4 (April 2003), 166–73. They make use of Schürer’s findings, particularly what was to become his Letter 10 (pp. 29–31), which strongly suggests that SJ did not see Lennox’s concluding chapters until they were in print (Schürer, Charlotte Lennox, p. xxxvi). Brack and Carlile conclude that SJ’s persona in the Rambler was the model for Lennox’s “pious and learned Doctor” (an important character), but SJ did not write the penultimate or any other chapter of the book. See also the Appendix by Duncan Isles to The Female Quixote, ed. Margaret Dalziel (1970; rev. 1989).
3 Bibliography, I.323, citing Boswell in Extremes, 1776–1778, ed. Charles McC. Weiss and Frederick A. Pottle (1970), p. 249. Cf. Hazen, pp. 94–98.
1 Charles Sackville, second Duke of Dorset (1711–69), was styled Earl of Middlesex until the death of his father in 1765 (ODNB). He was an intimate of Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales (1707–51), and presented Lennox’s birthday ode to the princess in 1750 (see Small, Charlotte Ramsay Lennox, pp. 231–32).
2 Imbecillity: “Weakness; feebleness of mind or body” (Dictionary, s.v. imbecility).
3 Middlesex was a proponent of Italian opera and a failed impresario (ODNB).
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Document Details
Document TitleDedication to The Female Quixote
AuthorJohnson, Samuel
Creation Date1752
Publ. DateN/A
Alt. TitleN/A
Contrib. AuthorLennox, Charlotte
ClassificationSubject: Novel; Subject: Charles Sackville; Subject: Patron; Genre: Dedication
PrinterN/A
PublisherAndrew Millar
Publ. PlaceLondon
VolumeSamuel Johnson: Johnson on Demand
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