John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
4049 Samuel Johnson 1709-1784 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 4049 |
| AUTHOR: | Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) |
| QUOTATION: | That fellow seems to me to possess but one idea, and that is a wrong one. 1 |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Life of Johnson (Boswell). 2 Vol. iii. Chap. v. 1770. |
| Note 1. Mr. Kremlin as distinguished for ignorance; for he had only one idea, and that was wrong.—Benjamin Disraeli (Earl Beaconsfield): Sybil, book iv. chap. 5. [back] |
| Note 2. From the London edition, 10 volumes, 1835. Dr. Johnson, it is said, when he first heard of Boswell’s intention to write a life of him, announced, with decision enough, that if he thought Boswell really meant to write his life he would prevent it by taking Boswell’s!—Thomas Carlyle: Miscellanies, Jean Paul Frederic Richter. [back] |