John Bartlett (1820–1905). Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. 1919.
4073 Samuel Johnson 1709-1784 John Bartlett
| NUMBER: | 4073 |
| AUTHOR: | Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) |
| QUOTATION: | Johnson said that he could repeat a complete chapter of “The Natural History of Iceland” from the Danish of Horrebow, the whole of which was exactly thus: “There are no snakes to be met with throughout the whole island.” 1 [Chap. lxxii.] |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Life of Johnson (Boswell). 2 Vol. vii. Chap. iv. 1778. |
| Note 1. Chapter xlii. is still shorter: “There are no owls of any kind in the whole island.” [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] |