James Boswell

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Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 21 Aug. 1773.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in "The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides." A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, edited by Jack Lynch and Celia Barnes. Oxford University Press, 2021.

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We would all be idle if we could.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 3 Apr. 1776.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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Much may be made of a Scotchman, if he be caught young.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 14 Apr. 1772.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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He is not only dull himself, but the cause of dullness in others.

Samuel Foote

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Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Foote, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 30 Mar. 1783.

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Foote, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson. Written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 20 Sept. 1777.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees, is the high road that leads him to England!

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 6 July 1763.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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A man ought to read just as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 9 July 1763.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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A generous and elevated mind is distinguished by nothing more certainly than an eminent degree of curiosity.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, written by James Boswell. Vol. 1, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, "1733," aetat. 24.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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I have tried too in my time to be a philosopher; but, I don't know how, cheerfulness was always breaking in.

Oliver Edwards

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Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Edwards, Oliver. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 17 Apr. 1778.

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Edwards, Oliver. Quoted in Life of Samuel Johnson. Written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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Sir, I think all Christians, whether Papists or Protestants, agree in the essential articles, and that their differences are trivial, and rather political than religious.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 13 June 1763.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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I think no innocent species of wit or pleasantry should be suppressed; and that a good pun may be admitted among the smaller excellencies of lively conversation.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. c. June 1784.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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It is so far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a state of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilized society imposes to prevent separation, are hardly sufficient to keep them together.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 31 Mar. 1772.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindness there is at last one which makes the heart run over.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 19 Sept. 1777.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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That all who are happy, are equally happy, is not true. A peasant and a philosopher may be equally satisfied, but not equally happy. Happiness consists in the multiplicity of agreeable consciousness.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, by James Boswell

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Original Citation

Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, written by James Boswell. Vol. 1, London: Charles Dilly, 1791, "1766," aetat. 57.

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in The Life of Samuel Johnson, written by James Boswell, edited by David Womersley. Penguin Classics, 2008.

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Why, sir, a man grows better humoured as he grows older. He improves by experience. When young, he thinks himself of great consequence, and every thing of importance. As he advances in life, he learns to think himself of no consequence, and little things of little importance; and so he becomes more patient, and better pleased.

Samuel Johnson

Quoted in The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, by James Boswell

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Johnson, Samuel. Quoted in journal entry, written by James Boswell. 14 Sept. 1773.

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My definition of Man is, "a Cooking Animal." The beasts have memory, judgment, and all the faculties and passions of our mind, in a certain degree; but no beast is a cook... Man alone can dress a good dish; and every man whatever is more or less a cook, in seasoning what he himself eats.

James Boswell

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Original Citation

Boswell, James. Journal entry. 15 Aug. 1773.

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Current Citation

Boswell, James. "The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides." A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, edited by Jack Lynch and Celia Barnes. Oxford University Press, 2021.

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