The journal of a tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson … containing some poetical pieces by Dr. Johnson relative to the tour and never before published; a series of his conversation, literary anecdotes, and opinions of men and books…

London: printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, 1785. First edition, 8vo, pp. vii, [1], 524, [1]; E3, E4 and M4 are cancels, as usual; leaves I5, Q7 and U6 are in Pottle's second state; beneath the list of errata at the end is a notice for Boswell's Life of Johnson ("preparing for the press"), which did not appear for another 6 years; contemporary mottled calf neatly rebacked in tan calf, gilt-paneled spine, red morocco label; a very good, sound copy. "Though the Life is a vaster and richer piece of work, no one will maintain that it displays Boswell's unique gift for biography better than the Tour. Indeed, most lovers of Boswell will agree that the Tour as a whole, is more consistently good than the Life; that is, that nowhere in the Life could one find so many consecutive first-class pages as those that compose this book" (Pottle). The book published is almost the same as the actual journal that was kept in 1773. When Johnson's death made it possible for Boswell to publish the manuscript, he only added an introduction and a conclusion before giving it to the printer. Pottle 57; Rothschild 456. Item #34031

Price: $950.00

See all items in English Literature, Travel
See all items by