Boswell, James Esq.

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: with an authentic account of the distresses and escape of the grandson of King James II in the year 1746.

London: Office of National Illustrated Library, No Date (c1851?) New edition with introduction & notes by Robert Carruthers. xxvi[ii], 361[1] pp including index, publishers leaf to rear, frontis plus additional engraved title page, numerous woodcuts within the pagination. (This volume is complete in itself but forms Volume V of Boswell's Life of Johnson). Original blindstamped blue cloth with gilt lettering & decoration to spine, top edge gilt. 20 cm x 14 cm. Spine and board margins faded, cloth lightly soiled with some random marks, minor wear to spine tips & corners, contents slightly age browned with some faint random spotting.

John TurtonProfessional seller

Book number: 30276

Boswell, James Esq.

Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson LL.D. 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; with an authentic account of the distresses and escape of the grandson of King James II in the year 1746.

London: Office of the National Illustrated Library, [No Date], new edn , illustrated with notes by Robert Carruthers Esq. xxvi[iv], 360[2] pp, publishers leaf, frontis, numerous text illustrations. Contemporary full brown calf gilt, raised bands, decorative gilt compartments, olive green & red calf gilt spine labels, marbled endpapers & leaf edges. 19 cm x 13 cm. Occasional minor marks to leather, loss to spine head, chipping with loss to spine label edges, contents lightly age browned.

John TurtonProfessional seller

Book number: 36472

BOSWELL (James):

The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 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: with an authentick account of The Distresses and Escape of the Grandson of King James II. in the Year 1746.

London: Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly..., 1785. FIRST EDITION. 8vo, 208 x 125 mms., pp. [iii] - vii [viii quotation], 524 [525 Errata and Proposals for printing Boswell's life of Johnson, 526 blank], with "induced" in the note on page 121, E3, E4, and M4 in cancelled state, page 237 "Kings and subjects" on line 5-6, "nor Mrs. Thrale" on page 299, recently rebound in half calf, with earlier marbled boards, gilt rules on spine, red leather label; lacks half-title, but a very good copy. With a contemporary owner's signature, possibly "W Runddyll", on top margin of title-page. I have nothing fresh to say about Boswell's Journal. It is a very entertaining and instructive book. As is well known, Boswell had the assistance of Edmund Malone in compiling the journal. By the time Boswell got around to composing the journal, he was drinking more heavily than he had in earlier days. He recorded in a note written in 17 August 1785 that he "Drank a great deal of wine. Malone had promised me all the evening to revise. I went between six and seven, but was not very fit for the task." One of the more entertaining features of the journal is the frequent mention of eating and drinking. On 26 August 1773, Boswell and Johnson had breakfast at Cullen: "They set down dried haddocks broiled, along with our tea. I ate one; but Dr Johnson was disgusted by the sight of them, so they were removed…". Sir Walter Scott, in one of his many annotations in his copy of Boswell's Journal, came to the defence of this dish: "A protest may be entered on the part of most Scotsmen against the doctor's taste in this particular. A Finnon haddock dried over the smoke of the sea-weed, and sprinkled with salt water during the process, acquires a relish of a very peculiar and delicate flavour, inimitable on any other coast than that of Aberdeenshire." One has to be grateful to Boswell for recording this incident and also to Scott for his very Scottish defense of the dish. My sentiments accord with those of Dr. Johnson. Pottle 57; Rothschild 456; Tinker 333.

John Price Antiquarian BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 10548

Catalogue: Travel

Keywords: Travel Scotland