The Life of Samuel Johnson

During 1759, Johnson continues writing The Idler and preparing his edition of Shakespeare’s works. He also takes time to assist other authors through translation or writing conclusions or prefaces. Throughout the book, we see Johnson lending his support to other writers, including women, showing a “liberality which never failed” (244) and typical of the charitable side of his character. Boswell often gives these episodes prominence by including actual correspondence by Johnson to the person he is attempting to help. Boswell also recalls at several points that Johnson’s own household included a number of misfortunate people whom he had taken in, including Mrs. Williams.

This section is also weighted heavily toward reproducing Johnson’s correspondence to such friends as Joseph Simpson, Bennet Langton, and the Italian man of letters Joseph Baretti, among others. Boswell also furnishes a number of anecdotes illustrating Johnson’s wit and bons mots. In this way, Boswell is able to substantiate Johnson’s reputation as a spontaneous wit, even though he must rely on other firsthand sources who knew Johnson at this period.

Boswell’s emphasis on Johnson’s charity and sparkling improvisational skills humanizes the gruff literary personality. Insisting on these less-seen sides of Johnson also shores up Boswell’s authority as a biographer, demonstrating his intimate knowledge of Johnson’s household, the relationships of the people within it, and his access to Johnson’s private writings—an important way Boswell wants to distinguish himself from competing chroniclers of Johnson’s life.