Letter to Lord Chesterfield Samuel Johnson

Samuel Johnson 1708 – 1784 Johnson was born in Lichfield, England As a child, he suffered from scrofula, a tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, which left him hard of hearing and blind in one eye He was a graduate of Oxford University

His Work Johnson moved to London where he began writing articles for periodicals He began work on A Dictionary of the English Language; this work was lengthy and cause a great deal of financial stress Once the Dictionary was published, his financial and political security were secure

In addition to the Dictionary, Johnson produced a complete edition of Shakespeare’s works that are thoroughly notated; a series of biographies; sermons; a tour of Scotland; and political pamphlets

About the Selection The letter is written to a wealthy man in England Johnson had asked for his financial support while working on the Dictionary Chesterfield refused to help; however, when he learned that Johnson was gaining praise and attention for the success of his work, Chesterfield attempted to take credit for helping Johnson

Class Work Read the dictionary entries on pages 332 – 335 Read the letter, page 336 Literary Critique, page 337 #s 1-7 Complete the Journal Workshop, page 338 Using the internet, find 3 other letters from the same time period. How do they compare and contrast with the style, content, and purpose of Johnson's letter? Be sure to include the additional letters in your final presentation.