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The Dr Johnson Library

The Dr Johnson Library

By: Samuel Johnson
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In The Dr Johnson Library, the works of Samuel Johnson are restored to the ear: essays, poems, tales, criticism, and meditations on the frailty and dignity of mankind. Here the listener may accompany a mind grave without gloom, learned without pedantry, and moral without cant; a companion for hours of solitude, study, reflection, and honest amusement.Public domain
Episodes
  • A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland - St. Andrews

    A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland - St. Andrews
    Jul 27 2026
    In which the traveller arrives at St. Andrews, a city once resplendent with ecclesiastical grandeur but now diminished to ruins and academic decline, rendered poignantly by the dilapidation of its cathedral and the dissolution of one of its colleges. Observations are made on the city’s melancholy decay, the diminished vigour of its university, and the lingering yet fading fervour of religious zeal, all contrasted with the kindness extended by learned inhabitants.
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    11 mins
  • A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland - Inch Keith

    A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland - Inch Keith
    Jul 23 2026
    In which the journey to the Western Islands of Scotland commences with a reflective visit to the diminutive and solitary Inch Keith, whose barren rocks and modest fort evoke thoughts on the varied fortunes of land according to proximity to civilisation. The travellers then proceed along well-kept roads through modest market towns, observing the serene yet sparse traffic and the humble conveyances that mark the commerce of this part of Scotland.
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    5 mins
  • Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XLVIII, XLIX

    Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XLVIII, XLIX
    Jul 19 2026
    In which the company contemplates the ancient custom of embalming, leading to a profound discourse on the nature and immortality of the soul, examining reason, matter, and immateriality with philosophical rigour. They then reflect on human aspirations and limitations while confined by the Nile’s inundation, sharing their hopes and resolutions as they prepare to return to Abyssinia.
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    14 mins
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