In making this abridgement of Boswell's Life of Johnson I have omitted
most of Boswell's criticisms, comments, and notes, all of Johnson's
opinions in legal cases, most of the letters, and parts of the
conversation dealing with matters which were of greater importance in
Boswell's day than now. I have kept in mind an old habit, common enough,
I dare say, among its devotees, of opening the book of random, and
reading wherever the eye falls upon a passage of especial interest. All
such passages, I hope, have been retained, and enough of the whole book
to illustrate all the phases of Johnson's mind and of his time which
Boswell observed.
Loyal Johnsonians may look upon such a book with a measure of scorn. I
could not have made it, had I not believed that it would be the means
of drawing new readers to Boswell, and eventually of finding for them
in the complete work what many have already found--days and years of
growing enlightenment and happy companionship, and an innocent refuge
from the cares and perturbations of life.
Princeton, June 28, 1917.