Beschreibung:

BOSWELL, James (1740-1795). Autograph letter signed to an unnamed recipient ('Reverend Sir'), London, 5 April 1792, 4 pages, 4to , on a bifolium. ON DR JOHNSON, THE LIFE AND THEIR SHARED MELANCHOLIC NATURE. Boswell writes in gratitude for a favourable opinion of his Life of Samuel Johnson -- 'Such spontaneous praise I feel as the best reward of my labours' - and goes on to discuss his subject's 'notion of the unhappiness of human life', explaining that he had softened references to this in the Life , and suggested that 'his "morbid melancholy" may have made life appear to him more miserable than it generally is. But the truth, Sir, is as you have judiciously observed that I myself have a large portion of melancholy in my constitution', adding that he intends to insert his correspondent's words on this subject as well as a passage concerning the Burial Service into the octavo edition of his work, then already in the press, asking for permission to append his correspondent's name.