https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dr-johnson-library--7073995enFictionPublic domainhttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/514f59a3a4d18cc8c767b58a9f209b73.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-dr-johnson-library--7073995Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:30:19 +0000Samuel JohnsonGood Old Classicsfeeds@spreaker.comIn 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...falsec5b60f0d-3140-5828-91b3-e411245225fbserialhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-i-iv--72267218https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267218Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:20:01 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the secluded Happy Valley, surrounded by majestic mountains and teeming with natural bounty, serves as the tranquil abode of Abyssinian royalty, yet within its walls the young Prince Rasselas finds himself troubled by an undefined...1796false11fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-v-vii--72267217https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267217Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:30:04 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Prince, confined within the natural and artificial boundaries of his retreat, contemplates escape and finds solace in the study of the wonders that surround him, while encountering the mechanical arts and their ambitious designs. He then...1065false12fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-viii-ix--72267216https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267216Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:30:04 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the learned Imlac recounts his early life devoted to the pursuit of knowledge rather than wealth, setting forth on a voyage that broadens his understanding of diverse customs and human frailties. He observes with reflective impartiality the...1012false13fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-x-xii--72267214https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267214Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:30:04 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the learned Imlac expounds at length on the nature and dignity of poetry, asserting that true poets must study both the vastness of nature and the diversity of human life with impartial and universal eyes. He then recounts his extensive...1775false14fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xiii-xvi--72267219https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267219Sat, 13 Jun 2026 18:30:04 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Prince, assisted by the prudent Imlac, devises and executes a secret plan of escape from the Happy Valley, before venturing into the wider world accompanied by his sister, where they begin to encounter the varied complexities of human...1379false15fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xvii-xx--72267215https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267215Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:30:04 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Prince experiments with the company of youth devoted to pleasure, only to find their mirth shallow and their conduct unworthy of reason, before encountering a sage whose wisdom on the governance of passions impresses yet is shadowed by...1116false16fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxi-xxii--72267229https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267229Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Prince and his companions seek the hermit whose solitude and wisdom promise a refuge from the world's turmoils, only to discover the perplexities and doubts that solitude itself can breed. In the city, amidst learned disputations, they...880false17fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxiii-xxvi--72267220https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267220Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the young Prince and his sister divide their quest for happiness between the splendour of courts and the quietude of private life, each uncovering complexities rather than comfort in their respective domains. They find that power breeds...1155false18fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxvii-xxviii--72267221https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267221Thu, 25 Jun 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Prince and his sister Nekayah discourse on the vexations and responsibilities inherent in greatness, observing that power seldom shelters its possessors from disquiet or injustice, and that true happiness may be more readily found in...813false19fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxix-xxx--72267222https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267222Sun, 28 Jun 2026 18:30:05 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the discourse on marriage unfolds with contemplations on the virtues and vices of early and late unions, exploring the interplay of reason, passion, and the inevitable compromises of human life. The arrival of Imlac redirects attention from...1045false110fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxxi-xxxiii--72267223https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267223Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the company ventures to the ancient Pyramids, contemplating their majestic structure and the human desires they represent, while confronting the superstitions inspired by their gloomy recesses. Upon their return, an unexpected misfortune...736false111fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxxiv-xxxvii--72267227https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267227Sat, 04 Jul 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Princess Nekayah struggles with the loss of her favourite Pekuah, enduring the slow progress of hope and despair amidst the inefficacy of authority and the solicitations of private agents, all the while wrestling with self-reproach and...1431false112fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xxxviii-xxxix--72267228https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267228Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Lady Pekuah recounts her sudden abduction and subsequent ransom by an Arab chief, whose avaricious yet courteous disposition dictates the terms of her captivity and movement. She reflects with composure on her constrained life amid scant...1475false113fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xl-xliii--72267225https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267225Fri, 10 Jul 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which we are presented with the tale of a venerable astronomer whose profound learning and benevolence have not shielded him from a secret melancholy borne of his great unshared burden of regulating the natural world. His confidant, Imlac, becomes...1007false114fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xliv-xlv--72267224https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267224Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:30:06 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the perilous dominion of imagination is examined as a common frailty of the human mind, revealing how solitary reveries may seduce reason and ensnare the spirit in fancied felicities or woes. The discourse closes with an encounter with an...917false115fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xlvi-xlvii--72267226https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267226Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the Princess and Pekuah, moved by curiosity, seek acquaintance with the reclusive astronomer and, through sincere and respectful discourse, gradually draw him from solitary study into the companionship and varied pursuits of mortal society....1432false116fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rasselas-prince-of-abyssinia-chapters-xlviii-xlix--72267230https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72267230Sun, 19 Jul 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn 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...823false117fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-inch-keith--72934016https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934016Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn 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...302false21fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-st-andrews--72933996https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933996Mon, 27 Jul 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn 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....635false22fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-aberbrothick-montrose--72934007https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934007Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the traveller observes the desolation of the Scottish Lowlands, noting the singular absence of trees and reflecting on the ancient neglect that has left the land bare and uniform, with occasional glimpses of venerable ruins at Aberbrothick...632false23fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-aberdeen--72933999https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933999Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the traveller arrives at Aberdeen, finding its twin towns—Old and New Aberdeen—distinct in character, the former marked by ancient decay and ecclesiastical remnants, and the latter by thriving commerce and solid granite edifices. The...752false24fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-slanes-castle-the-buller-of-buchan--72934003https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934003Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:30:07 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the author visits Slanes Castle, admiring its dramatic situation beside the sea and reflecting on the tempestuous grandeur of the ocean visible from its windows, before being guided to the remarkable natural curiosities of Dun Buy and the...387false25fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-bamff-elgin-fores-calder-fort-george--72933997https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933997Wed, 12 Aug 2026 18:30:04 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the traveller observes with quiet reflection the peculiarities of Scottish domestic architecture and the humble inconveniences of daily life, before journeying through towns marked by the slow decay of ancient splendour and the modest...844false26fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-inverness--72933993https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933993Sun, 16 Aug 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the city of Inverness reveals itself as a boundary between the cultivated English lowlands and the rugged Highland solitudes, marked by a mingling of languages and manners, and a history touched by conquest and culture alike. Here, the...402false27fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-lough-ness--72934012https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934012Thu, 20 Aug 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which a journey along the edge of Lough Ness reveals the striking interplay of rugged landscape and gentle water, enriched by the courteous demeanor of the Highlanders who guide the way. The humble simplicity of a Highland hut and its industrious...746false28fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-fall-of-fiers-fort-augustus--72934014https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934014Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the travellers encounter the solemn grandeur of the Fall of Fiers, though its full majesty is diminished by the season’s dryness, and proceed to the modest but well-situated Fort Augustus, observing the disciplined courtesy of its governor....354false29fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-anoch--72934004https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934004Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the traveller encounters the humble yet hospitable village of Anoch and its genteel inhabitants, gaining insight into Highland life, language, and the hardships of their pastoral existence amidst a landscape both bleak and forbidding. The...1112false210fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-glensheals--72934005https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934005Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the travellers reach the valley of Glensheals, where they encounter the Macrae clan living in simple dry-stone huts and share their provisions amidst a company of curious villagers. They reflect on the honest and generous nature of their...240false211fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-the-highlands--72934015https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934015Sat, 05 Sep 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the nature of mountainous regions is examined as a cause for the distinct and hardy character of their inhabitants, whose customs and conflicts arise naturally from the rugged and isolated landscape. The Highlands are portrayed as a realm of...828false212fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-glenelg--72934013https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934013Wed, 09 Sep 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the travellers encounter the steep and perilous ascent of Ratiken hill, observing the stark contrast between the promised comforts of Glenelg and the austere reality of its scant provisions and rustic hospitality. Despite discomforts and...228false213fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-sky-armidel--72934017https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934017Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the traveller embarks upon the Isle of Sky, observing the landscape, customs, and attire of its Highland inhabitants with a curious and reflective eye, noting their hardy adaptations and the uncertainty often attendant on local tradition and...625false214fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-coriatachan-in-sky--72934001https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934001Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which our arrival at the Isle of Sky soon spreads through the islands, and we embark upon a cautious journey across rugged hills and bogs to the hospitable house of Mr. Mackinnon in Coriatachan. There, amidst unfermented bread, whiskey drams, and...976false215fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-raasay--72934002https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72934002Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the author visits the island of Raasay, observing its rugged natural defences, the civility and festivity of its inhabitants, and the peculiarities of its agriculture, fauna, and ruins. He reflects upon the decay of ancient churches, the...1278false216fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-dunvegan--72933998https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933998Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which we are welcomed to the rugged and storied seat of Dunvegan, where the ancient inheritance and stormy traditions of the Hebridean chiefs unfold amidst rocky promontories and restless seas. There we find hospitality amid tales of clan feuds,...710false217fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-ulinish--72933992https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933992Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:30:03 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the narrator, guided by Mr. Macqueen, explores ancient stone fortifications and subterranean caves on the Isle of Sky, pondering their origins and uses while highlighting the industriousness and strategic ingenuity of their builders. They...647false218fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-talisker-in-sky--72933991https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933991Sat, 03 Oct 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the traveller visits Talisker in Skye, a lonely and rugged estate marked by lofty hills and a melancholy air, where he encounters the industrious young Laird of Col, devoted to improving his lands through practical knowledge and honest...356false219fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-journey-to-the-western-islands-of-scotland-ostig-in-sky-part-1--72933995https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72933995Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:30:02 +0000Samuel JohnsonIn which the natural and social conditions of the Isle of Sky are attentively examined, revealing a landscape of rugged climate, diligent but limited agriculture, and a society governed by ancient hierarchies now undergoing uneasy transformation. The...2235false220full