Dr. Johnson
Dr. Johnson’s father was poor but he took care to give his son a good education. Johnson was a very good student and had an excellent memory. He loved to read. He was the best student in the class and his classmates admired him greatly.
Even though he was very poor, he was unwilling to accept help from others. The spirit of independence and self-reliance continued with him throughout his life It made him one of the most respected men in England at that time.
Johnson started his career as a school master but he gave up teaching and became a writer. His extraordinary memory and wide reading made him eminently successful as a writer. He published periodicals, wrote plays and a novel. His writings made him popular and he had a wide circle of eminent men as his friends. He spoke with vigor and great understanding of life and his friends listened to him with rapt attention.
James Boswell made notes of his witty conversation, specially the brilliant remarks of Dr. Johnson.
Though he had frequent periods of depression and melancholy, he continued to work hard. He wanted to complete a dictionary but he could not get financial help for his work. But he laboured hard and after seven years of toil published the first dictionary.
The dictionary made Johnson famous. it shows his deep scholarship, his excellent judgment as a critic and his capacity for careful and pains taking work. For better dictionaries may be found in any school or library now but this dictionary will always remain famous because of the greatness of its author and the circumstances in which it was compiled. Johnson was ready to accept his mistakes, in the dictionary even though he was a great and famous man.
Once when he was accosted by a lady why he has committed a blatant mistake, he immediately replied,” Ignorance Madam, pure ignorance”.
Though he wrote several books, Dr. Johnson is remembered as the first dictionary writer, a great critic and a brilliant conversationalist.
