Select essays, ed. by G.B. Hill

Published by Oxford University Press, this collection of essays by Samuel Johnson was curated and edited by George Birkbeck Hill, a renowned 19th-century Johnsonian scholar. Hill sought to strip away the clutter of previous editions, focusing on Johnson’s most representative moral and critical writings from The Rambler, The Adventurer, and The Idler. His editorial work remains respected for its meticulous attention to detail and his deep familiarity with the eighteenth-century literary milieu.

The design of this volume reflects the academic standards of the Clarendon Press at Oxford, emphasizing clarity and scholarly authority. By compiling these specific essays, Hill intended to introduce Johnson’s prose to a broader Victorian audience, framing him as a perennial moralist. The collection was well-received by contemporary critics for its accessible layout and Hill's scholarly introductions, effectively cementing these selections as standard reading for students of English literature for decades.