Select Essays of Dr. Johnson. Edited by G.B. Hill, Etc

This edition of the Select Essays of Dr. Johnson was meticulously curated and edited by George Birkbeck Norman Hill, a renowned 19th-century scholar and the foremost authority on Samuel Johnson during his era. Hill sought to distill the vast and often daunting body of Johnson’s journalistic contributions into a more accessible format, selecting pieces that best exemplified the wit, moral philosophy, and linguistic precision that defined the 18th-century English literary canon.

The publication reflects the Victorian fascination with reviving and canonizing the works of the Enlightenment. Hill’s editorial approach, characterized by rigorous academic footnoting and contextual commentary, was designed to bridge the gap between contemporary readers and the complexities of Johnson’s original prose. It remains a significant example of scholarly archival work from the period, valued by collectors not just for the content, but for Hill's informed perspective on Johnsonian rhetoric.