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The Dr Johnson Library

The Dr Johnson Library

By: Samuel Johnson
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In 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 pedantry, and moral without cant; a companion for hours of solitude, study, reflection, and honest amusement.Public domain
Episodes
  • Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XXIII-XXVI

    Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XXIII-XXVI
    Jun 22 2026
    In 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 suspicion and strife, and that domestic affection is fraught with discord, suggesting no easy path to contentment in high station or humble abodes.
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    19 mins
  • Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XXI, XXII

    Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XXI, XXII
    Jun 19 2026
    In 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 consider the philosopher's counsel that happiness lies in living according to Nature's universal laws, a maxim both simple and elusive in its application.
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    15 mins
  • Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XVII-XX

    Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Chapters XVII-XX
    Jun 16 2026
    In 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 personal sorrow. He next seeks solace amidst pastoral simplicity and prosperous hospitality, discovering that beneath appearances of happiness often lie discontent and peril.
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    19 mins
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