Reproduction
Object number
167
Title
Monument to Samuel Johnson
Creator
Bacon, John, the Elder (1740 - 1799) (Sculptor)
Description
Free-standing monument to Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) by John Bacon the Elder, 1795.
Subject
Monuments and memorials
Object name
Monument
Inscription
SAMUELI.JOHNSON / GRAMMATICO.ET.CRITICO / SCRIPTORUM.ANGLICORUM.LITTERATE.PERITO / POETAE.LUMINIBUS.SENTENTIARUM / ET.PONDERIBUS.VERBORUM.ADMIRABILI / MAGISTRO.VIRTUTIS.GRAVISSIMO / HOMINI.OPTIMO.ET.SINGULARIS.EXEMPLI / QUI.VIXIT.ANN.LXXV.MENS. IL.DIEB.XIIIL. / DECESSIT.IDIB.DECEMBR.AN.CHRIST.MDCCLXXXIIIL / SEPULT.IN.AED.SANCT.PETR.WESTMONASTERIENS / XIIL.KAL.IANVAR.ANN.CHRIST.MDCCLXXXV / AMICI.ET.SODALES.LITTERARII / PECUNIA.CONLATA / H.M.FACIUND.CURAVA.... AT... JOHANNES.BACON.SCULPTOR.ANN.CHRIST.MDCCLXXXXVTo Samuel Johnson/ A grammarian and critic/ Of great skill in English Literature/ A poet admirable for the light of his sentences/ And the weight of his words/ A most effective teacher of virtue/ An excellent man, and of singular example/ Who lived 75 years, 2 months, 14 days/ He died in the ides of December, in the year of Christ 1784/ Was buried in the church of St Peter's, Westminster/ The 13th of the kalends of January, in the year of Christ 1784/ His literary friends and companions/ By a collection of money/ caused this monument to be made.
