Publisher's Synopsis
As well as such famous works as "London" and "The Vanity of Human Wishes", both owing much to Juvenal, Samuel Johnson wrote many poems in Latin and several in Greek. He also translated a large batch of epigrams from the Greek Anthology into Latin to while away the sleepless nights of the last winter before he died. His subjects vary from religious themes and the quality of Pembroke College beer, to a motto for a goat that circumnavigated the globe, to his own ill-health. Some pieces are entertaining squibs; others disclose his complex emotions towards people and places.;This work attempts to place Johnson within the long and still continuing tradition of neo-Latin verse composition, arguing that his overall quality is much higher than is usually allowed. The Latin and Greek texts are provided. It unites the historical, linguistic and literary background of Johnson's Greek and Latin poetry, providing insights into one of the most eminent literary figures of the day.
