A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland

London: W. Strahan & T. Cadwell, 1775. First Edition, Second Issue. 8vo, period tree calf spine & cornerns and marbled boards, morocco spine label, [4], 384 pp. Covers detached, extremities worn, a few pages are attached to detached covers, some foxing, but text is very clean. This is the second issue, which is sometimes called the second edition, distinguished by the 6 line errata slip folowing the title page, compared to the 12 line slip in the first issue. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) was an author who made lasting contributions to English literature, as a poet, novelist, literary critic and lexicographer. He began as a writer for Gentleman's Magazine, but is known for works like The Life of Richard Savage, The Vanity of Human Wishes, and Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language (published in 1755). Around 1763, he befriended James Boswell, who would become his traveling companion to Scotland. After leaving Edinburgh in August 1773, they would visit and comment on a variety of places, including Inch Keith, St. Andrews, Aberbrothick, Monotrose, and Elgin.