ABSTRACT
Relationsofvoyagesandtravelshaveatalltimes,andinallages,sincethe inventionof! etters,beenfavourablyreceivedbythepublic:but,perhaps,inno agesowellasinthepresent;writingsofthiskindbeingboughtupwithavidity andreadwitheagerness,moreespeciallyinthisisland,notonlybythelearned andpolite,butalsobytherudeandilliterate. 1JamesBoswell'snameisnow
associatedaboveallwithhismonumentalbiographyofSamuelJohnson.It should,however,beborneinmindthatintheeyesofhiscontemporariesit washisfirstwork,AnAccountofaVisittoCorsica,TheJournalofaTour tothatIsland;andMemoirsofPascalPaoli,thatestablishedhisimmediate, widespreadfame.2OnhisreturnfromCorsica,'CorsicaBoswell'wasevenfor atimebetterknownthanhismentor,SamuelJohnson.Ourfirstconcernhere willbetoconsiderthenatureofthistextinrespectoftravelnarratives.
