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What topics did Samuel Johnson discuss in The Rambler essays?

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Painting of Samuel Johnson showing Johnson seated at a desk with a quill in hand and papers before him, wearing a brown coat and white wig. — Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

In The Rambler, a series of 208 periodical essays published between 1750 and 1752, Samuel Johnson wrote primarily as a moralist dedicated to improving the world.1

The essays generally avoided current events or contemporary literature, focusing instead on universal themes. A majority of the pieces addressed the inherent disappointments of life and the various setbacks to human ambition. Reflecting his intent to instruct and chasten, Johnson explored topics such as:1

The nature of happiness, often emphasizing that it is not local.1
The necessity of contemplating death to moderate human passions.1
The dangers of vanity and the luxury of vain imagination.1

While the essays are characterized by a detached and generalizing tone, they are also noted for containing acute literary criticism and reflecting the social and literary conditions of the era. Though the periodical initially struggled to find a large audience, it became highly successful when reissued in volume form in 1753.1