The Idler

The Idler was a series of 104 essays written by Samuel Johnson that appeared weekly in The Universal Chronicle from 1758 to 1760. These essays were lighter in tone than his earlier series, The Rambler. While not as highly regarded as The Rambler, The Idler contained notable pieces, including an essay where Johnson portrayed himself as "Mr. Sober," an archetypal idler. One essay, depicting a vulture explaining humanity's propensity for killing, was deemed too controversial for collected editions. Johnson's essays, including those in The Idler, often served a moralistic purpose, aiming to instruct and chasten readers, though they also contained astute literary criticism and reflected the social conditions of the time.12