SOURCE: Isles, Duncan. “Appendix: Johnson, Richardson, and The Female Quixote.” In The Female Quixote, edited by Margaret Dalziel, pp. 418-27. London: Oxford University Press, 1970.

In the following essay, Isles scrutinizes Lennox's literary relationship with Samuel Johnson and Samuel Richardson.

When she was writing The Female Quixote, Mrs. Lennox was fortunate in receiving both literary and practical assistance from Samuel Johnson and Samuel Richardson. Johnson had already played an active part in furthering her career.¹ By introducing her to Richardson,² he provided her with a particularly valuable new ally, who helped her in at least three distinct ways: as a novelist, he gave her literary advice; as a printer, he printed the first edition of The Female Quixote; as one of London's most prominent men of letters, he used his influence in the literary world on her behalf. Several letters written by both Johnson and Richardson in connection with...