Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Johnson, John (fl.1641)
JOHNSON, JOHN (fl. 1641), romantic writer, who describes himself as ‘Gent.,’ was the author of a thin quarto, with engraved title-page, entitled ‘The Academy of Love, describing ye Folly of younge Men and ye Fallacy of Women,’ 1641. The work is dedicated to Richard Compton. It is a dreary attempt at a humorous treatment of the venality of women, and possesses no literary merit; but has acquired a factitious importance from a reference made in it to the popularity of Shakespeare with ‘young sparkish girles,’ in the description of ‘Love's Library’ (p. 99). Wood mentions the book, but had not ascertained whether its author was of either university; he adds that John, son of John Johnson of Oddington, Gloucestershire, was entered of New Inn, Oxford, in 1639.
[Johnson's Academy, 1641; Wood's Fasti Oxon. (Bliss), ii. 162.]