he had sent for me to drink a glass of wine with him, and to tell me, he was not angry with me for missing his lecture. This was, in fact, a most severe reprimand. Some more of the boys were then sent for, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon.' Besides Mr. Meeke, there was only one other fellow of Pembroke now resident: from both of whom Johnson received the greatest civilities during this visit, and they pressed him very much to have a room in the college. "In the course of this visit Johnson and I walked three or four times to Ellesfield, a village beautifully situated about three miles from Oxford, to see Mr. Wise, Radclivian librarian, with whom Johnson was much pleased. At this place, Mr. Wise had fitted up a house and gardens, in a singular manner, but with great taste. Here was an excellent library, particularly a valuable collection of books in Northern literature, with which Johnson was often very busy. One day Mr. Wise read to us a dissertation which he was preparing for the press, entitled 'A History and Chronology of the Fabulous Ages.' Some old divinities of Thrace, related to the Titans, and called the Cabiri, made a very important part of the theory of this piece; and in conversation afterwards, Mr. Wise talked much of his Cabiri. As we returned to Oxford in the evening, I outwalked Johnson, and he cried out Sufflamina, a Latin word which came from his mouth with a peculiar grace, and was as much as to say, Put on your drag chain. Before we got home, I again walked too fast for him; and he now cried out, 'Why, you walk as if you were pursued by all the Cabiri in a body.' In an evening we frequently took long walks from Oxford into the country, returning to supper. Once, in our way home, we viewed the ruins of the abbeys of Oseney and Rewley, near Oxford. After at least half an hour's silence, Johnson said, 'I viewed them with indignation!' We had then a long conversation on Gothic buildings; and in talking of the form of old halls, he said, 'In these halls, the fire-place was anciently always in the middle of the room, till the Whigs removed it on one side.' About this time there had been an execution of two or three criminals at Oxford on a Monday. Soon afterwards, one day at dinner, I was saying that Mr. Swinton, the chaplain of the gaol, and also a frequent preacher before the university, a learned man, but often thoughtless and absent, preached the condemnation sermon on repentance, before the convicts, on the preceding day, Sunday; and that in the close he told his audience, that he should give them the remainder of what he had to say on the subject the next Lord's Day. Upon which one of our company, a doctor of divinity, and a plain matter-of-fact man, by way of offering an apology for Mr. Swinton, gravely remarked, that he had probably preached the same sermon before the university: Yes, Sir (says Johnson), but the university were not to be hanged the next morning.' "I forgot to observe before, that when he left Mr. Meeke (as I have told above), he added, ‘About the same time of life, Meeke was left behind at Oxford to feed on a fellowship, and I went to London to get my living: now, Sir, see the difference of our literary cha racters!"" The following letter was written by Dr. Johnson to Mr. Chambers, of Lincoln College, now Sir Robert Chambers, one of the judges in India :' TO MR. CHAMBERS, OF LINCOLN COLLEGE. "DEAR SIR, 66 London, Nov. 21. 1754. "The commission which I delayed to trouble you with at your departure, I am now obliged to send you; and beg that you will be so kind as to carry it to Mr. Warton, of Trinity, to whom I should have written immediately, but that I know not if he be yet come back to Oxford. "In the catalogue of MSS. of Gr. Brit., see vol. i. page 18. MSS. Bodl. MARTYRIUM XV. martyrum sub Juliano, auctore Theophylacto. "It is desired that Mr. Warton will inquire, and send word, what will be the cost of transcribing this manuscript. "Vol. ii. p. 32. Num. 1022. 58. COLL. Nov.-Commentaria in Acta Apostol.-Comment. in Septem Epistolas Catholicas. "He is desired to tell what is the age of each of these manuscripts; and what it will cost to have a transcript of the two first pages of each. "If Mr. Warton be not in Oxford, you may try if you can get it 1 Communicated by the Reverend Mr. Thomas Warton, who had the original. Sir Robert Chambers was born in 1737, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and educated at the same school with Lord Stowell and his brother, the Earl of Eldon, and afterwards (like them) a member of University College. It was by visiting Chambers, when a fellow of University, that Johnson became acquainted with Lord Stowell; and when Chambers went to India, Lord Stowell, as he expressed it to me, "seemed to succeed to his place in Johnson's friendship."-Croker. Nov. 18.1742. I was forced to make so many journeys. to the White Horse, that with travelling with a servent and painder st cost me near 20. I could have spent as much about the Cros, but thought I should have but little thanks for it; though I and believe I could have settled it's age Four Ducarrell Granci Wise, DorM |