"O qui perpetua mundum ratione gubernas, Tu namque ferenum, "Disjice terrena nebulas et pondera molis, Te cernere finis, "Principium, vector, dux, femita, terminus, idem." "From thee, great God! we spring, to thee we tend, In 1739, befide the affistance which he gave to the Parliamentary Debates, his writings in the Gentleman's Magazine were, "The Life of Boerhaave,*" in which it is to be obferved, that he discovers that love of chymistry which never forfook him; "An Appeal to the publick in behalf of the Editor;+" "An Address to the Reader;+" "An Epigram both in Greek and Latin to Eliza,*" and also English verses to her;* and, "A Greek Epigram to Dr. Birch.*" It has been erroneously supposed, that an Essay publifhed in that Magazine this year, entitled "The Apotheofis of Milton," was written by Johnson; and on that fuppofition it has been improperly inferted in the edition of his works by the Bookfellers, after his decease. Were there no positive testimony as to this point, the ftyle of the performance, and the name of Shakspeare not being mentioned Etat. 30. mentioned in an Effay profeffedly reviewing the 1739. principal English poets, would ascertain it not to be the production of Johnfon. But there is here no occafion to refort to internal evidence; for my Lord Bishop of Salisbury (Dr. Douglas) has affured me, that it was written by Guthrie. His feparate publications were, "A Complete Vindication of the Licenfers of the Stage, from the malicious and fcandalous Afperfions of Mr. Brooke, Authour of Guftavus Vafa,*" being an ironical Attack upon them for their Suppreffion of that Tragedy; and, "Marmor Norfolcienfe; or an Effay on an ancient prophetical Infcription in monkish Rhyme, lately discovered near Lynne in Norfolk, by PROBUS BRITANNICUS.*" In this performance, he, in a feigned inscription, fupposed to have been found in Norfolk, the county of Sir Robert Walpole, then the obnoxious prime minister of this country, inveighs against the Brunfwick fucceffion, and the measures of government confequent upon it. To this fuppofed prophecy he added a Commentary, making each expreffion apply to the times, with warm Anti-Hanoverian zeal. This anonymous pamphlet, I believe, did not make so much noife as was expected, and, therefore, had not a very extenfive circulation. Sir John Hawkins relates, that "warrants were iffued, and meffengers employed to apprehend the authour; who, though he had forborne to fubfcribe his name to the pamphlet, the vigilance of those in purfuit of him had discovered;" and we are informed, that he lay concealed in Lambeth-marsh 1 1739. Etat. 30. till the scent after him grew cold. This, however, is altogether without foundation; for Mr. Steele, one of the Secretaries of the Treasury, who amidst a variety of important business, politely obliged me with his attention to my inquiry, informed me, that "he directed every poffible search to be made in the records of the Treafury and Secretary of State's Office, but could find no trace whatever of any warrant having been iffued to apprehend the authour of this pamphlet." "Marmor Norfolcienfe" became exceedingly fcarce, fo that I, for many years, endeavoured in vain to procure a copy of it. At laft I was indebted to the malice of one of Johnson's numerous petty adverfaries, who, in 1775, published a new edition of it, "with Notes and a Dedication to SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D. by TRIBUNUS;" in which fome puny fcribbler invidiously attempted to found upon it a charge of inconfiftency against its authour, because he had accepted of a penfion from his prefent Majefty, and had written in fupport of the measures of government. As a mortification to fuch impotent malice, of which there are so many inftances towards men of eminence, I am happy to relate, that this telum imbelle did not reach its exalted object, till about a year after it thus appeared, when I mentioned it to him, fuppofing that he knew of the re-publication. To my furprize, he had not yet heard of it. He requefted me to go directly and get it for him, which I did. He looked at it and laughed, and feemed to be much diverted with the feeble efforts of his unknown adverfary, who, I hope, is alive to read this account. "Now (faid he) here is fomebody who thinks he has vexed me fadly; yet, if it had not been for you, you rogue, I should probably never have feen it.” As Mr. Pope's note concerning Johnson, alluded to in a former page, refers both to his "London," and his "Marmor Norfolcienfe," I have deferred inferting it till now. I am indebted for it to Dr. Percy, the Bishop of Dromore, who permitted me to copy it from the original in his poffeffion. It was prefented to his Lordship by Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom it was given by the fon of Mr. Richardfon the painter, the perfon to whom it is addreffed. I have tranfcribed it with minute exactness, that the peculiar mode of writing, and imperfect spelling of that celebrated poet, may be exhibited to the curious in literature. It juftifies Swift's epithet of " paper-sparing Pope," for it is written on a flip no larger than a common meffagecard, and was fent to Mr. Richardfon, along with the Imitation of Juvenal. "This is imitated by one Johnson who put in "for a Publick-fchool in Shropshire+, but was disappointed. He has an infirmity of the con"vulfive kind, that attacks him fometimes, fo as "to make Him a fad Spectacle. Mr. P. from "the Merit of This Work which was all the know"ledge he had of Him endeavour'd to ferve Him "without his own application; & wrote to my "L'. gore, but he did not fucceed. Mr. Johnfon "published afterwds. another Poem in Latin with 4 See note, p. 67. "Notes 1739. Etat. 39. 1739. Atat. 30. "Notes the whole very Humerous call'd the "Norfolk Prophecy. "P." Johnfon had been told of this note; and Sir Joshua Reynolds informed him of the compliment which it contained, but, from delicacy, avoided fhewing him the paper itself. When Sir Joshua obferved to Johnson that he seemed very defirous to fee Pope's note, he answered, "Who would not be proud to have fuch a man as Pope fo folicitous in inquiring about him?” The infirmity to which Mr. Pope alludes, appeared to me alfo, as I have elsewhere observed, to be of the convulfive kind, and of the nature of that distemper called St. Vitus's dance; and in this opinion I am confirmed by the description which Sydenham gives of that disease. "This diforder is a kind of convulfion. It manifefts itfelf by halting or unfteadiness of one of the legs, which the patient draws after him like an ideot. If the hand of the fame fide be applied to the breast, or any other part of the body, he cannot keep it a moment in the fame posture, but it will be drawn into a different one by a convulfion, notwithstanding all his efforts to the contrary." Sir Joshua Reynolds, however, was of a different opinion, and favoured me with the following paper. "Thofe motions or tricks of Dr. Johnfon are improperly called convulfions. He could fit motionlefs, when he was told fo to do, as well as any other man; my opinion is, that it proceeded S " Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 3d edit. P. 8. from |