1748.

but that there had been a particular communication with his Lordship concerning it. Dr. Tay- Etat. 39. lor told me, that Johnson fent his "Plan" to him in manufcript, for his perufal; and that when it was lying upon his table, Mr. William Whitehead happened to pay him a vifit, and being fhewn it, was highly pleased with such parts of it as he had time to read, and begged to take it home with him, which he was allowed to do; that from him it got into the hands of a noble Lord, who carried it to Lord Chesterfield. When Taylor obferved this might be an advantage, Johnson replied, "No, Sir; it would have come out with more bloom, if it had not been seen before by any body."

The opinion conceived of it by another noble authour, appears from the following extract of a letter from the Earl of Orrery to Dr. Birch:

"Caledon, Dec. 30, 1747."

"I HAVE juft now feen the fpecimen of Mr. Johnson's Dictionary, addreffed to Lord Chesterfield. I am much pleased with the plan, and I think the fpecimen is one of the best that I have ever read. Molt fpecimens disgust, rather than prejudice us in favour of the work to follow; but the language of Mr. Johnson's is good, and the arguments are properly and modeftly expreffed. However, fome expreffions may be cavilled at, but they are trifles. I'll mention one. Laurel. The laurel is not barren, whatever; it bears fruits and flowers. M2

The barren in any fenfe

Sed hæ funt

nuge

1748.

Etat. 39.

nuge, and I have great expectations from the
formance+."

per

That he was fully aware of the arduous nature of the undertaking, he acknowledges; and fhews himself perfectly fenfible of it in the conclufion of his "Plan;" but he had a noble consciousness of his own abilities, which enabled him to go on with undaunted spirit.

Dr. Adams found him one day busy at his Dictionary, when the following dialogue enfued. "ADAMS. This is a great work, Sir. How are you to get all the etymologies? JOHNSON. Why, Sir, here is a shelf with Junius, and Skinner, and others; and there is a Welch gentleman who has published a collection of Welch proverbs, who will help me with the Welch. ADAMS. But, Sir, how can you do this in three years? · JOHNSON. Sir, I have no doubt that I can do it in three years. ADAMS. But the French Academy, which consists of forty members, took forty years to compile their Dictionary. JOHNSON. Sir, thus it is. This is the proportion. Let me fee; forty times forty is fixteen hundred. As three to fixteen hundred, fo is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman." With fo much ease and pleasantry could he talk of that prodigious labour which he had undertaken to execute.

The publick has had, from another pen', a long detail of what had been done in this country by prior Lexicographers; and no doubt Johnson was wife to avail himself of them, fo far as they went;

Birch. MSS. Brit. Muf. 4303.

See Sir John Hawkins's Life of Johnson,

but

but the learned, yet judicious research of etymology, the various, yet accurate difplay of definition, and the rich collection of authorities, were referved for the fuperior mind of our great philologift. For the mechanical part, he employed, as he told me, fix amanuenfes; and let it be remembered by the natives of North-Britain, to whom he is fuppofed to have been so hostile, that five of them were of that country. There were two Meffieurs Macbean; Mr. Shiels, the writer of the Lives of the Poets to which the name of Cibber is affixed; Mr. Stewart, fon of Mr. George Stewart, bookfeller at Edinburgh; and a Mr. Maitland. The fixth of thefe humble affiftants was Mr. Peyton, who, I believe, taught French, and published some elementary tracts.

To all these painful labourers, Johnson fhewed a never-ceafing kindness, fo far as they stood in need of it. The elder Mr. Macbean had afterwards the honour of being Librarian to Archibald, Duke of Argyle, for many years, but was left without a fhilling. Johnfon wrote for him a Preface to, "A Syftem of ancient Geography;" and, by the favour of Lord Thurlow, got him admitted a poor brother of the Charterhouse. For Shiels, who died of a confumption, he had much tenderness, and it has been thought that fome choice fentences in the Lives of the Poets were fupplied by him. Peyton, when reduced to penury, had frequent aid from the bounty of Johnson, who at last was at the expence of burying both him and his wife.

1748.

Etat. 39.

1748.

Etat. 39.

While the Dictionary was going forward, Johnfon lived part of the time in Holborn, part in Gough-fquare, Fleet-ftreet; and he had an upper room fitted up like a counting-house for the purpofe, in which he gave to the copyifts their several tasks. The words, partly taken from other dictionaries, and partly fupplied by himself, having been first written down with spaces left between them, he delivered in writing their etymologies, definitions, and various fignifications. The authorities were copied from the books themselves, in which he had marked the paffages with a blacklead pencil, the traces of which could easily be effaced, I have seen several of them, in which that trouble had not been taken; fo that they were just as when used by the copyifts. It is remarkable, that he was fo attentive in the choice of the paffages in which words were authorised, that one may read page after page of his Dictionary with improvement and pleasure; and it should not pafs unobferved, that he has quoted no authour whose writings had a tendency to hurt found religion and morality.

The neceffary expence of preparing a work of fuch magnitude for the prefs, must have been a confiderable deduction from the price ftipulated to be paid for the copy-right. I understand that nothing was allowed by the bookfellers on that account; and I remember his telling me, that a large portion of it having, by mistake, been written upon both fides of the paper, fo as to be inconvenient for the compofitor, it coft him twenty pounds to have it transcribed upon one fide only.

He is now to be confidered as "tugging at his oar," as engaged in a fteady continued courfe of occupation, fufficient to employ all his time for fome years, and which was the best preventive of that conftitutional melancholy which was ever lurking about him, ready to trouble his quiet. But his enlarged and lively mind could not be fatisfied without more diverfity of employment, and the pleasure of animated relaxation. He therefore not only exerted his talents in occafional compofition very different from Lexicography, but formed a club in Ivy-lane, Paternofter-row, with a view to enjoy literary difcuffion, and amuse his evening hours. The members affociated with him in this little fociety were his beloved friend Dr. Richard Bathurst, Mr. Hawkefworth, afterwards well known by his writings, Mr. John Hawkins, an attorney, and a few others of different profeffions.

In the Gentleman's Magazine for May of this year he wrote a "Life of Rofcommon,*" with Notes, which he afterwards much improved, indented the notes into text, and inserted it amongst his Lives of the English Poets.

Mr. Dódfley this year brought out his PRECEPTOR, one of the moft valuable books for the improvement of young minds that has appeared in

1748.

Atat. 39.

He was afterwards for feveral years Chairman of the Middlefex Juftices, and upon occafion of presenting an address to the King, accepted the ufual offer of Knighthood. He is authour of "A Hiftory of Mufick," in five volumes in quarto, By affiduous attendance upon Johnfon in his laft illness, he obtained the office of one of his executors; in confequence of which, the bookfellers of London employed him to publish an edition of Dr. Johnfon's works, and to write his Life.