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Virgil compared with Homer, ii.

582.

Johnson's juvenile tranfla

tions from, i. 28.

pre-

Baskerville's edition of,
fented by Johnfon to Pembroke
college, i. 525.

Virtue and vice, iii. 141,2, 554.
<Vifitor,' a periodical paper, ii. 218.
Vivacity acquirable, ii. 347.
Univerfal history,' the authours of,
iii. 657.

Univerfities, i. 5113 ii. 243, 375.
Urban, Johnfon's Latin ode to, i. 90,
91.

Volcanoes, ii. 353.

Voltaire, i. 399, 462,7, 473; ii.
585; iii. 148.
Vows, i. 477.9.
Ufury, ii. 388; iii. 130.

Vyfe, Rev. Dr. ii. 502; iii. 646.

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Ward, the noted Dr. iii. 184.
Warley camp, iii. 153-160.
Warren, Dr. his generous attendance
on Johnson, during his laft illness,
iii. 678.
Warton, Rev. Dr. Jofeph, his Effay
on Pope's life and genius, i. 413.
Johnson's letters to, i. 224,

572,3.

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Rev. Thomas, i. 294, 304,5 i.
ii. 330; iii. 253.

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his entertaining account of
Johnson's converfation when at
Oxford, in 1752, 1. 242.
i.

--- Johnson's letters to, i. 241,8,
250-8, 264,5,6, 294, 304,5»
525, 572.

Watfon, Rev. Dr. (Bifhop of Llan-
daff,) iii. 373.

Watts, Dr. his works, i. 285.

his life, ii. 503; iii. 150.
Weather, its influence, i. 391, 415
ii. 231; iii. 630.

Webfter, Rev. Dr. Alexander, ii.
134, 142.

Wedderburne, fee Loughborough.
Welch, Saunders, Efq. ii. 605,8;
iii. 196, 447..

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Johnfon's letter to, ii. 605.
Wentworth, Mr.-Johnfon at his
fchool, i. 27.

Wefley, Rev. John, iii. 10, 82.

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Johnfon's letter to, iii. 189.
Weft's · Pindar,' iii. 275.
Weftcote, Lord, confirms to Johnson
the truth of his nephew's vifion,
iii. 561.
Westminster abbey, first musical fef-
tival at, iii. 5442
Wetherell, Rev. Dr. ii. 325; iii.
572.

- Johnson's letter to, ii. 307.
Wheeler, Rev. Dr. iii, 160.
Whigs, Johnfon's definition of, iii.
372.

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no great private enmity be-
tween them and Tories, iii. 554.
White, Rev. Mr. iii, 646,7.

White,

White, Rev. Dr. ii. 137.
Whitefield, Rev. George, his cha-
racter, i. 52, 536; iii. 205.
Whitefoord, Caleb, Efq. iii. 586.
Whitehead, Paul, Efq. i, 102, 366.
Whole Duty of Man,' conjectures
on its authour, ii. 98.
Wife qualities of, Sir Thomas Over-
bury's verfes on, i. 533.
Wilcox, Mr., the book feller, i. 78.
Wilkes, John, Efq. his jeu d'efprit on
Johnfon's Dictionary, i. 274.

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meetings between him and Johnson, ii. 434, & feq. iii. 354. Johnfon's opinion of, ii.

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See iii. 452, 624, 693,5. Wine, the ufe of, ii. 45, 320, 403, 555; iii. 23, 25, 31, 92, 117, 175, 124, 183, 324, 332, 344. Wirtemberg, Prince of, anecdote of, ii. 36. Wit, iii. 359.

Witches, ii. 34; iii. 176. Wraxall, Mr. iii. 227. 'World, the,' periodical effays, i. 384.

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"After my death I wish no other herald
"No other speaker of my living actions,
"To keep mine honour from corruption;
"But fuch an honeft chronicler as Griffith'.'

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SHAKSPEARE, Henry VIII.

1 See Dr. Johnson's letter to Mrs. Thrale, dated Ostick in Skie, September 30, 1773: "Bofwell writes a regular journal of our travels, which, I think, contains as much of what I fay and do, as of all other occurrences together; For fuch a faithful chronicler as Griffith.”

THE

LIFE

OF

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D.

Το

O write the life of him who excelled all mankind in writing the lives of others, and who, whether we confider his extraordinary endowments, or his various works, has been equalled by few in any age, is an arduous, and may be reckoned in me a presumptuous

task.

Had Dr. Johnson written his own life, in con formity with the opinion which he has given', that every man's life may be beft written by himfelf; had he employed in the prefervation of his own hiftory, that clearness of narration and elegance of language in which he has embalmed so many eminent perfons, the world would probably have had the most perfect example of biography that was ever exhibited. But although he at different times, in a defultory manner, committed to writing many particulars of the progrefs of his mind and

VOL. I.

Idler, No. 84.
B

fortunes,

fortunes, he never had perfevering diligence enough to form them into a regular composition. Of these memorials a few have been preserved; but the greater part was configned by him to the flames, a few days before his death.

As I had the honour and happiness of enjoying his friendship for upwards of twenty years; as I had the scheme of writing his life conftantly in view; as he was well apprifed of this circumstance, and from time to time obligingly fatisfied my inquiries, by communicating to me the incidents of his early years; as I acquired a facility in recollecting, and was very affiduous in recording his conversation, of which the extraordinary vigour and vivacity constituted one of the first features of his character; and as I have fpared no pains in obtaining materials concerning him, from every quarter where I could discover that they were to be found, and have been favoured with the most liberal communications by his friends; I flatter myself that few biographers have entered upon fuch a work as this, with more advantages; independent of literary abilities, in which I am not vain enough to compare myself with some great names who have gone before me in this kind of writing.

Since my work was announced, feveral Lives and Memoirs of Dr. Johnfon have been published, the most voluminous of which is one compiled for the booksellers of London, by Sir John Hawkins, Knight', a man, whom, during my long intimacy with

* The greatest part of this book was written while Sir John Hawkins

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