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ance of very little ability." Surely, Sir, (faid 1768. Dr. Douglas,) you must allow it has ftrong Etat. 59. fact's." JOHNSON. Why yes, Sir; but what is that to the merit of the compofition? In the Seffions-paper of the Old Bailey there are ftrong facts. Houfebreaking is a strong fact; robbery is a strong fact; and murder is a mighty ftrong fact but is great praife due to the hiftorian of thofe ftrong facts? No, Sir. Swift has told what he had to tell diftinctly enough, but that is all. He had to count ten, and he has counted it right."Then recollecting that Mr. Davies, by acting as an informer, had been the occafion of his talking fomewhat too harfhly to his friend Dr. Percy, for which, probably, when the firft ebullition was over, he felt fome compunction, he took an opportunity to give him a hit; fo added, with a preparatory laugh, "Why, Sir, Tom Davies might have written the Conduct of the Allies." Poor Tom being thus fuddenly dragged into ludicrous notice in prefence of the Scottish Doctors, to whom he was ambitious of appearing to advantage, was grievously mortified. Nor did his punishment reft

3 My refpectable friend, upon reading this paffage, obferved, that he probably muft have faid not fimply "ftrong facts," but "ftrong facts well arranged." His Lordship, however, knows too well the value of written documents to infift on fetting his recollection againft my notes taken at the time. He does not attempt to traverse the record. The fact, perhaps, may have been, either that the additional words efcaped me in the noife of a numerous company, or that Dr. Johnfon, from his impetuofity, and eagerness to feize an opportunity to make a lively retort, did not allow Dr. Douglas to finish his fentence.

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here; for upon fubfequent occafions, whenever he,ftatefman all o'er," affumed a ftrutting importance, I used to hail him-" the Authour of the Conduct of the Allies."

When I called upon Dr. Johnfon next morning, I found him highly fatisfied with his colloquial prowess the preceding evening. "Well, (said he,) we had good talk." BOSWELL. “ BOSWELL. "Yes, Sir; you toffed and gored feveral perfons."

The late Alexander Earl of Eglintoune, who loved wit more than wine, and men of genius more than fycophants, had a great admiration of Johnfon; but from the remarkable elegance of his own manners, was, perhaps, too delicately fenfible of the roughness which fometimes appeared in Johnfon's behaviour. One evening about this time, when his Lordship did me the honour to fup at my lodgings with Dr. Robertson and several other men of literary diftinction,, he regretted that Johnfon had not been educated with more refinement, and lived more in polifhed fociety. "No, no, my Lord, (faid Signor Baretti,) do with him what you would, he would always have been a bear." «True, (anfwered the Earl, with a smile,) but he would have been a dancing bear."

To obviate all the reflections which have gone round the world to Johnfon's prejudice, by applying to him the epithet of a bear, let me imprefs upon my readers a just and happy faying of my friend Goldsmith, who knew him well: "Johnson, to be fure, has a roughness in his manner; but no man alive has a more tender heart. He has nothing of the bear but his skin.”

1769.

In 1769, fo far as I can difcover, the publick was favoured with nothing of Johnson's compofition, Etat, 6c. either for himself or any of his friends. His "Meditations" too ftrongly prove that he suffered much both in body and mind; yet was he perpetually ftriving against evil, and nobly endeavouring to advance his intellectual and devotional improvement. Every generous and grateful heart must feel for the diftreffes of fo eminent a benefactor to mankind; and now that his unhappiness is certainly known, muft refpect that dignity of character which prevented him from complaining.

His Majefty having the preceding year instituted the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Johnfon had now the honour of being appointed Profeffor in Ancient Literature. In the course of the year he wrote fome letters to Mrs. Thrale, paffed fome part of the fummer at Oxford and at Lichfield, and when at Oxford wrote the following letter:

To the Reverend Mr. THOMAS WARTON. "DEAR SIR,

"MANY years ago, when I used to read in the library of your College, I promised to recompence the College for that permiffion, by

3 In which place he has been fucceeded by Bennet Langton, Efq. When that truly religious gentleman was elected to this honorary Profefforfhip, at the fame time that Edward Gibbon, Efo noted for introducing a kind of fneering infidelity into his Hif torical Writings, was elected Profeffor in Ancient Literature, in the room of Dr. Goldfmith, I obferved that it brought to my mind, "Wicked Will Whifton and good Mr. Ditton." - I am now alfo of that admirable inftitution as Secretary for Foreign Correfpondence, by the favour of the Academicians, and the approbation of the Sovereign.

3

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1

1769. adding to their books a Baskerville's Virgil. Î Etat. 60. have now fent it, and defire you to repofit it on the shelves in my name 2.

"If you will be pleased to let me know when you have an hour of leifure, I will drink tea with you. I am engaged for the afternoon, to-morrow and on Friday: all my mornings are my own3. "I am, &c.

May 31, 1769.

SAM. JOHNSON."

I came to London in the autumn, and having informed him that I was going to be married in a few months, I wifhed to have as much of his conversation as I could before engaging in a state of life which would probably keep me more in Scotland, and prevent me feeing him so often as when I was a fingle man; but I found he was at Brighthelmftone with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale. I was very forry that I had not his company with me at the Jubilee, in honour of Shakspeare, at Stratfordupon-Avon, the great poet's native town. Johnfon's connection both with Shakspeare and Garrick founded a double claim to his prefence; and it would have been highly gratifying to Mr. Garrick.

"It has this infcription in a blank-leaf: • Hunc librum D. D. Samuel Johnson, eo quod hic loci ftudiis interdum vacaret.' Of this library, which is an old Gothick room, he was very fond. On my obferving to him that fome of the modern libraries of the University were more commodious and pleasant for study, as being more fpacious and airy, he replied, Sir, if a man has a mind to prance, he muft ftudy at Chrift-Church and All Souls." During this vifit he feldom or never dined out. peared to be deeply engaged in fome literary work. Mifs Williams was now with him at Oxford."

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Upon this occafion I particularly lamented that he had not that warmth of friendship for his brilliant pupil, which we may fuppofe would have had a benignant effect on both. When almost every man of eminence in the literary world was happy to partake in this festival of genius, the absence of Johnfon could not but be wondered at and regretted. The only trace of him there, was in the whimsical advertisement of a haberdasher, who fold Shafferian ribbands of various dyes; and, by way of illustrating their appropriation to the bard, introduced a line from the celebrated Prologue at the opening of Drury-lane theatre:

"Each change of many-colour'd life he drew."

From Brighthelmftone Dr. Johnfon wrote me the following letter, which they who may think that I ought to have fuppreffed, must have less ardent feelings than I have always avowed *.

To

4 In the Preface to my Account of Corfica, published in 1788, I thus exprefs myself:

"He who publishes a book affecting not to be an authour, and profeffing an indifference for literary fame, may poffibly impofe upon many people fuch an idea of his confequence as he wishes may be received. For my part, I should be proud to be known as an authour, and I have an ardent ambition for literary fame; for, of all poffeffions, I fhould imagine literary fame to be the most valuable. A man who has been able to furnish a book, which has been approved by the world, has established himself as a refpectable character in diftant fociety, without any danger of having that character leffened by the observation of his weakneffes. To preferve an uniform dignity among those who see us every day, is hardly poffible; and to aim at it, muft put us under the fetters of perpetual restraint. The authour of an approved book may allow his natural difpofition an eafy play, and yet in

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1769.

Etat. 60.

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