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felves to this employment, and do their duty with diligence and fuccefs, are entitled to very high tat. 26. respect from the community, as Johnson himself often maintained. Yet I am of opinion, that the greatest abilities are not only not required for this office, but render a man less fit for it.

While we acknowledge the juftnefs of Thomson's beautiful remark,

Delightful task! to rear the tender thought, "And teach the young idea how to shoot!"

cr

we must confider that this delight is perceptible only by "a mind at eafe," a mind at once calm and clear; but that a mind gloomy and impetuous like that of Johnfon, cannot be fixed for any length of time in minute attention, and muft be fo frequently irritated by unavoidable flowness and errour in the advances of scholars, as to perform the duty with little pleasure to the teacher, and no great advantage to the pupils. Good temper is a most effential requifite in a Preceptor. Horace paints the character as bland:

Ut pueris olim dant cruftula blandi

"Doctores, elementa velint ut difcere prima."

Johnson was not more fatisfied with his fituation as the master of an academy, than with that of the ufher of a school; we need not wonder, therefore, that he did not keep his academy above a year and a half. From Mr. Garrick's account he did not appear to have been profoundly reverenced by his pupils. His oddities of manner, and

uncouth

1735.

Etat. 26.

uncouth gefticulations, could not but be the fubject of merriment to them; and, in particular, the young rogues used to liften at the door of his bedchamber, and peep through the key-hole, that they might turn into ridicule his tumultuous and aukward fondness for Mrs. Johnfon, whom he used to name by the familiar appellation of Tetty or Tetfy, which, like Betty or Betfy, is provincially ufed as a contraction for Elifabeth, her chriftian name, but which to us feems ludicrous, when applied to a woman of her age and appearance. Mr. Garrick defcribed her to me as very fat, with a bofom of more than ordinary protuberance, with fwelled cheeks, of a florid red, produced by thick painting, and increased by the liberal use of cordials; flaring and fantaftick in her drefs, and affected both in her fpeech and her general behaviour. I have feen Garrick exhibit her, by his exquifite talent for mimickry, fo as to excite the heartieft bursts of laughter; but he, probably, as is the cafe in all fuch reprefentations, confiderably aggravated the picture.

That Johnson well knew the moft proper course to be pursued in the inftruction of youth, is authentically afcertained by the following paper in his own hand-writing, given about this period to a relation, and now in the poffeffion of Mr. John Nichols :

"SCHEME for the CLASSES of a GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

"WHEN the introduction, or formation of nouns and verbs, is perfectly mastered, let them learn "Corderius

"Corderius by Mr. Clarke, beginning at the

1735.

fame time to tranflate out of the introduction, that Etat, 26.

by this means they may learn the fyntax. Then

let them proceed to

"Erasmus, with an English translation, by the fame authour.

"Class II. Learns Eutropius and Cornelius Nepos, or Juftin, with the tranflation.

N, B. The first class gets for their part`every morning the rules which they have learned before, and in the afternoon learns the Latin rules of the nouns and verbs.

"They are examined in the rules which they have learned every Thursday and Saturday.

"The second clafs does the fame whilft they are in Eutropius; afterwards their part is in the irregular nouns and verbs, and in the rules for making and scanning verses. They are examined as the first.

" Class III. Ovid's Metamorphofes in the morning, and Cæfar's Commentaries in the afternoon.

"Practife in the Latin rules till they are perfect in them; afterwards in Mr. Leeds's Greek Grammar. Examined as before.

"Afterwards they proceed to Virgil, beginning at the fame time to write themes and verses, and to learn Greek; from thence paffing on to Horace, &c. as fhall seem moft proper.

"I know not well what books to direct you to, because you have not informed me what study you will apply yourself to. I believe it will be moft for your advantage to apply yourself wholly to the languages, till you go to the University. The

Greek

1735.

Etat. 26.

Greek authours I think it beft for you to read are

"Thus you will be tolerably fkilled in all the dialects, beginning with the Attick, to which the rest must be referred.

"In the study of Latin, it is proper not to read the latter authours, till you are well verfed in those of the pureft ages; as Terence, Tully, Cæfar, Salluft, Nepos, Velleius Paterculus, Virgil, Horace, Phædrus.

"The greatest and most neceffary task still remains, to attain a habit of expreffion, without which knowledge is of little ufe. This is neceffary in Latin, and more neceffary in English; and can only be acquired by a daily imitation of the beft and correcteft authours.

"SAM. JOHNSON."

While Johnfon kept his academy, there can be no doubt that he was infenfibly furnishing his mind with various knowledge; but I have not difcovered that he wrote any thing except a great part of his tragedy of IRENE. Mr. Peter Garrick, the elder brother of David, told me that he remembered Johnson's borrowing the Turkish Hiftory of him, in order to form his play from it. When he had finished some part of it, he read what

1737.

Etat.

he had done to Mr. Walmsley, who objected to his having already brought his heroine into great a 28. distress, and asked him, "how can you poffibly contrive to plunge her into deeper calamity?" Johnson, in fly allufion to the fuppofed oppreffive proceedings of the court of which Mr. Walmsley was regifter, replied, "Sir, I can put her into the Spiritual Court!"

Mr. Walmfley, however, was well pleased with this proof of Johnson's abilities as a dramatick writer, and advised him to finish the tragedy, and produce it on the stage.

Johnson now thought of trying his fortune in London, the great field of genius and exertion, where talents of every kind have the fulleft scope, and the highest encouragement. It is a memorable circumftance that his pupil David Garrick went thither at the fame time, with intention to complete. his education, and follow the profeffion of the law, from which he was foon diverted by his decided preference for the stage.

This joint expedition of those two eminent men to the metropolis, was many years afterwards noticed in an allegorical poem on Shakspeare's Mulberry tree, by Mr. Lovibond, the ingenious authour of "The Tears of Old-May-day."

They were recommended to Mr. Colfon, an eminent mathematician and mafter of an academy, by the following letter from Mr. Walmsley:

To the Reverend Mr. CoLSON.

"DEAR SIR,

Lichfield, March 2, 1737.

"I had the favour of yours, and am extremely obliged to you; but I cannot fay I had a

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