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1739.

Etat. 30.

there is here no occafion to refort to internal evidence; for my Lord Bishop of Carlisle 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 scandalous Afperfions of Mr. Brooke, Authour of Gustavus Vafa,*" being an ironical Attack upon them for their Suppreffion of that Tragedy; and, "Marmor Norfolcienfe; or an Effay on an ancient prophetical Inscription in monkish Rhyme, lately discovered near Lynne in Norfolk, by PROBUS BRITANNICUS.*" In this performance, he, in a feigned infcription, supposed to have been found in Norfolk, the county of Sir Robert Walpole, then the obnoxious prime minifter of this country, inveighs against the Brunswick fucceffion, and the meafures 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 fo 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 pursuit of him had discovered;" and we are informed, that he lay concealed in Lambeth-marfh till the fcent 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, informs me, that "he directed every poffible search to be made in the records of the Treasury 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 scarce, 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 instances 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

1739.

yet heard of it. He requested me to go directly and get it for him, which I did. He looked at it and laughed, and seemed to be much diverted with the tat. 30 feeble efforts of his unknown adverfary, who, I hope, is alive to read this account. "Now (said he) here is somebody who thinks he has vexed me fadly; yet, if it had not been for you, you rogue, I should probably never have seen 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 presented to his Lordship by Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom it was given by the son of Mr. Richardson the painter, the perfon to whom it is addreffed. I have transcribed 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 " paperfparing Pope," for it is written on a flip no larger than a common meffagecard, and was fent to Mr. Richardson, along with the Imitation of Juvenal.

"This is imitated by one Johnson who put in for a Publick School " in Shropshire, but was Disappointed. He has an Infirmity of the "convulfive 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 knowledge he had of Him endeavour'd to ferve Him without his "own application; & wrote to my L. gore, but he did not fucceed. "Mr. Johnson publish'd afterwds, another Poem in Latin with Notes the "whole very Humerous call'd the Norfolk Prophecy.

"P."

Johnson had been told of this note by Pope; and Sir Joshua Reynolds informed him of the compliment which it contained, but, from delicacy, avoided fhewing him the paper itself. When Sir Joshua observed 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 diftemper called St. Vitus's dance; and in this opinion I am confirmed by the 5 Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 3d edit. p. 8.

+ See note, p. 67.

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defcription which Sydenham gives of that difeafe. "This disorder is a kind of convulfion. It manifefts itself 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, is of a different opinion, and has favoured me with the following paper.

"Those 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 from a habit he had indulged himself in, of accompanying his thoughts with certain untoward actions, and thofe actions always appeared to me as if they were meant to reprobate some part of his paft conduct. Whenever he was not engaged in converfation, fuch thoughts were fure to rush into his mind; and, for this reason, any company, any employment whatever, he preferred to being alone. The great bufinefs of his life (he faid) was to escape from himself, this difpofition he confidered as the difeafe of his mind, which nothing cured but company.

"One inftance of his abfence and particularity, as it is characteristick of the man, may be worth relating. When he and I took a journey together into the Weft, we vifited the late Mr. Banks, of Dorsetshire; the converfation turning upon pictures, which Johnson could not well fee, he retired to a corner of the room, ftretching out his right leg as far as he could reach before him, then bringing up his left leg, and stretching his right still further on. The old gentleman obferving him, went up to him, and in a very courteous manner affured him, that though it was not a new house, the flooring was perfectly fafe. The Doctor started from his reverie, like a perfon waked out of his fleep, but spoke not a word."

While we are on this fubject, my readers may not be difpleafed with another anecdote, communicated to me by the fame friend, from the relation of Mr. Hogarth.

Johnfon used to be a pretty frequent vifiter at the house of Mr. Richardfon, authour of Clariffa, and other novels of extenfive reputation. Mr. Hogarth came one day to fee Richardfon, foon after the execution of Dr. Cameron, for having taken arms for the houfe of Stuart in 1745-6; and being a warm partifan of George the Second, he observed to Richardson, that certainly there must have been some very unfavourable circumstances lately discovered In this particular cafe, which had induced the King to approve of an execution

for

for rebellion fo long after the time when it was committed, as this had the appearance of putting a man to death in cold blood", and was very unlike his Majesty's ufual clemency. While he was talking, he perceived a perfon ftanding at a window in the room, fhaking his head, and rolling himself about in a ftrange ridiculous manner. He concluded that he was an ideot, whom his relations had put under the care of Mr. Richardfon, as a very good man. To his great furprize, however, this figure stalked forwards to where he and Mr. Richardfon were fitting, and all at once took up the argument, and burst out into an invective against George the Second, as one, who, upon all occafions, was unrelenting and barbarous; mentioning many instances, particularly, that when an officer of high rank had been acquitted by a Court Martial, George the Second had, with his own hand, ftruck his name off the lift. In fhort, he difplayed fuch a power of eloquence, that Hogarth looked at him with astonishment, and actually imagined that this ideot had been at the moment inspired. Neither Hogarth nor Johnson were made known to each other at this interview.

In 1740 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine the "Preface,t" "Life of Admiral Drake,*" and the first parts of thofe of "Sir Francis Blake,*” and of "Philip Baretier,*" both which he finished the year after. He also wrote an "Effay on Epitaphs,t" and an "Epitaph on Philips, a Mufician,*” which was afterwards published with fome other pieces of his, in Mrs. Williams's Mifcellanies. This Epitaph is fo exquifitely beautiful, that I remember even Lord Kames, ftrangely prejudiced as he was against Dr. Johnson, was compelled to allow it very high praife. It has been afcribed to Mr. Garrick, from its appearing at firft with the fignature G; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare, that it was written by Dr. Johnfon, and give the following account of the manner in which it was compofed.. Johnfon and he were fitting together; when, amongst other things, Garrick repeated an Epitaph upon this Philips by a Dr. Wilkes, in thefe words:

Impartial pofterity may, perhaps, be as little inclined as Dr. Johnson was to juftify the uncommon rigour exercised in the cafe of Dr. Archibald Cameron. He was an amiable and truly honest man; and his offence was owing to a generous, though miftaken principle of duty. Being obliged, after 1746, to give up his profeffion as a phyfician, and go into foreign parts, he was honoured with the rank of Colonel, both in the French and Spanish fervice. He was a fon of the ancient and refpectable family of Cameron, of Lochiel; and his brother, who was the Chief of that brave clan, diftinguifhed himself by moderation and humanity, while the Highland army marched victorious through Scotland. It is remarkable of this Chief, that though he had earnestly remonftrated against the attempt as hopeless, he was of too heroick a spirit not to venture his life and fortune in the caufe, when perfonally asked by him whom he thought his Prince.

"Exalted

1740.

Ætat. 31.

1741.

Atat. 32.

"Exalted foul! whose harmony could please
"The love-fick virgin, and the gouty ease;

Could jarring difcord, like Amphion, move
"To beauteous order and harmonious love;
"Reft here in peace, till angels bid thee rife,
"And meet thy bleffed Saviour in the skies."

Johnfon fhook his head at thefe common-place funereal lines, and faid to Garrick, "I think, Davy, I can make a better." Then, ftirring about his tea for a little while, in a state of meditation, he almost extempore produced the following verses:

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At the fame time that Mr. Garrick favoured me with this anecdote, he repeated a very pointed Epigram by Johnson, on George the Second and Colley Cibber, which has never yet appeared, and of which I know not the exact date. Dr. Johnfon afterwards gave it to me himself.

"Auguftus ftill furvives in Maro's ftrain,
"And Spencer's verfe prolongs Eliza's reign;
"Great George's acts let tuneful Cibber fing;

"For Nature form'd the Poet for the King."

In 1741 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine "the Preface,+" "Conclufion of his Lives of Drake and Baretier,*" "A free Translation of the Jests of Hierocles, with an Introduction;t" and, I think, the following pieces : "Debate on the Propofal of Parliament to Cromwell, to affume the Title of King, abridged, methodifed, and digefted;+" "Tranflation of Abbé Guyon's Differtation on the Amazons ;+" "Tranflation of Fontenelle's Panegyrick on Dr. Morin." Two notes upon this appear to me undoubtedly his. He this year, and the two following, wrote the Parliamentary Debates. He told me himself, that he was the fole compofer of them for those three years only.

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