earnestly inculcated what appeared to him to be the truth; his piety being constant, and the ruling principle of all his conduct. mon conversation, that he at all times ex-dience, his real opinions could seldom be pressed his thoughts with great force, and gathered from his talk; though when he was an elegant choice of language, the effect of in company with a single friend, he would which was aided by his having a loud voice, discuss a subject with genuine fairness; but and a slow deliberate utterance. In him he was too conscientious to make error perwere united a most logical head with a most manent and pernicious, by deliberately wrifertile imagination, which gave him an ex-ting it; and, in all his numerous works, he traordinary advantage in arguing: for he could reason close or wide, as he saw best for the moment. Exulting in his intellectual strength and dexterity, he could, when he pleased, be the greatest sophist that ever contended in the lists of declamation; and, from a spirit of contradiction and a delight in shewing his powers, he would often maintain the wrong side with equal warmth and ingenuity; so that, when there was an au • Though a perfect resemblance of Johnson is not to be found in any age, parts of his character are admirably expressed by Clarendon, in drawing that of Lord Falkland, whom the noble and masterly historian describes at his seat near Oxford:-"Such an immenseness of wit, such a solidity of judgement, so infinite a fancy bound in by a most logical ratiocination.-His acquaintance was cultivated by the most polite and accurate men, so that his house was an University in less volume, whither they came, not so much for repose as study, and to examine and refine those grosser propositions, which laziness and consent made current in conversation." Bayle's account of Menage may also be quoted as exceedingly applicable to the great subject of this work. His illustrious friends erected a very glorious monument to him in the collection entitled Menagiana. Those who judge of things aright, will confess that this collection is very proper to shew the extent of genius and learning which was the character of Menage. And I may be bold to say, that the excellent works he published will not distinguish him from other learned men so advantageously as this. To publish books of great learning, to make Greek and Latin verses exceedingly well turned, is not a common talent, I own; neither is it extremly rare. It is incomparably more difficult to Such was SAMUEL JOHNSON, a man whose talents, acquirements, and virtues, were so extraordinary, that the more his character is considered, the more he will be regarded by the present age, and by posterity, with admiration and reverence. find men who can furnish discourse about an infinite number of things, and who can diversify them an hundred ways. How many authors are there, who are admired for their works, on account of the vast learning that is displayed in them, who are not able to sustain a conversation. Those who know Menage only by his books, might think he resembled those learned men: but if you shew the MENAGIANA, you distinguish him from them, and make him known by a talent which is given to very few learned men. There it appears that he was a man who spoke off-hand a thousand good things. His memory extended to what was ancient and modern; to the court and to the city; to the dead and to the living languages; to things serious and things jocose; in a word, to a thousand sorts of subjects. That which appeared a trifle to some readers of the Menagiana, who did not consider circumstances, caused admiration in other readers, who minded the difference, between what a man speaks without preparation, and that which he prepares for the press. And, therefore, we cannot sufficiently commend the care which his illustrious friends took to erect a monument so capable of giving him immortal glory. They were not obliged to rectify what they had heard him say; for, in so doing, they had not been faithful historians of his conversation." THE END. INDEX. Bagshaw, Rev. Thomas, 219, n. Johnson's letters to, 219, 339, 54 Baker, Sir George, 542 Ballow, Thomas, Esq. (the lawyer,) 294 Baltick, Johnson's proposed expedition to the, 231 Barber, Mr. Francis, 61, 63, 241, 558 Barclay, Mr. the young author, 139 Mr. one of Mr. Thrale's successors, 467 Baretti, Joseph, 81, 96, 98, 156, 279, 343, 439 the first who received copy money in Italy, 340 his trial, 166 Johnson's letters to him, 99, 101, 104 Barnard, Rev. Dr. (Bishop of Limerick,) 236, 316, 464, n. Barrington, Hon. Daines, 387 Barrow, Rev. Dr, his Sermons, iv. 464, n. Barrowby, Dr. 522 Barry, Sir Edward, M. D. his notion that pulsation oc- Johnson's letters to, 59, 76 his letter to Johnson on his Dictionary, 76 Birds, their migration, 216 Bishops, 457, 522. See Clergy. 570 Blackfriars Bridge, 95 Black-letter books, their value, 175 Blacklock's poetry, 129 Blackmore, Sir Richard, assisted in his Creation,' 171 Blackstone, Sir William, 257, n., 267, n.; 458 Blackmore, Sir William, Johnson's Life of, 446, n. Blagden, Dr. 438 Blair, Rev. Dr. Hugh, his Sermons, 317, 319-341, 396, his account of 'Popes's Essay on Man,' 416 Rev. Robert, author of The Grave,' 301 Robert, Esq. Solicitor-General for Scotland, 301, n. Blake, Admiral, Johnson's Life of, 36 Blaney, Elizabeth, 5, 548 Blank verse, 118, 176, 370, 394, 435 442, 448 Blue-stocking club, 102, 463 Boerhaave, Johnson's Life of, 35 Boetius magis Philosophus quam Christianas, 177 Bolingbroke, Henry St. John, first Viscount, his works, Bolton, Mr. Birmingham, 282 Bonaventura, 139 Books and booksellers, 272, 343, 379, 518 Boothby, Miss Hill, some account of, 446, n. Johnson's letter to, 446, n. Boscawen, Hon. Mrs. 393 Boscovitch, Pere, 176 Bosville, Godfrey, Esq. 428 Mrs., 190 BOSWELL, (the Author of this Work.) introduced to Johnson, 107, 108 his Account of Corsica,' 153, 156-160 his Letter to the People of Scotland,' 483 For other matters, see, 131, 140, 152, 170, 200, 267, Johnson's argument in favour of his trying Johnson's excellent letter to him on his suc- Johnson's other letters to him, 131, 139, 145, BOSWELL, letters to Johnson from him, 146, 156, 181, answer, 482 375, n. - Johnson's letters to, 313, 328, 479; her Dr. his character of Johnson, 290 James, Esq. (the author's second son, (291, Veronica, (the author's eldest daughter) 329, n. Bourchier, Governor, 456 Boufflers, Mad. de, 265 "Boulter's Monument, a poem, & Bowles, William, Esq. 502 Bowyer, Printer, his life, 547 Boyse, Mr. Samuel, 560, n. Braithwaite, Daniel, Esq. 516 Bramhall, Archbishop, his work on Liberty and Neces- sity, 169 Bribery, 247 Brocklesby, Dr. his kind attention to Johnson, 484, 501, 502, 512, 515, 536, 557, 562 Johnson's letters to, 502, 508, & seq. Brodie, Captain, 17, n. 285, n. Brown, Thomas, Johnson's English teacher, 7 Dr. John, 178 Browne, Isaac Hawkins, Esq. 242 Rev. Mr. Robert, of Utrecht, his confutation of Hume, 380 (capability,) 381 Brown, Sir Thomas, Johnson's Life of, 57, 82; his style Brutes, the hardships suffered by them recompensed by the care of man, 303 not endued with reason, 216 Brutus, a ruffian, 107, n. Brydone's Tour, 401 Buchan, Earl of, anecdote of, 193 Buckingham, Catherine, Duchess of, 364 Budgell, Eustace, 301 Budworth, Mr. 560, n. Buffon, remark on, 313, n. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress,' 212 Burke, Right Hon. Edmund, anecdotes of, and remarks his Bonmots, 390 his universal knowledge, 435 the Author, introduced to him, 213 his Letter to the Sheriffs of Bristol censrued b his Essay on the Sublime,' &c. 165 his Letter on the Affairs of America,' 348 Burman, Johnson's Life of, 38. Burnet's History of his Own Times, 205. his Life of Rochester, 349. Burney, Dr. 404, 405, 489, 553. Johnson's letters to him, 76, 86, 87, 139, 504, Burney, his Anecdotes of Johnson, 89, 265, 471. Charade, Johnson's, on Dr. Bernard, Lord Bishop of Charlemont, James, first Earl of, 456 Charles I. 253 Charles II. 245 Johnson's opinion of Charles V. his celebration of his funeral obsequies in his Chastity, 281. See Marriage Chatham, Earl of, 529 Chatterton's poems, 302 Chesterfield, Lord, 46, 67, 69, 204, 242, 400, 410, 484, 534 book, 303. might be made a very pretty Chemistry, 505. Cibber, Colley, 36, 44, n. 110, 165, 245, 309, 246, 505, Theophilus, his Lives of the Poets,' 48, 296, Clarendon, Lord, continuation of his History,' 272 commendation of, 79, n. 162 Claret, its inefficacy as wine, 400 Clarke, Richard, Esq., 513 Clarke, Dr., his Works, 562 'Cleone,' Dodsley's, 87, 435 'Cleonice,' Hoole's, 229 Clergy, the, 175, 192, 213, &c. 331, 384, 388, 457, 487 Clerk, Sir P. J. 455 Climate, contributes little to happiness, 198 Clive, Lord, 415 Clive, Mrs., the actress, 432, 505 Club, Essex-head, 511 Eumelian, 389 LITERARY. See L. Coachmakers'-hall Debating Society, 459 Cobb, Mrs. 418 Cock-lane Ghost, 112, 373 Colchester, 129 Collections in writing, their use, 165 College tutor, an old one's advice to one of his pupils re- lative to composition, 212 Collins, the poet, 105 Colman, George, Esq. 239, 243, 317 his Letter from Lexiphanes,' 554 Combabus, 364 n. Commandment, the ninth, 42. Condescension, 288 Confession, auricular, 169, 305 Congé d'elire, 531 Congreve, his works, 164, 166, 248 -Johnson's Life of, 446 Rev. Mr. 7, 283, 287 Connoisseur,' the, 116 O'Connor, Charles, Esq. his Account of Ireland,' 86 Johnson's letter to, 322 Const, Francis, Esq. 292, n. Conversation, 251, 278, 279, 304, 347, 396, 486, 487, 503 Coverley, Sir Roger de, 254 the edition of his select works by Bishop Hurd, the Lives of the Poets, by Shields, and Cibber Crabbe, Rev. Mr., his Village,' 484 Cradock, Joseph, Esq. 299 Craven, Lady, (now Margravine of Anspach,) 294 Croft, Rev. Herbert, his Life of Young,' 447 Cromwell, the Usurper, Johnson's design of writing his life, 502 Crosbie, Mr. Andrew, 255 Crouch, Mrs. 500 Crousaz, 33, 39 Cruikshank, Mr., Johnson's letters to, 546, 558 Cullen, Dr. 512 Cumberland, Richard, Esq. 300, 449, 553 Curates, the question of raising their salaries discussed, 331 Dalrymple, Sir John, his Memoirs, 204 Death, reflections on, 90, 169, 282, 387, 518, 524. See Johnson Debts, contracting them, the source of much evil and Dedications, Prefaces, Introductions, &c. by Johnson, Delany's Observation on Swift,' 367 Dennis, John, his critical works worth collecting, 299 Derrick, Samuel, Esq. 105, 108, 126, 406, 489, 501 Devaynes, John, Esq. 516 Devil, the first Whig, 391 his influence upon the souls of men, 521 Devonshire, Duke of, 247, 407 Duchess of, 542 'Distressed Mother,' Johnson's Epilogue to, 10 Dodd, Rev. Dr. 325, 332, 333, 341, 374, 377 Johnson's assistance to him, 333, 334 Johnson's opinion concerning him, 494 Doddington, George Bubb, Esq. (afterwards Lord Mel- Dodsley, Robert, 29, 69, 278, 299, 435 Dogs do not compare, 167 Dominicetti's baths, 233 Dossie, Mr. 432 Douglas, Rev. Dr. (Bishop of Salisbury,) 29, 59, 68, n 158, 517 Douglas Cause, 154, 210 Drake, Sir Francis, Johnson's Life of, 36 Draughts, game of, 84 Dreams, 431 Drelincourt on death,' 189 Drumgould, Colonel, 263 Drummond, Mr. William, Johnson's letters to, 147, 148, 149 Dr. 314 |