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1756.

descended to take notice of any thing that had been written against him; and here his chief intention seems to have been to make sport. Dedication to the earl of Rochford of, and preface to Mr. Payne's Introduction to the Game of Draughts; acknowl.

Introduction to the London Chronicle, an evening paper, which still subsists with deserved credit; acknowl.

1757. Speech on the subject of an address to the throne after the expedition to Rochefort; delivered by one of his friends in some publick meet

:

ing it is printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for October, 1785; intern. evid.

The first two paragraphs of the preface to sir William Chambers's Designs of Chinese Buildings, etc.; acknowl.

1758. The Idler, which began April 5, in this year, and was continued till April 5, 1760; acknowl.

An Essay on the Bravery of the English Common Soldiers was added to it, when published in volumes; acknowl.

1759. Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia, a Tale; acknowl.

Advertisement for the proprietors of the Idler against certain persons

who pirated those papers as they came out singly in a newspaper called the Universal Chronicle, or Weekly Gazette; intern. evid. For Mrs. Charlotte Lennox's English Version of Brumoy, a Dissertation on the Greek Comedy, and the general conclusion of the book; intern. evid.

Introduction to the World Displayed, a collection of voyages and
travels; acknowl.

Three letters in the Gazetteer, concerning the best plan for Blackfriars'
Bridge; acknowl.

1760. Address of the Painters to George the Third on his Accession to the

Throne; intern. evid.

Dedication of Baretti's Italian and English Dictionary to the marquis of
Abreu, then envoy-extraordinary from Spain at the court of Great
Britain; intern. evid.

Review in the Gentleman's Magazine, of Mr. Tytler's acute and able
Vindication of Mary Queen of Scots; acknowl.

Introduction to the proceedings of the committee for clothing the

French prisoners; acknowl.

1761. Preface to Rolt's Dictionary of Trade and Commerce; acknowl.

Corrections and improvements for Mr. Gwyn the architect's pamphlet, entitled, Thoughts on the Coronation of George the Third; acknowl. 1762. Dedication to the king, of the reverend Dr. Kennedy's Complete System of Astronomical Chronology unfolding the Scriptures, quarto edition; acknowl.

Preface to the Catalogue of the Artists' Exhibition; intern. evid. 1763. Character of Collins in the Poetical Calendar, published by Fawkes and Woty; acknowl.

Dedication to the earl of Shaftsbury of the edition of Roger Ascham's
English works, published by the reverend Mr. Bennett; acknowl.

The Life of Ascham, also prefixed to that edition; acknowl.

1763. Review of Telemachus, a masque, by the rev. George Graham, of Eton college, in the Critical Review; acknowl.

Dedication to the Queen of Mr. Hoole's Translation of Tasso; acknowl. Account of the detection of the imposture of the Cock-lane Ghost, published in the newspapers and Gentleman's Magazine; acknowl. 1764. Part of a review of Granger's Sugar Cane, a poem, in the London Chronicle; acknowl.

Review of Goldsmith's Traveller, a poem, in the Critical Review; acknowl.

1765. The Plays of William Shakspeare, in eight volumes, 8vo. with notes; acknowl.

1766. The Fountains, a Fairy Tale, in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies; acknowl. 1767. Dedication to the King of Mr. Adams's Treatise on the Globes; acknowl. 1769. Character of the reverend Mr. Zachariah Mudge, in the London Chronicle; acknowl.

1770. The False Alarm; acknowl.

1771. Thoughts on the late Transactions respecting Falkland's Islands; ack. 1772. Defence of a Schoolmaster; dictated to me for the house of lords; acknowl.

Argument in support of the Law of Vicious Intromission; dictated to me for the court of session in Scotland; acknowl.

1773. Preface to Macbean's Dictionary of Ancient Geography; acknowl. Argument in favour of the Rights of Lay Patrons; dictated to me for the general assembly of the church of Scotland; acknowl.

1774. The Patriot; acknowl.

1775. A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland; acknowl.

Proposals for publishing the works of Mrs. Charlotte Lennox, in three
volumes quarto; acknowl.

Preface to Baretti's Easy Lessons in Italian and English; intern. evid.
Taxation no Tyranny; an answer to the Resolutions and Address of the
American Congress; acknowl.

Argument on the case of Dr. Memis; dictated to me for the court of
sessions in Scotland; acknowl.

Argument to prove that the corporation of Stirling was corrupt; dictated to me for the house of lords; acknowl.

1776. Argument in support of the right of immediate, and personal reprehension from the pulpit; dictated to me; acknowl.

Proposals for publishing an Analysis for the Scotch Celtick Language, by the reverend William Shaw; acknowl.

1777. Dedication to the King of the Posthumous Works of Dr. Pearce, bishop of Rochester; acknowl.

Additions to the Life and Character of that prelate; prefixed to those works; acknowl.

1777. Various Papers and Letters in favour of the reverend Dr. Dodd; ack. 1780. Advertisement for his Friend Mr. Thrale to the Worthy Electors of the Borough of Southwark; acknowl.

First Paragraph of Mr. Thomas Davies's Life of Garrick; acknowl. 1781. Prefaces, Biographical and Critical, to the works of the most eminent

1781.

English Poets afterwards published with the title of the Lives of the English Poets; acknowl. Argument on the importance of the Registration of Deeds; dictated to me for an election committee of the house of commons; acknowl. On the Distinction between Tory and Whig; dictated to me; acknowl. On Vicarious Punishments, and the great Propitiation for the Sins of the World, by Jesus Christ; dictated to me; acknowl.

Argument in favour of Joseph Knight, an African Negro, who claimed his liberty in the court of session in Scotland, and obtained it; dictated to me; acknowl.

Defence of Mr. Robertson, printer of the Caledonian Mercury, against the society of procurators in Edinburgh, for having inserted in his paper a ludicrous paragraph against them; demonstrating that it was not an injurious libel; dictated to me; acknowl.

1782. The greatest part, if not the whole, of a Reply, by the reverend Mr. Shaw, to a person at Edinburgh, of the name of Clarke, refuting his arguments for the authenticity of the poems published by Mr. James Macpherson as translations from Ossian; intern. evid.

1784. List of the Authors of the Universal History, deposited in the British Museum, and printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for December, this year; acknowl.

VARIOUS YEARS.

'Letters to Mrs. Thrale; acknowl.

Prayers and Meditations, which he delivered to the rev. Mr. Strahan,
enjoining him to publish them; acknowl.

Sermons, left for publication by John Taylor, LL.D. prebendary of
Westminster, and given to the world by the rev. Samuel Hayes,
A. M. intern. evid. †

Such was the number and variety of the prose works of this extraordinary man, which I have been able to discover, and am at liberty to mention; but we ought to keep in mind, that there must undoubtedly have been many more which are yet concealed; and we may add to the account, the numerous letters which he wrote, of which a considerable part are yet unpublished. It is hoped that those persons in whose possession they are, will favour the world with them. JAMES BOSWELL.

+ To this list of the writings of Dr. Johnson, Mr. Alexander Chalmers, with considerable probability, suggests to me that we may add the following:

IN THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE.

1747. Lauder's Proposals for printing the Adamus Exul of Grotius, vol. 20. p. 404. 1750. Address to the Publick, concerning Miss Williams's Miscellanies, vol. 20. p. 428. 1753. Preface.

Notice of Mr. Edward Cave's death, inserted in the last page of the Index.

IN THE LITERARY MAGAZINE.

1756. Observations on the foregoing letter; i. e. a letter on the American Colonies, vol. i. p. 66.-MALONE.

Since the above were communicated to Mr. Malone, Mr. C. has discovered the following in the Gentleman's Magazine:

1739. Address to the Reader in May, 1749. Letter on Fire-works, in January.

1751. Preface to the Gentleman's Magazine.

1754. Preface. A. C.

Criticism on Moore's Gil Blas.

C

AFTER MY DEATH I WISH NO OTHER HERALD,
NO OTHER SPEAKER OF MY LIVING ACTIONS,
TO KEEP MINE HONOUR FROM CORRUPTION,

BUT SUCH AN HONEST CHRONICLER AS GRIFFITH

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SHAKSPEARE, Henry the Eighth.

* See Dr. Johnson's letter to Mrs. Thrale, dated Ostick in Skie, September 30, 1773: "Boswell writes a regular journal of our travels, which I think contains as much of what I say and do, as of all other occurrences together; for such a faithful chronicler is Griffith.""

THE LIFE

OF

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D.

To write the life of him who excelled all mankind in writing the lives of others, and who, whether we consider 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 conformity with the opinion which he has given, that every man's life may be best written by himself; had he employed in the preservation of his own history, that clearness of narration and elegance of language in which he has embalmed so many eminent persons, the world would probably have had the most perfect example of biography that was ever exhibited. But although he at different times, in a desultory manner, committed to writing many particulars of the progress of his mind and fortunes, he never had persevering diligence enough to form them into a regular composition. Of these memorials a few have been preserved; but the greater part was consigned 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 constantly in view; as he was well apprized of this circumstance, and from time to time. obligingly satisfied my inquiries, by communicating to me the incidents of his early years; as I acquired a facility

a Idler, No. 84,

VOL. I.

B

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