who wishes to gratify his curiofity, is referred to the fourteenth volume of Johnson's works, published by Stockdale. The lives of Boerhaave, Blake, Barratier, Father Paul, and others, were, about that time, printed in the Gentleman's Magazine. The fubfcription of fifty pounds a year for Savage was completed; and in July, 1739, Johnson parted with the companion of his midnighthours, never to fee him more. The feparation was, perhaps, an advantage to him, who wanted to make a right ufe of his time, and even then beheld with felf-reproach the waste occafioned by diffipation, His abstinence from wine and ftrong liquors began foon after the departure of Savage. What habits he contracted in the courfe of that acquaintance cannot now be known. The ambition of excelling in converfation, and that pride of victory, which, at times, difgraced a man of Johnfon's genius, were, perhaps, native blemishes. A fierce fpirit of independence, even in the midst of poverty, may be seen in Savage; and, if not thence transfused by Johnson into his own manners, it may, at least, be supposed to have gained ftrength from the example before him. During that connection there was, if we believe

Sir

Sir John Hawkins, a fhort feparation between our author and his wife; but a reconciliation foon took place. Johnson loved her, and fhewed his affection in various modes of gallantry, which Garrick used to render ridiculous by his mimicry. The affectation of foft and fashionable airs did not become an unwieldy figure: his admiration was received by the wife with the flutter of an antiquated coquette; and both, it is well known, furnished matter for the lively genius of Garrick,

"He

It is a mortifying reflection, that Johnson, with a ftore of learning and extraordinary talents, was not able, at the age of thirty, to force his way to the favour of the publick. Slow rifes worth by poverty deprefs'd. "was ftill," as he fays himself, " to provide "for the day that was paffing over him." He saw Cave involved in a state of warfare with the numerous competitors, at that time ftruggling with the Gentleman's Magazine; and gratitude for such supplies as Johnson received dictated a Latin Ode on the subject of that contention. The first lines,

"Urbane, nullis feffe laboribus,

"Urbane, nullis victe calumniis,"

put

put one in mind of Cafimir's Ode to Pope Urban :

"Urbane, regum maxime, maxime

"Urbane vatum."

The Polish poet was, probably, at that time in the hands of a man who had meditated the history of the Latin poets. Guthrie the historian had from July 1736 composed the parliamentary fpeeches for the Magazine; but, from the beginning of the session which opened on the 19th of November, 1740, Johnson fucceeded to that department, and continued it from that time to the debate on

fpirituous liquors, which happened in the House of Lords in February, 1742-3. The eloquence, the force of argument, and the fplendor of language, difplayed in the feveral speeches, are well known, and univerfally admired. The whole has been collected in two volumes by Mr. Stockdale, and may form a proper fupplement to this edition. That Johnfon was the author of the debates during that period was not generally known; but the fecret tranfpired feveral years afterwards, and was avowed by himself on the following occafion. Mr. Wedderburne (now Lord

Lord Loughborough), Dr. Johnson, Dr. Francis (the tranflator of Horace), the prefent writer, and others, dined with the late Mr. Foote. An important debate towards the end of Sir Robert Walpole's adminiftration being mentioned, Dr. Francis observed, "That Mr. Pitt's fpeech, on that occafion, "was the beft he had ever read." He added, "That he had employed eight years of his "life in the ftudy of Demofthenes, and fi"nifhed a tranflation of that celebrated "orator, with all the decorations of style

and language within the reach of his ca"pacity; but he had met with nothing

66

equal to the fpeech above-mentioned.” Many of the company remembered the debate; and fome paffages were cited, with the approbation and applause of all present. During the ardour of converfation Johnson remained filent. As foon as the warmth of praife fubfided, he opened with these words: "That fpeech I wrote in a garret in Exeter"ftreet." The company was struck with astonishment. After staring at each other in filent amaze, Dr. Francis afked, "How "that fpeech could be written by him?" "Sir," faid Johnfon, "I wrote it in Exeter"street. I never had been in the gallery of

"the

66

"the Houfe of Commons but once. Cave had intereft with the door-keepers. He, and "the perfons employed under him, gained "admittance: they brought away the sub'ject of difcuffion, the names of the speak66 ers, the fide they took, and the order in "which they rofe, together with notes of "the arguments advanced in the course of "the debate. The whole was afterwards "communicated to me, and I compofed the speeches in the form which they now have "in the Parliamentary debates." To this discovery Dr. Francis made answer: "Then, "Sir, you have exceeded Demofthenes him

66

felf; for to fay, that you have exceeded "Francis's Demofthenes, would be faying nothing." The rest of the company beftowed lavish encomiums on Johnson: one, in particular, praised his impartiality; obferving, that he dealt out reafon and eloquence with an equal hand to both parties. "That is not quite true," faid Johnfon; "I

faved appearances tolerably well; but I "took care that the WHIG DOGS fhould not "have the best of it." The fale of the Magazine was greatly increased by the Parlia-mentary debates, which were continued by

John