the progrefs hereafter hot fuch as you have a right to expect, your can eafily 1738. ftimulate a negligent tranflator. "If any or all of these have contributed to your difcontent, I will endeavour to remove it; and defire you to propose the question to which you wish for an answer. I am, Sir, Etat. 29. << Your humble fervant, "SAM. JOHNSON." To Mr. CAVE. [No date.] « SIR, C "I AM pretty much of your opinion, that the Commentary cannot be profecuted with any appearance of fuccefs; for as the names of the authours concerned are of more weight in the performance than its own intrinsick merit, the publick will be foon fatisfied with it. And I think the Examen fhould be pushed forward with the utmost expedition. Thus, This day, &c. An Examen of Mr. Pope's Effay, &c. containing a fuccinct Account of the Philosophy of Mr. Leibnitz on the System of the Fatalists, with a Confutation of their Opinions, and an Illustration of the Doctrine of Free-will;' [with what else you think proper]. "It will, above all, be neceffary to take notice, that it is a thing distinct from the Commentary. "I was fo far from imagining they stood ftill, that I conceived them to have a good deal beforehand, and therefore was lefs anxious in providing them more. But if ever they ftand ftill on my account, it must doubtless be charged to me; and whatever else shall be reasonable, I shall not oppofe; but beg a fufpenfe of judgement till morning, when I must intreat you to send me a dozen proposals, and you fhall then have copy to fpare. I am, Sir, "Your's, impranfus, "SAM. JOHNSON." "Pray mufter up the Proposals if you can, or let the boy recall them from the bookfellers." But although he correfponded with Mr. Cave concerning a tranflation of Croufaz's Examen of Pope's Effay on Man, and gave advice as one anxious for its fuccefs, I was long ago conivnced by a perufal of the Preface, 2 The compofitors in Mr. Cave's printing-office, who appear by this letter to have then waited for copy. N. that 1738. that this translation was erroneously afcribed to him; and I have found this Etat. 29. point afcertained, beyond all doubt, by the following article in Dr. Birch's Manufcripts in the British Museum: "ELISIE CARTERÆ. S. P. D. THOMAS BIRCH. "Verfionem tuam Examinis Croufaziani jam perlegi. Summam ftyli et elegantiam, et in re difficillima proprietatem, admiratus. « Dabam Novemb. 27° 1738'." Indeed Mrs. Carter has lately acknowledged to Mr. Seward, that fhe was the tranflator of the Examen. It is remarkable, that Johnson's laft quoted letter to Mr. Cave concludes with a fair confeffion that he had not a dinner; and it is no less remarkable, that, though in this state of want himself, his benevolent heart was not infenfible to the neceffities of an humble labourer in literature, as appears from the very next letter: "DEAR SIR, To Mr. CAVE. [No date.] "YOU may remember I have formerly talked with you about a Military Dictionary. The eldest Mr. Macbean, who was with Mr. Chambers, has very good materials for fuch a work, which I have seen, and will do it at a very low rate. I think the terms of War and Navigation might be comprised, with good explanations, in one 8vo. Pica, which he is willing to do for twelve fhillings a fheet, to be made up a guinea at the second impression. If you think on it, I will wait on you with him. I am, Sir, "Your humble fervant, "Pray lend me Topfel on Animals." "SAM. JOHNSON." I must not omit to mention, that this Mr. Macbean was a native of Scotland. In the Gentleman's Magazine of this year, Johnson gave a Life of Father Paul; and he wrote the Preface to the Volume,† which, though prefixed to it when bound, is always published with the Appendix, and is therefore the last compofition belonging to it. The ability and nice adaptation with which he could draw up a prefatory addrefs, was one of his peculiar excellencies. Birch MSS. Brit. MuL 4320. It appears too, that he paid a friendly attention to Mrs. Elizabeth Carter; for, in a letter from Mr. Cave to Dr. Birch, November 28, this year, I find "Mr. Johnfon advises Mifs C. to undertake a tranflation of Boethius de Cons. because there is profe and verse, and to put her name to it when published." This advice was not followed, probably from an apprehenfion that the work was not fufficiently popular for an extenfive fale. How well Johnfon himself could have executed a tranflation of this philofophical poet, we may judge from a specimen which he has given in the Rambler‡: "O qui perpetua mundum ratione gubernas, "Terrarum cælique fator! Disjice terrenæ nubulas et pondera molis, "Atque tuo fplendore mica! Tu namque ferenum, "O THOU whose power o'er moving worlds prefides, "With filent confidence and holy rest "From thee, great GOD! we spring, to thee we tend, In 1739, befide the affistance which he gave to the Parliamentary Debates, his writings in the Gentleman's Magazine were, "The Life of Boerhaave,*" in which it is to be observed, that he discovers that love of chymistry which never forfook him; "An Appeal to the Publick in behalf of the Editor;t" "An Address to the Reader ;"" An Epigram both in Greek and Latin to Eliza,*" and also English verses to her ;* and, "A Greek Epigram to Dr. Birch.*" It has been erroneously fuppofed, that an Effay published in that Magazine this year, entitled "The Apotheofis of Milton," was written by Johnson; and on that fuppofition it has been improperly inferted in the edition of his works by the bookfellers, after his decease. Were there no positive testimony as to this point, the style of the performance, and the name of Shakspeare not being mentioned in an Effay profeffedly reviewing the principal English poets, would ascertain it not to be the production of Johnson. But 1739. Etat. 30. 1739. Ætat. 30. there is here no occafion to refort to internal evidence; for my Lord Bishop This anonymous pamphlet,. I believe, did not make so much noise 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 subscribe 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-marsh till the scent 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 fcarce, 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 Johnfon'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 inftances 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 yet heard of it. He requested me to go directly and get it for him, which I 1739. did. He looked at it and laughed, and seemed to be much diverted with the Etat. 30. feeble efforts of his unknown adverfary, who, I hope, is alive to read this account. "Now (faid he) here is fomebody who thinks he has vexed me fadly; yet, if it had not been for you, you rogue, I fhould 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 prefented to his Lordship by Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom it was given by the son of Mr. Richardfon the painter, the perfon to whom it is addreffed. I have tranfcribed it with minute exactnefs, that the peculiar mode of writing, and imperfect fpelling 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 obferved 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 obferved, 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 See note, p. 67. 5 Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 3d edit. p. 8. L 2 defcription |