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1770.

life planned by choice, but as he is reftrained from deviation by fome exterEtat. 61. nal power. He who may live as he will, feldom lives long in the obfervation

of his own rules"."

Of this year I have obtained the following letters:

SIR,

To the Reverend Dr. FARMER, Cambridge.

"AS no man ought to keep wholly to himself any poffeffion that may be useful to the publick, I hope you will not think me unreasonably intrufive, if I have recourfe to you for fuch information as you are more able to give me than any other man.

"In fupport of an opinion which you have already placed above the need .of any more fupport, Mr. Steevens, a very ingenious gentleman, lately of King's College, has collected an account of all the translations which Shakfpeare might have feen and used. He wishes his catalogue to be perfect, and therefore intreats that you will favour him by the infertion of fuch additions as the accuracy of your inquiries has enabled you to make. To this request, I take the liberty of adding my own folicitation.

"We have no immediate ufe for this catalogue, and therefore do not defire that it should interrupt or hinder your more important employments. But it will be kind to let us know that you receive it.

"Johnfon's-court, Fleet-ftreet,

March 21, 1770.

"I am, Sir, &c.

SAM. JOHNSON."

To the Reverend Mr. THOMAS WARTON.

"DEAR SIR,

"THE readinefs with which you were pleased to promise me fome notes on Shakspeare, was a new inftance of your friendship. I fhall not hurry you; but am defired by Mr. Steevens, who helps me in this edition, to let you know, that we fhall print the tragedies first, and shall therefore want first the notes which belong to them. We think not to incommode the readers with a fupplement; and therefore, what we cannot put into its proper place,

• Prayers and Meditations, p. 95.

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"I AM revising my edition of Shakspeare, and remember that I
formerly misrepresented your opinion of Lear. Be pleased to write the para-
graph as you would have it, and fend it. If
you have
any remarks of your
own upon that or any other play, I fhall gladly receive them.
"Make my compliments to Mrs. Warton. I fometimes think of wander-
ing for a few days to Winchester, but am apt to delay. I am, Sir,

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To Mr. FRANCIS BARBER, at Mrs. CLAPP's, Bishop-Stortford, Hertfordshire.

"DEAR FRANCIS,

"I AM at last fat down to write to you, and should very much blame myself for having neglected you fo long, if I did not impute that and many other failings to want of health. I hope not to be fo long filent again. I am very well fatisfied with your progress, if you can really perform the exercises which you are set; and I hope Mr. Ellis does not fuffer you to impose on him, or on yourself.

"Make my compliments to Mr. Ellis, and to Mrs. Clapp, and Mr.
Smith.

"Let me know what English books you read for your entertainment. You
can never be wife unless you love reading.

"Do not imagine that I fhall forget or forfake you; for if, when I
examine you, I find that you have not loft your time, you fhall want no
encouragement from

"Yours affectionately,

London, Sept 25, 1770.

SAM. JOHNSON."

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1770.

Etat. 61.

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"I HOPE you mind your business. I defign you shall stay with Mrs. Clapp these holidays. If you are invited out you may go, if Mr. Ellis gives leave. I have ordered you fome cloaths, which you will receive, I believe, next week. My compliments to Mrs. Clapp and to Mr. Ellis, and Mr. Smith, &c. I am

" December 7, 1770.

"Your affectionate

SAM. JOHNSON."

During this year there was a total ceffation of all correfpondence between Dr. Johnson and me, without any coldness on either fide, but merely from procrastination, continued from day to day; and as I was not in London, I had no opportunity of enjoying his company and recording his converfation. To fupply this blank, I fhall present my readers with fome Collectanea, obligingly furnished to me by the Reverend Dr. Maxwell, of Falkland, in Ireland, some time affiftant preacher at the Temple, and for many years the focial friend of Johnson, who spoke of him with a very kind regard.

"My acquaintance with that great and venerable character commenced in the year 1754. I was introduced to him by Mr. Grierfon', his Majesty's printer at Dublin, a gentleman of uncommon learning, and great wit and vivacity. Mr. Grierfon died in Germany, at the age of twenty-feven. Dr. Johnson highly refpected his abilities, and often observed, that he poffeffed more extensive knowledge than any man of his years he had ever known. His industry was equal to his talents; and he particularly excelled in every fpecies of philological learning, and was, perhaps, the best critick of the age he lived in.

"I must always remember with gratitude my obligation to Mr. Grierson, for the honour and happiness of Dr. Johnson's acquaintance and friendship, which continued uninterrupted and undiminished to his death: a connection, that was at once the pride and happiness of my life.

"What pity it is, that fo much wit and good fenfe as he continually exhibited in converfation, fhould perifh unrecorded! Few perfons quitted his

7 Son of the learned Mrs. Grierfon, who was patronifed by the late Lord Granville, and was the editor of feveral of the clafficks.

company

1770.

company without perceiving themselves wifer and better than they were before. On ferious fubjects he flashed the most interesting conviction upon Etat. 61. his auditors; and upon lighter topicks, you might have fuppofed-Albano mufas de monte locutas.

"Though I can hope to add but little to the celebrity of fo exalted a character, by any communications I can furnish, yet out of pure respect to his memory, I will venture to transmit to you some anecdotes concerning him, which fell under my own observation. The very minutie of fuch a character must be interesting, and may be compared to the filings of diamonds.

"In politicks he was deemed a Tory, but certainly was not fo in the obnoxious or party sense of the term; for while he afferted the legal and falutary prerogatives of the crown, he no lefs refpected the conftitutional liberties of the people. Whiggifm, at the time of the Revolution, he said, was accompanied with certain principles; but latterly, as a mere party diftinction under Walpole and the Pelhams, was no better than the politicks of stock-jobbers, and the religion of infidels.

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"He detefted the idea of governing by parliamentary corruption, and afferted most strenuously, that a prince fteadily and confpicuously pursuing the interests of his people, could not fail of parliamentary concurrence. prince of ability, he contended, might and should be the directing foul and spirit of his own administration; in fhort, his own minifter, and not the mere head of a party; and then, and not till then, would the royal dignity be fincerely respected.

Johnson seemed to think, that a certain degree of crown influence over the Houses of Parliament, (not meaning a corrupt and fhameful dependence,) was very falutary, nay even neceffary, in our mixed government. . For, (faid he,) if the members were under no crown influence, and disqualified from receiving any gratification from Court, and resembled, as they possibly might, Pym and Haflerig, and other stubborn and fturdy members of the long Parliament, the wheels of government would be totally obstructed. Such men would oppose, merely to fhew their power, from envy, jealoufy, and perversity of disposition; and not gaining themselves, would hate and oppose all who did not loving the perfon of the prince, and conceiving they owed him little gratitude, from the mere spirit of infolence and contradiction, they would oppofe and thwart him upon all occafions.'

"The infeparable imperfection annexed to all human governments, confifted, he said, in not being able to create a sufficient fund of virtue and principle to carry the laws into due and effectual execution. Wisdom might plan, but virtue

X x

1770.

Etat. 61.

virtue alone could execute. And where could fufficient virtue be found? A variety of delegated, and often difcretionary powers must be entrusted fomewhere; which, if not governed by integrity and confcience, would neceffarily be abufed, till at laft the conftable would fell his for a fhilling.

"This excellent perfon was fometimes charged with abetting flavish and arbitrary principles of government. Nothing in my opinion could be a groffer calumny and mifreprefentation; for how can it be rationally fuppofed, that he fhould adopt fuch pernicious and abfurd opinions, who fupported his philofophical character with fo much dignity, was extremely jealous of his perfonal liberty and independence, and could not brook the finalleft appearance of neglect or infult, even from the highest perfonages?

"But let us view him in fome inftances of more familiar life.

"His general mode of life, during my acquaintance, seemed to be pretty uniform. About twelve o'clock I commonly vifited him, and frequently found him in bed, or declaiming over his tea, which he drank very plentifully. He generally had a levee of morning vifitors, chiefly men of letters; Hawkfworth, Goldfmith, Murphy, Langton, Steevens, Beauclerk, &c. &c. and fometimes learned ladies, particularly I remember a French lady of wit and fashion doing him the honour of a vifit. He feemed to me to-be confidered as a kind of publick oracle, whom every body thought they had a right to vifit and confult; and doubtlefs they were well rewarded. I never could difcover how he found time for his compofitions. He declaimed all the morning, then went to dinner at a tavern, where he commonly staid late, and then drank his tea at fome friend's house, over which he loitered a great while, but feldom took fupper. I fancy he must have read and wrote chiefly in the night, for I can fearely recollect that he ever refufed going with me to a tavern, and he often went to Ranelagh, which he deemed a place of innocent recreation.

"He frequently gave all the filver in his pocket to the poor, who watched him, between his houfe and the tavern where he dined. He walked the ftreets at all hours, and faid he was never robbed, for the rogues knew he had little money, nor had the appearance of having much.

"Though the moft acceffible and communicative man alive, yet when he fufpected he was invited to be exhibited, he conftantly fpurned the invitation. "Two young women from Staffordshire vifited him when I was prefent, to confult him on the fubject of Methodifm, to which they were inclined. 'Come, (faid he,) you pretty fools, dine with Maxwell and me at the Mitre, and we will talk over that fubject;' which they did, and after dinner he took one of them upon his knee, and fondled her for half an hour together. "Upon

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