phic poet, we may judge from the following | probably 3 the following Latin Epigram to specimen which he has given in the Ram- Dr. Birch* (p. 2):

bler: (Motto to No. 7.)

"O qui perpetuâ mundum ratione gubernas,
Terrarum cœlique sator!-

Disjice terrena nebulas et pondera molis,
Atque tuo splendore mica! Tu namque serenum,
Tu requies tranquilla piis. Te cernere finis,
Principiuin, vector, dux, semita, terminus, idem.”

pre

"O THOU whose power o'er moving worlds
sides,
Whose voice created, and whose wisdom guides,
On darkling man in pure effulgence shine,
And cheer the clouded mind with light divine.
"Tis thine alone to calm the pious breast,
With silent confidence and holy rest;
From thee, great God! we spring, to thee we tend,
Path, motive, guide, original, and end!"

[He addressed to her, in the MagaEn. zine for April, 1738, an epigram to Eliza, both in Greek and Latin (p. 210); and probably, also, the following Latin epigram in that for July (p. 372):

Elysios Popi dum ludit læta per hortos,
En avida lauros carpit Elisa manu.
Nil opus furto. Lauros tibi, dulcis Elisa,

Si neget optata Popus, Apollo dabit.”
This year's Magazine also contains the
celebrated Latin epigram "To a lady (Miss
Maria Aston) who spoke in Defence of
Liberty" (p. 211); and a Greek epigram
to" Doctor Birch" (p. 654).]

"IN BIRCHIUM.

Arte nova rarâque fide perscripserat ausus
Birchius egregios claraque gesta virum.
Hunc oculis veri Fautrix lustravit acutis,

Et placido tandem hæc edidit ore, Dea:
'Perge modo, atque tuas olim post funera laudes
Qui scribat meritas Birchius alter erit.'"

It has been erroneously supposed, that an Essay published in that Magazine this year, entitled "The Apotheosis of Milton," was written by Johnson; and on that supposition it has been improperly inserted in the edition of his works by the booksellers, 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 Essay professedly reviewing the principal English poets, would ascertain it not to be the production of John

Hawk.

p. 76.

son. But there is here no occasion to resort to internal evidence; for my Lord Bishop of Salisbury (Dr. Douglas) has assured me that it was written by Guthrie. He also published, separately, "A Complete Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage, from the malicious and scandalous Aspersions of Mr. Brooke, Authour of Gustavus Vasa *;" being an ironical attack upon them for their suppression of that tragedy. [This interposition of legal authority was looked upon by Mr. Brooke's In 1739, besides the assistance which he friends, in which number were included all gave to the Parliamentary Debates, his the Jacobites in the kingdom, as an infracwritings in the Gentleman's Magazine tion of a natural right, and as affecting the were, The Life of Boerhaave *" (p. 37), cause of liberty. To express their resentin which it is to be observed, that he discov-ment of this injury, they advised him to send ers that love of chymistry which never for- it to the press 4, and by a subscription to the sook him; "An appeal to the Publick in publication, of near a thousand persons, enbehalf of the Editort" (p. 111); "An Ad-couraged others to the like attempts. Updress to the Readert" (p. 223); on occasion of this publication, Johnson "English verses to Eliza *2;" [and was employed by one Corbet, a bookseller of small note, to take up the cause of this injured author, and he did it in this pamphlet. In the course of this mock vindication of power, Johnson has taken a wide

ED.

1

[It seems extraordinary that Mr. Boswell, with all his research and accuracy, should have stated that the epigrams to Eliza and Dr. Birch are to be found in the volume for 1739, instead of that for 1738, and should have omitted the acknowledged epigram on Maria, and not even noticed the epigram on Eliza gathering laurels in Pope's garden, which there is every reason for supposing to be his. Johnson might even have accompanied his young friend to visit Pope's villa, and been a witness to the incident.-ED.]

2 [I have permitted this statement to remain in the text, though I can find in the Magazine for 1739 but one copy of English verses to Eliza. They are in December, and signed Amasius, which is the signature of some other pieces now known to have been written by Collins; but as Boswell erroneously attributed the Greek and Latin verses to Eliza to this year, the English verses may, like the others, have belonged to 1738; though even in that volume I can find nothing ad

dressed to Eliza in English which could be Johnson's, except a translation of his own (as I conceive) Latin epigram on the gathering Pope's laurels. It is not easy to account for the inaccuracy with which Mr. Boswell confounds these two years.-ED.]

3 [My chief reasons for supposing this Latin epigram to be Johnson's are, that it is a version of his own acknowledged Greek epigram which appeared in the preceding Magazine, and that he had followed his Greek epigram on Eliza with a Latin paraphrase in the same style as this.-ED.]

4 [Mr. Brooke appears to have circulated MS. copies of Gustavus Vasa before it was completed.-I have one of these presentation copies.D'ISRAELI.]

scope, and adopted all the vulgar topicks of | here is somebody who thinks he has vexed complaint.] me sadly: yet if it had not been for you, you rogue, I should probably never have

Hawk.

p. 84, 85.

[These two satirical pamphlets were, Sir J. Hawkins thinks, in some degree prompted by the principle which Johnson frequently declared to be the only true genuine motive to writing, namely, pecuniary profit. This principle was not only avowed by Johnson, but seems to have been wrought by him into a habit. He was never greedy of money, but without money could not be stimulated to write.

He also published "Marmor Norfolciense; or an Essay on an ancient prophetical In-seen it." scription, in monkish Rhyme, lately discovered near Lynne, in Norfolk, by Probus Britannicus*. In this latter performance, he, in a feigned inscription, supposed to have been found in Norfolk, the county of Sir Robert Walpole, then the obnoxious prime minister of this country, inveighs against the Brunswick succession, and the measures of government consequent upon it. To this supposed prophecy he added a Commentary, making each expression apply to Yet was he not so indifferent to the subthe times, with warm Anti-Hanoverian zeal. jects that he was requested to write on, as This anonymous pamphlet, I believe, did at any time to abandon either his religious not make so much noise as was expected, or political principles. He would no more and, therefore, had not a very extensive cir- have put his name to an Arian or Socinian culation. Sir John Hawkins relates that tract than to a defence of Atheism. At the "warrants were issued, and messengers em- time when " Faction Detected" came out, ployed to apprehend the author; who, a pamphlet of which the late Lord Egmont though he had forborne to subscribe his is now generally understood to have been name to the pamphlet, the vigilance of those the authour, Osborne, the bookseller, held in pursuit of him had discovered;" and we out to him a strong temptation to answer it, are informed that he lay concealed in Lam- which he refused, being convinced, as he beth-marsh till the scent after him grew cold. assured Sir J. Hawkins, that the charge This, however, is altogether without found-contained in it was made good, and that the ation, for Mr. Steele, one of the secretaries argument grounded thereon was unanswerof the treasury, who, amidst a variety of able. important business, politely obliged me with his attention to my inquiry, informed me that "he directed every possible 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 issued to apprehend the authour of this pamphlet."

"Marmor Norfolciense" became exceedingly scarce, so that I for many years endeavoured in vain to procure a copy of it. At last I was indebted to the malice of one of Johnson's numerous petty adversaries, who, in 1775, published a new edition of it, "with Notes and a Dedication to Samuel Johnson, LL. D. by Tribunus;" in which some puny scribbler invidiously attempted to found upon it a charge of inconsistency against its authour, because he had accepted of a pension from his present majesty, and had written in support of the measures of government. As a mortification to such impotent malice, of which there are so many instances 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, supposing that he knew of the re-publication. To my surprise he had not yet heard of it. He requested me to go directly and get it for him, which I did. He looked at it and laughed, and seemed to be much diverted with the feeble efforts of his unknown adversary, who, I hope, is alive to read this account. "Now (said he)

p. 80, 81.

The truth is, that Johnson's political prejudices were a mist that H the eye of his judgement could not penetrate: in all the measures of Walpole's government he could see nothing right; nor could he be convinced, in his invectives against a standing army, as the Jacobites affected to call it, that the peasantry of a country was not an adequate defence against an invasion of it by an armed force. He almost asserted in terms, that the succession to the crown had been illegally interrupted, and that from whig-politicks none of the benefits of government could be expected. From hence it appears, and to his honour be it said, that his principles co-operated with his necessities, and that prostitution of his talents could not, in justice, be imputed to him.]

As Mr. Pope's note concerning Johnson, alluded to in a former page, refers both to his "London," and his "Marmor Norfolciense," I have deferred inserting 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 possession. It was presented to his lordship by Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom it was given by the son of Mr. Richardson the painter, the person to whom it is addressed. I have transcribed it with minute exactness, that the peculiar mode of writing, and imperfect spelling of that celebrated poet, may be exhibited to the curious in literature. It justifies Swift's epithet of "paper-sparing Pope," for it is

written on a slip no larger than a common | had indulged himself in, of accompanying

message-card, and was sent to Mr Richard-
son, along with the imitation of Juvenal.
"This is imitated by one Johnson who
put in for a Publick-school in Shropshire 1,
but was disappointed. He has an infirmity
of the convulsive kind, that attacks him
sometimes, so as to make Him a sad Spec-
tacle 2. Mr. P. from the Merit of This
Work which was all the knowledge he had
of Him3 endeavoured to serve Him without
his own application; & wrote to my Ld.
gore, but he did not succeed. Mr. Johnson
published afterwds, another Poem in Latin
with Notes the whole very Humerous
call'd the Norfolk Prophecy. "P."

Johnson had been told of this note; and Sir Joshua Reynolds informed him of the compliment which it contained, but, from delicacy, avoided showing him the paper itself. When Sir Joshua observed to Johnson that he seemed very desirous to see Pope's note, he answered, "Who would not be proud to have such a man as Pope so solicitous in inquiring about him?"

Aug.

1773.

his thoughts with certain untoward actions, and those actions always appeared to me as if they were meant to reprobate some part of his past conduct. Whenever he was not engaged in conversation, such thoughts were sure to rush into his mind; and, for this reason, any company, any employment whatever, he preferred to being alone. The great business of his life (he said) was to escape from himself. This disposition he considered as the disease of his mind, which nothing cured but company.

"One instance of his absence of mind and particularity, as it is characteristick of the man, may be worth relating. When he and I took a journey together into the west, we visited the late Mr. Bankes, of Dorsetshire; the conversation turning upon pictures, which Johnson could not well see, he retired to a corner of the room, stretching out his right leg as far as he could reach before him, then bringing up his left leg, and stretching his right still further on. old gentleman observing him, went up to him, and in a very courteous manner assured him, though it was not a new house, the flooring was perfectly safe. The Doctor started from his reverie, like a person waked out of his sleep, but spoke not a word."

The

While we are on this subject, my readers may not be displeased with another anecdote, communicated to me by the same friend, from the relation of Mr. Hogarth.

The infirmity to which Mr. Pope alludes, appeared to me also, as will be hereafter observed, to be of the convulsive kind, and of the nature of that distemper called St. Vitus's dance; and in this opinion I am confirmed by the description which Sydenham gives of that disease. "This disorder is a kind of convulsion. It manifests itself by halting or unsteadiness of one of the legs, which the patient draws after him like an idiot. If the hand of the same side be applied to the breast, or any other part of the body, he cannot keep it aitor at the house of Mr. Richardson 5, aumoment in the same posture, but it will be drawn into a different one by a convulsion, notwithstanding all his efforts to the contrary." Sir Joshua Reynolds, howev-cution of Dr. Cameron, for having taken er, was of a different opinion, and favoured me with the following paper:

"Those motions or tricks of Dr. Johnson are improperly called convulsions. He could sit motionless when he was told so to do, as well as any other man. My opinion is, that it proceeded from a habit 4 which he

[This has been supposed to be an error, as Appleby is in Leicester: but see ante, p. 50, where it is suggested that Johnson may have "put in" for a school in Shropshire, as well as for the school in Leicestershire.-ED.]

[It is clear that, as Johnson advanced in life, these convulsive infirmities, though never entirely absent, were so far subdued that he could not be called a sad spectacle. We have seen that he was rejected from two schools on account of these distortions, which in his latter years were certainly not violent enough to excite disgust.-ED.]

3 [This seems hardly consistent with the story (told ante, p, 21.) of Pope's approbation of Johnson's translation of his Messiah.-ED.]

* Sir Joshua Reynold's notion on this subject

Johnson used to be a pretty frequent vis

thor of Clarissa, and other novels of extensive reputation. Mr. Hogarth came one day to see Richardson, soon after the exe

arms for the house of Stuart in 1745-6; and being a warm partisan of George the Second, he observed to Richardson, that certainly there must have been some very unfavourable circumstances lately discovered in this particular case, which had induced the king to approve of an execution for rebellion so long after the time when it was committed, as this had the appearance of putting a man to death in cold blood, and

is confirmed by what Johnson himself said to a young lady, the niece of his friend Christopher Smart. See a note by Mr. Boswell on some particulars communicated by Reynolds, under March 30, 1783.-MALONE.

5 [See ante, p. 49.-ED.]

Impartial posterity may, perhaps, be as litthe inclined as Dr. Johnson was to justify the uncommon rigour exercised in the case of Dr. Archibald Cameron. He was an amiable and truly honest man; and his offence was owing to a generous, though mistaken principle of duty. Being obliged, after 1746, to give up his profession as a

was very unlike his majesty's usual clemen- | cy. While he was talking, he perceived a person standing at a window in the room, shaking his head, and rolling himself about in a strange ridiculous manner. He concluded that he was an idiot, whom his relations had put under the care of Mr. Richardson, as a very good man. To his great surprise, however, this figure stalked forwards to where he and Mr. Richardson were sitting, and all at once took up the argument, and burst out into an invective against George the Second, as one who, upon all occasions, was unrelenting and barbarous; mentioning many instances, particularly, that when an officer of high rank had been acquitted by a court-martial, George the Second had with his own hand struck his name off the list 1. In short, he displayed such a power of eloquence, that Hogarth looked at him with astonishment, and actually imagined that this idiot had been at the moment inspired. Neither Hogarth nor Johnson were made known to each other at this interview. [They afterwards, as we learn from Mrs. Piozzi, became better acquainted. "Johnson," she adds, "made four lines on the death of poor Hogarth, which were equally true and pleasing: I know not why Garrick's were preferred to them.

Piozzi, p. 104-5.

The hand of him here torpid lies,

That drew the essential form of grace;
Here clos'd in death the attentive eyes,
That saw the manners in the face." "

of Dr. Johnson, whose conversation was (he said) to the talk of other men, like Titian's painting compared to Hudson's. Of Dr. Johnson, when that lady's father and Hogarth were talking together about him one day, the latter said, "That man is not contented with believing the Bible, but he fairly resolves, I think, to believe nothing but the Bible." Johnson (added he), though so wise a fellow, is more like king David than king Solomon; for he says, in his haste, that all men are liars.]

66

In 1740 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine" the Preface t2;" "the Life of Admiral Blake*" (p. 301); and the first parts of those of "Sir Francis Drake (p. 389), and Philip Barretier*" 3 (p. 612); both which he finished the following year. He also wrote an "Essay on Epitaphs*" (p. 593); and an Epitaph on Philips, a musician*" (p. 464); which was afterwards published; with some other pieces of his, in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies. This epitaph is so exquisitely beautiful, that I remember even Lord Kames 4, strangely prejudiced as he was against Dr. Johnson, was compelled to allow it very high praise. It has been ascribed to Mr. Garrick, from its appearing at first with the signature G; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare, that it was written by Dr. Johnson, and give the following account of the manner in which it was composed. Johnson and he were sitting together; when, amongst other things, Garrick repeated an epitaph upon this Philips

Mr. Hogarth, among a variety of kind-by a Dr. Wilkes, in these words:

nesses shown to Mrs. Piozzi, was used to be very earnest that she should obtain the acquaintance, and if possible, the friendship,

physician, and to go into foreign parts, he was honoured with the rank of colonel, both in the French and Spanish service. He was a son of the ancient and respectable family of Cameron, of Lochiel; and his brother, who was the chief of that brave clan, distinguished himself by moderation and humanity, while the Highland army marched victorious through Scotland. It is remarkable of this chief, that though he had carnestly remonstrated against the attempt as hopeless, he was of too heroic a spirit not to venture his life and fortune in the cause, when personally asked by him whom he thought his prince.-BOSWELL.

1 [Dr. Cameron was executed on the 7th June, 1753. No instance can be traced in the War or Admiralty Offices of any officer of high rank being struck out of the list about that period, after acquittal by a court-martial. It may be surmised that Mr. Hogarth's statement, or Sir Joshua's report of it, was not quite accurate in details, and that Johnson alluded to the case of his friend General Oglethorpe, who, after acquittal by a court-martial, was (to use a vulgar but expressive phrase) put upon the shelf.-See ante, p. 48.-ED.]

66

[This Preface is, in fact, a learned essay on the Acta Diurna" of the old Romans, and

has little of Johnson's manner.— ED.]

3 [His attention was probably drawn to Barretier, by his friend Miss Carter, with whom that ingenious young man corresponded.-He died in 1740; and Johnson begins the life in the magazine of that year by stating that " he had few materials for his work but the letters of Barretier's father," which, probably, were communicated by Miss Carter. In 1742, however, Mr. Barretier, senior, transmitted to that lady a life of his son, printed, as it seems, by his friends; and, in 1742, we find Dr. Johnson re-writing his life, with large additions. Not having seen the foreign life, the Editor cannot say how far Dr. Johnson may have borrowed from it; but if we were to form an opinion of the extent of Barretier's learning, the force of his mind, or the goodness of his taste, from what has been preserved of his correspondence in the life of Miss Carter (p. 70-94), the praises lavished on him by his biographer would appear very extravagant, and the extraordinary accounts given of him seem rather those of parental partiality than of credible history.-ED.]

4 [Henry Home, one of the Lords of Session in Scotland, author of the Elements of Criticism, Sketches of the History of Man, and several other less celebrated but valuable works.-ED.]