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 subscription of fifty pounds a year for Savage was completed; and in July, 1739, Johnson parted with the companion of his midnight-hours, never to fee him more. The feparation was, perhaps, an advantage to him, who wanted to make a right use of his time, and even then beheld, with felf-reproach, the waste occafioned by dif fipation. His abftinence from wine and ftrong liquors began foon after the departure of Savage. What habits he contracted in the course 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 Johnson's genius, were, perhaps, native blemishes. A fierce fpirit of independence, even in the midst of poverty, may be feen in Savage; and, if not thence transfufed by Johnfon into his own manners, it may, at least, be fuppofed to have gained ftrength from the example before him. During that connection there was, if we believe Sir John John Hawkins, a fhort feparation between our author and his wife; but a reconciliation foon took place. Johnson loved her, and shewed 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. It is a mortifying reflection, that Johnson, with a store 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 depress'd. "He "was ftill," as he fays himself, "to provide "for the day that was paffing over him." He faw Cave involved in a ftate of warfare with the numerous competitors, at that time ftruggling with the Gentleman's Magazine; and gratitude for fuch fupplies as Johnson received, dictated a Latin Ode on the fubject of that contention. The first lines, "Urbane, nullis feffe laboribus, 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 hiftory of the Latin poets. Guthrie the hiftorian, had from July 1736 compofed the parliamentary speeches for the Magazines; but, from the beginning of the feffion which opened on the 19th of November 1740, Johnfon 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 univefally 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 Loughborough), borough), Dr. Johnfon, Dr. Francis (the translator 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 obferved, "That Mr. Pitt's speech, "on that occafion, was the beft he had ever "read." He added, "That he had employed 66 eight years of his life in the study of De"mofthenes, and finished a tranflation of that "celebrated orator, with all the decorations "of ftyle and language within the reach of "his capacity; but he had met with nothing "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 prefent. During the ardour of conversation Johnson remained filent. As foon as the warmth of praise fubfided, he opened with these words. "That speech I "wrote in a garret in Exeter-street." The company was ftruck with aftonishment. After ftaring at each other in filent amaze, Dr. Francis afked, "How that speech could be written by him?" " Sir," faid Johnson, “ I wrote it in Exeter-ftreet. I never had been in the "gallery 66 66 "gallery of 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 fubject of difcuffion, the names of the fpeakers, the fide they took, and the order "in which they rofe, together with notes of "the arguments advanced in the courfe of the "debate. The whole was afterwards commu"nicated to me, and I compofed the fpeeches " in the form which they now have in the Par liamentary debates." To this difcovery Dr. Francis made anfwer: "Then, Sir, you have "exceeded Demofthenes himself; for to say, "that you have exceeded Francis's Demof"thenes, would be faying nothing." The reft of the company bestowed lavish encomiums on Johnson one, in particular, praised his impartiality; obferving, that he dealt out reason and eloquence with an equal hand to both. parties. "That is not quite true," faid John"fon; "I faved appearances tolerably well; "but I took care that the WHIG DOGS should "not have the best of it." The fale of the Magazine was greatly increased by the Parliamentary debates, which were continued by John |