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A

CRITICAL ENQUIRY

INTO THE

Moral Writings

OF

DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON.

IN WHICH

THE TENDENCY

OF

CERTAIN PASSAGES IN THE RAMBLER,

AND

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

OF

THAT CELEBRATED WRITER,

IS IMPARTIALLY CONSIDERED.

TO WHICH IS ADDED

AN APPENDIX.

CONTAINING

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN BOSWELL AND JOHNSON

IN THE SHADES.

By ATTALUS.

London:

PRINTED BY C. CORRALL, 38, CHARING CROSS.

SOLD BY MESSRS. COBBETT AND MORGAN, PALL MALL, AND R. FAULDER,
BOOKSELLER TO THE KING, NEW BOND STREET.

1802.

1

PREFACE.

OF a work like the present it

seems incumbent upon me to offer a few prefatory remarks. Something, it may be necessary to say, in extenuation of an attempt, which will, I doubt not, be considered by many as, at once, daring, and unnecessary. To deprecate the severity of criticism by an avowal of my motives, may not be unproductive of the desired effect; and, if I succeed in imprissing that conviction, the following sheets may be read by the warmest ad'mirer of the author here controverted. But to those, who

"Ne'er advance a judgment of their own,
"But catch the spreading notion of the town."

I am fully aware all endeavours to that purpose will be nugatory; and respecting the opinions of such, I feel myself perfectly at ease. It is from the tribunal of just, and rational criticism that I await my sentence; from men who, in the execution of their high office, can lull their strongest prejudices to sleep, and pass a dispassionate verdict on the productions of contemporary authors; to them, to the RESPECTABLE BODY OF REVIEWERS, and to the ENLIGHTENED OF MY COUNTRYMEN, I submit this first production of an early mind.

When I first perused the nervous writings of Dr. Johnson, I was enraptured; was enthusiastic in my admiration; I bowed implicit confidence to their VERACITY. Pleasure so unabated called for a renewal, and I flew with eagerness to the volumes, which contained such treasures; but the first delirium of admiration had subsided, and the solid powers

of

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