rials which had been collected by several of his friends. He then spoke of the volume of Effays, to which it was defigned to prefix the account, but expressed fome doubts respecting the propriety and delicacy of his application to Dr. Johnfon to write a life and criticism to be placed before the Effays of an author, who had, he obferved, in thofe very Effays, controverted the Doctor's opinion in feveral inftances; and he went fo far as to fay, that had he before perufed his friend's work, he believed he should not have ventured to folicit the Doctor on the occafion he added, that he thought it might be as well to relinquish the design of publishing the book, as the writer was not living to defend his own criticifms. Upon this the Doctor defired that some of the paffages alluded to might be pointed out to him, which defire Mr. Barclay immediately complied with, and read a few 'pages, chufing those parts wherein Mr. Scott had dif

fented from Dr. Johnson. When Mr. Barclay had done reading, the Doctor delivered himself nearly to this effect: "That he differed from Mr. Barclay

respecting the publication, as from "what he had then heard, he believ"ed the book would do credit to "their late friend, and as to Mr. Scott's "diffenting from him, he observed, that "authors would differ in opinion, and "that good performances could not be "too much criticised." Mr. Barclay read to him fome of the materials that had been collected, which the Doctor faid would do, fo far as they went, but wished that more could be procured, expreffing an anxiety to begin the work. Mr. Barclay then took his leave, pleased with the reception from the Doctor, and filled with admiration at the candour and liberality of his fentiments, expreffed with the utmost benevolence and friendship, while labouring under the preffure of pain and disease.

When

1

When Mr. Barclay left the Doctor, it was agreed that he should call on him again; but when he returned to London, he learned from his faithful black fervant, Francis Barber, that the Doctor's diforder was too much increased for him

From that time he

to admit company. faw him no more; but the Doctor, a few days before his decease, fent, by a gentleman who paid him a vifit, a message to Mr. Barclay, to inform him "that he had not forgot his engage"ment; and that, if it fhould please "God to restore him, he would certainly perform it, for he loved Mr. "Scott."

The death of this great and good man, which happened in the evening of the 13th of December, having frustrated the kind intentions of Mr. Barclay, and put an end to his flattering expectations of procuring fo honourable a teftimony to the merits of our deceased friend; he

was pleased to exprefs fome defire that I would take upon myself the task, which from my great friendship for, and knowledge of the deceased, I have been induced to attempt; though I hope the reader will believe, that it is with becoming diffidence I now ftep forth, to supply the place of such a biographer.

OHN SCOTT was born on the

JOHN

9th of January 1730, of Samuel and Martha Scott, in the Grange-Walk, in the Parish of St. Mary Bermondsey, Southwark, being the youngest of two fons, their only children that lived to be brought up, the reft dying very foon: his elder brother was named Samuel, and his mother's maiden name was Wilkins. He was defcended from two ancient and refpectable families of the counties of York and Warwick. His father was a draper and citizen of London, a man of plain and irreproachable manners, and one of

the

the fociety of the people called Quakers, among whom he was esteemed an eminent preacher.

Samuel Scott, the elder brother, lived for fome time with an aunt in the neighbourhood, where he received the first rudiments of his education. John, at about feven years of age, was put under the tuition of one John Clarke, who kept a little school in BarnabyStreet: he is faid to have been well fkilled in the languages, and ufed to come home to the house of Mr. Scott, to inftruct his fon in the rudiments of the Latin tongue. John Scott himself gives the following account of his tutor.

My Caledonian tutor's name was John "Clarke; he was, I believe, a native of "the Shetland-Iflands; he was ingeni

ous and learned, but rather a fevere

pedagogue; yet, fpite of the domi"nation which he exercised over his pupils, I respected him, and there was fomething