1747. which he spoke about it, he would, I believe, had he been master of his Atat. 38. own will, have engaged himfelf, rather than on any other fubject." In 1747 it is fuppofed that the Gentleman's Magazine for May was enriched. by him with five fhort poetical pieces, diftinguished by three afterisks. The first is a translation, or rather a paraphrafe, of a Latin Epitaph on Sir Thomas Hanmer. Whether the Latin was his, or not, I have never heard, though I hould think it probably was, if it be certain that he wrote the English; as to which my only caufe of doubt is, that his flighting character of Hanmer as an editor, in his " Obfervations on Macbeth," is very different from that in the Epitaph. It may be faid, that there is the fame contrariety between the character in the Obfervations, and that in his own Preface to Shakspeare; but a confiderable time elapfed between the one publication and the other, whereas the Obfervations and the Epitaph came clofe together. The others are, «To Mifs, on her giving the Authour a gold and filk net-work Purse of her own weaving;" "Stella in Mourning;" "The Winter's Walk;"" An Ode;" and, "To Lyce, an elderly Lady." I am not positive that all these were his productions; but as "The Winter's Walk," has never been controverted to be his, and all of them have the fame mark, it is reasonable to conclude that they are all written by the fame hand. Yet to the Ode, in which we find a paffage very characteristick of him, being a learned defcription of the gout, "Unhappy, whom to beds of pain there is the following note: "The authour being ill of the gout:" but Johnfon "She's ftarr'd with pimples o'er; "Her tongue like nimble lightning plies, "And can with thunder roar." But 1747. But as at a very advanced age he could condefcend to trifle in namby pamby It is remarkable, that in this first edition of "The Winter's Walk," the concluding line is much more Johnsonian than it was afterwards printed; for in fubfequent editions after praying Stella to "fnatch him to her arms," he says, "And field me from the ills of life." Whereas in the firft edition it is "And hide me from the fight of life." A horrour at life in general is more confonant with Johnson's habitual gloomy caft of thought. I have heard him repeat with great energy the following verfes, which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine for April this year; but I have no authority to say they were his own. Indeed one of the best criticks of our age fuggests to me, that the word indifferently being used in the fenfe of without concern, renders it improbable that they should have been his compofition. On Lord LoVAT'S Execution. "Pity'd by gentle minds KILMARNOCK died; "No tory pities, thinking what he was; ン "The brave regret not, for he was not brave; This * These verses are somewhat too fevere on the extraordinary person who is the chief figure in them, for he was undoubtedly brave. His pleasantry during his folemn trial (in which, by the 1747. This year his old pupil and friend, David Garrick, having become joint Etat. 38. patentee and manager of Drury-lane theatre, Johnson honoured his opening of it with a Prologue,* which for just and manly dramatick criticism, on the whole range of the English ftage, as well as for poetical excellence, is unrivalled. Like the celebrated Epilogue to the " Diftreffed Mother," it was, during the season, often called for by the audience. The most striking and brilliant paffages of it have been fo often repeated, and are fo well recollected by all the lovers of the drama and of poetry, that it would be fuperfluous to point them out. In the Gentleman's Magazine for December this year, he inserted an "Ode on Winter," which is, I think, an admirable specimen of his genius. for lyrick poetry. But the year 1747 is distinguished as the epoch, when Johnson's arduous and important work, his DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, Was announced to the world, by the publication of its Plan or Profpectus. How long this immenfe undertaking had been the object of his contemplation, I do not know. I once asked him by what means he had attained to that astonishing knowledge of our language, by which he was enabled to realife a defign of fuch extent, and accumulated difficulty. He told me, that "it was not the effect of particular study; but that it had grown up in his mind infenfibly." I have been informed by Mr. James Dodfley, that several years before this period, when Johnson was one day fitting in his brother Robert's fhop, he heard his brother fuggest to him, that a Dictionary of the English Language would be a work that would be well received by the publick; that Johnson seemed at first to catch at the propofition, but, after a pause, said, in his abrupt decifive manner, "I believe I fhall not undertake it." That he, however, had bestowed much thought upon the fubject, before he published his "Plan," is evident from the enlarged, clear, and accurate views which it exhibits; and we find him mentioning in that tract, that many of the writers whofe teftimonies were to be produced as authorities, were felected by Pope, which proves that he had been furnished, probably by Mr. Robert Dodsley, with whatever hints that eminent poet had contributed way, I have heard Mr. David Hume observe, that we have one of the very few speeches of Mr. Murray, now Earl of Mansfield, authentically given) was very remarkable. When asked if he had any questions to put to Sir Everard Fawkener, who was one of the strongest witnesses against him, he answered, " I only wish him joy of his young wife." And after fentence of death in the horrible terms in cafes of treafon was pronounced upon him, and he was retiring from the bar, he faid, "Fare you well, my Lords, we shall not all meet again in one place." He behaved with perfect compofure at his execution, and called out " Dulce et decorum eft pro patriâ mori.” towards towards a great literary project, that had been the fubject of important confideration in a former reign. The bookfellers who contracted with Johnson, single and unaided, for the execution of a work, which in other countries has not been effected but by the co-operating exertions of many, were Mr. Robert Dodfley, Mr. Charles Hitch, Mr. Andrew Millar, the two Meffieurs Longman, and the two Meffieurs Knapton. The price ftipulated was fifteen hundred and seventy-five pounds. The "Plan" was addreffed to Philip Dormer, Earl of Chesterfield, then one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, a nobleman who was very ambitious of literary distinction, and who, upon being informed of the design, had expreffed himself in terms very favourable to its fuccefs. There is, perhaps, in every thing of any confequence, a fecret hiftory which it would be amusing to know, could we have it authentically communicated. Johnson told me, "Sir, the way in which the Plan of my Dictionary came to be inscribed to Lord Chesterfield, was this: I had neglected to write it by the time appointed. Dodfley fuggefted a defire to have it addreffed to Lord Chesterfield. I laid hold of this as a pretext for delay, that it might be better done, and let Dodsley have his defire. I faid to my friend Dr. Bathurst, Now if any good comes of my addreffing to Lord Chesterfield, it will be afcribed to deep policy, when, in fact, it was only a casual excuse for lazinefs." It is worthy of obfervation, that the "Plan" has not only the fubftantial merit of comprehenfion, perfpicuity, and precision, but that the language of it is unexceptionably excellent, it being altogether free from that inflation of style, and those uncommon but apt and energetick words, which in fome of his writings have been cenfured with more petulance than justice; and never was there a more dignified strain of compliment, than that in which he courts the attention of one whom he had been perfuaded to believe would be a respectable patron. "With regard to queftions of purity or propriety, (fays he) I was once in doubt whether I fhould not attribute to myfelf too much in attempting to decide them, and whether my province was to extend beyond the propofition of the question, and the difplay of the fuffrages on each fide; but I have been fince determined by your Lordship's opinion, to interpofe my own judgement, and fhall therefore endeavour to fupport what appears to me moft confonant to 3 September 22, 1777, going from Ashbourne in Derbyshire, to fee Iflam. 1747. Ætat. 38. 1747. grammar and reafon. Aufonius thought that modefty forbade him to plead Etat. 38. inability for a talk to which Cæfar had judged him equal: • Cur me poffe negem poffe quod ille putat ?' And I may hope, my Lord, that fince you, whose authority in our language is fo generally acknowledged, have commiffioned me to declare my own opinion, I shall be confidered as exercifing a kind of vicarious jurisdiction, and that the power which might have been denied to my own claim, will be readily allowed me as the delegate of your Lordship." This paffage proves, that Johnson's addreffing his "Plan" to Lord Chefterfield was not merely in confequence of the refult of a report by means of Dodfley, that the Earl favoured the defign; but that there had been a particular communication with his Lordfhip concerning it. Dr. Taylor told me, that Johnson fent his "Plan" to him in manuscript, for his perufal; and that when it was lying upon his table, Mr. William Whitehead happened to pay him a visit, and being fhewn it, was highly pleased with fuch parts of it as he had time to read, and begged to take it home with him, which he was allowed to do; that from him it got into the hands of a noble Lord, who carried it to Lord Chesterfield. When Taylor obferved this might be an advantage, Johnfon replied, "No, Sir; it would have come out with more bloom, if it had not been seen before by any body." The opinion conceived of it by another noble authour, appears from the following extract of a letter from the Earl of Orrery to Dr. Birch: "Caledon, Dec. 30, 1747. "I HAVE just now feen the fpecimen of Mr. Johnson's Dictionary, addreffed to Lord Chesterfield. I am much pleased with the plan, and I think the fpecimen is one of the best that I have ever read. Moft fpecimens disgust, rather than prejudice us in favour of the work to follow; but the language of Mr. Johnson's is good, and the arguments are properly and modeftly expressed. However, fome expreffions may be cavilled at, but they are trifles. I'll mention one. The barren Laurel. The laurel is not barren, in any sense whatever; it bears fruits and flowers. and I have great expectations from the performance 4." Sed hæ funt nuga,. That he was fully aware of the arduous nature of the undertaking, he acknowledges, and shews himself perfectly fenfible of it in the conclufion of his |