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which not only nothing can fill up, but which nothing has a tendency to fill up.--Johnson is dead.--Let us go to the next best.—There is nobody.-No man can be said to put you in mind of Johnson.”

As Johnson had abundant homage paid to him during his life?, so no writer in this nation ever had such an accumulation of literary honours after his death. A sermon upon that event was preached in St. Mary's church, Oxford, before the University, by the Reverend Mr. Agutter, of Magdalen College. The Lives, the Memoirs, the Esays, both in profe and verse,

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? Besides the Dedications to him by Dr. Goldsmith, the Reverend Dr. Franklin, and the Reverend Mr. Wilson, which I have mentioned according to their dates, there was one by a lady, of a versification of “ Aningait and Ajut,” and one by the ingenious Mr. Walker, of his a

, « Rhetorical Grammar." I have introduced into this work several compliments paid to him in the writings of his contemporaries ; but the number of them is fo great, that we may fairly say that there was almost a general tribute.

Let me not be forgetful of the honour done to him by Colonel Myddelton, of Gwaynynog, near Denbigh; who, on the banks of a rivulet in his Park, where Johnson delighted to stand and repeat verses, erected an urn with the following inscription :

“ This fpot was often dignified by the presence of

“ SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D.
“ Whose moral writings, exactly conformable to the precepts of Christianity,

" Give ardour to Virtue and confidence to Truth.”
As no inconsiderable circumstance of his fame, we must reckon the extraordinary zeal of the
artists to extend and perpetuate his image. I can enumerate a bust by Mr. Nollekens, and the many
casts which are made from it; several pictures by Sir Joshua Reynolds; one by Mr. Zoffani; and
one by Mr. Opie; and the following engravings of his portrait: 1. One by Cooke, from Sir Joshua,
for the Proprietors' edition of his folio Dictionary.-2. One from ditto by ditto, for their quarto

-2 edition.-3. One from Opie, by Heath, for Harrison's edition of his Dictionary.-4. One from Nollekens's bust of him, by Bartolozzi, for Fielding's quarto edition of his Dictionary.-5. One small from Harding, by Trotter, for his “ Beauties.”—6. One small from Sir Joshua, by Trotter, for his “ Lives of the Poets."—7. One small one froin Sir Joshua, by Hall, for “ The Rambler.”—8. One small from an original drawing in the possession of Mr. John Simco, etched by Trotter, for another edition of his “ Lives of the Poets.”—9. One small, no painter's name, etched by 'Taylor, for his Johnsoniana.-10. One folio whole length, with his oak stick, as described in Boswell's Tour," drawn and etched by 'Trotter.-11. One large mezzotinto from Sir Joshua, by Doughty.-12. One large Roman head from Sir Joshua, by Marchi.-13. One octavo, holding a book to his eye, from Sir Joshua, by Hall, for his works.-14. One small from a drawing from the life, and engraved by Trotter, for his Lifę published by Kearsley.15. One large from Opie, by Mr. Townley, an ingenious engraver now at Berlin. This is one of the fireit mezzotintos that ever was executed; and what renders it of extraordinary value, the plate was destroyed after four or five impressions only were taken of. One of them is in the possession of Sir William Scott.-16. One large from Sir Joshua's first picture of him, by Heath, for this work.–17. And one for Lavater's Efay on Physiognomy, in which Johnson's countepance is analysed upon the principles of that fanciful writer.

which have been published concerning him, would make many volumes. The numerous attacks too upon him, I consider as making part of his consequence, upon the principle which he himself so well knew and asserted. Many who trembled at his presence were forward in affault when they no longer apprehended danger. When one of his little pragmatical foes was invidiously farling at his fame, the Reverend Dr. Parr exclaimed, with his usual bold animation, “Aye, now that the old lion is dead, every ass thinks he may kick at him.”

A monument for him in Westminster-Abbey was resolved upon soon after his death, and has been supported by a most respectable contribution; and in the cathedral of his native city of Lichfield a linaller one is to be erected. To compose his epitaph has excited the warmest competition of genius. If laudari à laudato viro be praise which is highly estimable, I should not forgive myself were I to omit the following sepulchral verses on the authour of The English DictionARY, written by the Right Honourable Henry Flood:

• No need of Latin or of Greek to grace

« Our Johnson's mem’ry, and inscribe his grave; “ His native language claims this mournful space,

“ To pay the Immortality he gave.”

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The character of Samuel Johnson has, I trust, been so developed in the course of this work, that they who have honoured it with a perusal, may

be considered as well acquainted with him. As, however, it may be expected that I should collect into one view the capital and distinguishing features of this extraordinary man, I shall endeavour to acquit myself of that part biographical undertaking, however difficult it may be to do that which many of my readers will do better for themselves.

His figure was large and well formed, and his countenance of the cast of an ancient statue ; yet his appearance was rendered strange and somewhat uncouth, by convulsive cramps, by the scars of that distemper which it was once imagined the royal touch could cure, and by a Novenly mode of dress. He had the use only of one eye; yet so much does mind govern and even supply the deficiency of organs, that his visual perceptions, as far as they

• As I certainly do not see any reason to give a different character of my illustrious friend now, from what I formerly gave, the greatest part of the sketch of him in my “ Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides,” is here adopted, 3

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extended, were uncommonly quick and accurate. So morbid was his tem. perament, that he never knew the natural joy of a free and vigorous use of his limbs: when he walked, it was like the struggling gait of one in fetters; when he rode, he had no command or direction of his horse, but was carried as if in a balloon. That with his constitution and habits of life he should have lived seventy-five years, is a proof that an inherent vivida vis is à powerful preservative of the human frame.

Man is in general made up of contradi&tory qualities, and thefe will ever shew themselves in strange succession, where a consistency în appearance at least, if not in reality, has not been attained by long habits of philosophical discipline. In proportion to the native vigour of the mind, the contradictory qualities will be the more prominent, and more difficult to be adjusted; and therefore we are not to wonder, that Johnson exhibited an eminent example of this remark which I have made upon human nature. At different times he seemed a different man, in some respects ; not, however, in any great or essential article, upon which he had fully employed his mind and settled certain principles of duty, but only in his manners, and in displays of argument and fancy in his talk. He was prone to superstition, but not to credulity. Though his imagination might incline him to a belief of the marvellous and the mysterious, his vigorous reason examined the evidence with jealousy. He was a sincere and zealous Christian, of high Church-of-England and monarchical principles, which he would not tamely suffer to be questioned ; and had perhaps, at an early period, narrowed his mind somewhat too much, both as to religion and politicks. His being impressed with the danger of extreme latitude in either, though he was of a very independent spirit, occasioned his appearing somewhat unfavourable to the prevalence of that noble freedom of sentiment which is the best possession of man. Nor can it be denied, that he had many prejudices; which, however, frequently fuggested. many of his pointed sayings, that rather shew a playfulness of fancy than any settled malignity. He was fteady and inflexible in maintaining the obligations of religion and morality, both from a regard for the order of society, and from a veneration for the Great Source of all order ; correct, nay stern in his taste; hard to please, and easily offended'; impetuous and irritable in his temper, but of a moft humane and benevolent heart, which shewed itself not only

. In the Olla Podrida, a collection of Effays published at Oxford, there is an excellent paper upon the character of Johnson, said to be written by the Reverend Dr. Horne, now Bishop of Norwich. The following passage is eminently happy:- To reject wisdom, because the person of him who communicates it is uncouth, and his manners are inelegant ;

-what is it, but to throw away a pine-apple, and asign for a reason the roughness of its coat?"

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in a most liberal charity, as far as his circumstances would allow, but in a thousand instances of active benevolence. He was asicted with a bodily disease which made him restless and fretful, and with a constitutional melancholy, the clouds of which darkened the brightness of his fancy, and gave a gloomy cast to his whole course of thinking: we therefore ought not to wonder at his fallies of impatience and passion at any time, especially when provoked by obtrusive ignorance or presuming petulance; and allowance must be made for his uttering hasty and satirical fallies, even against his best friends. And surely, when it is considered that “ amidst sickness and sorrow" he exerted his faculties in so many works for the benefit of mankind, and particularly that he achieved the great and admirable Dictionary of our language, we must be astonished at his resolution. The solemn text of " him to whom much is given, much will be required,” seems to have been ever present to his mind in a rigorous sense, and to have made him dissatisfied with his labours and acts of goodness, however comparatively great; so that the unavoidable consciousness of his superiority was in that respect a cause of difquiet. He suffered so much from this, and from the gloom which perpetually haunted him, and made folitude frightful, that it may be said of him, “ If in this life only he had hope, he was of all men most miserable.”

He loved praise when it was brought to him; but was too proud to seek for it. He was somewhat susceptible of Mattery. As he was general and unconfined in his studies, he cannot be considered as master of any one particular science; but he had accumulated a vast and various collection of learning and knowledge, which was so arranged in his mind, as to be ever in readiness to be brought forth. But his superiority over other learned men consisted chiefly in what may be called the art of thinking, the art of using his mind; a certain continual power of seizing the useful substance of all that he knew, and exhibiting it in a clear and forcible manner; so that knowledge which we often fee to be no better than lumber in men of dull understanding, was in him true, evident, and actual wisdom. His moral precepts are practical; for they are drawn from an intimate acquaintance with human nature. His maxims carry conviction ; for they are founded on the basis of common sense. His mind was so full of imagery, that he might have been perpetualy

. a poet; yet it is remarkable, that however rich his prose is in that respect, the poetical pieces which he wrote were in general not so, but rather strong fentiment and acute observation, conveyed in good verfe, particularly in heroick couplets. Though usually grave and even aweful in his deportment, he possessed uncommon and peculiar powers of wit and humour; he frequently

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induiged himself in colloquial pleasantry; and the heartiest merriment was often enjoyed in his company; with this great advantage, that as it was entirely free from any poisonous tincture of vice or impiety, it was falutary to those who shared in it. He had accustomed himself to such accuracy in his common conversation', that he at all times delivered hirmself with a force, and elegant choice of expression, the effect of which was aided by his having a loud voice, and a now deliberate utterance. He united a most logical head with a most fertile imagination, which gave him an extraordinary advantage in arguing; for he could reason close or wide, as he saw best for the moment. Exulting in his intellectual strength and dexterity, he could, when he pleased, be the greatest fophift that ever contended in the lists of declamation ; and from a spirit

and from a spirit of contradiction, and a delight in fhewing his powers, he would often maintain the wrong side with equal warmth and

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• Though a perfect resemblance of Johnson is not to be found in any age, parts of his character are admirably expressed by Clarendon, in drawing that of Lord Falkland, whom the noble and masterly historian describes at his seat near Oxford :-" Such an immenseness of wit, such a folidity of judgement, so infinite a fancy, bound in by a moft logical ratiocination. His acquaintance was cultivated by the most polite and accurate men, so that his house was a University in less volume, whither they came not so much for repose as study, and to examine and refine those grosser propositions, which laziness and consent made current in conversation.”

Bayle's account of Menage may also be quoted as exceedingly applicable to the great subject of this work. - His illustrious friends erected a very glorious monument to him in the collectiɔn entitled Menagiana. Those, who judge of things aright, will confess that this collection is very proper to shew the extent of genius and learning which was the character of Menage. And I may be bold to say, that the excellent works be published will not diftinguish him from other learned men fo advantageously as this. To publish books of great learning, to make Greek and Latin verses exceedingly well turned, is not a common talent, I own; neither is it extremely rare.

It is incomparably more difficult to find men who can furnish discourse about an infinite number of things, and who can diversify them an hundred ways. How many authours are there,

. who are admired for their works, on account of the vast learning that is displayed in them, who are not able to sustain a conversation. Those, who know Menage only by his books, might think he resembled those learned men : but if you shew the MENAGIANA, you distinguish him from them, and make him known by a talent which is given to very few learned men. 'There it appears that he was a man who spoke off hand a thousand good things. His memory extended to what was ancient and modern; to the court and to the city ; to the dead and to the living languages; to things serious and things jocose; in a word, to a thousand forts of subjects. That which appeared a trifle to some readers of the Menagiana, who did not consider circumstances, caused admiration in other readers, who minded the difference between what a man speaks without preparation, and that which he prepares for the press. And therefore we carnot sufficiently commend the care which his illustrious friends took to erect to him a monument so capable of giving him immortal glory. They were not obliged to rectify what they had heard him say ; for in so doing they had not been faithful historians of his conversations." VOL. II. 4 F

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