folicitations in his favour. I propose, if my calculation be near the truth, to engage for the reimbursement of all that you fhall lofe by an impreffion of 500, provided, as you very generously propofe, that the profit, if any, be set aside for the author's ufe, excepting the present you made, which, if he be a gainer, it is fit he should repay. I beg that you will let one of your fervants write an exact account of the expence of fuch an impreffion, and send it with the poem, that I may know what I engage for. I am very fenfible, from your generosity on this occafion, of your regard to learning, even in its unhappiest state, and cannot but think fuch à temper deferving of the gratitude of those who fuffer so often from a contrary difpofition. I WAITED on you to take the copy to Dodfley's: as I remember the number of lines which it contains, it This letter must have been written in April 1738, as appears from an accidental memorandum on the back of it, and from the epigram to Eliza [Mifs Carter,] which was printed in that month's Gentleman's Magazine, p. 210, both in Greek and Latin. The three folJowing letters were alfo written in 1738. N. will will be longer than Eugenio*, with the quotations, which must be fubjoined at the bottom of the page, part of the beauty of the performance (if any beauty be allowed it) confifting in adapting Juvenal's fentiments to modern facts and perfons. It will, with thofe additions, very conveniently make five fheets. And fince the expence will be no more, I fhall contentedly infure it, as I mentioned in my laft. If it be not therefore gone to Dodfley's, I beg it may be sent me by the penny-post, that I may have it in the evening. I have compofed a Greek Epigram to Eliza, and think fhe ought to be celebrated in as many different languages as Lewis le Eugenio, a Virtuous and Happy Life, infcribed to Mr. Pope,” published by Dodsley in April 1737. The author of this poem, a work by no means deftitute of public fpirit, and which had had the advantage of being corrected by Dean Swift (see the Supplement to his Works, vol. II. fm. 8vo. p. 459.) was Mr. Beach, a wine-merchantat Wrexham, in Denbighshire, a man of learning, of great humanity, of an easy fortune, and much respected. He is faid by fome to have entertained very blameable notions in religion; but this appears rather to be conjecture than a well-established fact. It is certain he was at times grievously afflicted with a terrible diforder in his head, to which his friends afcribed his melancholy exit. On the 17th of May, 1737, in less than a month after the publication of his poem, he cut his throat with fuch fhocking refolution, that it was reported his head was almost fevered from his body. This fhocking catastrophe is thus mentioned by Abp. Herring (then Bp. of Bangor,) in one of his Letters to Mr. Duncombe, p. 54. "The verses you fent me are very sensible and touching and the fentiments in them, I doubt not, exhilarated the blood for fome time, and fufpended the black execution; but his diftemper, it may be faid, got the better, and carried him off at laft. I would willingly put the beft conftruction upon thefe melancholy accidents, and thus leave the fufferers to the Father of Mercies." And an Epilogue to Cato, for the Scholars at Wrexham, 1735," fhews how much better Mr. Beach could think than act. N. Grand. Grand. Pray fend me word when you will begin upon the Poem, for it is a long way to walk. I would leave my Epigram, but have not day-light to tranfcribe it. I AM extremely obliged by your kind letter, and will not fail to attend you to-morrow with Irene, who looks upon you as one of her best friends. I was to day with Mr. Dodfley, who declares very warmly in favour of the paper you fent him, which he defires to have a fhare in, it being, as he fays, a creditable thing to be concerned in. I knew not what answer to make till I had confulted you, nor what to demand on the Author's part, but am very willing that, if you please, he should have a part in it, as he will undoubtedly be more diligent to difperfe and promote it. If you can send me word to-morrow what I fhall fay to him, I will settle matters, and bring the Poem with me for the prefs, which, as the town empties, we cannot be too quick with. I am, SIR, yours, &c. SAM. JOHNSON. He lived at that time in Caftle-ftreet, Cavendish-fquare. N. LETTER VII. SIR, To MR. CAVE. Wednesday, I DID not care to detain your fervant while I wrote an answer to your letter, in which you seem to infinuate that I had promised more than I am ready to perform. If I have raifed your expectations by any thing that may have escaped my memory, I am forry; and if you remind me of it, fhall thank you for the favour. If I made fewer alterations than ufual in the Debates*, it was only because there appeared, and still appears to be, lefs need of alteration. The verfes to Lady Firebrace may be had when you please, for you know that fuch a fubject neither deserves much thought, nor requires it. [To Lady FIREBRACE, at Bury Affizes †. For fuch thy beauteous mind and lovely face, Thou feem'ft at once, bright Nymph, a Muse and Grace.] Thofe in the Senate of Liliput. N. This lady was Bridget 3d daughter of Philip Bacon, Efq; of Ipfwich, and reli&t of Philip Evers, Efq; of that town. She became the fecond wife of Sir Cordell Firebrace, the laft baronet of that name (to whom she brought a fortune of 25,000l.) July 26, 1737. Being again left a widow in 1759, fhe was a third time married, April 7, 1762, to William Campbell, Efq; uncle to the prefent. Duke of Argyle; and died July 3, 1782. N. The * The Chinese Stories may be had folded down when you please to fend, in which I do not recollect that you defired any alterations to be made. An answer to another query I am very willing to write, and had confulted with you about it laft night if there had been time; for I think it the most proper way of inviting fuch a correfpondence as may be an advantage to the paper, not a load upon it. As to the Prize Verses, a backwardness to determine their degrees of merit is not peculiar to me. You may, if you please, ftill have what I can fay; but I fhall engage with little fpirit in an affair, which I fhall hardly end to my own fatisfaction, and certainly not to the fatisfaction of the parties concerned †. As to Father Paul, I have not yet been just to my Propofal, but have met with impediments, which, I hope, *Du Halde's Defcription of China was then publishing by Mr. Cave in weekly numbers, whence Johnson was to felect pieces for the embellishment of the Magazine. See a letter of his, figned Eubulus, Gent. Mag. vol. VIII. p. 365. N. + The premium of 401. proposed for the beft poem on the Divine Attributes is here alluded to. A former prize of 50l. had been determined in 1736 by three judges (we know not whether Johnson was one,) whofe decifions were delivered to the public by Dr. Birch. See Gent. Mag. vol. V. p. 726, and vol. VI. p. 59. Dr. Mortimer, Sec. R. S. was affociated with Dr. Birch in declaring the decifion. N. The following Advertisement from "The Weekly Mifcellany, “Oct. 21, 1738," may now be confidered as a curiofity. "Juft published, Propofals for printing the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, tranflated from the Italian of Father Paul Sarpi; with the Author's Life, and Notes Theological, Hiftorical, and Critical, from the French Kk 2 |