such a legacy left, his not being able to obtain payment of it, must be imputed to his consciousness that he was not the real person. The just inference should be, that, by the death of Lady Macclesfield's child before its godmother, the legacy became lapsed, and therefore that Johnson's Richard Savage was an impostor. If he had a title to the legacy, he could not have found any difficulty in recovering it; for had the executors resisted his claim, the whole costs, as well as the legacy, must have been paid by them, if he had been the child to whom it was given. The talents of Savage, and the mingled fire, rudeness, pride, meanness, and ferocity of his character, concur in making it credible that he was fit to plan and carry on an ambitious and daring scheme of imposture, similar instances of which have not been wanting in higher spheres, in the history of different countries, and have had a considerable degree of success. Yet, on the other hand, to the companion of Johnson, (who, through whatever medium he was conveyed into this world, be it ever so doubtful To whom related, or by whom begot," was, unquestionably, a man of no common endowments,) we must allow the weight of general repute as to his Status or parentage, though illicit; and supposing him to be an impostor, it seems strange that Lord Tyrconnel, the nephew of Lady Macclesfield, should patronise him, and even admit him as a guest in his family. Lastly, it must ever appear very suspicious, that three different accounts of the Life of Richard Savage, one published in "The Plain Johnson's companion appears to have persuaded that lofty-minded man, that he resembled him in having a noble pride: for Johnson, after painting in strong colours the quarrel between Lord Tyrconnel and Savage, asserts that "the spirit of Mr. Savage, indeed, never suffered him to solicit a reconciliation: he returned reproach for reproach, and insult for insult." But the respectable gentleman to whom I have alluded, has in his possession a letter from Savage, after Lord Tyrconnel had discarded him, addressed to the Reverend Mr. Gilbert, his Lordship's Chaplain, in which he requests him, in the humblest manier, to represent his case to the Viscount. Trusting to Savage's information, Johnson represents this unhappy man's being received as a companion by Lord Tyrconnel, and pensioned by his Lordship, as pos terior to Savage's conviction and pardon. But I'am assured, that Savage had received the voluntary bounty of Lord Tyrconnel, and had been dismissed by him long before the murder was committed, and that his Lordship was very instrumental in procuring Savage's pardon, by his intercession with the Queen, through Lady Hertford. If, therefore, he had been desirous of preventing the publication by Savage, he would have left him to his fate. Indeed I inust observe, that although Johnson mentions that Lord Tyrconnel's patronage of Savage was upon his promise to lay aside his design of exposing the cruelty of his mother," the great biographer has forgotten that he himself has mentioned, that Savage's story had been told several years before in "The Plain Dealer:" from which he quotes this strong saying of the generous Sir Richard Steele, that the inhumanity of his mother had given him a right to find every good man his father." At the same time it must be acknowledged, that the Lady Macclesfield and her relatious might still wish that her story should not be brought into more conspicuous notice by the satirical pen of Savage. Dealer," in 1724, another in 1727, and another by the powerful pen of Johnson, in 1744, and all of them while Lady Ma clesfield was alive, should, notwithstanding the severe attacks upon her, have been suffered to pass without any public and effectual contradiction. I have thus endeavoured to sum up the evidence upon the case, as fairly as I can and the result seems to be, that the world must vibrate in a state of uncertainty & to what was the truth. This digression, I trust, will not be c sured, as it relates to a matter exceeding curious, and very intimately connected with Johnson, both as a man and an author. He this year wrote the "Preface to the Harleian Miscellany."[*] The selection the pamphlets of which it was composed was made by Mr. Oldys, a man of eager curiosity, and indefatigible diligence, whe first exerted that spirit of inquiry into the literature of the old English writers, by which the works of our great dramatic poet have of late been so signally illustrated In 1745 he published a pamphlet entitled, "Miscellaneous Observations on the Th gedy of Macbeth, with remarks on Sir H.'s (Sir Thomas Hanmer's) Editia af Shakspeare."[*] To which he affixed posals for a new edition of that poet. As we do not trace any thing else published by him during the course of this year, may conjecture that he was occupied entirely with that work. But the little encourage ment which was given by the public to his anonymous proposals for the execution of a task which Warburton was known to have undertaken, probably damped his ardour. His pamphlet, however, was highly es teemed, and was fortunate enough to obtain the approbation even of the supercilious Warburton himself, who, in the Preface to his Shakspeare published two years afterwards, thus mentioned it: "As to all those things which have been published under the titles of Essays, Remarks, Observations, &c. on Shakspeare, if you except some Critical Notes on Macbeth, given as a specimen of a projected edition, and written, as appears, by a man of parts and genius, the rest are absolutely below a serious notice." Of this flattering distinction shewn to him Miss Mason, after having forfeited the title of Lady Macclesfield by divorce, was married to Colonel Brett. and, it is said, was well known in all the polite circles Colley Cibber, I am informed, had so high an opinion of her taste and judgement as to genteel life and man ners, that he submitted every scene of his "Careles Husband" to Mrs. Brett's revisal and correction. Colo nel Brett was reported to be too free in his gallantry with his Lady's maid. Mrs. Brett came into a room one day in her own house, and found the Colonel and her maid both fast asleep in two chairs. She tied a white handkerchief round her husband's neck, which was sufficient proof that she had discovered his intrigue but she never at any time took notice of it to him. This incident, as I am told, gave occasion to the well-wrought scene of Str Charles and Lady Easy and Edging. 盘 by Warburton, a very grateful remembrance | but as "The Winter's Walk" has never was ever entertained by Johnson, who said, “He praised me at a time when praise was of value to me." In 1746, it is probable that he was still employed upon his Shakspeare, which perhaps he laid aside for a time, upon account of the high expectations which were formed of 1. Warburton's edition of that great poet. It is somewhat curious, that his literary career appears to have been almost totally suspended in the years 1745 and 1746, those years st which were marked by a civil war in Great Britain, when a rash attempt was made to restore the House of Stuart to the throne. That he had a tenderness for that unfortunate House, is well known; and some may fancifully imagine, that a sympathetic anxiety impeded the exertion of his intellectual powers: but I am inclined to think, that he was, during this time, sketching the outlines of his great philological work. None of his letters during those years are extant, so far as I can discover. This is much to be regretted. It might afford some entertainment to see how he then expressed himself to his private friends concerning · been controverted to be his, and all of them "Unhappy, whom to beds of pain there is the following note, "The author "Her teeth the night with darkness dies, And can with thunder roar." State affairs. Dr. Adams informs me, that "at this time a favourite object which he had in contemplation was The Life of Alfred; in which, from the warmth with which he spoke about it, he would, I be-But as at a very advanced age he could conlieve, had he been master of his own will, descend to trifle in namby-pamby rhymes, to have engaged himself, rather than on any please Mrs. Thrale, and her daughter, he other subject." may have, in his earlier years, composed such a piecę as this. In 1747, it is supposed that the Gentleman's Magazine for May was enriched by him with five short poetical pieces, distinguished by three asterisks. The first is a translation, or rather a paraphrase, of a Latin Epitaph on Sir Thomas Hanmer. Whether the Latin was his, or not, I have never heard, though I should think it probably was, if it be certain that he wrote the English; as to which, my only cause of doubt is, that his slighting character of Hanmer as an editor, in his "Observations on Macbeth," is very different from that in the Epitaph. It may be said, that there is the same contrariety between the character in the Observations, and that in his own Preface to Shakspeare; but a considerable time elapsed between the one publication and the other, whereas the Observations and the Epitaph came close together. The others are, "To Miss- on her giving the Author a gold and silk 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; [In the UNIVERSAL VISITER, to which Johnson contributed, the mark, which is affixed to some pieces unquestionably his, is also found subjoined to others, of which he certainly was not the author. The mark therefore will not ascertain the poems in question to have of The Winter's Walk," the concluding to her arms," he says, "And shield me from the ills of life." Whereas in the first edition it is "And hide me from the sight of life." A horror at life in general is more consonant with Johnson's habitual gloomy cast of thought. I have heard him repeat with great ener gy the following verses, 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 critics of our age suggests to me, that "the word indifferently being used in the sense of without concern, and being also very unpoetical, renders it improbable that they should have been his composition." been written by him. Some of them were probably the productions of Hawkesworth, who, it is believed, was. afflicted with the gout. The verses on a Purse were inserted afterwards in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies, and are, unquestionably, Johnson's. M.] "On Lord LOVAT'S Execution. but that it had grown up in his mind insersi This year his old pupil and friend, David Garrick, having become joint patentee and manager of Drury-lane theatre, Johnson honoured his opening of it with a Prologue,[*] which for just and manly dramatic criticism on the whole range of the English stage, as well as for poetical excellence,+ is unrivalled. Like the celebrated Epilogue to the "Distressed Mother," it was, during the season, often called for by the audience. The most striking and brilliant passages of it have been so often repeated, and are so well recol lected by all the lovers of the drama, and of poetry, that it would be superfluous to point Johnson, single and unaided, for the exe The booksellers, who contracted with them out. In the Gentleman's Magazine tion of a work, which in other countri for December this year, he inserted an "Ode on Winter," which is, I think, an ad- exertions of many, were Mr. Robert not been effected but by the co-operating mirable specimen of his genius for lyric poe-ley, Mr. Charles Hitch, Mr. Andrew M try. But the year 1747 is distinguished as the lar, the two Messieurs Longman, and the epoch, when Johnson's arduous and impor-lated was £1575. two Messieurs Knapton. The price stipetant work, his DICTIONARY OF THE ENG spectus. LISH LANGUAGE, was announced to the Earl of Chesterfield, then one of his Majes The plan was addressed to Philip Dormer. world, by the publication of its Plan or Pro-ty's Principal Secretaries of State; a nobleof man who was very ambitious of literary dis. the design, had expressed himself in terms perhaps in every thing of any consequence very favourable to its success. There is, a secret history which it would be amusing municated. Johnson told me,+ to know, could we have it authentically com Sir, the How long this immense 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 realise a design of such extent and accumulated difficulty. He told me, that "it was not the effect of particular study; way 66 in which the plan of my Dictionary I came to be inscribed to Lord Chesterfield, was this: I had neglected to write it by the ordinary person who is the chief figure in them; for he time appointed. Dodsley suggested a desir These verses are somewhat too severe on the extra was undoubtedly brave. His pleasantry during his solemn trial (in which, by the 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 sentence of death, in the horrible terms in such cases of treason, was pronounced upon him, and he was retiring from the bar, he said, Fare you well, my Lords, we shall not all meet again in one place." He behaved with perfect composure at his execution, and called out, "Dulce et decorum est pro patrid mori." + My friend Mr. Courtenay, whose eulogy on Johnson's Latin Poetry has been inserted in this Work, is no less happy in praising his English Poetry. But hark, he sings! the strain e'en Pope admires; was to have it addressed to Lord Chesterfield. but apt and energetic words, which in some of his writings have been censured, 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 who, he had been persuaded to believe, would be a respectable patron. "With regard to question of purity or propriety, (says he) I was once in doubt whether I should not attribute to myself too much in attempting to decide them, and whether my province was to extend beyond the proposition of the question, and the display of the suffrages on each side; but I have been since determined by your Lordship's opinion, to interpose my own judgement, and shall therefore endeavour to support what appears to be most consonant to grammar and reason. Ausonius thought that modesty forbade him to plead inability for a task to which Cæsar had judged him equal: Cur me posse negem, posse quod ille putat ?* And I may hope, my Lord, that since you, whose authority in our language is so generally acknowledged, have commissioned me to declare my own opinion, I shall be considered as exercising 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." guage of Mr. Johnson's is good, and the arguments are properly and modestly expressed. However, some expressions may be cavilled at, but they are trifles. mention one: the barren Laurel. The laurel is not barren, in any sense whatever; it bears fruits and flowers. Sed hæ sunt nuga, and I have great expectations from the performance." That he was fully aware of the arduous nature of the undertaking, he acknowledges; and shews himself perfectly sensible of it in the conclusion of liis "Plan;" but he had a noble consciousness of his own abilities, which enabled him to go on with undaunted spirit. Dr. Adams found him one day busy at his Dictionary, when the following dialogue ensued. "ADAMS: This is a great work, Sir. How are you get all the etymologies? JOHNSON Why, Sir, here is a shelf with Junius, and Skinner, and others; and there collection of Welch proverbs, who will help is a Welch gentleman who has published a Ime with the Welch. ADAMS: But, Sir, how can you do this in three years? JOHNin three years. ADAMS: But the French SON: Sir, I have no doubt that I can do it Academy, which consists of forty members, JOHNSON: Sir, thus it is. This is the protook forty years to compile their Dictionary, portion. Let me see; forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hun dred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman." With so much ease and pleasantry could he talk of that prodigious labour which he had undertaken to execute. The public has had from another pen,‡ a long detail of what had been done in this country by prior Lexicographers; and no doubt Johnson was wise to avail himself of This passage proves, that Johnson's adTs dressing his Plan" to Lord Chesterfield was not merely in consequence of the result of a report by means of Dodsley, that the Earl favoured the design; but that there had been a particular communication with his Lordship concerning it, Dr. Taylor told me, that Johnson sent his " Plan" to him in manuscript, for his perusal; and that when it was lying upon his table, Mr. Wil-them, so far as they went: but the learned, liam Whitehead happened to pay him a visit, and being shewn it, was highly pleased with such 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 observed this might be an advantage, Johnson 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 author, appears from the following extract of a letter from the Earl of Orrery to Dr. Birch: "Caledon, Dec. 30, 1747. "I have just now seen the specimen of Mr. Johnson's Dictionary, addressed to Lord Chesterfield. I am much pleased with the plan, and I think the specimen is one of the best that I have ever read. Most specimens disgust, rather than prejudice us in favour of the work to follow; but the lan • Ausonius Theodosio Augusto, v. 12. yet judicious research of etymology, the various, yet accurate display of definition, and the rich collection of authorities, were reserved for the superior mind of our great philologist. For the mechanical part he and let it be remembered by the natives of employed, as he told me, six amanuenses; North Britain, to whom he is supposed to have been so hostile, that five of them were of that country. There were two Messieurs Macbean; Mr. Shiels, who we shall hereafter see partly wrote the Lives of the Poets, to which the name of Cibber is affixed;§ Mr. Stewart, son of Mr. George Stewart, bookseller at Edinburgh; and a Mr. Maitland. The sixth of these humble assistants was Mr. Peyton, who, I believe taught French, and published some elementary tracts. shewed a never-ceasing kindness, so far as To all these painful labourers, Johnson † Birch MSS. Brit. Mus. 4303. See Sir John Hawkins's Life of Johnson. they stood in need of it. The elder Mr. Macbean had afterwards the honour of being Librarian to Archibald, Duke of Argyle, for many years, but was left without a shilling. Johnson wrote for him a Preface to "A System of Ancient Geography;" and, by the favour of Lord Thurlow, got him admitted a poor brother of the Charterhouse. For Shiels who died of a consumption, he had much tenderness; and it has been thought that some choice sentences in the Lives of the Poets were supplied by him. Peyton, when reduced to penury, had frequent aid from the bounty of Johnson, who at last was at the expense of burying him and his wife. While the Dictionary was going forward, Johnson lived part of the time in Holborn, part in Gough-square, Fleet-street; and he had an upper room fitted up like a countinghouse for the purpose, in which he gave to the copyists their several tasks. The words partly taken from other dictionaries, and partly supplied by himself, having been first written down with spaces left between them, he delivered in writing their etymologies, definitions, and various significations. The authorities were copied from the books themselves, in which he had marked the passages with a black-lead pencil, the traces of which could easily be effaced. I have seen several of them, in which that trouble had not been taken; so that they were just as when used by the copyists. It is remarkable, that he was so attentive in the choice of the passages in which words are authorized, that one may read page after page of his Dictionary with improvement and pleasure; and it should not pass unobserved, that he has quoted no author whose writings had a tendency to hurt sound religion and morality. fore not only exerted his talents in occ sional compositions, very different from Lexicography, but formed a club in Ivylane, Paternoster-row, with a view to enjoy literary discussion, and amuse his evening hours. The members associated with him in this little society were his beloved friend Dr. Richard Bathurst, Mr. Hawkesworth, afterwards well known by his writings, Mr. John Hawkins, an attorney,† and a few others of different professions. In the Gentleman's Magazine for May of this year he wrote a "Life of Roscom mon," [*] with Notes; which he afterwards much improved, (indenting the notes into text,) and inserted amongst his Lives of the English Poets. Mr. Dodsley this year brought out his PRECEPTOR, one of the most valuable books for the improvement of young minds that has appeared in any language; and to this meritorious work Johnson furnished The Preface." [] containing a general sketch of the book, with a short and perspicuous re commendation of each article; as also, "The Vision of Theodore, the Hermit, found in his Cell," [*] a most beautiful al legory of human life, under the figure of cending the mountain of Existence. The Bishop of Dromore heard Dr. Johnson s that he thought this was the best thing ever wrote. In January, 1749, he published "T VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES, being the Tenth Satire of Juvenal imitated." [] He I believe, composed it the preceding year Mrs. Johnson, for the sake of country air, had lodgings at Hampstead, to which he resorted oocasionally, and there the greatest part, if not the whole, of this Imitation was written. The fervid rapidity with which it was produced, is scarcely credible. I have heard him say, that he composed seventy lines of it in one day, without putting one of them upon paper till they I remember, when I once regretted to him that he had not given us more of Juvens Satires, he said he probably should give more, The necessary expense of preparing a work of such magnitude for the press, must have been a considerable deduction from the price stipulated to be paid for the copyright. I understand that nothing was allowed by the booksellers on that account; and I remember his telling me, that a large portion of it having, by mistake, been written upon both sides of the paper, so as to be inconve nient for the compositor, it cost him twenty pounds to have it transcribed upon one side only. were finished. place of bours, and probably also for Mrs. Johnson's health, he at his oar," as engaged in a steady continued course of occupation, sufficient to employ all his time for some years; and which was the best preventive of that constitutional melancholy which was ever lurking about him, ready to trouble his quiet. But his enlarged and lively mind could not be satisfied without more diversity of employment, and the pleasure of animated relaxation. He there He is now to be considered as " tugging ARDSON'S CORRESPONDENCE,) Dr. Johnson stands the For the sake of relaxation from his literary la a print, representing some of" the remarkable charac ters" who were at Tunbridge Wells in 1748, (See RICHfirst figure. M.] the Middlesex Justices, and upon occasion of presenting He was afterwards for several years Chairman of an address to the King, accepted the usual offer d Knighthood. He is author of A History of Musick," By assiduous attendance of edi Johnson in his last illness, he obtained the office booksellers of London employed him to publish an tion of Dr. Johnson's works, and to write his Life. in five volumes in quarto. Sir John Hawkins, with solemn inaccuracy, repre sents this poem as a consequence of the indifferent recep tion of his tragedy. But the fact is, that the poem was published on the 9th of January, and the tragedy was not acted till the 6th of February following. |