1767. Etat. 58. and noble collection of books, which he used to say was more numerous and curious than he fuppofed any perfon could have made in the time which the King had employed. Mr. Barnard, the librarian, took care that he should have every accommodation that could contribute to his ease and convenience, while indulging his literary tafte in that place; fo that he had here a very agreeable refource at leifure hours. His Majefty having been informed of his occafional vifits, was pleased to fignify a defire that he should be told when Dr. Johnson came next to the library. Accordingly, the next time that Johnfon did come, as foon as he was fairly engaged with a book, on which, while he fat by the fire, he feemed quite intent, Mr. Barnard stole round to the apartment where the King was, and, in obedience to his Majefty's commands, mentioned that Dr. Johnson was then in the library. His Majefty faid he was at leisure, and would go to him ; upon which Mr. Barnard took one of the candles that stood on the King's table, and lighted his Majefty through a fuite of rooms, till they came to a private door into the library, of which his Majefty had the key. Being entered, Mr. Barnard stepped forward haftily to Dr. Johnson, who was still in a profound study, and whifpered him, "Sir, here is the King." Johnfon started up, and stood ftill. His Majefty approached him, and at once was courteously easy". His Majesty began by observing, that he understood he came fometimes to the library; and then mentioning his having heard that the Doctor had been • Dr. Johnson had the honour of contributing his affiftance towards the formation of this library; for I have read a long letter from him to Mr. Barnard, giving the most masterly instructions on the fubject. I wished much to have gratified my readers with the perufal of this letter, and have reafon to think that his Majefty would have been graciously pleafed to permit its publication; but Mr. Barnard, to whom I applied, declined it" on his own account." 7 The particulars of this converfation I have been at great pains to collect with the utmost authenticity, from Dr. Johnfor's own detail to myself; from Mr. Langton, who was prefent whea he gave an account of it to Dr. Jofeph Warton, and several other friends, at Sir Joshua Reynolds's ; from Mr. Barnard; from the copy of a letter written by the late Mr. Strahan the printer, to Bishop Warburton; and from a minute, the original of which is among the papers of the late Sir James Caldwell, and a copy of which was most obligingly obtained for me from his fon Sir John Caldwell, by Sir Francis Lumm. To all thefe gentlemen I beg leave to make my grateful acknowledgements, and particularly to Sir Francis Lumm, who was pleafed to take a great deal of trouble, and even had the minute laid before the King by Lord Caermarthen, now Duke of Leeds, one of his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, who announced to Sir Francis the Royal pleafure concerning it by a letter, in thefe words: "I have the King's commands to affure you, Sir, how fenfible his Majefty is of your attention in communicating the minute of the converfation previous to its publication. As there appears no objection to your complying with Mr. Bofwell's wishes on the fubject, you are at full liberty to deliver it to that gentleman, to make fuch ufe of in his Life of Dr. Johnfon, as he may think proper." Lately 1767. lately at Oxford, asked him if he was not fond of going thither. To which Johnson answered, that he was indeed fond of going to Oxford fometimes, Etat. 58. but was likewife glad to come back again. The King then afked him what they were doing at Oxford. Johnson answered, he could not much commend their diligence, but that in fome refpects they were mended, for they had put their prefs under better regulations, and were at that time printing Polybius. He was then asked whether there were better libraries at Oxford or Cambridge. He answered, he believed the Bodleian was larger than any they had at Cambridge; at the fame time adding, "I hope, whether we have more books or not than they have at Cambridge, we shall make as good use of them as they do." Being asked whether All-Souls or Chrift-Church library was the largest, he answered," All-Souls library is the largest we have, except the Bodleian.” Aye, (faid the King,) that is the publick library." His Majefty enquired if he was then writing any thing. He answered, he was not, for he had pretty well told the world what he knew, and muft now read to acquire more knowledge. The King, as it should seem with a view to urge him to rely on his own ftores as an original writer, and to continue his labours, then said, "I do not think you borrow much from any body.” Johnson faid, he thought he had already done his part as a writer. “I should have thought fo too, (faid the King,) if you had not written fo well."— Johnson observed to me, upon this, that "No man could have paid a handfomer compliment; and it was fit for a King to pay. It was decifive." When asked by another friend, at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, whether he made any reply to this high compliment, he answered, "No, Sir. When the King had faid it, it was to be fo. It was not for me to bandy civilities with my fovereign." Perhaps no man who had spent his whole life in courts could have fhewn a more nice and dignified fenfe of true politenefs, than Johnson did in this inftance. His Majefty having obferved to him that he fuppofed he must have read a great deal; Johnfon anfwered, that he thought more than he read; that he had read a great deal in the early part of his life, but having fallen into ill health, he had not been able to read much, compared with others: for instance, he faid he had not read much compared with Dr. Warburton. Upon which the King faid, that he heard Dr. Warburton was a man of fuch general knowledge, that you could fcarce talk with him on any fubject on which he was not qualified to speak; and that his learning refembled Garrick's acting, in its univerfality. His Majefty then talked of the controverfy between Warburton and Lowth, which he feemed to have read, and asked Johnson what he thought of it. Johnfon anfwered, "Warburton has moft general, moft 1767. Etat. 58. most scholastick learning; Lowth is the more correct scholar. I do not know which of them calls names best." The King was pleased to say he was of the fame opinion; adding, "You do not think then, Dr. Johnson, that there was much argument in the cafe." Johnson faid, he did not think there was. Why truly, (faid the King,) when once it comes to calling names, argument is pretty well at an end." His Majesty then asked him what he thought of Lord Lyttelton's history, which was then just published. Johnfon faid, he thought his ftyle pretty good, but that he had blamed Henry the Second rather too much. "Why, (faid the King,) they feldom do these things by halves." "No, Sir, (anfwered Johnson,) not to Kings." But fearing to be misunderstood, he proceeded to explain himself; and immediately fubjoined, "That for those who spoke worse of Kings than they deserved, he could find no excufe, but that he could more easily conceive how fome might speak better of them than they deserved, without any ill intention; for, as Kings had much in their power to give, those who were favoured by them would frequently, from gratitude, exaggerate their praises; and as this proceeded from a good motive, it was certainly excufeable, as far as errour could be excufeable." The King then asked him what he thought of Dr. Hill. Johnson answered, that he was an ingenious man, but had no veracity; and immediately mentioned, as an inftance of it, an affertion of that writer, that he had seen objects magnified to a much greater degree by using three or four microfcopes at a time, than by using one. "Now, (added Johnfon,) every one acquainted with microscopes knows, that the more of them he looks through, the lefs the object will appear." Why, (replied the King,) this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumfily; for, if that be the cafe, every one who can look through a microfcope will be able to detect him." "I now, (faid Johnson to his friends, when relating what had passed,) began to confider that I was depreciating this man in the estimation of his sovereign, and thought it was time for me to fay fomething that might be more favourable." He added, therefore, that Dr. Hill was, notwithstanding, a very curious obferver; and if he would have been contented to tell the world no more than he knew, he might have been a very confiderable man, and needed not to have recourfe to fuch mean expedients to raise his reputation. The King then talked of literary journals, mentioned particularly the Journal des Savans, and asked Johnson if it was well done. Johnson said, it was formerly very well done, and gave fome account of the perfons who began 1 began it, and carried it on for fome years; enlarging at the fame time, on the 1767. nature and use of such works. The King asked him if it was well done now. Etat. 58. Johnson answered, he had no reason to think that it was. The King then asked him if there were any other literary journals published in this kingdom, except the Monthly and Critical Reviews; and on being answered there were no other, his Majesty asked which of them was the best: Johnson answered, that the Monthly Review was done with most care, the Critical upon the best principles; adding, that the authours of the Monthly Review were enemies to the Church. This the King said he was sorry to hear. The converfation next turned on the Philofophical Tranfactions, when Johnson obferved, that they had now a better method of arranging their materials than formerly. " Aye, (faid the King,) they are obliged to Dr. Johnson for that;" for his Majefty had heard and remembered the circumftance, which Johnson himself had forgot. His Majefty expreffed a defire to have the literary biography of this country ably executed, and proposed to Dr. Johnson to undertake it. Johnson signified his readiness to comply with his Majesty's wishes. During the whole of this interview, Johnson talked to his Majefty with profound respect, but still in his firm manly manner, with a fonorous voice, and never in that fubdued tone which is commonly used at the levee and in the drawing-room. After the King withdrew, Johnson shewed himself highly pleafed with his Majefty's converfation and gracious behaviour. He faid to Mr. Barnard, "Sir, they may talk of the King as they will; but he is the finest gentleman I have ever feen." And he afterwards obferved to Mr. Langton, "Sir, his manners are those of as fine a gentleman as we may fuppofe Lewis the Fourteenth or Charles the Second." At Sir Joshua Reynolds's, where a circle of Johnfon's friends was collected round him to hear his account of this memorable conversation, Dr. Joseph Warton, in his frank and lively manner, was very active in preffing him to mention the particulars. "Come now, Sir, this is an interefting matter; do favour us with it." Johnfon, with great good humour, complied. He told them, "I found his Majefty wifhed I should talk, and I made it my businels to talk. I find it does a man good to be talked to by his fovereign. In the first place, a man cannot be in a paffion-" Here fome question interrupted him, which is to be regretted, as he certainly would have pointed out and illuftrated many circumstances of advantage, from being in. a fituation, where the powers of the mind are at once excited to vigorous exertion, and tempered by reverential awe. 1767. Etat. 58. During all the time in which Dr. Johnson was employed in relating to the circle at Sir Joshua Reynolds's the particulars of what paffed between the King and him, Dr. Goldsmith remained unmoved upon a fopha at some distance, affecting not to join in the least in the eager curiosity of the company. He affigned as a reafon for his gloom and feeming inattention, that he apprehended Johnfon had relinquifhed his purpose of furnishing him with a Prologue to his play, with the hopes of which he had been flattered; but it was strongly fufpected that he was fretting with chagrin and envy at the fingular honour Dr. Johnfon had lately enjoyed. At length, the frankness and fimplicity of his natural character prevailed. He fprung from the fopha, advanced to Johnson, and in a kind of flutter, from imagining himself in the fituation which he had juft been hearing described, exclaimed, "Well, you acquitted yourself in this conversation better than I should have done; for I should have bowed and ftammered through the whole of it." 8 I received no letter from Johnson this year; nor have I discovered any of the correspondence he had, except the two letters to Mr. Drummond, which have been inferted, for the fake of connection with that to the fame gentleman in 1766. His diary affords no light as to his employment at this time. He paffed three months at Lichfield; and I cannot omit an affecting and folemn fcene there, as related by himself: "Sunday, Oct. 18, 1767. Yesterday, Oct. 17, at about ten in the morning, I took my leave for ever of my dear old friend, Catherine Chambers, who came to live with my mother about 1724, and has been but little parted from us fince. She buried my father, my brother, and my mother. She is now fifty-eight years old. "I defired all to withdraw, then told her that we were to part for ever; that as Chriftians, we fhould part with prayer; and that I would, if she was willing, fay a fhort prayer befide her. She expreffed great defire to hear me ; and held up her poor hands, as fhe lay in bed, with great fervour, while I prayed, kneeling by her, nearly in the following words: "Almighty and moft merciful Father, whofe loving-kindness is over all thy works, behold, vifit, and relieve this thy fervant, who is grieved with sickness. Grant that the fenfe of her weakness may add ftrength to her faith, and serious nefs to her repentance. And grant that by the help of thy Holy Spirit, after the pains and labours of this fhort life, we may all obtain everlasting happiness, It is proper here to mention, that when I fpeak of his correfpondence, I confider it independent of the voluminous collection of letters which, in the courfe of many years, he wrote to Mrs. Thrale, which forms a feparate part of his works; and as a proof of the high eftimation fet on any thing which came from his pen, was fold by that lady for the sum of five hundred pounds. through |