topic of conversation. This Essay is a short but masterly performance (1)We find him, in No. 13. of his Rambler, censuring a profligate sentiment in that "Account" (2), and again insisting upon it strenuously in conversation. (3) "An Account

of the Life of Peter Burman,"* I believe chiefly taken from a foreign publication; as, indeed, he could not himself know much about Burman; "Additions to his Life of Barretier," * "The Life of Sydenham,"* afterwards prefixed to Dr. Swan's edition of his works; "Proposals for printing Bibliotheca Harleiana, or a Catalogue of the Library of the Earl of Oxford.” * His account of that celebrated collection of books, in which he displays the importance to literature, of what the French call a catalogue raisonné, when the subjects of it are extensive and various, and it is executed with ability, cannot fail to impress all his readers

(1) [The most singular part of this Essay is the character of King William at the conclusion:- "In the beginning of his reign, he found that his old friends, the Whigs, treated him ill in the midst of it, he was convinced that he was ill served by them; and the conduct of all his parliaments showed him plainly that the bulk of the nation were Tories; and, therefore, he at last wisely resolved to be served by the moderate men of all parties, and to make no distinction, but the natural and great distinction of such as were well affected to his government, and such as were against it."]

(2) ["A late female minister of state has been shameless enough to inform the world, that she used, when she wanted to extract any thing from her sovereign, to remind her of Montaigne's reasoning; who has determined, that to tell a secret to a friend is no breach of fidelity, because the number of persons trusted is not multiplied, a man and his friend being virtually the same. Rambler, No. 13.]

(3) See post, Sept. 10. 1773.]

It

with admiration of his philological attainments.
was afterwards prefixed to the first volume of the
Catalogue, in which the Latin accounts of books
were written by him. (1) He was employed in this
business by Mr. Thomas Osborne the bookseller,
who purchased the library for 13,0007., a sum which
Mr. Oldys says, in one of his manuscripts, was not
more than the binding of the books had cost (2) ;
yet, as Dr. Johnson assured me, the slowness of the
sale was such, that there was not much gained by
it. It has been confidently related, with many em-
bellishments, that Johnson one day knocked Os-
borne (3) down in his shop with a folio, and put his
foot upon
his neck. The simple truth I had from
Johnson himself. "Sir, he was impertinent to me,
and I beat him. But it was not in his shop: it was
in my own chamber."

A very diligent observer may trace him where we should not easily suppose him to be found. I have no doubt that he wrote the little abridgment entitled "Foreign History," in the Magazine for

(1) [In my humble opinion, the preface is unworthy of the Doctor; it contains a few general philological reflections, expressed in a style sufficiently stately, but is divested of bibliographical anecdote and interesting intelligence. DIBDIN, Bibliomania.]

(2) [See Censura Literaria, vol. i. p. 438.]

(3) [Osborne appears, in the Dunciad, contending for the prize among the booksellers, and carrying it off:

"Osborne, through perfect modesty o'ercome, Crown'd with the jordan, walks contented home." He was extremely ignorant: of title-pages or editions he had no knowledge or remembrance, but in all the petty tricks of his trade he was most expert. Dr. Johnson, in his Life of Pope, says, that he was "entirely destitute of shame, without sense of any disgrace, but that of poverty." He died in 1767.]

December. To prove it, I shall quote the Introduc

tion:

"As this is that season of the year in which Nature may be said to command a suspension of hostilities, and which seems intended, by putting a short stop to violence and slaughter, to afford time for malice to relent, and animosity to subside; we can scarce expect any other account than of plans, negociations, and treaties, of proposals for peace, and preparations for war."

As also this passage:

"Let those who despise the capacity of the Swiss, tell us by what wonderful policy, or by what happy conciliation of interests, it is brought to pass, that in a body made up of different communities and different religions, there should be no civil commotions, though the people are so warlike, that to nominate and raise an army is the same.

I am obliged to Mr. Astle (1) for his ready permission to copy the two following letters, of which the originals are in his possession. Their contents show that they were written about this time, and that Johnson was now engaged in preparing an historical account of the British Parliament.

[Aug. 1743.]

"SIR, - I believe I am going to write a long letter, and have therefore taken a whole sheet of paper.

(1) [Thomas Astle, Esq., many years Keeper of the Records in the Tower, one of the Keepers of the Paper Office, and Trustee of the British Museum. He contributed many articles to the Archæologia; but his principal work was the " Origin and Progress of Writing, as well Hieroglyphic as Elementary." He died Dec. 1. 1803.]

The first thing to be written about is our historical design.

"You mentioned the proposal of printing in numbers as an alteration in the scheme, but I believe you mistook, some way or other, my meaning; I had no other view than that you might rather print too many of five sheets, than of five and thirty.

"With regard to what I shall say on the manner of proceeding, I would have it understood as wholly indifferent to me, and my opinion only, not my resolution. Emptoris sit eligere.

I think the insertion of the exact dates of the most important events in the margin, or of so many events as may enable the reader to regulate the order of facts with sufficient exactness, the proper medium between a journal, which has regard only to time, and a history, which ranges facts according to their dependence on each other, and postpones or anticipates according to the convenience of narration. I think the work ought to partake of the spirit of history, which is contrary to minute exactness, and of the regularity of a journal, which is inconsistent with spirit. For this reason, I neither admit numbers or dates, nor reject them.

"I am of your opinion with regard to placing most of the resolutions, &c. in the margin, and think we shall give the most complete account of parliamentary proceedings that can be contrived. The naked papers, without an historical treatise interwoven, require some other book to make them understood. I will date the succeeding facts with some exactness, but I think in the margin.

"You told me on Saturday that I had received money on this work, and found set down 131. 2s. 6d. reckoning the half guinea of last Saturday. As you hinted to me that you had many calls for money, I would not press you too hard, and therefore shall desire only, as I send it in, two guineas for a sheet of

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copy; the rest you may pay me when it may be more convenient; and even by this sheet payment I shall, for some time, be very expensive.

"The Life of Savage I am ready to go upon; and in great primer, and pica notes, I reckon on sending in half a sheet a day; but the money for that shall likewise lie by in your hands till it is done. With the debates, shall not I have business enough? if I had but good pens.

"Towards Mr. Savage's Life what more have you got? I would willingly have his trial, &c., and know whether his defence be at Bristol, and would have his collection of Poems, on account of the preface; "The Plain Dealer," (')—all the Magazines that have any thing of his or relating to him.

"I thought my letter would be long, but it is now ended; and I am, Sir, yours, &c.,

"SAM. JOHNSON."

"The boy found me writing this almost in the dark when I could not quite easily read yours.

-

"I have read the Italian: nothing in it is well. "I had no notion of having any thing for the Inscription. (2) I hope you don't think I kept it to extort a price. I could think of nothing till to-day. If you could spare me another guinea for the history, I should take it very kindly, to-night; but if you do not, I shall not think it an injury. I am almost well again."

(1) ["The Plain Dealer" was a periodical paper, published in 1724, and written by Mr. Hill and Mr. Bond, whom Savage called the two contending powers of light and darkness. They wrote, by turns, each six essays; and the character of the work was observed regularly to rise in Mr. Hill's week, and fall in Mr. Bond's.-JOHNSON, Life of Savage.]

(2) [Neither this Inscription nor the Soldier's Letter mentis ned in the next letter have been discovered.]