Hawk. know of."-And the event was, Sir J. Hawkins adds,

p. 362.

evidence to him, that in this speech he declared his genuine sentiments; for neither did he set himself to collect early editions of his authour, old plays, translations of histories, and of the classics, and other materials necessary for his purpose, nor could he be prevailed on to enter into that course of reading, without which it seemed impossible to come at the sense of his authour. It was provoking to all his friends to see him waste his days, his weeks, and his months so long, that they feared a mental lethargy had seized him, out of which he would never recover. In this, however, they were happily deceived, for, after two years' inactivity, they find him roused to action, and engaged-not in the prosecution of the work, for the completion whereof he stood doubly bound, but-in a new one, the furnishing a series of periodical essays, entitled, and it may be thought not improperly, "The Idler," as his motive to the employment was aversion to a labour he had undertaken, though in the execution, it must be owned, it merited a better name.]

About this period he was offered a living of considerable value in Lincolnshire, if he were inclined to enter into holy orders. It was a rectory in the gift of Mr. Langton, the father of his much-valued friend. But he did not accept of it; partly I believe from a conscientious motive, being persuaded that his temper and habits rendered him unfit for that assiduous and familiar instruction of the vulgar and ignorant, which he held to be an essential duty in a clergyman; and partly because his love of a London life was so strong, that he would have thought himself an exile in any other place, particularly if residing in the country. Whoever would wish to see his thoughts upon that subject displayed in their full force, may peruse the Adventurer, Number 126.

In 1757 it does not appear that he published any thing, except some of those articles in the Literary Magazine, which have been mentioned. That magazine, after Johnson ceased to write in it, gradually declined, though the popular epithet of Antigallican was added to it; and in July, 1758, it expired. He probably prepared a part of his Shakspeare this year, and he dictated a speech on the subject of an address to the throne, after the expedition to Rochefort, which was delivered by one of his friends, I know not in what publick meeting. It is printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for October, 1785 (p. 764), as his, and bears sufficient marks of authenticity.

By the favour of Mr. Joseph Cooper Walker, of the treasury, Dublin, I have obtained a copy of the following letter from Johnson to the venerable authour of "Dissertations on the History of Ireland."

"TO CHARLES O'CONNOR, ESQ.'

"London, 9 April, 1757.

"SIR,-I have lately, by the favour of Mr. Faulkner, seen your account of Ireland, and cannot forbear to solicit a prosecution of your design. Sir William Temple complains that Ireland is less known than any other country, as to its ancient state. The natives have had little leisure, and little encouragement for inquiry; and strangers, not knowing the language, have had no ability.

"I have long wished that the Irish literature were cultivated2.

1 Of this gentleman, who died at his seat at Ballinegare, in the county of Roscommon, in Ireland, July 1, 1791, in his eighty-second year, some account may be found in the Gentleman's Magazine of that date. Of the work here alluded to by Dr. Johnson-" Dissertations on the History of Ireland” — a second and much improved edition was published by the authour in 1766.— MALONE.

2 The celebrated oratour, Mr. Flood, has shown himself to be of Dr. Johnson's opinion; having by his will bequeathed his estate, after the death of his wife Lady Frances, to the University of Dublin; desiring that immediately after the said estate shall come into their possession, they shall appoint two professors, one for the study of the native Erse or Irish language, and the other for the study of Irish antiquities and Irish history, and for the study of any other European language illustrative of, or auxiliary to, the study of Irish antiquities or Irish history: and that they shall give yearly two liberal premiums for two

Ireland is known by tradition to have been once the seat of piety and learning; and surely it would be very acceptable to all those who are curious either in the original of nations, or the affinities of languages, to be further informed of the revolution of a people so ancient, and once so illustrious.

"What relation there is between the Welsh and Irish language, or between the language of Ireland and that of Biscay, deserves inquiry. Of these provincial and unextended tongues, it seldom happens that more than one are understood by any one man; and, therefore, it seldom happens that a fair comparison can be made. I hope you will continue to cultivate this kind of learning, which has too long lain neglected, and which, if it be suffered to remain in oblivion for another century, may, perhaps, never be retrieved. As I wish well to all useful undertakings, I would not forbear to let you know how much you deserve, in my opinion, from all lovers of study, and how much pleasure your work has given to, sir, your most obliged and most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON."

"TO THE REVEREND MR. THOMAS WARTON.

"(London), 21 June, 1757. "DEAR SIR,-Dr. Marsili, of Padua, a learned gentleman, and good Latin poet, has a mind to see Oxford. I have given him a letter to Dr.. Huddersford', and shall be glad if you will introduce him, and show him any thing in Oxford.

"I am printing my new edition of Shakspeare.

"I long to see you all, but cannot conveniently come yet. You might write to me now and then, if you were good for any thing. But honores mutant mores. Professors forget their friends. I shall certainly complain to Miss Jones3. I am, your, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON.

"Please to make my compliments to Mr. Wise."

compositions, one in verse, and the other in prose, in the Irish language.— BOSWELL.

Since the above was written, Mr. Flood's will has been set aside, after a trial at bar, in the court of exchequer in Ireland.-MALONE.

1 Now, or late, vice-chancellor.-WARTON.

2 Mr. Warton was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford in the preceding year. WARTON.

3 Miss Jones lived at Oxford, and was often of our parties. She was a very ingenious poetess, and published a volume of poems; and, on the whole, was a most sensible, agreeable, and amiable woman. She was sister to the Reverend River Jones, chanter of Christ-church cathedral at Oxford, and Johnson used to call her the chantress. I have heard him often address her in this passage from "Il Penseroso:"

"Thee, chantress, oft the woods among
I woo, &c."

She died unmarried.-WARTON.

*«TO BENNET LANGTON, ESQ. OF TRIN. COLL. OXFORD'. "28 June, 1758.

"DEAR SIR,—Though I might have expected to hear from you, upon your entrance into a new state of life at a new place, yet recollecting (not without some degree of shame) that I owe you a letter upon an old account, I think it my part to write first. This, indeed, I do not only from complaisance but from interest; for living on in the old way, I am very glad of a correspondent so capable as yourself, to diversify the hours. You have, at present, too many novelties about you to need any help from me to drive along your time.

"I know not any thing more pleasant, or more instructive, than to compare experience with expectation, or to register from time to time the difference between idea and reality. It is by this kind of observation that we grow daily less liable to be disappointed. You, who are very capable of anticipating futurity, and raising phantoms before your own eyes, must often have imagined to yourself an academical life, and have conceived what would be the manners, the views, and the conversation, of men devoted to letters; how they would choose their companions, how they would direct their studies, and how they would regulate their lives. Let me know what you expected, and what you have found. At least record it to yourself before custom has reconciled you to the scenes before you, and the disparity of your discoveries to your hopes has vanished from your mind. It is a rule never to be forgotten, that whatever strikes strongly should be described while the first impression remains fresh upon the mind.

"I love, dear sir, to think on you, and therefore should willingly write more to you, but that the post will not now give me leave to do more than send my compliments to Mr. Warton, and tell you that I am, dear sir, most affectionately, your very humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON."

Mr. Burney having enclosed to him an extract from the review of his Dictionary in the Bibliotheque des Savans, and a list of subscribers to his Shak speare, which Mr. Burney had procured in Norfolk, he wrote the following answer:

'[This letter is dated June, 1758, and so placed by Mr. Boswell; but it is evident that this must be a mistake; for it is written on Mr. Langton's first entrance into college life; and we shall see in the letter, dated June 1, 1758 (p. 322), that Langton had been already some time the pupil of Mr. Warton. The true date, therefore, of this letter was probably June, 1757.—ED.]

2 Tom. III. p. 482.

"TO MR. BURNEY, IN LYNNE, NORFOLK. "Gough-square, 24 Dec. 1757. "SIR, That I may show myself sensible of your favours, and not commit the same fault a second time, I make haste to answer the letter which I received this morning. The truth is, the other likewise was received, and I wrote an answer; but being desirous to transmit you some proposals and receipts, I waited till I could find a convenient conveyance, and day was passed after day, till other things drove it from my thoughts; yet not so, but that I remember with great pleasure your commendation of my Dictionary. Your praise was welcome, not only because I believe it was sincere, but because praise has been very scarce. A man of your candour will be surprised when I tell you that among all my acquaintance there were only two, who, upon the publication of my book, did not endeavour to depress me with threats of censure from the publick, or with objections learned from those who had learned them from my own preface. Yours is the only letter of good-will that I have received; though, indeed, I am promised something of that sort from Sweden.

"How my new edition of Shakspeare will be received I know not; the subscription has not been very successful. I shall publish about March.

"If you can direct me how to send proposals, I should wish that they were in such hands.

"I remember, sir, in some of the first letters with which you favoured me, you mentioned your lady. May I inquire after her? In return for the favours which you have shown me, it is not much to tell you, that I wish you and her all that can conduce to your happiness. I am, sir, your most obliged and most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON."

In 1758, we find him, it should seem, in as easy and pleasant a state of existence, as constitutional unhappiness ever permitted him to enjoy1.

"TO MR. BURNEY, AT LYNNE, NORFOLK.

"London, 8 March, 1758.

"SIR,-Your kindness is so great, and my claim to any par

ticular regard from you so little, that I am at a loss how to ex

1

[Here, in his later editions, Mr. Boswell had erroneously inserted a letter to Mr. Langton, which will be found in its real place at the beginning of the next year.-ED.]