Accession of George III.-Johnson writes the Address of the Painters on that Occasion- Various Writings-Projected History of the War-Murphy's "Foetical Epistle" to Johnson-Account of their Acquaintance-Letters to Langton, Baretti, &c.-Grant of Pension by George III. to Johnson-Visit to Plymouth with Reynolds-Letters to Lord Bute and Baretti-Contributions to the "Poetical Calendar," a character of First Interview of Boswell with Johnson, at the House of Davies, the Bookseller-Record of Conversation-Boswell's Visit to his Chambers in the Temple-Description of Johnson - Meeting at "The Mitre" Tavern-Record of his Opinions of Gray, Account of Goldsmith-Johnson's Relation of their Interview, when Goldsmith was arrested by his Landlady-Boswell sups with them at the Mitre-Record of Con- versation-Nightly Tea with Miss Williams-Boswell not yet admitted to this Privilege-Subsequent Interviews with Johnson, and Record of Conversations on Johnson accompanies Boswell to Harwich, on his intended Foreign Tour-Fellow Pas- sengers and Conversation on the Road-Boswell embarks-Writes to Johnson-His Answer, containing Advice for Study-Visit to the Langton Family, in Lincoln- shire-Institution of the Literary Club-Miscellaneous Writings-Various Pecu- liarities of Johnson-Visit to Cambridge-Diploma of LL.D. from Trinity College, Dublin Engagement with Gerard Hamilton Introduction to the Thrales LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. FRONTISPIECE, JOHNSON AT LORD CHESTERFIELD'S. TITLE-PAGE, PORTRAIT OF JOHNSON, FROM A PAINTING BY SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, 1756. Page PORTRAIT OF SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS, FROM A PAINTING BY HIMSELF xvi xix .xxiii 1 PORTRAIT OF MICHAEL JOHNSON, FROM AN ORIGINAL DRAWING PEMBROKE COLLEGE GATEWAY, FROM A PRINT VIEW OF LICHfield, 1730, FROM AN OLD PRINT PORTRAIT OF EDWARD CAVE, FROM A DRAWING BY F. KYTE 2 4 5 8 10 11 19 26 30 33 34 38 41 EDIAL HOUSE, FROM AN ENGRAVING BY PYE. 43 ST. JOHN'S GATEWAY, FROM AN ETCHING BY CARTER 47 PORTRAIT OF REV. JOHN COLSON, FROM AN ORIGINAL DRAWING 48 PORTRAIT OF ROBERT DODSLEY, FROM A PAINTING BY SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS 62 JOHNSON, RICHARDSON, AND HOGARTH 67 PORTRAIT OF DR. BIRCH, FROM A PAINTING BY J. WILLS 83 PORTRAIT OF LORD CHESTERFIELD, FROM A PAINTING BY O. HUMPHRY 85 PORTRAIT OF LORD LOVAT, FROM A PAINTING BY W. HOGARTH 96 DR. JOHNSON'S RESIDENCE IN Gough Square, FROM AN ORIGINAL SKETCH, 1851 100 101 . 103 THE GREEN-ROOM OF DRURY-LANE THEATRE, FROM A PAINTING BY ZOFFANY PORTRAIT OF BENNET LANGTON, FROM A DRAWING BY A. WIVELL . 135 Page PORTRAIT OF TOPHAM BEAUCLERK, FROM A PRINT KETTEL HALL, FROM A SKETCH RESIDENCE OF MR. WISE, AT ELLSFIELD, FROM AN ENGRAVING BY C. T. SMITH REWLEY ABBEY, FROM A DRAWING IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY DR. JOHNSON AND FRANCIS BARBER, FROM A CONTEMPORARY DRAWING BY C. TOMKINS 187 BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE, FROM A PRINT 201 PORTRAIT OF JOSEPH BARETTI, FROM A PAINTING BY SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS 202 213 PORTRAIT OF THOMAS SHERIDAN, FROM A PAINTING BY STEWART No. 8, RUSSELL STREET, COVENT GARDEN, FROM A SKETCH. PORTRAIT OF COLLEY CIBBER, FROM A PAINTING BY VANLOO. 216 220 221 224 225 231 232 235 DR. JOHNSON'S CHAIR, FROM AN ORIGINAL DRAWING BY MISS REYNOLDS MR. THRALE'S HOUSE, AT STREATHAM, FROM AN ENGRAVING BY ELLIS 270 282 PORTRAITS OF MR. AND MRS. THRALE, FROM AN ENGRAVING Every liberal motive that can actuate an Author in the dedication of his labours, concurs in directing me to you, as the person to whom the following Work should be inscribed. If there be a pleasure in celebrating the distinguished merit of a contemporary, mixed with a certain degree of vanity not altogether inexcusable, in appearing fully sensible of it, where can I find one, in complimenting whom I can with more general approbation gratify those feelings? Your excellence, not only in the art over which you have long presided with unrivalled fame, but also in Philosophy and elegant Literature, is well known to the present, and will continue to be the admiration of future ages. Your equal and placid temper, your variety of conversation, your true politeness, by which you are so amiable in private society, and that enlarged hospitality which has long made your house a common centre of union for the great, the accom plished, the learned, and the ingenious; all these qualities I can, in perfect confidence of not being accused of flattery, ascribe to you. If a man may indulge an honest pride in having it known to the world that he has been thought worthy of particular attention by a person of the first eminence in the age in which he lived, whose company has been universally courted, I am justified in availing myself of the usual privilege of a Dedication, when I mention that there has been a long and uninterrupted friendship between us. If gratitude should be acknowledged for favours received, I have this opportunity, my dear Sir, most sincerely to thank you for the many happy hours which I owe to your kindness,-for the cordiality with which you have at all times been pleased to welcome me,—for the number of valuable acquaintances to whom you have introduced me,— for the noctes cœnæque Deum, which I have enjoyed under your roof. If a work should be inscribed to one who is master of the subject of it, and whose approbation, therefore, must ensure it credit and success, the Life of Dr. Johnson is, with the greatest propriety, dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was the intimate and beloved friend of that great man; the friend whom he declared to be "the most invulnerable man he knew; whom, if he should quarrel with him, he should find the most difficulty how to abuse." You, my dear Sir, studied him, and knew him well: you venerated and admired him. Yet, luminous as he was upon the whole, you perceived all the shades which mingled in the grand composition; all the little peculiarities and slight blemishes which marked the literary Colossus. Your very warm commendation of the specimen which I gave, in my "Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides," of my being able to preserve his conversation in an authentic and lively manner, which opinion the Public has confirmed, was the best encouragement for me to persevere in my purpose of producing the whole of my stores. In one respect, this work will, in some passages, be different from the former. In my "Tour," I was almost unboundedly open in my communications, and from my eagerness to display the wonderful fertility and readiness of Johnson's wit, freely showed to the world its dexterity, even when I was myself the object of it. I trusted that I should be liberally understood, as knowing very well what I was about, and by no means as simply unconscious of the pointed effects of the |