The new but to recommend him to such acquaintance as may King best secure him from suffering by his own follies, and to take such general care both of his safety and his interest as may come within your power. His relations will thank you for any such gratuitous attention at least they will not blame you for any evil that may happen, whether they thank you or not for any good.

"You know that we have a new King and a new Parliament. Of the new Parliament Fitzherbert is a member. We were so weary of our old King, that we are much pleased with his successor; of whom we are so much inclined to hope great things, that most of us begin already to believe them. The young man is hitherto blameless; but it would be unreasonable to expect much from the immaturity of juvenile years, and the ignorance of princely education. He has been long in the hands of the Scots, and has already favoured them more than the English will contentedly endure. But, perhaps, he scarcely knows whom he has distinguished, or whom he has disgusted.

"The Artists have instituted a yearly Exhibition of pictures and statues, in imitation, as I am told, of foreign academies. This y year was the second exhibition. They please themselves much with the multitude of spectators, and imagine that the English School will rise in reputation. Reynolds is without a rival, and continues to add thousands to thousands, which he deserves, among other excellencies, by retaining his kindness for Baretti. This Exhibition has filled the heads of the Artists and lovers of art. Surely life, if it be not long, is tedious, since we are forced to call in the assistance

5

of so many trifles to rid us of our time, of that time Monaswhich never can return. being note teists hcklite

I know my Baretti will not be satisfied with a letter in which I give him no account of myself: yet what account shall I give him? I have not, since the day of our separation, suffered or done any thing considerable. The only change in my way of life is, that I have frequented the theatre more than in former seasons. But I have gone thither only to escape from myself. We have had many new farces, and the comedy called The Jealous Wife,' which, though not written with much genius, was yet so well adapted to the stage, and so well exhibited by the actors, that it was crowded for near twenty nights. I am digressing from myself to the playhouse; but a barren plan must be filled with episodes. Of myself I have nothing to say, but that I have hitherto lived without the concurrence of my own judgement; yet I continue to flatter myself, that, when you return, you will find me mended. I do not wonder that, where the monastick life is permitted, every order finds votaries, and every monastery inhabitants. Men will submit to any rule, by which they may be exempted from the tyranny of caprice and of chance. They are glad to supply by external authority their own want of constancy and resoluthe tion, and court the government of others, when long experience has convinced them of their own and inability to govern themselves. If I were to visit Italy, my curiosity would be more attracted by convents than by palaces; though I am afraid that I ti should find expectation in both places equally disgappointed, and life in both places supported with

ex.

retti

and

willingly

Few are impatience and quitted with reluctance. That it
taught must be so soon quitted, is a powerful remedy
to die
against impatience; but what shall free us from re-
luctance? Those who have endeavoured to teach
us to die well, have taught few to die willingly :
yet I cannot but hope that a good life might end
at last in a contented death.

"You see to what a train of thought I am
drawn by the mention of myself.
Let me now
turn my attention upon you. I hope you take care
to keep an exact journal, and to register all occur-
rences and observations; for your friends here expect

such a book of travels as has not been often seen.
You have given us good specimens in your letters
from Lisbon. I wish you had staid longer in
Spain, for no country is less known to the rest of
Europe; but the quickness of your discernment
must make amends for the celerity of your motions.
He that knows which way to direct his view, sees
much in a little time.

"Write to me very often, and I will not neglect
to write to you; and I may, perhaps, in time, get
something to write: at least, you will know by my
letters, whatever else they may have or want, that
I continue to be

"Your most affectionate friend,
"SAM. JOHNSON."

"[London] June 10, 1761.”

In 1762 he wrote for the Reverend Dr. Kennedy, Rector of Bradley in Derbyshire, in a strain of very courtly elegance, a Dedication to the King* of that gentleman's work, entitled "A complete System of Astronomical Chronology, unfolding the

TO

Scriptures." He had certainly looked at this work Dr. Ken-),
before it was printed; for the concluding paragraph nedy's
is undoubtedly of his composition, of which let my of Chron-
System
readers judge:

"Thus have I endeavoured to free Religion and History from the darkness of a disputed and uncertain chronology; from difficulties which have hitherto appeared insuperable, and darkness which no luminary of learning has hitherto been able to dissipate. I have established the truth of the Mosaical account, by evidence which no transcription can corrupt, no negligence can lose, and no interest can pervert. I have shewn that the universe bears witness to the inspiration of its historian, by the revolution of its orbs and the succession of its seasons; that the stars in their courses fight against incredulity, that the works of GoD give hourly confirmation to the law, the prophets, and the gospel, of which one day telleth another, and one night certifieth another; and that the validity of the sacred writings never can be denied, while the moon shall increase and wane, and the sun shall know his going down."

He this year wrote also the Dedication † to the
Earl of Middlesex of Mrs. Lennox's "Female
Quixotte," and the Preface to the "Catalogue of
the Artists' Exhibition." †ven analoa huset

The following letter, which, on account of its
intrinsick merit, it would have been unjust both
to Johnson and the publick to have withheld, was
obtained for me by the solicitation of my friend
Mr. Seward:

aven ord deur blow won al

ans Rioigonolulq dokter with elamine bis eeldusopoy

VOL. II.

This

D

ology

published in 1758 not for

"To DR. STAUNTON, (NOW SIR GEORGE
STAUNTON, BARONET).

66 DEAR SIR,

"I MAKE haste to answer your kind letter, in hope of hearing again from you before you leave. us. I cannot but regret that a man of your qualifications should find it necessary to seek an establishment in Guadaloupe, which if a peace should restore to the French, I shall think it some alleviation of the loss, that it must restore likewise Dr. Staunton to the English.

"It is a melancholy consideration, that so much of our time is necessarily to be spent upon the care of living, and that we can seldom obtain ease in one respect but by resigning it in another: yet I suppose we are by this dispensation not less happy in the whole, than if the spontaneous bounty of Nature poured all that we want into our hands. A few, if they were left thus to themselves, would, perhaps, spend their time in laudable pursuits; but the greater part would prey upon the quiet of each other, or, in the want of other objects, would prey upon themselves.

"This, however, is our condition, which we must improve and solace as we can and though we cannot choose always our place of residence, we may in every place find rational amusements, and possess in every place the comforts of piety and a pure

conscience.

"In America there is little to be observed except natural curiosities. The new world must have many vegetables and animals with which philosophers are