bid melancholy, his love of fame, his dejection, his tavern-parties, and his wandering reveries, Vacuæ mala fomnia mentis, about which fo much has been written; all are painted in miniature, but in vivid colours, by his own hand. His idea of writing more Dictionaries was not merely faid in verse. Mr. Hamilton, who was at that time an eminent printer, and well acquainted with Dr. Johnfon, remembers that he engaged in a Commercial Dictionary, and, as appears by the receipts in his poffeffion, was paid his price for several sheets; but he foon relinquished the undertaking. It is probable, that he found himfelf not fufficiently verfed in that branch of knowledge.

He was again reduced to the expedient of fhort compofitions for the fupply of the day. The writer of this narrative has now before him a letter in Dr. Johnson's hand-writing, which fhews the diftrefs and melancholy fituation of the man, who had written the Rambler, and finished the great work of his Dictionary. The letter is directed to Mr. Richardson (the author of Clariflà), and is as follows;

5

" SIR,

66

" SIR,

"I am obliged to entreat your affiftance. I "am now under an arreft for five pounds eighteen fhillings. Mr. Strahan, from whom "I should have received the neceffary help in "this cafe, is not at home; and I am afraid "of not finding Mr. Millar. If you will be "fo good as to fend me this fum, I will very gratefully repay you, and add it to all for"mer obligations. I am, Sir,

"Your moft obedient

" and most humble fervant,

"SAMUEL JOHNSON. "Gough-square, 16 March."

In the margin of this letter there is a memorandum in these words: "March 16, 1756. "Sent fix guineas. Witnefs, Wm. Ri

"chardfon." For the honour of an admired writer it is to be regretted, that we do not find a more liberal entry. To his friend in distress he fent eight fhillings more than was wanted. Had an incident of this kind occurred in one of his Romances, Richardfon would have known how to grace his hero; but in fictitious scenes generofity cofts the writer nothing.

f 4

About

About this time Johnfon contributed feveral papers to a periodical Mifcellany, called The VISITOR, from motives which are highly honourable to him, a compaffionate regard for the late Mr. Chriftopher Smart. The criticifm on Pope's Epitaphs appeared in that work. In a fhort time after, he became a reviewer in the Literary Magazine, under the aufpices of the late Mr. Newbery, a man of a projecting head, good tafte, and great induftry. This employment engroffed but little of Johnfon's time. He refigned himself to indolence, took no exercife, rose about two, and then received the vifits of his friends. Authors, long fince forgotten, waited on him as their oracle, and he gave refponfes in the chair of criticifm. He liftened to the complaints, the fchemes, and the hopes and fears of a crowd of inferior writers, "who," he said, in the words of Roger Afcham, "lived, men "knew not how, and died obfcure, men marked "not when." He believed, that he could give a better hiftory of Grub-ftreet than any man living. His houfe was filled with a fucceffion of visitors till four or five in the evening. During the whole time he prefided at his tea

table.

table. Tea was his favourite beverage; and, when the late Jonas Hanway pronounced his anathema against the use of tea, Johnson rofe in defence of his habitual practice, declaring himself in that article a hardened finner, "who had for years diluted his meals with "the infufion of that fafcinating plant; whofe "tea-kettle had no time to cool; who with "tea folaced the midnight hour, and with tea "welcomed the morning."

The propofal for a new edition of Shakfpeare, which had formerly miscarried, was refumed in the year 1756. The bookfellers readily agreed to his terms, and fubfcription-tickets were iffued out. For undertaking this work, money, he confeffed, was the inciting motive. His friends exerted themfelves to promote his intereft; and, in the mean time, he engaged in a new periodical production called THE IDLER. The firft number appeared on Saturday, April 15, 1758; and the laft, April 5, 1760. The profits of this work, and the fubfcriptions for the new edition of Shakspeare, were the means by which he fupported himself for four or five

4

years.

years. In 1759 was published Raffelas, Prince of Abyffinia. His tranflation of Lobo's Voyage to Abyffinia feems to have pointed out that country for the scene of action; and Raffila Chriftos, the General of Sultan Segued, mentioned in that work, most probably suggested the name of the prince. The author wanted to fet out on a journey to Lichfield, in order to pay the last offices of filial piety to his mother, who, at the age of ninety, was then near her diffolution; but money was neceffary. Mr. Johnston, a book feller who has long fince left off business, gave one hundred pounds for the copy. With this fupply Johnfon fet out for Lichfield; but did not arrive in time to close the eyes of a parent whom he loved. He attended the funeral, which, as appears among his memorandums, was on the 23d of January, 1759.

Johnfon now found it neceffary to retrench his expences. He gave up his house in Goughfquare. Mrs. Williams went into lodgings. He retired to Gray's-Inn, and foon removed to chambers in the Inner Temple-lane, where he lived in poverty, total idleness, and the pride of literature,