LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Frontispiece, Johnson's interview with George III. Title-page, Portrait of Johnson, from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Edmund Burke, from a scarce etching Dr. Johnson's Chair, sketched from the original, in the possession of PAGE 9 14 17 29 30 Old Buckingham House, from a scarce print 31 Portrait of Fielding, from a sketch by Hogarth 39 Portrait of Dr. Robertson, from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds Portrait of Dr. Mounsey, from an old print 47 Stratford Jubilee, from an original drawing 50 Boswell in the costume of a Corsican Chief, from an engraving Portrait of Mr. William Strahan, the King's Printer, from the original Portrait of the Hon. Thomas Erskine, from a scarce print 115 General Oglethorpe, from a sketch by Samuel Ireland 118 George Steevens, from a painting by Zoffani 134 Johnson at St. Clement Danes Church, from an original sketch 140 144 154 Johnson's fit of laughter at the Temple Gate, from an original drawing James Macpherson, from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds Court-yard of Mr. Strahan's House, from an original drawing PAGE 170 171 173 184 188 202 206 208 210 211 218 223 227 245 253 Johnson and Madame de Boufflers, from an original drawing Mr. Hector, from an original drawing in the possession of William Salt, Esq. 292 The Three Crowns Inn, from an original sketch, 1851 295 296 The Bishop's Palace, Lichfield, from an original sketch, 1851 299 300 Mrs. Lucy Porter's House, from an original sketch, 1851 BOSWELL RETURNS TO ENGLAND-VOLTAIRE'S COMPARISON OF POPE AND DRYDEN -GOLDSMITH'S "TRAVELLER," AND "DESERTED VILLAGE"-RENEWAL OF THE SUPPERS AT THE MITRE-JOHNSON'S OPINIONS OF ROUSSEAU-SPECIMENS OF HIS FAMILIAR CONVERSATIONS-LETTERS TO BENNET LANGTON-JOHNSON'S CRITICISM ON THE LATIN IN BOSWELL'S THESIS-BOSWELL'S REPLY-PUBLICATION OF MRS. ANNA WILLIAMS'S MISCELLANIES-JOHNSON ADVOCATES THE TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE IN GAELIC-CUTHBERT SHAW-THE HON. THOMAS HERVEY. N 1764 and 1765 it should seem that Dr. Johnson was so busily employed with his edition of Shakspeare, as to have had little leisure for any other literary exertion, or, indeed, even for private correspondence. He did not favour me with a single letter for more than two years, for which it will appear that he afterwards apologised. He was, however, at all times ready to give assistance to his friends, and others, in revising their works, and in writing for them, or greatly improving their dedications. In that courtly species of composition no man excelled Dr. Johnson. Though the loftiness of his mind prevented him from ever dedicating in his own person, he wrote a very great number of dedications for others. Some of these, the persons who were favoured with them, are unwilling should be mentioned, from a too anxious apprehension, as I think, that they might be suspected of having received larger assistance; and some, after all the diligence I have bestowed, have escaped my inquiries. He told me, a great many years ago, "he believed he had dedicated to all the royal family round; and it was indifferent to him what was the subject of the work dedicated, provided it were innocent. He once dedicated some music for the German flute, to Edward Duke of York. In writing dedications for others, he considered himself as by no means speaking his own sentiments. Notwithstanding his long silence, I never omitted to write to him, when I had any thing worthy of communicating. I generally kept copies of my letters to him, that I might have a full view of our correspondence, and never be at a loss to understand any reference in his letters. He kept the greater part of mine very carefully; and a short time before his death was attentive enough to seal them up in bundles, and order them to be delivered to me, which was accordingly done. Amongst them I found one, of which I had not made a copy, and which I own I read with pleasure at the distance of almost twenty years. It is dated November, 1765, at the palace of Pascal Paoli, in Corte, the capital of Corsica, and is full of generous enthusiasm. After giving a sketch of what I had seen and heard in that island, it proceeded thus:"I dare to call this a spirited tour. I dare to challenge your approbation.' This letter produced the following answer, which I found on my arrival at Paris: "À M. M. BOswell, chez MR. WATERS, BANQUIER, À PARIS. "DEAR SIR, "Johnson's-court, Fleet street, January 14, 1766. "Apologies are seldom of any use. We will delay till your arrival the reasons, good or bad, which have made me such a sparing and ungrateful correspondent. Be assured, for the present, that nothing has lessened either the esteem or love with which I dismissed you at Harwich. Both have been increased by all that I have been told of you by yourself or others; and when you return, you will return to an unaltered, and, I hope, unalterable friend. 'All that you have to fear from me is the vexation of disappointing me. No man loves to frustrate expectations which have been formed in his favour; and the pleasure which I promise myself from your journals and remarks is so great, that perhaps no degree of attention or discernment will be sufficient to afford it. "Come home, however, and take your chance. I long to see you, and to hear you; and hope that we shall not be so long separated again. Come home, and expect such welcome as is due to him, whom a wise and noble curiosity has led, where perhaps no native of this country ever was before. I have no news to tell you that can deserve your notice; nor would I willingly lessen the pleasure that any novelty may give you at your return. I am afraid we shall find it difficult to keep among us a mind which has been so long feasted with variety. But let us try what esteem and kindness can effect. |