bid melancholy, his love of fame, his dejection, his tavern-parties, and his wandering reveries, Vacua 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 feveral sheets; but he foon relinquithed the undertaking. It is probable, that he found himself 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. Johnfon'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. Richardfon (the author of Clariffa), and is as follows:

66 SIR,

"I am obliged to entreat your affiftance. “I am now under an arrest for five pounds

..

eighteen fhillings. Mr. Strahan, from "whom I thould have received the neceffary

help in this cafe, is not at home; and I "am afraid of not finding Mr. Millar. If

66

you will be fo good as to fend me this fum "I will very gratefully repay you, and add it "to all former obligations. I am, Sir,

"Your most obedient,

" and most humble fervant,

Gough-fquare, 16 March.”

"SAMUEL JOHNSON.

In the margin of this letter there is a memorandum in thefe words: "March 16, 1756, "Sent fix guineas. Witnefs, Wm. Richard"fon.' For the honour of an admired wriXter it is to be regretted, that we do not find a more liberal entry. To his friend in diftrefs 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 fcenes generofity costs the writer nothing.

About this time Johnson contributed several 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 auspices of the late Mr. Newbery, a man of a projecting head, good taste, and great industry. This employment engroffed but little of Johnfon's time. He refigned himfelf to indolence, took no exercise, rofe about two, and then received the vifits of his friends. Authors, long fince forgotten, waited on him as their oracle, and he gave responses in the chair of criticism. He liftened to the complaints, the fchemes, and the hopes and fears, of a crowd of inferior writers, "who," he faid, 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 history of Grub-street 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. Tea

was

was his favourite beverage; and, when the late Jonas Hanway pronounced his anathema against the use of tea, Johnfon rofe in defence of his habitual practice, declaring himself in that article a hardened finner, "who had for years diluted his meals with “the infusion of that fascinating 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 Shakspeare, which had formerly mifcarried, was refumed in the year 1756. The bookfellers readily agreed to his terms; and subscriptiontickets 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 first number appeared on Saturday, April 15, 1758; and the laft, April 5, 1760. The profits of this work, and the subscriptions for the new edition of Shakspeare, were the means by which he supported himself for four or five years. In 1759 was published

Raffelas,

Raffelas, Prince of Abyffinia. His tranflation of Lobo's Voyage to Abyffinia seems to have pointed out that country for the scene of action; and Raffila Chriftos, the General of Sultan Segued, mentioned in that work, moft probably fuggefted 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 diffolu-` tion; but money was neceffary. Mr. Johnfton, a bookfeller, who has long fince left off business, gave one hundred pounds for the copy. With this supply Johnson set 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.

Beinued states that Rasul wont

Johnfon now found it neceffary to retrench his expences. He gave up his house in Gough-fquare. 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.