ADVERTISEMENT. TWENTY years have elapfed fince the death of Dr. Johnson, during which his character and talents have been scrutinized with a feverity unprecedented in literary biography. There never, indeed, was a human being of whom more may be known by those who have had no opportunity of perfonal acquaintance, and perhaps never a man whofe failings, after having been exposed by imprudence or exaggerated by malice, were fooner forgotten in the esteem excited by his fuperior talents, and steady virtues. Befides many impreffions of his individual pieces, three large editions of his collected works have been bought up by the Publick, and a fourth, which has been loudly called for, is now completed. What Lord Chefterfield faid of Swift, may be as truly applied to this author, "Whoever in the three kingdoms has any books at all, has Johnson." In this edition, I have taken the liberty to omit "Cebes' Table, or the Picture of Human Life." By what means it came to be printed among Dr. Johnfon's productions, I know not, except that there was once a traditionary report that he tranflated it for Dodfley's Preceptor. But internal evidence may be more fafely relied on in the cafe of Dr. Johnson than of almost any other writer, and in this article it is impoffible to discover the most distant resemblance to his style, nor has any of his biographers attributed it to him. The truth is, it was tranflated by Mr. Spence, firft published in the third volume of Dodfley's Museum, in 1747, and copied into the Preceptor the following year. To fill up the fpace occupied by this article, I have fupplied five papers of the ADVENTURER, hitherto omitted by the mistake of Sir John Hawkins, the firft collector of Dr. Johnson's works. I have alfo added fuch of Dr. Johnfon's DEDICATIONS as have been yet difcovered, one or two of which Mr. Bofwell overlooked or rejected. Among these is the Dedication to the Parliament, of a book intitled, "The Evangelical Hiftory of Jefus Chrift." Mr. Bofwell cannot allow that Dr. Johnson wrote this, because he was no croaker, no declaimer against the times." This, however, is contradicted by the tenour of fome of Dr. Johnfon's writings before the present reign, and even by fome of those converfations which Mr. Bofwell has collected. The article is as evidently Johnfonian as any which have been attributed to him from internal evidence; and it was copied into the Literary Journal while he was the editor of that publication. His other DEDICATIONS have been fo long confidered as models of courtly address, addrefs, that no apology feems neceffary for this addition to the many proofs he has given of excellence in every fpecies of compofition. A few illuftrative notes have been appended to fome parts of this edition. The time is not yet come when it will be neceffary to extend this kind of information, but some events and circumstances required explanation, and fome dates were wanting to the leffer pieces. I have only to add that the RAMBLERS and IDLERS were revifed according to the text of the lately collated edition in the BRITISH ESSAYISTS, and several material errors have been corrected. ALEXR CHALMERS. London, January 1806. To Mifs ***** on her giving the Author a Gold and Silk Net-work Purfe of her own weaving 333 To Mifs *****, on her playing upon the Harpsichord Verses, written at the Request of a Gentleman to whom a Lady had given a Sprig of Myrtle |