sion to the wines of Ferney was meant for me, I rather think, from my having taken a plan of a tragedy from Voltaire.

361. Mrs. Percy. Easton Mauduit.

Mrs. Percy, afterwards nurse to the Duke of Kent, at Buckingham House, told me that Johnson once stayed near a month with them at their dull Parsonage at Easton Mauduit (1); that Dr. Percy looked out all sorts of books to be ready for his amusement after breakfast, and that Johnson was so attentive and polite to her, that, when Dr. Percy mentioned the literature proposed in the study, he said, "No, Sir, I shall first wait upon Mrs. Percy to feed the ducks." But those halcyon days were about to change, not as to Mrs. Percy, for to the last she remained a favourite with him. 362. Dr. Percy's Charity Sermon. "The Idler."

I happened to be in London once when Dr. Percy returned from Northumberland, and found that he was expected to preach a charity sermon almost immediately. This had escaped his memory, and he said, that 66 though much fatigued, he had been obliged to sit up very late to furnish out something from former discourses; but, suddenly recollecting that Johnson's fourth "Idler" (2) was exactly to his purpose, he had freely engrafted the greatest part of it." He preached, and his discourse was much admired; but being requested to print it, he most strenuously opposed the honour intended him, till he was assured by the governors, that it was absolutely necessary, as the annual contributions greatly depended on the account that was given in the appendix. In this dilemma, he earnestly requested that

(1) [In the summer of 1764, Johnson paid a visit to Dr. Percy at his vicarage in Easton Mauduit, and spent parts of the months of June, July, and August with him.]

(2) [On Charities and Hospitals.]

I would call upon Dr. Johnson, and state particulars. I assented, and endeavoured to introduce the subject with all due solemnity; but Johnson was highly diverted with his recital, and, laughing, said, "Pray, Sir, give my kind respects to Dr. Percy, and tell him, I desire he will do whatever he pleases in regard to my 'Idler;' it is entirely at his service."

363. Gibbon.

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But these days of friendly communication were, from various causes, speedily to pass away, and worse than indifference to succeed; for, one morning Dr. Percy said to Mr. Cradock, "I have not seen Dr. Johnson for a long time. I believe I must just call upon him, and greatly wish that you would accompany me. I intend," said he, "to tease him a little about Gibbon's pamphlet." "I hope not, Dr. Percy," was my reply. "Indeed I shall; for I have a great pleasure in combating his narrow prejudices." We went together; and Dr. Percy opened with some anecdotes from Northumberland House; mentioned some rare books that were in the library; and then threw out that the town rang with applause of Gibbon's Reply to Davis;" that the latter "had written before he had read," and that the two "confederate doctors,” as Mr. Gibbon termed them, "had fallen into some strange Johnson said, he knew nothing of Davis's pamphlet, nor would he give him any answer as to Gibbon; but, if the "confederate doctors," as they were termed, had really made such mistakes as he alluded to, they were blockheads. Dr. Percy talked on in the most careless style possible, but in a very lofty tone; and Johnson appeared to be excessively angry. I only wished to get released: for, if Dr. Percy had proceeded to inform him, that he had lately introduced Mr. Hume to dine at the King's chaplain's table, there must have been an explosion.

errors."

364. "The Hermit of Warkworth.”

With all my partiality for Johnson, I freely declare, that I think Dr. Percy received very great cause to take real offence at one, who, by a ludicrous parody on a stanza in the "Hermit of Warkworth," had rendered him contemptible. It was urged, that Johnson only meant to attack the metre; but he certainly turned the whole poem into ridicule:

"I put my hat upon my head,

And walk'd into the Strand,
And there I met another man
With his hat in his hand."

Mr. Garrick, in a letter to me, soon afterwards asked me, "Whether I had seen Johnson's criticism on the 'Hermit?' it is already," said he, "over half the town." Almost the last time that I ever saw Johnson, he said to me," Notwithstanding all the pains that Dr. Farmer and I took to serve Dr. Percy, in regard to his 'Ancient Ballads,' he has left town for Ireland (1), without taking leave of either of us."

365. Roxana and Statira.

Mr. Nichols, in his entertaining "Literary Anecdotes," has justly remarked, that Johnson was not always that surly companion he was supposed to be, and gives as an instance rather an impertinent joke of mine about Alexander and his two queens, and Johnson's goodhumoured reply, that "in his family it had never been ascertained which was Roxana and which was Statira (2);" but I then had got experience, and pretty well knew when I might safely venture into the lion's mouth.

(1) See antè, p. 194. Dr. Percy was made Bishop of Dromore in 1782.-C.

(2) Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Desmoulins. — C.

366. 66 Baiting the Bear."

Admiral Walsingham, who sometimes resided at Windsor, and sometimes in Portugal Street, frequently boasted that he was the only man to bring together miscellaneous parties, and make them all agreeable; and, indeed, there never before was so strange an assortment as I have occasionally met there. At one of his dinners, were the Duke of Cumberland (1), Dr. Johnson, Mr. Nairn, the optician, and Mr. Leoni, the singer: at another, Dr. Johnson, &c., and a young dashing officer. who determined, he whispered, to attack the old bear that we seemed all to stand in awe of. There was a

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good dinner, and during that important time Johnson was deaf to all impertinence. However, after the wine had passed rather freely, the young gentleman was resolved to bait him, and venture out a little further. Now, Dr. Johnson, do not look so glum, but be a little gay and lively, like others: what would you give, old gentleman, to be as young and sprightly as I am ?” "Why, Sir," said he, "I think I would almost be content to be as foolish."

Johnson, it is well known, professed to recruit his acquaintance with younger persons, and, in his latter days, I, with a few others, were more frequently honoured by his notice. At times he was very gloomy, and would exclaim, "Stay with me, for it is a comfort to me". a comfort that any feeling mind would wish to administer to a man so kind, though at times so boisterous, when he seized your hand, and repeated, "Ay, Sir, but to die and go we know not where," &c.

(1) It is possible Dr. Johnson may have been acquainted with the Hon. Robert Boyle, who took the name of Walsingham; but it is hardly possible that Dr. Johnson should have met the Duke of Cumberland at dinner without Mr. Boswell's having mentioned it. - - C.

-here his morbid melancholy prevailed, and Garrick never spoke so impressively to the heart. Yet, to see him in the evening (though he took nothing stronger than lemonade), a stranger would have concluded that our morning account was a fabrication. No hour was too late to keep him from the tyranny of his own gloomy thoughts. A gentleman venturing to say to Johnson, "Sir, I wonder sometimes that you condescend so far as to attend a city club." "Sir, the great chair of a full and pleasant club is, perhaps, the throne of human felicity."

368. Lives of the Poets.

I had not the honour to be at all intimate with Johnson till about the time he began to publish his Lives of the Poets; and how he got through that arduous labour is, in some measure, still a mystery to me: he must have been greatly assisted by booksellers. (1) I had some time before lent him "Euripides" with Milton's manuscript notes: this, though he did not minutely examine (see Joddrel's "Euripides"), yet he very handsomely returned it, and mentioned it in his Life of Milton. (2) In the course of conversation one day I dropped out to him, that Lord Harborough (3) (then the Rev.) was in possession of a very valuable collection of manuscript poems, and that amongst them there were two or three in the handwriting of King James I.; that they were bound up handsomely in folio, and were entitled "Sackville's Poems." These he solicited me to borrow for him, and Lord Harborough very kindly intrusted them to me for his perusal.

(1) The original MS. is still extant, and it appears that he had very little assistance, and none at all from the booksellers. - C.

(2) "His Euripides' is, by Mr. Cradock's kindness, now in my hands: the margin is sometimes noted, but I have found nothing remarkable." — Life of Milton.-C.

(3) The Rev. Robert Sherrard, who became on the death of his elder brother, in 1770, fourth Earl of Harborough.— C.