1759. Etat. 50% Etat. 51. If it should be remarked that this was a contro verfy which lay quite out of Johnfon's way, let it be remembered, that after all, his employing his powers of reafoning and eloquence upon a fubject which he had ftudied on the moment, is not more strange than what we often observe in lawyers, who, as Quicquid agunt homines is the matter of law-fuits, are fometimes obliged to pick up a temporary knowledge of an art or science, of which they understood nothing till their brief was delivered, and appear to be much mafters of it. In like manner, members of the legislature frequently introduce and expatiate upon fubjects of which they have informed themselves for the occafion. In 1760 he wrote "An Addrefs of the Painters to George III. on his Acceffion to the Throne of thefe Kingdoms,t" which no monarch ever ascended with more fincere congratulations from his foreigners." Whoever has contemplated, placido lumine, this ftately, elegant, and airy structure, which has fo fine an effect, especially on approaching the capital on that quarter, must wonder at fuch unjust and ill-tempered cenfure; and I appeal to all foreigners of good tafte, whether this bridge be not one of the moft diftinguished ornaments of London. As to the ftability of the fabrick, it is certain that the City of London took every precaution to have the best Portland ftone for it; but as this is to be found in the quarries belonging to the publick, under the direction of the Lords of the Treafury, it fo happened that parliamentary intereft, which is often the bane of fair pursuits, thwarted their endeavours. Notwithstanding this disadvantage, . it is well known that not only has Blackfriars-bridge never funk either in its foundation or in its arches, which were fo much the fubject of contest, but any injuries which it has fuffered from the effects of fevere frofts have been already, in fome measure, repaired with founder ftone, and every neceffary renewal can be completed at a moderate expence, people. 1760. people. Two generations of foreign princes had prepared their minds to rejoice in having again a cat. 51. King, who gloried in being "born a Briton. He also wrote for Mr. Baretti the Dedication of his Italian and English Dictionary, to the Marquis of Abreu, then Envoy Extraordinary from Spain at the Court of Great-Britain. Johnson was now either very idle, or very bufy with his Shakspeare; for I can find no other publick compofition by him except an account which he gave in the Gentleman's Magazine of Mr. Tytler's acute and able vindication of Mary Queen of Scots.* The generofity of Johnfon's feelings shines forth in the following fentence: "It has now been fashionable, for near half a century, to defame and vilify the houfe of Stuart, and to exalt and magnify the reign of Elizabeth. The Stuarts have found few apologifts; for the dead cannot pay for praife, and who will, without reward, oppofe the tide of popularity? Yet there remains ftill among us, not wholly extinguished, a zeal for truth, a defire of establishing right in oppofition to fashion." In this year I have not discovered a single private letter written by him to any of his friends, It fhould feem, however, that he had at this period a floating intention of writing a history of the recent and wonderful fucceffes of the British arms in all quarters of the globe; for among his refolutions or memorandums, September 18, there is, "Send for books for Hift. of War." How much is it to be regretted that this intention was not fulfilled. His ma4 Prayers and Meditations, p. 42. 6 jestick ' Etat. 51. i 1760. jestic expreffion would have carried down to the lateft posterity the glorious achievements of his country, with the fame fervent glow which they produced on the mind at the time. He would have been under no temptation to deviate in any degree from truth, which he held very facred, or to take a licence, which a learned divine told me he once feemed, in a converfation, jocularly to allow to hiftorians. "There are (faid he) inexcusable lies, and confecrated lies. For inftance, we are told that on the arrival of the news of the unfortunate battle of Fontenoy, every heart beat, and every eye was in tears. Now we know that no man eat his dinner the worfe, but there should have been all this concern; and to fay there was, (fmiling) may be reckoned a confecrated lie." This year Mr. Murphy, having thought himself ill-treated by the Reverend Dr. Franklin, who was one of the writers of "The Critical Review," published an indignant vindication in "A Poetical Epistle to Samuel Johnfon, A, M." in which he compliments Johnson in a juft and elegant manner: "Transcendant Genius! whofe prolifick vein Say, pow'rful JOHNSON, whence thy verfe is fraught « Or Or fair IRENE fees, alas! too late "Her innocence exchang'd for guilty state; "Whate'er you write, in every golden line "Sublimity and elegance combine; Thy nervous phrafe impreffes every foul, "While harmony gives rapture to the whole." Again, towards the conclufion: "Thou then, my friend, who fee'ft the dang'rous ftrife "In which fome demon bids me plunge my life, "To the Aonian fount direct my feet, Say where the Nine thy lonely musings meet? "Where warbles to thy ear the facred throng, Thy moral fenfe, thy dignity of fong? "Tell, for you can, by what unerring art "You wake to finer feelings every heart; "In each bright page fome truth important give, “And bid to future times thy RAMBLER live." I take this opportunity to relate the manner in which an acquaintance first commenced between Dr. Johnson and Mr. Murphy. During the publication of "The Gray's-Inn Journal," a periodical paper which was fuccefsfully carried on by Mr. Murphy alone, when a very young man, he happened to be in the country with Mr. Foote; and having mentioned that he was obliged to go to London in order to get ready for the prefs one of the numbers of that Journal, Foote faid to him, "You need not go on that account. Here is a French magazine, in which you will find a very VOL. I. Y pretty 1760. Etat. 51. pretty oriental tale; tranflate that, and send it to your printer." Mr. Murphy having read the tale, was highly pleased with it, and followed Foote's advice. When he returned to town, this tale was pointed out to him in "The Rambler," from whence it had been tranflated into the French magazinę. Mr. Murphy then waited upon Johnson, to explain this curious incident. His talents, literature, and gentleman-like manners, were foon perceived by Johnson, and a friendship was formed which was never broken. Johnfon, who was ever awake to the calls of humanity, wrote this year an Introduction* to the proceedings of the Committee for cloathing the French prisoners. In 1761 Johnson appears to have done little. He was still, no doubt, proceeding in his edition of Shakspeare; but what advances he made in it cannot be ascertained. He certainly was at this time not active; for in his fcrupulous examination of himself on Eafter eve, he laments, in his too rigorous mode of cenfuring his own conduct, that his life, fince the communion of the preceding Eafter, had been "diffipated and ufelefs "" He, however, contributed this year the Preface* to "Rolt's Dictionary of Trade and Commerce," in which he displays fuch a clear and comprehenfive knowledge of the fubject, as might lead the reader to think that its authour had devoted all his life to it. I afked him, whether he knew much of Rolt, "Sir, (faid he) I never faw the and of his work. Prayers and Meditations, p. 44. man, |