interview was fought by the king without the knowledge of Johnson. His majesty, among other things, asked the author of so many valuable works, if he intended to publish any more? Johnfon modestly anfwered, that he thought he had written enough. "And so should I too," replied the king, " if you had not written so well." Johnson was highly pleased with his majefty's courteousness; and afterwards observed to Mr. Langton, Sir, his manners are those of as fine a gentleman as we may suppose Lewis XIV. or Charles II." Johnfon had now arrived at that eminence which is the prize that cultivated genius always struggles for, and but feldom obtains. His fortune, though not great, was adequate to his wants, and of most honourable acquisition; for it was derived from the produce of his labours, and the rewards which his country had bestowed upon merit. He received during life that K unqualified applause from the world, which iş in general paid only to departed excellence, and he beheld his fame seated firmly in the public mind, without the danger of its being shaken by obloquy, or the hazard of its being shared by a rival. He could number among his friends the greatest and most improved talents of the country. His company was courted by wealth, dignity, and beauty. His many peculiarities were overlooked, or forgotten in the admiration of his understanding; while his virtues were regarded with veneration, and his opinions adopted with fubmiffion. Of the usual insensibility of mankind to living merit, Johnson, at least, had no reason to complain. In 1768, nothing of his writing was given to the public, except the Prologue to his friend Goldsmith's comedy of the "Good Natured Man." In 1769, he was altogether quiefcent as an author. On the establishment of the Royal Academy this year, he accepted the title of Professor of Ancient Literature. In 1770, he published a political pamphlet, intituled The False Alarm, 8vo.; intended to justify the conduct of ministry, and their majority in the House of Commons, for having virtually affumed it as an axiom, that the expulfion of a member of parliament was equivalent to exclufion, and their having declared Colonel Luttrel to be duly elected for the county of Middlesex, notwithstanding Mr. Wilkes had a great majority of votes. This being very justly confidered as a gross violation of the right of election, an alarm for the constitution extended itself all over the kingdom. To prove this alarm to be false, was the purpose of Johnson's pamphlet; but his arguments and eloquence failed of effect, and the House of Commons has fince erafed the 1 offenfive resolution from the journals. This pamphlet has great merit in point of language; but it contains much gross mifrepresentation, and much malignity, and abounds with fuch arbitrary principles, as are totally inconfiftent with a free conftitution. The next year, 1771, he defended the measures adopted by the ministry, in the difpute with the court of Spain, in a pamphlet, intituled Thoughts on the late Tranfactions refpecting Falkland's Island, 8vo. On the subject of Falkland's Islands, spots 66 thrown afide from human use, barren in summer, and stormy in winter," he appears to have followed the direction, and adopted the opinions which a pufillanimous adminiftration wished to inculcate. They were certainly erroneous in a political view; and if they were his own, show, that on fuch subjects he was incapable of forming a just opinion. His description of the miseries of war, in this pamphlet, is a fine piece of eloquence; and his character of Junius is executed with all the force of his genius, and with the highest care. When Johnson shone in the plenitude of his political glory, from the celebrity of his ministerial pamphlets, an attempt was made to bring him into the House of Commons, by Mr. Strahan, the king's printer, who was himself in parliament, and wrote to the fecretary of the treasury upon the fubject; but the application was unfucceffful. Whether there were any particular reasons for the refusal, has not transpired. That Johnfon very much wished to try his hand" in the fenate, he has himself declared; but that he would have fucceeded as a parliamentary speaker, is at least doubtful. Few have diftinguished themselves as orators, who have not begun the practice of speaking in public early in life; and it may be doubted whether the habits |