that Abyffinia, where the Nile rifes, is full of mountains, and, in its natural fituation, is much higher than Ægypt; that in the winter, from June to September, no day is without rain; that the Nile receives in its course, all the rivers, brooks, and torrents, that fall from thofe mountains, and, by neceffary confequence, fwelling above its banks, fills the plains of Egypt with inundations, which come regularly about the month of July, or three weeks after the beginning of the rainy feafon in Ethiopia. The different degrees of this flood are fuch certain indications of the fruitfulnefs or fterility of the enfuing year, that it is publickly proclaimed at Cairo how much the water hath gained during the night."

Such is the account of the Nile and its inundations, which it is hoped, will not be deemed an improper or tedious digreffion, especially as the whole is an extract from Johnfon's tranflation. He is all the time the actor in the fcene, and in his own words relates the ftory. Having finifhed this work, he returned in February, 1734, to his native city, and, in the month of August follow

ing,

ing, published Propofals for printing by fubfcription the Latin Poems of Politian, with the Hiftory of Latin Poetry, from the Era of Petrarch to the time of Politian ; and alfo the Life of Politian, to be added by the Editor, Samuel Johnfon. The book to be printed in thirty octavo fheets, price five fhillings. It is to be regretted that this pro ject failed for want of encouragement. Johnfon, it feems, differed from Boileau, Voltaire, and D'Alembert, who have taken upon them to profcribe all modern efforts to write with elegance in a dead language. For a decifion pronounced in fo high a tone, no good reafon can be affigned. The interefts of learning require, that the diction of Greece and Rome fhould be cultivated with care; and he who can write a language with correctnefs, will be most likely to understand its idiom, its grammar, and its peculiar graces of ftyle. What man of taste would willingly forego the pleasure of reading Vida, Fracafiorius, Sannazaro, Strada, and others, down to the late elegant productions of Bishop Lowth? The history which Johnson propofed to himself would, beyond all queftion, have been a valuable addition to the

history

history of letters; but his project failed. His next expedient was to offer his affiftance to Cave, the original projector of the Gentleman's Magazine. For this purpose he fent his proposals in a letter, offering, on reasonable terms, occafionally to fill fome pages with poems and infcriptions never printed before; with fugitive pieces that deserved to be revived, and critical remarks on authors ancient and modern. Cave agreed to retain him as a correfpondent and contributor to the Magazine. What the conditions were cannot now be known; but, certainly, they were not fufficient to hinder Johnfon from cafting his eyes about him in quest of other employment. Accordingly, in 1735, he made overtures to the reverend Mr. Budworth, Mafter of a Grammar-school at Brerewood, in Staffordshire, to become his affiftant. This propofition did not fucceed. Mr. Budworth apprehended, that the involuntary motions, to which Johnson's nerves were fubject, might make him an object of ridicule with his fcholars, and, by confequence, leffen their respect for their master. Another mode of advancing himself presented itself about this time. Mrs. Porter, the widow of

a mer

a mercer in Birmingham, admired his talents. It is faid that she had about eight hundred pounds; and that sum to a person in Johnson's circumftances was an affluent fortune. A marriage took place; and, to turn his wife's money to the best advantage, he projected the fcheme of an academy for education. Gilbert Walmsley, at that time Registrar of the Ecclefiaftical Court of the Bishop of Lichfield, was distinguished by his erudition and the politenefs of his manners. He was the friend of Johnson, and, by his weight and influence, endeavoured to promote his intereft. The celebrated Garrick, whofe father, Captain Garrick, lived at Lichfield, was placed in the new feminary of education by that gentleman's advice.Garrick was then about eighteen years old. An acceffion of feven or eight pupils was the most that could be obtained, though notice was given by a public advertisement *, that at Edial, near Lichfield, in Staffordfhire, young Gentlemen are boarded and taught the Latin and Greek Languages, by Samuel Johnson.

* See the Gentleman's Magazine for 1736, p. 418.

The

The undertaking proved abortive. Johnfon, having now abandoned all hopes of promoting his fortune in the country, determined to become an adventurer in the world at large. His young pupil, Garrick, had formed the fame refolution; and, accordingly, in March, 1737, they arrived in London together. Two fuch candidates for fame perhaps never, before that day, entered the metropolis together. Their ftock of money was foon exhausted. In his visionary project of an academy Johnson had probably wafted his wife's fubftance; and Garrick's father had little more than his half-pay.The two fellow-travellers had the world before them, and each was to choose his road to fortune and to fame. They brought with them genius, and powers of mind, peculiarly formed by nature for the different vocations to which each of them felt himself inclined. They acted from the impulfe of young minds, even then meditating great things, and with courage anticipating fuccefs. Their friend Mr. Walmsley, by a letter to the Rev. Mr. Colfon, who, it feems, was a great mathematician, exerted his good of

fices