on

PROSE WORKS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. 13

Authours.' The Dissertation on the Epitaphs written by Pope

he afterwards acknowledged, and added to his 'Idler.' Life of Sir Thomas Browne prefixed to a new Edition of his Chris.

tian Morals. acknowl. In the Literary Magazine ; or, Universal Review, which began in

January 1756.

His Original Essays are
Preliminary Address. intern. evid.
An introduction to the Political State of Great Britain. intern.

evid.
Remarks on the Militia Bill. intern. evid.
Observations on his Britannick Majesty's Treaties with the

Empress of Russia and the Landgrave of Hesse Cassel. intern.

evid.
Observations on the Present State of Affairs. intern. crid.

Memoirs of Frederick III. King of Prussia. intern. evid.
In the same Magazine his Reviews are of the following Books :

* Birch's History of the Royal Society.'—' Browne's Christian

Morals.'— Warton's Essay on the Writings and Genius of
Pope, Vol. I.'—' Hampton's Translation of Polybius.?-
Isaac Newton's Arguments in Proof of a Deity.' – Borlase's
History of the Isles of Scilly.'—'Home's Experiments on
Bleaching.'-' Browne’s History of Jamaica.'-_ Hales
Distilling Sea Water, Ventilators in Ships, and curing an
ill Taste in Milk.'-'Lucas's Essay on Waters.' --Keith’s
Catalogue of the Scottish Bishops.' — Philosophical Transac-
tions, Vol. XLIX.'-'Miscellanies by Elizabeth Harrison.'-
‘Evans's Map and Account of the Middle Colonies in America.'
-The Cadet, a Military Treatise.'—'The Conduct of the
Ministry relating to the present War impartially examined.'

intern. evid.
Mrs. Lennox's Translation of Sully's Memoirs.'-'Letter on the

Case of Admiral Byng.'—'Appeal to the People concerning
Admiral Bypg.'-Hanway's Eight Days' Journey, and Essay
on Tea.'- Some further Particulars in Relation to the Case of

Admiral Byng, by a Gentleman of Oxford.' acknowl.
Mr. Jonas

Hanway having written an angry Answer to the Review of his Essay on Tea, Johnson in the same Collection made a Reply to it. acknowl. This is the only Instance, it is believed, when he condescended to take Notice of any Thing that had been written against him; and here his chief Intention seems

to have been to make Sport.
Dedication to the Earl of Rochford of, and Preface to, Mr. Payne's

Introduction to the Game of Draughts. acknowl.
Introduction to the London Chronicle, an Evening Paper which

still subsists with deserved credit. acknowl. 1757. Speech on the Subject of an Address to the Throne after the

Expedition to Rochefort; delivered by one of his Friends in some publick Meeting : it is printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for October 1785. intern. evid.

14 A CHRONOLOGICAL CATALOGUE OF THE

The first two Paragraphs of the Preface to Sir William Chambers's

Designs of Chinese Buildings, &c. acknowl. 1758. THE IDLER, which began April 5, in this year, and was continued

till April 5, 1760. acknowl. An Essay on the Bravery of the English Common Soldiers was

added to it when published in Volumes. acknowl. 1759. Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia, a Tale. acknowl.

Advertisement for the Proprietors of the Idler against certain

Persons who pirated those Papers as they came out singly in a Newspaper called the Universal Chronicle or Weekly Gazette.

intern. evid. For Mrs. Charlotte Lennox's English Version of Brumoy,-'A

Dissertation on the Greek Comedy,' and the General Conclu.

sion of the Book. intern. evid.
Introduction to the World Displayed, a Collection of Voyages and

Travels. acknowl.
Three Letters in the Gazetteer, concerning the best plan for Black.

friars Bridge. acknowl. 1760. Address of the Painters to George III. on his Accession to the

Throne. intern. evid.
Dedication of Baretti's Italian and English Dictionary to the

Marquis of Abreu, then Envoy-Extraordinary from Spain at

the Court of Great-Britain. intern, evid. Review in the Gentleman's Magazine of Mr. Tytler's acute and

able Vindication of Mary Queen of Scots. acknowl. Introduction to the Proceedings of the Committee for Cloathing

the French Prisoners. acknowl. 1761. Preface to Rolt's Dictionary of Trade and Commerce. acknowl.

Corrections and Improvements for Mr. Gwyn the Architect's

Pamphlet, intitled Thoughts on the Coronation of George III.'

acknowl. 1762. Dedication to the King of the Reverend Dr. Kennedy's Complete

System of Astronomical Chronology, unfolding the Scriptures,

Quarto Edition. acknowl.
Concluding Paragraph of that Work. intern. evid.

Preface to the Catalogue of the Artists’ Exhibition. intern. evid. 1763. Character of Collins in the Poetical Calendar, published by Fawkes

and Woty. acknowl. Dedication to the Earl of Shaftesbury of the Edition of Roger

Ascham’s English Works, published by the Reverend Mr.

Bennet. acknowl.
The Life of Ascham, also prefixed to that edition. acknowl.
Review of Telemachus, a Masque, by the Reverend George Graham

of Eton College, in the Critical Review. acknowl.
Dedication to the Queen of Mr. Hoole's Translation of Tasso.

acknowl. Account of the Detection of the Imposture of the Cock-Lane

Ghost, published in the Newspapers and Gentleman's Magazine.

acknowl. 1764. Part of a Review of Grainger's 'Sugar Cane, a Poem,' in the

London Chronicle. acknowl.

PROSE WORKS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. 15

Review of Goldsmith's Traveller, a Poem, in the Critical Review.

acknowl.

1765. The Plays of William Shakspeare, in eight volumes, 8vo. with

Notes. acknowl.

1766. The Fountains, a Fairy Tale, in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies.

acknoul.

1767. Dedication to the King of Mr. Adanıs's Treatise on the Globes.

acknowl.

1769. Character of the Reverend Mr. Zachariah Mudge, in the London

Chronicle. acknowl.

1770. The False Alarm. acknowl.

1771. Thoughts on the late Transactions respecting Falkland's Islands.

acknowl.

1772. Defence of a Schoolmaster; dictated to me for the House of

Lords. acknowl.
Argument in Support of the Law of Vicious Intromission ; dic-

tated to me for the Court of Session in Scotland. acknoul.
1773. Preface to Macbean's ' Dictionary of Ancient Geography.' acknowl.

Argument in Favour of the Rights of Lay Patrons ; dictated to me

for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. acknoul.

1774. The Patriot. acknowl.

1775. A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland. acknowl.

Proposals for publishing the Works of Mrs. Charlotte Lennox, in

Three Volumes Quarto. acknowl.

Preface to Baretti's Easy Lessons in Italian and English. intern.evid.

Taxation no Tyranny ; an Answer to the Resolutions and Address

of the American Congress. acknowl.

Argument on the Case of Dr. Memis ; dictated to me for the Court

of Session in Scotland. acknowl.
Argument to prove that the Corporation of Stirling was corrupt;

dictated to me for the House of Lords. aclonowl.
1776. Argument in Support of the Right of immediate, and personal

reprehension from the Pulpit ; dictated to me. acknowl.
Proposals for publishing an Analysis of the Scotch Celtick Lan.

guage, by the Reverend William Shaw. acknowl.

1777. Dedication to the King of the Posthumous Works of Dr. Pearce,

Bishop of Rochester. acknowl.

Additions to the Life and Character of that Prelate ; prefixed to

those Works. acknowl.
Various Papers and Letters in Favour of the Reverend Dr. Dodd.

acknowl.
1780. Advertiseinent for his Friend Mr. Thrale to the Worthy Electors

of the Borough Southwark. acknowl.
The first Paragraph of Mr. Thomas Davies's Life of Garrick,

acknowl.
1781. Prefaces Biographical and Critical to the Works of the most

eminent English Poets ; afterwards published with the Title

of Lives of the English Poets. acknowl.
Argument on the Importance of the Registration of Deeds ; dic-

tated to me for an Election Committee of the House of Commons.
acknowl.

16 A CHRONOLOGICAL CATALOGUE, ETC.

On the Distinction between TORY and WHIG; dictated to me.

acknowl. On Vicarious Punishments, and the great Propitiation for the Sins

of the World, by JESUS CHRIST ; dictated to me. acknowl. Argument in favour of Joseph Knight, an African Negro, who

claimed his Liberty in the Court of Session in Scotland, and

obtained it; dictated to me. acknowl. Defence of Mr. Robertson, Printer of the Caledonian Mercury,

against the Society of Procurators in Edinburgh, for having inserted in his paper a ludicrous Paragraph against them; demonstrating that it was not an injurious Libel; dictated to

me. acknowl. 1782. The greatest part, if not the whole, of a Reply, by the Reverend

Mr. Shaw, to a Person at Edinburgh, of the Name of Clark, refuting his arguments for the authenticity of the Poems published by Mr. James Macpherson as Translations from Ossian.

intern, evid. 1784. List of the Authours of tho Universal History, deposited in the

British Museum, and printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for
December, this year. acknowl.

Various Years.
Letters to Mrs. Thrale. acknowl.
Prayers and Meditations, which he delivered to the Rev. Mr.

Strahan, enjoining him to publish them. acknowl.
Sermons left for Publication by John Taylor, LL.D. Prebendary

of Westminster, and given to the World by the Reverend

Samuel Hayes, A.M. intern. evid. Such was the number and variety of the Prose Works of this extraordinary man, which I have been able to discover, and am at liberty to mention; but we ought to keep in mind, that there must undoubtedly have been many more which are yet concealed; and we may add to the account, the numerous Letters which he wrote, of which a considerable part are yet unpublished. It is hoped that those persons in whose possession they are, will favour the world with them.

JAMES BOSWELL.

*After my death I wish no other herald,
No other speaker of my living actions,
"To keep mine honour from corruption,
But such an honest chronicler as Griffith 1.'

SHAKSPEARE, Henry VIII. [Act IV. Sc. 2.]

1 See Dr. Johnson's letter to Mrs. Thrale, dated Ostick in Skie, September 30, 1773:-'Boswell writes a regular Journal of our travels, which I think contains as much of what I say and do, as of all other occurrences together ; " for such a faithful chronicler is Griffith.”?

To write the Life of him who excelled all mankind in writing the lives of others, and who, whether we consider his extraordinary endowments, or his various works, has been equalled by few in any age, is an arduous, and may be reckoned in me a presumptuous task.

Had Dr. Johnson written his own life, in conformity with the opinion which he has given", that every man's life may be best written by himself ; had he employed in the preservation of his own history, that clearness of narration and elegance of language in which he has embalmed so many eminent persons, the world would probably have had the most perfect example of biography that was ever exhibited. But although he at different times, in a desultory manner, committed to writing many particulars of the progress of his mind and fortunes, he never had persevering diligence enough to form them into a regular composition. Of these memorials a few have been preserved ; but the greater part was consigned by him to the flames, a few days before his death.

As I had the honour and happiness of enjoying his friendship for upwards of twenty years; as I had the scheme of writing his life constantly in view ; as he was well apprised of this circumstance, and from time to time obligingly satisfied my inquiries, by communicating to me the incidents of his early years ; as I acquired a facility in recollecting, and was very assiduous in recording, his conversation, of which the extraordinary vigour and vivacity constituted one of the first features of his character; and as I have spared no pains in obtaining materials concerning him, from every quarter where I could discover that they were to be found, and have been favoured with the most liberal communications by his friends; I flatter myself that few biographers

1 Idler, No. 84.