him in such a manner as to excite his contempt and indignation. The world has been for many years amused with a story confidently told, and as confidently repeated with additional circumstances, that a sudden disgust was taken by Johnson upon occasion of his having been one day kept long in waiting in his lordship's antechamber, for which the reason assigned was, that he had company with him; and that at last, when the door opened, out walked Colley Cibber; and that Johnson was so violently provoked when he found for whom he had been so long excluded, that he went away in a passion, and never would return. I remember having mentioned this story to George Lord Lyttelton, who told me he was very intimate with Lord Chesterfield; and, holding it as a well-known truth, defended Lord Chesterfield by saying, that "Cibber, who had been introduced familiarly by the back-stairs, had probably not been there above ten minutes." It may seem strange even to entertain a doubt concerning a story so long and so widely current, and thus implicitly adopted, if not sanctioned, by the authority which I have mentioned; but Johnson himself assured me, that there was not the least foundation for it. 3 He told me, that there never was any particular incident which produced a quarrel between Lord Chesterfield and him; but that his lordship's continued neglect was the reason why he resolved to have no connection with

IN 1754 I can trace nothing published by him,
except his numbers of the Adventurer, and
"The Life of Edward Cave," in the Gentle-
man's Magazine for February. In biography
there can be no question that he excelled, be-
yond all who have attempted that species of
composition; upon which, indeed, he set the
highest value. To the minute selection of
characteristical circumstances', for which the
ancients were remarkable, he added a philoso-
phical research, and the most perspicuous and
energetic language. Cave was certainly a man
of estimable qualities, and was eminently dili-
gent and successful in his own business, which,
doubtless, entitled him to respect. But he was
peculiarly fortunate in being recorded by
Johnson; who, of the narrow life of a printer
and publisher, without any digressions or ad-
ventitious circumstances, has made an interest-him.
ing and agreeable narrative. 2

The Dictionary, we may believe, afforded Johnson full occupation this year. As it approached to its conclusion, he probably worked with redoubled vigour, as seamen increase their exertion and alacrity when they have a near prospect of their haven.

Lord Chesterfield, to whom Johnson had paid the high compliment of addressing to his lordship the plan of his Dictionary, had behaved to

he called her book, by a whole night spent in festivity. Upon his mentioning it to me, I told him I had never sat up a whole night in my life; but he continuing to press me, and saying, that I should find great delight in it, 1, as did all the rest of our company, consented. The place appointed was the Devil Tavern, and there, about the hour of eight, Mrs. Lenox and her husband, and a lady of her acquaintance, still [1785] living, as also the club, and friends to the number of near twenty, assembled. The supper was elegant, and Johnson had directed that a magnificent hot apple-pie should make a part of it, and this he would have stuck with bay leaves, because, forsooth, Mrs. Lenox was an authoress, and had written verses; and further, he had prepared for her a crown of laurel, with which, but not till he had invoked the Muses by some ceremonies of his own invention, he encircled her brows The night passed, as must be imagined, in pleasant conversation and harmless mirth, Intermingled, at different periods, with the refreshments of coffee and tea. About five, Johnson's face shone with meridian splendour, though his drink had been only lemonade; but the far greater part of the company had deserted the colours of Bacchus, and were with difficulty rallied to partake of a second refreshment of coffee, which was scarcely ended when the day began to dawn. This phenomenon began to put us in mind of our reckoning; but the waiters were all so overcome with sleep, that it was two hours before a bill could be had, and it was not till ne ir eight that the creaking of the street door gave the seal for our departure." CROKER.

1 This is not Johnson's appropriate praise; and, indeed, his want of attention to details is his greatest, if not his only,

When the Dictionary was upon the eve of publication, Lord Chesterfield, who, it is said, had flattered himself with expectations that Johnson would dedicate the work to him, attempted, in a courtly manner, to soothe and insinuate himself with the sage, conscious, as it should seem, of the cold indifference with which he had treated its learned author; and further attempted to conciliate him, by writing two papers in "The World," in recommend

fault, as a biographer. In the whole Life of Savage there is but one date the birth of Savage — and that date is wrong; and no one, from his Life of Cave, would have imagined that Cave (as appears from the same letter, quoted antè, p. 65, n. 3.) had been invited to meet the Prince and Princess of Wales, at a country house. Several details and corrections of errors, with which he was furnished for his Lives of the Poets, were wholly neglected. But, in truth, "the minute selection of characteristic circumstances" was neither the style of Johnsen, nor the fashion of his day, and Mr. Boswell himself has, more than any other writer, contributed to create the public taste for biographical details. — CROKER,

The introductory passage to this Life is, I know not why, omitted in all editions of Johnson's Works. It ought to be restored. See Gent. Mag., vol. 23. p. 55. — Crokir.

3 Hawkins, who lived much with Johnson about this period, attributes the breach between him and Lord Chesterfield to the offence taken by Johnson at being kept waiting during a visit of Cibber's; and Johnson himself, in his celebrated letter, seems to give colour to this latter opinion. He says: "It is seven years since I waited in your outer rooms, or w13 repulsed from your door" These expressions certainly give colour to the long current and implicitly adopted story as told by Hawkins, and sanctioned by Lord Lyttelton. In all this affair, Johnson's account, as given by Boswell, is 13volved in inconsistencies, which seem to prove that his prafe, or his waywardness, had taken offence at what he afterwards felt, in his own heart, to be no adequate cause of animos.ty. -CROKER

ation of the work: and it must be confessed, that they contain some studied compliments, so finely turned, that if there had been no previous offence, it is probable that Johnson would have been highly delighted. Praise, in general, was pleasing to him; but by praise from a man of rank and elegant accomplishments, he was peculiarly gratified. His Lordship says,

"I think the public in general, and the republic of letters in particular, are greatly obliged to Mr. Johnson for having undertaken and executed so great and desirable a work. Perfection is not to be expected from man; but if we are to judge by the various works of Johnson already published, we have good reason to believe, that he will bring this as near to perfection as any man could do. The Plan of it, which he published some years ago, seems to me to be a proof of it. Nothing can be more rationally imagined, or more accurately and elegantly expressed. I therefore recommend the previous perusal of it to all those who intend to buy the Dictionary, and who, I suppose, are all those

who can afford it."

ments.

dare say, very fully supply that want, and greatly contribute to the farther spreading of our language in other countries. Learners were discouraged, by finding no standard to resort to; and, consequently, thought it incapable of any. They will now be undeceived and encouraged."

Johnson, who thought that "all was false and This courtly device failed of its effect. hollow," despised the honied words, and was even indignant that Lord Chesterfield should, for a moment, imagine that he could be the dupe of such an artifice. His expression to me concerning Lord Chesterfield, upon this occasion, was, Sir, after making great professions, he had, for many years, taken no notice of me; but when my Dictionary was coming out, he fell a scribbling in ‘The World' about it. Upon which, I wrote him a letter, expressed in civil terms, but such as might show him that I did not mind what he said or wrote, and that I had done with him."

much has been said, and about which curiosity This is that celebrated letter of which so has been so long excited, without being grati

favour me with a copy of it, that so excellent a composition might not be lost to posterity. He delayed from time to time to give it me2; till at last, in 1781, when we were on a visit at Mr. Dilley's, at Southhill in Bedfordshire, he was pleased to dictate it to me from memory. He afterwards found among his papers a copy of it, which he had dictated to Mr. Baretti, with its title and corrections, in his own handwriting. This he gave to Mr. Langton; adding, that if it were to come into print, he wished it to be from that copy. By Mr. Langton's kindness, I am enabled to enrich my work with a perfect transcript of what the world has so eagerly desired to see.

"It must be owned, that our language is, at present, in a state of anarchy, and hitherto, per-fied. I for many years solicited Johnson to haps, it may not have been the worse for it. During our free and open trade, many words and expressions have been imported, adopted, and natural ized from other languages, which have greatly enriched our own. Let it still preserve what real strength and beauty it may have borrowed from others; but let it not, like the Tarpeian maid, be overwhelmed and crushed by unnecessary ornaThe time for discrimination seems to be now come. Toleration, adoption, and naturalisation have run their length. Good order and authority are now necessary. But where shall we find them, and, at the same time, the obedience due to them? We must have recourse to the old Roman expedient in times of confusion, and choose a dictator. Upon this principle, I give my vote for Mr. Johnson to fill that great and arduous post. And I hereby declare, that I make a total surrender of all my rights and privileges in the English language, as a free-born British subject, to the said Mr. Johnson, during the term of his dictatorship. Nay, more; I will not only obey him like an old Roman, as my dictator, but, like a modern Roman, I will implicitly believe in him as my Pope, and hold him to be infallible while in the chair, but no longer. More than this he cannot well require; for, I presume that obedience can never be expected, when there is neither terror to enforce, nor interest to invite it."

But a Grammar, a Dictionary, and a History of our language through its several stages, were still wanting at home, and importunately called for from abroad. Mr. Johnson's labours will now, I

1 It does not appear that there was any thing like “device" or artifice" in the affair. - CROKER.

2 Dr. Johnson appeared to have had a remarkable delicacy with respect to the circulation of this letter; for Dr.Douglas, bishop of Salisbury, informs me, that having many years ago pressed him to be allowed to read it to the second Lord Hardwicke, who was very desirous to hear it (promising, at the same time, that no copy of it should be taken), Johnson seemed much pleased that it had attracted the attention of a nobleman of such a respectable character; but after pausing some

TO THE EARL OF CHESTERFIELD.

"February 7. 1755.

"MY LORD, I have been lately informed, by the proprietor of The World,' that two papers, in which my Dictionary is recommended to the public, were written by your lordship. To be so distinguished, is an honour, which, being very little accustomed to favours from the great, I know not well how to receive, or in what terms to acknowledge.

"When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your address, and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre3;

time, declined to comply with the request, saying, with a smile, "No, Sir; I have hurt the dog too much already;" or words to that purpose. - BoSWELL. This admission favours my opinion that Johnson, when the first ebullition of temper had subsided, felt that he had been unreasonably violent.CROKER.

No very moderate expectation for "a retired and uncourtly scholar." Johnson's personal manners and habits, even at a later and more polished period of his life, would probably not have been much to Lord Chesterfield's taste; but it must be