Be pleased to favour me with a speedy answer, if you are not willing to engage in this fcheme; and appoint me a day to wait on you, if you are. I am, Sir, your humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON.' In confequence of this letter, Johnfon and Cave were drawn into a clofer intimacy. Garrick now profeffed his intention to embark as an actor, and, to give Cave a fpecimen of his talents, acted in the room over St. John's Gate (where Cave lived) the character of the Mock Doctor. man. Of Cave's character it is unneceffary to fay any thing in this place, as doctor Johnfon has given the life of that extraordinary Bred to no profeffion, without relations, friends, or intereft, Johnson was now an adventurer in the wide world. The arts of infinuation he did not understand: with his natural roughness, approaching to ferocity, he rather chose to display his parts, at the risk of being thought arrogant, than to wait either for patronage, or the recommendation of friends. With all the afperity of his manners, from which many revolted, he felt the tender fenfations of pity, friendship, and compaffion, in a most eminent degree. He related to a mixed company the fingular fate of doctor Nicholas Hodges, who, during the plague in London, in 1665, was almoft the only phyfician who ftaid in London, and offered his art to the fpreading contagion. After this extraordinary effort of virtue, that very man died a prifoner for debt in Ludgate. His biographer heard him tell this anecdote with tears ready to ftart from his eyes: "Such a man, he faid, would not have been fuffered to perifh in these times." Johnfon had been commended by Pope for his tranflation of the Meilah into Latin verfe: but he knew no approach to fo eminent a man. With one, however, who was connected with Pope, he became acquainted at St. John's Gate, and that perfon was no other than the well-known Richard Savage. Of this man, Johnfon has written the life with great elegance, and depth of moral reflection. Sir John Hawkins tells us that Savage took off his hat with a good air, and made a graceful bow. These charms, he fays, might operate upon Johnfon, who had not been used to genteel company; but if, according to the biographer's notion, he never raw the face of his wife, how fhould he perceive the graces of Savage? Johnson commenced an intimacy with this extraordinary perfon. Both had great parts, and they were equally under the preffure of want. They had a fellow-feeling, and fympathy united them clofer. Johnfon has been often heard to tell, that he and Savage walked round Grofvenor- fquare till four in the morning, in the course of their converfation reforming the world, dethroning princes, establishing new forms of government, giving laws to different ftates; and when at laft fatigued with their legiflative office, they wanted refreshment, both together could not make up more than the fum of fourpence halfpenny. With this man, Johnfon lived in intimacy till the beginning of 1738, when Savage, upon the ftrength of a subscription raised by his friends (chiefly by Mr. Pope), was to retire from the vices of the metropolis to Swanfea in Wales. About this time Johnson finished his Imitation of the third fatire of Juvenal; the first lines anticipate the retreat of his friend Savage: Refolv'd at length from vice and London far To breathe in diftant fields a purer air, And fix'd on Cambria's folitary fhore, Give to St. David one true Briton more. This poem, when finifhed, was offered to Cave, as appears by the following letters: 6 SIR, • When I took the liberty of writing to you a few days ago, I did not expect a repetition of the fame pleafure fo foon, for a pleasure I fhall always think it to converfe in any manner with an ingenious and candid man; but having the inclofed poem in my hands to difpofe of for the benefit of the Author (of whofe abilities I fhall fay nothing fince I fend you his performance), I believed I could not procure more advantageous terms from any perfon than from you, who have fo much diftinguished yourself by your generous encouragement of poetry, and whofe judgment of that art, nothing but your commendation of my trifle can give me any occafion to call in queftion. I do not doubt but you will look over this poem. with another eye, and reward it in a different manner from a mercenary bookseller, who counts the lines he is to purchase, and confiders nothing but the bulk. I cannot help taking notice that, befides what the author may hope for on account of his abilities, he has likewife another claim to your regard, as he lies at prefent under very disadvantageous circumstances of fortune. I beg, therefore, that you will favour me with a letter to-morrow, that I may know what you can afford to allow him, that he may either part with it to you, or find out (which I do not expect) fome other way more to his fatisfaction. I have only to add, that I am fenfible I have tranfcribed it very coarfely, which, after having altered it, I was obliged to do. I will, if you pleafe to tranfmit the fheets from the prefs, correct it for you, and will take the trouble of altering any stroke of fatire which you may diflike. By exerting on this occafion your ufual generofity, you will not only encourage learning, and relieve diftrefs, but (though it be, in comparison of the other motives, of very small account) oblige, in a very fenfible manner, Sir, your very humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON.' Monday, No. 6, Caftle-street. SIR, I am to return you thanks for the prefent you were fo kind to fend me, and to entreat that you will be pleafed to inform me, by If by the penny-poft, whether you refolve to print the poem. SAM. JOHNSON.' It happened, however, that the late Mr. Dodley became the purchafer, at the price, as his biographer thinks, of 501. If Pope was importunate to know the Author of the piece, the fecret, which Dodley knew, would not have remained concealed, especially when the difcovery might have been of the greatest advantage to Mr. Johnfon: Pope, however, faid he would not be long concealed: for this remark he did not need to recollect what Milton faid of a beautiful woman, "Whoever thou art, thou canst not long be concealed;" because Terence had faid long before; Ubi, ubi eft, diu celari non poteft. Sir John Hawkins adds, that Johnson, in this poem, has adopted the vulgar topics of the time, to gratify the malevolence of a faction: this is dogmatically faid, but we hope not to pay court to any perfon, or party, of the prefent day. Johnfon heated his mind with the ardour of Juvenal, and he wrote with the fpirit and energy of a fine poet, and a fharp accufer of the times. As Dodley kept the fecret, it is no wonder that Johnson gained no patronage by his poem. If he wrote for a faction, as his biographer thinks, that faction would have embraced, with open arms, a man fo eminently qualified to ferve their views. No fuch thing happened. Johnion, with all the fame of his poetry, went in August 1738, to offer himself a candidate for the mastership of the fchool at Appleby in Leicesterfhire, which happened then to be vacant. The ftatutes of the place required, that the perfon chofen, fhould be a mafter of arts. To remove this objection, he found means to obtain the intereft of the late lord Gower with a friend of his lordship's, in order to procure for Johnfon a mafter's degree in the uni verfity verfity of Dublin, by the recommendation of doctor Swift, This expedient failed. There is reafon to think, that Swift declined to meddle in the bufinefs; and to this circumftance, Johnfon's known diflike of Swift has been often imputed. Johnfon, thus difappointed, returned to London, and pubJifhed propofals for a tranflation of Father Paul's Hiftory of the Council of Trent, in two volumes quarto: twelve fheets of the work were printed off; but a like defign being offered to the Public, from another quarter, under the patronage of doctor Zachary Pearce, both attempts were fruftrated. Of Johnson's nothing now remains. His mind, however, was keen, vigorous, and active. He formed a multiplicity of projects (of which more in our Appendix to his Life), but all were either foreftalled by others, or abandoned for want of encouragement. In November 1738, he published, at Cave's, a translation of the famous Croufaz's remarks on Pope, bearing the title of "An Examination of Mr. Pope's Effay on Man: containing a fuccinct View of the Syftem of the Fatalifts, and a Confutation of their Opinions; with an Illuftration of the Doctrine of Free Will, and an Inquiry what View Mr. Pope might have in touching upon the Leibnitzian Philofophy and Fatalifm. By Mr. Croufaz, Profeffor of Philofophy and Mathematics at Laufanne." To this tranflation Johníon did not fet his name. It is well known that Warburton undertook the defence of Pope. There is a letter of Johnson's to Cave, relating to the publication of Croufaz's work, remarkable for the conclusion: "I am, Sir, your's, Impranfus." If by the expreffion was meant, that he had not dined, becaufe he had not the means, who can read it, even at this hour, without an aching heart? In 1739, Johnfon joined in the clamour against Sir Robert Walpole. He published a pamphlet, intitled, "MARMOR NORFOLCIENSE, or an Effay on an ancient prophetical Infcription, in Monkish Rhyme, lately difcovered near Lynn in Norfolk; by Probus Britannicus." This piece, according to the Biographer's account, abounds with Jacobitifm, rails at ftanding armies, and complains that the Hanover horfe was fucking the blood of the British lion. A warrant was iffued, and meffengers were employed to apprehend the author, who, it seems, was known. To elude his purfuers, he retired with his wife to Lambeth Marth, and there lay concealed in an obfcure lodging, till the ftorm fubfided. Before his biographer brought this matter to light, we did not know that Johnson had ever been fo unworthily employed. In the fame year, 1739, the licenser of theatrical pieces forbad the reprefentation of a tragedy, called Guftavus Vafa, by Henry Brooke. To juftify the rejection of this play, Sir John Hawkins felects a few paffages, not one of which would give umbrage at this day. If Sir John's notions of a feditious libel are fuch fuch as he himself reprefents, it is well for mankind that he is no longer Chairman of the Quarter-feffions. Johnfon wrote a pamphlet on this occafion; it was called "A Vindication of the Licenfers of the Stage from the malicious and fcandalous Afperfions of Mr. Brooke, Author of Gustavus Vala" 4to. 1739. Under the mask of irony, it was a factious invective: but of this piece, and the Marmor Norfolcienfe (which we have never feen), the biographer fays, that they have neither learning nor wit, nor a single ray of that genius, which has fince blazed forth. Peace be to their manes ! About the end of 1739, a fubfcription was completed for Savage, who was to retire to Swanfea. Johnson then lodged at Greenwich, and there parted with the companion of his midnight rambles, never to fee him more. This feparation was, perhaps, a real advantage to Johnfon. In the company of Savage he loved wine and ftrong liquors, and, perhaps, from an example fo contagious, contracted that delight in midnight hours, and many other habits, which through the reft of his life he was not able to conquer. His abftinence from wine and ftrong liquors began foon after the lofs of Savage, and continued from that time, with little variation, to the end of his life. But indolence and diffipation of time till prevailed. He never went to reft at regular hours, nor could he, with all his efforts, rife at eight. During his connection with Savage, a fhort separation took place between Johnfon and his wife: they were, however, foon brought together again. Johnfon loved her, and fhewed his affection in various modes of gallantry, which Garrick used to mimic. The affectation of fashionable airs did not fit eafy on Johnfon: his gallantry was received by the wife with the flutter of a coquette; and both, we may believe, expofed themselves to ridicule. Hitherto Johnfon lodged for the greatest part of his time in Exeter-ftreet, behind Exeter change in the Strand. Though he folicited Cave in 1734, yet the Magazine was provided with fuch various affiftance, that he was not fufficiently employed. He gave the lives of Boerhaave, Blake, Barratier, and others. He wrote alfo, for the Magazine, the Life of Father Paul, an abridgment, as it seems, of what he intended to prefix to the Hiftory of the Council of Trent. In order to gain, if poffible, the friendfhip of Cave, he addreffed to him a Latin Ode, upon the fubject of the many competitors which the Gentleman's Magazine had to ftruggle with. The two first lines of this very beautiful Ode, Urbane, nullis feffe laboribus, Urbane, nullis vitte calumniis put us in mind of Cafimir's Ode to Pope Urban : Urbane regum maxime, maxime Urbane Vatum, &c. The Polish poet was, probably, at that time in Johnson's hands. From |