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1739.

description which Sydenham gives of that disease. "This disorder is a kind Etat. 30. of convulfion. It manifests itself by halting or unsteadiness of one of the legs, which the patient draws after him like an ideot. If the hand of the fame fide be applied to the breast, or any other part of the body, he cannot keep it a moment in the same posture, but it will be drawn into a different one by a convulfion, notwithstanding all his efforts to the contrary." Sir Joshua Reynolds, however, is of a different opinion, and has favoured me with the following paper.

"Those motions or tricks of Dr. Johnson are improperly called convulfions. He could fit motionless, when he was told so to do, as well as any other man; my opinion is, that it proceeded from a habit he had indulged himself in, of accompanying his thoughts with certain untoward actions, and those actions always appeared to me as if they were meant to reprobate some part of his past conduct. Whenever he was not engaged in conversation, such thoughts were sure to rush into his mind; and, for this reason, any company, any employment whatever, he preferred to being alone. The great business of his life (he said) was to efcape from himself; this dispofition he confidered as the disease of his mind, which nothing cured but company.

"One instance of his absence and particularity, as it is characteristick of the man, may be worth relating. When he and I took a journey together into the West, we visited the late Mr. Banks, of Dorsetshire; the conversation turning upon pictures, which Johnfon could not well fee, he retired to a corner of the room, stretching out his right leg as far as he could reach before him, then bringing up his left leg, and stretching his right still further on. The old gentleman observing him, went up to him, and in a very courteous manner assured him, that though it was not a new house, the flooring was perfectly safe. The Doctor started front his reverie, like a perfon waked out of his sleep, but spoke not a word."

While we are on this subject, my readers may not be displeased with another anecdote, communicated to me by the fame friend, from the relation of Mr. Hogarth.

Johnfon ufed to be a pretty frequent visiter at the house of Mr. Richardfon, authour of Clarissa, and other novels of extensive reputation. Mr. Hogarth came one day to fee Richardson, soon after the execution of Dr. Cameron, for having taken arms for the house of Stuart in 1745-6; and being a warm partifan of George the Second, he observed to Richardson, that certainly there must have been some very unfavourable circumftances lately difcovered in this particular cafe, which had induced the King to approve of an execution

for 1740.

for rebellion so long after the time when it was committed, as this had the appearance of putting a man to death in cold blood, and was very unlike Ætat. 31. his Majesty's usual clemency. While he was talking, he perceived a person standing at a window in the room, shaking his head, and rolling himself about in a strange ridiculous manner. He concluded that he was an ideot, whom his relations had put under the care of Mr. Richardson, as a very good man. To his great furprize, however, this figure stalked forwards to where he and Mr. Richardfon were fitting, and all at once took up the argument, and burst out into an invective against George the Second, as one, who, upon all occafions, was unrelenting and barbarous; mentioning many instances, particularly, that when an officer of high rank had been acquitted by a Court Martial, George the Second had, with his own hand, struck his name off the list. In short, he displayed fuch a power of eloquence, that Hogarth looked at him with aftonishment, and actually imagined that this ideot had been at the moment inspired. Neither Hogarth nor Johnson were made known to each other at this interview.

In 1740 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine the "Preface, f" "Life of Admiral Drake,*" and the first parts of those of "Sir Francis Blake,*" and of "Philip Baretier,*" both which he finished the year after. He also wrote an "Effay on Epitaphs,f" and an Epitaph on Philips, a Musician,*" which was afterwards published with fome other pieces of his, in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies. This Epitaph is so exquifitely beautiful, that I remember even Lord Kames, strangely prejudiced as he was against Dr. Johnson, was compelled to allow it very high praise. It has been ascribed to Mr. Garrick, from its appearing at first with the fignature G; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare, that it was written by Dr. Johnfon, and give the following account of the manner in which it was composed. Johnfon and he were fitting together; when, amongst other things, Garrick repeated an Epitaph upon this Philips by a Dr. Wilkes, in these words:

• Impartial posterity may, perhaps, be as little inclined as Dr. Johnson was to justify the uncommon rigour exercised in the cafe of Dr. Archibald Cameron. He was an amiable and truly honest man; and his offence was owing to a generous, though mistaken principle of duty. Being obliged, after 1746, to give up his profeffion as a physician, and go into foreign parts, he was honoured with the rank of Colonel, both in the French and Spanish service. He was a son of the ancient and respectable family of Cameron, of Lochiel; and his brother, who was the Chief of that brave clan, diftinguished himself by moderation and humanity, while the Highland army marched victorious through Scotland. It is remarkable of this Chief, that though he had earnestly remonftrated against the attempt as hopeless, he was of too heroick a spirit not to venture his life and fortune in the cause, when personally asked by him whom he thought his Prince.

" Exalted

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" Exalted foul! whose harmony could please
"The love-fick virgin, and the gouty ease;
"Could jarring difcord, like Amphion, move

To beauteous order and harmonious love;
" Rest here in peace, till angels bid thee rife,
" And meet thy blessed Saviour in the skies."

Johnson shook his head at these common-place funereal lines, and faid to Garrick, " I think, Davy, I can make a better." Then, stirring about his tea for a little while, in a state of meditation, he almost extempore produced the following verses :

." Phillips, whose touch harmonious could remove
"The pangs of guilty power or hapless love;
"Reft here, distress'd by poverty no more,

" Here find that calm thou gav'st so oft before :

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At the fame time that Mr. Garrick favoured me with this anecdote, he repeated a very pointed Epigram by Johnson, on George the Second and Colley Cibber, which has never yet appeared, and of which I know not the exact date. Dr. Johnson afterwards gave it to me himself.

" Augustus still survives in Maro's strain,

" And Spencer's verse prolongs Eliza's reign;

" Great George's acts let tuneful Cibber fing;
" For Nature form'd the Poet for the King."

In 1741 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine "the Preface,†" "Conclufion of his Lives of Drake and Baretier,*" " A free Translation of the Jefts of Hierocles, with an Introduction;†" and, I think, the following pieces: "Debate on the Proposal of Parliament to Cromwell, to affume the Title of King, abridged, methodised, and digefted;†" " Translation of Abbé Guyon's Differtation on the Amazons; †" "Tranflation of Fontenelle's Panegyrick on Dr. Morin.†" Two notes upon this appear to me undoubtedly his. He this year, and the two following, wrote the Parliamentary Debates. He told me himself, that he was the fole compofer of them for those three years only.

1741.

He was not, however, precifely exact in his statement, which he mentioned from hasty recollection; for it is fufficiently evident, that his compofition of Erat. 22 them began November 19, 1740, and ended February 23, 1742-3.

It appears from fome of Cave's_letters to Dr. Birch, that Cave had better affiftance for that branch of his Magazine, than has been generally supposed; and that he was indefatigable in getting it made as perfect as he could.

Thus, 21st July, 1735, “I trouble you with the inclosed, because you faid you could easily correct what is herein given for Lord Cld's fpeech. I beg you will do so as foon as you can for me, because the month is far advanced."

And, 15th July, 1737. "As you remember the Debates so far as to perceive the speeches already printed are not exact, I beg the favour that you will peruse the inclofed, and, in the best manner your memory will ferve, correct the mistaken passages, or add any thing that is omitted. I should be very glad to have fomething of the Duke of N-le's fpeech, which would be particularly of fervice.

"A gentleman has Lord Bathurst's speech to add something to." And, July 3, 1744, "You will fee what stupid, low, abominable stuff is put upon your noble and learned friend's character, such as I should quite reject, and endeavour to do something better towards doing justice to the character. But as I cannot expect to attain my desires in that respect, it would be a great fatisfaction to me, as well as an honour to our work, to have the favour of the genuine speech. It is a method that feveral have been pleased to take, as I could shew, but I think myself under a restraint. I shall fay fo far, that I have had fome by a third hand, which I understood well enough to come from the first; others by penny-poft, and others by the speakers themselves, who have been pleased to visit St. John's Gate, and shew particular maaks of their being pleased."

There is no reafon, I believe, to doubt the veracity of Cave. It is, however, remarkable, that none of these letters are in the years during which Johnfon alone furnished the Debates, and one of them is in the very year after he ceased from that labour. Johnson told me, that as foon as he found that the speeches were thought genuine, he determined that he would write no more of them, for "he would not be accessary to the propagation of falfhood." And fuch was the tenderness of his confcience, that a short time before his

Ætat. 32.

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7 I suppose in another compilation of the fame kind. • Birch's MSS. in the British Museum, 4302.

* Doubtless, Lord Hardwick.

death

1741.

Etat. 32.

death he expressed a regret for his having been the authour of fictions, which had passed for realities.

He nevertheless agreed with me in thinking, that the Debates which he had framed were to be valued as Orations upon questions of publick importance. They have accordingly been collected in volumes, properly arranged, and recommended to the notice of parliamentary speakers by a Preface, written by no inferiour hand'. I must, however, observe, that although there is in those Debates a wonderful store of political information, and very powerful eloquence, I cannot agree that they exhibit the manner of each particular speaker, as Sir John Hawkins seems to think. But, indeed, what opinion can we have of his judgement, and taste in publick speaking, who prefumes to give, as the characteristicks of two celebrated orators, "the deep-mouthed rancour of Pulteney, and the yelping pertinacity of Pitt*."

This year I find that his tragedy of IRENE had been for some time ready for the stage, and that his necessities made him defirous of getting as much as he could for it, without delay; for there is the following letter from Mr. Cave to Dr. Birch, in the same volume of manuscripts in the British Museum from whence I copied those above quoted. They were most obligingly pointed out to me by Sir William Musgrave, one of the Curators of that noble repofitory. "Sept. 9, 1741.

" I HAVE put Mr. Johnson's play into Mr. Gray's hands, in order to fell it to him, if he is inclined to buy it; but I doubt whether he will or not. He would dispose of the copy, and whatever advantage may be made by acting it. Would your society, or any gentleman or body of men that you know, take fuch a bargain? He and I are very unfit to deal with theatrical persons. Fleetwood was to have acted it last season, but Johnson's diffidence or

5

prevented it."

I have already mentioned that "Irene" was not brought into publick notice till Garrick was manager of Drury-lane theatre.

■ I am well assured, that the editor is Mr. George Chalmers, whose commercial works are well known and esteened.

\

2 Hawkins's Life of Johnson, p. 100.

• A bookfeller of London.

* It is strange, that a printer who knew so much as Cave, should conceive so ludicrous a fancy as that the Royal Society would purchase a Play.

5 There is no erasure here, but a mere blank; to fill up which may be an exercise for ingenious conjecture.

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