any man for his mental endowments, was fuch that, preferring the chance of the wide world to his patronage, Johnson, in the month of July, in the fame year in which he went to Bofworth, refigned his office, and took leave of a place, which he could never after speak of but in terms of the utmost diflike, and even of abhorrence.

By the middle of June, in the year 1732, he was able to estimate that flender pittance which devolved to him upon the decease of his father; the amount whereof I find ascertained by a memorandum in his diary, which, as it is defcriptive of his circumstances at the time, I here translate, and at the bottom of the page have inferted verbatim.

1732, June 15, I laid by eleven guineas; on which day I received all of my father's effects which I can hope for till the death of my mother, (which I pray may be late), that is to say, twenty pounds; so that I have my fortune to make, and care must be taken, that in the mean time, the powers of my mind may not grow languid through poverty, nor want drive me into wickedness*.

In the month of June in the following year, 1733, I find him refident in the house of a perfon named Jarvis, at Birmingham, where, as he has noted in his diary, he rendered into English from the French, a voyage to Abyffinia, which has fince appeared to be that of Padre Jerome Lobo, a Portuguese Jefuit, with

1732, Junii 15, Undecim aureos depofui, quo die quicquid ante matris funus, (quod ferum fit precor), de paternis bonis fperare licet, viginti fcilicet libras, accepi. Ufque adeo mihi mea ⚫ fortuna fingenda eft interea, ne paupertate vires animi languef cant, ne in flagitia egeftas adigat, cavendum.

the additions of Monf. l'Abbé Le Grand, very curious and entertaining, of which the following is a character:

It contains a narration of the endeavours of a company of miffionaries of the author's country to unite the Abyffins to the church of Rome. It was tranflated from the original Portuguese into French by l'Abbé Le Grand, who, as Lobo had extended it no farther than his own concern in the miffion, continued it down to the time when the Jefuits were finally driven out of Æthiopia, with the addition of fifteen differtations on fubjects relating to the hiftory, antiquities, government, religion, manners, and natural hiftory of Abyffinia, and other countries mentioned by the original author.

The preface, which bears ftronger marks of Johnfon's hand than any part of the work, is calculated to attract attention and credit: it commends the unaffected fimplicity of the original narrative, and the learning of M. Le Grand; it acknowledges the omiflions and deviations which the tranflator thought it prudent to make, and it apologizes for any defects that may be difcovered. Johnfon's difquifitive propenfity just dawns in an obfervation on the erroneous method of the Roman church, in making converts; but there is nothing ftriking in the compofition.

Were we to reft our judgment on internal evidence, Johnfon's claim to the title of tranflator of this work would be difputable; it has fcarce a feature refembling him: the language is as fimple and unornamented as John Bunyan's; the ftyle is far from elegant, and fometimes it is not even correct. Thefe circumftances, together with frequent miftakes and various orthography, would almoft ftagger our belief, but

that

that we have the authority of Johnson himself to rely on, who often acknowledged it for his own.

As this voyage to Abyffinia, notwithstanding the country and manners it defcribes are wonderful and interesting, has not been so much noticed as Johnson's later and original productions, it may not be thought impertinent to give the outline of the relation.

About the beginning of the feventeenth century, the then reigning emperor of Abyffinia, for confiderations that favoured more of good policy than of religion, became a convert to the church of Rome : many of his fubjects had followed his example; and the miffionaries already in the country were in want of co-adjutors to extend their progrefs. Padre Jerome Lobo, who was then employed in the Eaft-Indian miffion at Goa, was one deputed to this enterprife, which, at length, proved too much for Romish zeal and Jefuitical dexterity.

With much difficulty he and his companions reached and got footing in the empire, where they had to endure a climate rendered by exceffive heats and rains peftiferous, and to engage in perilous journies acrofs defarts infefted by banditti, in perpetual fear of them and of wild beafts, the tokens of whofe depredations marked their way. When they arrived at the habitations of the people, their dangers were changed, but not diminished; fometimes they could not obtain provifions, and at others, were confined to their houses by the dread of affaffination. Those who were to be their difciples, profeffed, it is true, a superstitious religion, in fome parts Judaical, in many others refembling that of the church of Rome; but it had had little effect on their minds: moral virtues they had

fcarcely any; in focial affections they were miferably deficient, and their approaches to civilization and elegance were on a level with thofe of their fouthern neighbours at the Cape of Good Hope.

But labour and patience produced in time, a hope that the miffion would not be fruitlefs: the number of their profelytes was, at one period, fo great, that the corporal ftrength of the fathers was exhaufted in the exhortations previous to baptifin. We erected

our tent,' fays Lobo, and placed our altar under fome great trees, for the benefit of the fhade; and every day before fun-rifing, my companion and I began to catechife and inftruct thefe new catholics, and ufed our utmoft endeavours to make them abjure their errors. When we were weary with fpeaking, we placed in ranks thofe who were fufficiently inftructed, and paffing through them with great veffels of water, baptized them according to the form prefcribed by the church. As their number was very great, we cried aloud-thofe of this rank are named Anthony-thefe of that rank Peter ;— and did the fame among the women, whom we separated from among the men. We then confeffed them, and admitted them to the communion. After mafs we applied ourfelves again to catechife, to instruct, and receive the renunciation of their errors, fcarce allowing our felves time to make a fcanty meal, which we never did more than once a day.'

Zeal equal to this, and rifing in proportion to the oppofition it met with, did thefe pious fathers exercife during nine years that they remained in Abyffinia. Their fuccefs was various and fluctuating; fometimes it gave them ground to hope that all would be converted,

verted, and fometimes their patrons and profelytes became their most inveterate perfecutors: their hardfhips were increased by civil commotions, and all their expectations were clouded by the death of the Emperor, whofe fucceffor was a bigot in the religion of the country. They then put themselves under the protection of a prince, who had emancipated himself from the power of Abyflinia, and thought, that as he had afforded them fuccour, they should be fafe in his dominions; but they were foon convinced of their error, by receiving orders to prepare to ferve, or in other words become flaves to the Turks :--- a meffage,' fays Lobo, which filled us with furprise; it having never been known that one of these lords had ever abandoned any whom he had taken under his 'protection; and it is, on the contrary, one of the highest points of honour amongst them, to rifque their lives and their fortunes in the defence of their dependents who have implored their protection: but neither law nor justice were of any advantage to us, and the customs of the country were doomed 'to be broken when they would have contributed to our fecurity.'

From M. Le Grand's information it appears, that the conduct of thefe miffionaries in Abyffinia had been fuch as tended rather to exafperate than conciliate: they confidered themselves, not only figuratively, as the generals of Chrift's church militant, and propagated their faith by measures that rendered them and their doctrine odious. The peace of the country and their refidence in it were become incompatible: they were accordingly delivered into the hands of the Turks; and experienced, from a little troop fent to convoy them, greater humanity than the Abyssins had

fhewn