the style and diction of the whole work, then intended to make only four vols. with power to alter, expunge, or add, as he liked. He was alfo to fupply notes, occafionally, efpecially concerning thofe dramatic poets with whom he had been chiefly converfant. He also engaged to write feveral of the Lives; which (as we are told,) he, accordingly, performed. He was farther useful in ftriking out all the Jacobitical and Tory fentiments, which Shiells had induftriously interfperfed wherever he could bring them in;—and, as the fuccefs of the work appeared, after all, very doubtful, he was contented with twenty-one pounds for his labour, befide a few fets of the books, to difperfe among his friends.-Shiells had nearly feventy pounds; befide the advantage of many of the best lives in the work being communicated by friends to the undertaking; and for which Mr. Shiells had the fame confideration as for the reft, being paid by the sheet, for the whole. He was, however, fo angry with his Whiggish supervisor, (THE. like his father, being a vio lent stickler for the political principles which prevailed in the reign of George the Second,) for fo unmercifully mutilating his copy, and scouting his politics, that he wrote Cibber a chal lenge but was prevented from fending it, by the publisher, who fairly laughed him out of his fury. The proprietors, too, were difcontented, in the end, on account of Mr. Cibber's unexpected induftry; for his corrections and alterations in the proof-fheets were fo numerous and confiderable, that the printer made for them a grievous addition to his bill; and, in fine, all parties were diffatisfied. On the whole, the work was productive of no profit to the undertakers; who had agreed, in case of success, to make Cibber a prefent of fome addition to the twenty guineas which he had received, and for which his receipt is now in the bookfellers' hands. We are farther affured, that he actually obtained an additional fum, when he, foon after, (in the year 1758,) unfortunately embarked for Dublin, on an engagement for one of the theatres there: but the ship was caft away, and every perfon on board perished. There were about 60 paflengers, among whom was the Earl of Drogheda, with many other perfons of confequence and property. As to the alleged defign of making the compilement pass for the work of old Mr. Cibber, the charge feems to have been founded on a fomewhat uncharitable conftruction. We are They were alfo defirous of fome name to it, disliking anonymous publications, especially to compilements; and that of CIBBER was deemed of better found than the name of SHIELLS, which was totally unknown to the public; and THE. accordingly confented. affured affured that the thought was not harboured by fome of the proprietors, who are still living, and we hope that it did not occur to the firft defigner of the work, who was alfo the printer of it; and who bore a refpectable character. We have been induced to enter, thus circumftantially, into the foregoing detail of facts relating to the Lives of the Poets compiled by Meffrs, Cibber and Shiells, from a fincere regard to that facred principle of TRUTH, to which Dr. Johnson fo rigidly adhered, according to the beft of his knowlege; and which, we believe, no confideration would have prevailed on him to violate.-In regard to the matter, which we now difmifs, he had, no doubt, been mifled by partial and wrong information: Shiells was the Doctor's amanuenfis; he had quarrelled with Cibber; it is natural to fuppofe that he told his ftory in his own way; and it is certain that he was not "a very sturdy moralift," Speaking of poets, and poetry, Johnfon declared that poetry is not tranflateable. Mr. B. had given his opinion, that the tranflation of poetry could be only imitation. The Doctor's remark was this: You may tranflate books of science exactly. You may also tranflate hiftory, in fo far as it is not embellished with oratory. which is poetical. Poetry, indeed, cannot be tranflated; and, therefore, it is the poets that preferve languages; for we would not be at the trouble to learn a language, if we could have all that is written in it just as well in a tranflation. But as the beauties of poetry cannot be preferved in any language except that in which it was originally written, we learn the language.' This remark is certainly juft; and it may ftand as an apo→ logy for the general failure of tranflators, in their endeavours to transfufe the beauties of ancient poets into a modern language, or from one modern language into another; fince none can be totally condemned for not performing impoffibilities. Dr. Johnson's opinion may, however, have fome tendency toward difcouraging future attempts at poetic tranflation:-in which cafe, the generality of readers, who have little learning, may be deprived of a confiderable portion of their literary entertainment and information. We were ftruck with the fombre complexion of a remark which fell from Dr. Johnfon, on his vifiting, in company with our author, Lord Scarfdale's fine feat, Keddleftone, near Derby. Mr. B. was delighted with the magnificence of the building, with the extenfive park, and with the fine verdure, covered with deer, cattle, and fheep. The number of cld oaks, of an immenfe fize, filled me, (fays he,) with a fort of refpectful admiration for one of them, fixty pounds was offered. The excellent smooth gravel roads; the large piece of water, formed by by his Lordship from fome fmall brooks, with a handsome barge upon it; the venerable Gothic church, now the family chapel, just by the house; in fhort, the grand groupe of objects agitated and diftended my mind in a molt agreeable man"One should think, said I, that the proprietor of all this must be happy."-" Nay, Sir, (faid Johnfon,) all this excludes but one evil-Poverty." ner. The remark of a lady on this grave and unseasonable refleetion was admirable: It is true, all this excludes only one EVIL; but how much Goon does it let in!" Vol. II. p. 148, the note. The following paffage, among a multitude of others, which might be felected from these multifarious volumes, will ferve to evince the amazing fertility and force of Johnson's imagination, even when employed on the most common topics, and on fuch events as ufually pafs unnoticed by ordinary minds: Vol. II. p. 242, We talk'd,' fays our biographer, of a gentleman who, we apprehended, was gradually involving his circumftances, by bad management. Dr. Johnfon obferved, that "wasting a fortune, is evaporation by a thousand imperceptible means. If it were a ftream, they would ftop it,-were he a gamefter, it could be faid he had hopes of winning. Were he a bankrupt in trade, he might have grown rich; but he has neither spirit to spend, nor refolution to fpare. He does not fpend faft enough to have pleasure from it. He has the crime of prodigality, and the wretchedness of parfimony. If a man is killed in a duel, he is killed as many a one has been killed; but it is a fad thing to lie down and die, to bleed to death, because he has not fortitude enough to fear the wound, or even to fow it up." - I cannot, adds Mr. B. but paufe a moment to admire the fecundity of fancy, and choice of language, which, in this inftance, and, indeed, on almost all occafions, he difplayed. It was well obferved by Dr. Percy, now Bishop of Dromore," the converfation of Dr. Johnfon is strong and clear, and may be compared to an antique ftatue, where every vein and mufcle is distinct and bold. Ordinary converfation refembles an inferior caft." It is now time for us to close our excerpts from a work that contains an almost inexhauftible ftore of wonderfully varied materials, from which not only this month's Review, but many Reviews, might be amply enriched. The great difficulty that we have had to encounter, in giving a sketch of Mr. B.'s performance, (for it is but a mere outline of it that we could pretend to offer to our readers,) was, the selection of paffages, as proper fpecimens: but to convey an adequate idea of the admirable fayings, remarks, and literary correfpondence, of the diftinguished We cannot fufficiently commend our author for his accuracy in fo uniformly preferving the exact ftyle and diction of Johnfun, in all tinguished genius whofe life, works, and converfation, are the fubject of these volumes, was impoffible, within the limits of a periodical pamphlet of moderate fize. We muft, therefore, after all, refer, for farther fatisfaction, to Mr. Bofwell's compilement at large; in which the candid reader, who feeks for rational entertainment, and moral instruction, will reap an abundant harvest; though he will, poffibly, meet with fome things that may neither prove acceptable to every tafte, nor fuit with every opinion.We now come to the promised conclusion of this article-Mr. Bofwell's general character of Dr. Johafon *; somewhat abbreviated, to fave room. His figure was large, and well formed, and his countenance had the caft of an ancient ftatue; yet his appearance was rendered fomewhat uncouth, by convulfive cramps, by the fcars of that dif temper which it was once imagined the royal touch could cure +, and by a flovenly mode of drefs. He had the ufe of only one eye; yet fo much does mind govern and even fupply the deficiency of organs, that his vifual perceptions, as far as they extended, were uncommonly quick and accurate. So morbid was his temperament, that he never knew the natural joy of a free and vigorous ufe of his limbs when he walk'd, it was like the ftruggling gait of one in fetters; when he rode, he had no command or direction of his horfe, but was carried as if in a balloon f. That, with his conftitution and habits of life, he fhould have lived feventy-five years, is a proof that an inherent vivida vis is a powerful preservative of the human frame. • Man, (continues the biographer,) is, in general, made up of contradictory qualities, and thefe will ever fhew themselves in all the repetitions here given, of what was faid by him in the va rious converfations that are rehearsed in this work; and it is moreover to be observed, that Mr. B. (a North Briton,) has fo feldom made the Doctor utter a Scotticifm! We have remarked, en pasfant, but two inftances, viz. p. 26. of vol. ii. The chaplain of a bishop whom I was to affift in writing fome memoirs, could tell me almeft nothing. Again, ib. p. 192, Addifon, in one of his Spectators, commends the judgment of a king, who rewarded a man who had attained the art of darting barley-corns through the eye of a needle, by giving him a bufhel of barley; on which Johnson remarked-" He has been a king of Scotland, where barley is fcarce." * Our author observes, in a note, that much of the original character of the Doctor, which was given of him in his (Mr. B's) Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, is here adopted. + Johnfon himself was actually touched, but not cured, by Q. Anne. Thofe who have feen the ungainly motions of an air balloon, in the original fimplicity of its firft exhibitions, before the appendages were contrived for the accommodation of aerial travellers, can beft form an adequate idea of the propriety of this comparifon; which, in our opinion, is very happily applied. Qrange ftrange fucceffion, where a confiftency in appearance at least, if not in reality, has not been attained by long habits of philofophical difcipline. In proportion to the native vigor of the mind, the contradictory qualities will be the more prominent, and more difficult to be adjusted; and therefore we are not to wonder that Johnson' exhibited an eminent example of this remark which I have made upon human nature. At different times he seemed a different man,' in fome refpects; not, however, in any great or essential article, on which he had fully employed his mind and fettled certain principles of duty, but only in his manners, and in difplays of argument and fancy in his talk. He was prone to fuperftition, but not to credulity. Though his imagination might incline him to a belief of the marvellous and the mysterious, his vigorous reafon examined the evidence with jealoufy. He was a fincere and zealous Chriftian, of high church of England and monarchical principles, which he would not tamely fuffer to be queftioned, and had, perhaps, at an early period, narrowed his mind fomewhat too much, both as to religion and politics. His being impreffed with the danger of extreme latitude in either, though he was of a very independent fpirit, occafioned his appearing fomewhat unfavourable to the prevalence of that noble freedom of fpirit which is the beft pof." feffion of man. Nor can it be denied that he had many prejudices, which, however, frequently fuggefted many of his pointed fayings, that rather fhew a playfulness of fancy, than any fettled malignity. He was leady and inflexible in maintaining the obligations of religion and morality, both from a regard for the order of fociety, and from a veneration for the Great Source of all order; correct, nay ftern in his talle; hard to pleafe, and easily offended; impetuous and irritable in his temper, but of a humane and benevolent heart, which fhewed itfelf not only in a moft liberal charity, as far as his circumstances would allow, but in a thousand inftances of active benevolence. He was afflicted with a bodily disease which made him reftlefs and fretful, and with a conftitutional melancholy, the clouds of which darkened the brightness of his fancy, and gave a gloomy caft to the" whole courfe of his thinking: we therefore ought not to wonder at bis fallies of impatience and paffion, especially when provoked by obtrufive ignorance, or prefuming petulance; and allowance must be made for his uttering hafty and fatirical fallies, even against his best friends. And furely, when it is confidered that "amidft ficknefs and forrow," he exerted his faculties in fo many works for the benefit of mankind, and particularly that he achieved the great and admirable Dictionary of our language, we must be aftonished at his refolution. The folemn text of him to whom much is given, much will be required," feems to have been ever prefent to his mind, in a rigorous fenfe, and to have made him diffatished with his labours, and acts of goodness, however comparatively great; fo that the unavoidable confciousness of his fuperiority was, in that respect, a caufe of difquiet. He fuffered fo much from this, and from the gloom which perpetually haunted him, and made folitude frightful, that it may be laid of him, "if in this life only he had hope, |