Strahan and Prefton, New-Street Square, London.

THE

WORKS

OF

Samuel Johnson, LL. D.

A NEW EDITION,

IN TWELVE VOLUMES.

WITH

AN ESSAY ON HIS LIFE AND GENIUS,

BY ARTHUR MURPHY, Esq.

VOLUME THE FOURTH.

LONDON:

Printed for J. Johnson, J. Nichols and Son, R. Baldwin, F. and Ç. Rivington,
Otridge and Son, W. J. and J. Richardson, A. Strahan, Leigh and Sotheby,
R. Faulder, G. Nicol and Son, T. Payne, W. Lowndes, Wilkie and Robinson,
C, Davis, T. Egerton, P. M'Queen, Ogilvie and Son, Scatcherd and Let-
terman, J. Walker, B. C. Collins, Vernor and Hood, R. Lea, J. Deighton,
Darton and Harvey, J. Nunn, Lackington Allen and Co. J. Stockdale, Cuthell
and Martin, Clarke and Son, Wynne and Son, G. Kearfley, C. Law,
J. White, Longman Hurft Rees and Orme, Cadell and Davies, J. Barker,
T. Booker, Carpenter and Co. E. Jeffery, W. Miller, J. and A. Arch,
B. Crosby, Blacks and Parry, S. Bagfter, J. Harding, Payne and Mackinlay,
J. Hatchard, R. Phillips, R. H. Evans, J, Mawman, T. Oftell, and Matthews
and Leigh,

CONTENTS

OF THE

FOURTH VOLUME.

THE RAMBLER.

NUMB.

1 DIFFICULTY of the first address. Practice of the

epick poets. Convenience of periodical perform-

ances

2 The neceffity and danger of looking into futurity.

Writers naturally fanguine. Their hopes liable to

disappointment

3 An allegory on criticism

4 The modern form of romances preferable to the ancient.

The neceffity of characters morally good

5 A meditation on the Spring

6 Happiness not local

Page

7 Retirement natural to a great mind. Its religious use

8 The thoughts to be brought under regulation; as they

respect the past, prefent, and future

7

14

20

27

33

40

46

53

58

9 The fondness of every man for his profeffion. The

gradual improvement of manufactures

10 Four billets, with their answers. Remarks on mafque-

11 The folly of anger. The mifery of a peevish old age 66

12 The hiftory of a young woman that came to London for a

fervice

13 The duty of fecrecy. The invalidity of all excuses for

betraying fecrets

NUMB

14 The difference between an author's writings and his con-

Page

88

95

103

15 The folly of cards. A letter from a lady that has loft

her money

16 The dangers and miseries of a literary eminence

17 The frequent contemplation of death necessary to mode-

rate the paffions

18 The unhappiness of marriage caused by irregular motives

19 The danger of ranging from one ftudy to another. The

importance of the early choice of a profeffion

20 The folly and inconvenience of affectation

21 The anxieties of literature not less than those of publick

ftations. The inequality of authors writings

ΙΙΟ

116

123

131

137

144

22 An allegory on wit and learning

23 The contrariety of criticifm. The vanity of objection.

An author obliged to depend upon his own judg-

24 The neceffity of attending to the duties of common life.

The natural character not to be forfaken

156

25 Rashness preferable to cowardice. Enterprize not to be

repreffed

162

26 The mischief of extravagance, and mifery of dependence 168

27 An author's treatment from fix patrons

28 The various arts of felf-delufion

175

181

29 The folly of anticipating misfortunes

30 The observance of Sunday recommended; an allegory

31 The defence of a known miftake highly culpable

32 The vanity of ftoicifm. The neceffity of patience

33 An allegorical history of rest and labour

34 The uneafinefs and difguft of female cowardice

35 A marriage of prudence without affection

36 The reasons why pastorals delight

37 The true principles of pastoral poetry

38 The advantages of mediocrity. An eaftern fable

39 The unhappiness of women whether fingle or married

40 The difficulty of giving advice without offending

41 The advantages of memory

42 The mifery of a modifh lady in folitude

43 The inconveniences of precipitation and confidence

44 Religion and fuperftition, a vifion.