much of ftyle: every body compofes pretty well. There are no fuch unharmonious periods as there were a hundred years ago. I fhould recommend Dr. Clarke's fermons, were he orthodox. However, it is very well known where he was not orthodox, which was upon the doctrine of the Trinity, as to which he is a condemned heretic; fo one is aware of it."-B. "I like Ogden's fermons on prayer very much, both for neatness of style and fubtilty of reason-` ing."-J. "I fhould like to read all that Ogden has written."-B. "What I wish to know is, what fermons afford the beft fpecimen of English pulpit eloquence."-7. "We have no fermons addreffed to the paffions that are good for any thing; if you mean that kind of eloquence."—A CLERGYMAN (whose name I do not recollect) asked, "Were not Dodd's fermons addreffed to the paffions ?"-7. "They were nothing, Sir, be they addreffed to what they may."

Sir Joshua Reynolds praised "Mudge's Sermons."-JOHNSON. "Mudge's Sermons are good, but not practical. He grafps more sense than he can hold; he takes more corn than he can make into meal; he opens a wide prospect, but fo diftant, that it is indiftinct. I love Blair's Sermons.' Though the dog is a Scotchman, and a Prefbyterian, and every thing he should

not

not be, I was the first to praise them. Such was my candour (fmiling)."-MRS. BOSCAWEN. "Such his great merit to get the better of all your prejudices."-7. "Why, Madam, let us compound the matter; let us afcribe it to my candour and his merit.”

Somebody obferved, that the life of a mere literary man could not be very entertaining.Johnson faid, "But it certainly may. This is a remark which has been made and repeated without juftice. Why fhould the life of a litcrary man be lefs entertaining than the life of any other man? Are there not as interefting varieties in fuch a life? As a literary life it may be very entertaining."-BOSWELL. "But it must be better furely, when it is diverfified with a little active variety-fuch as his having gone to Jamaica; or, his having gone to the Hebrides." Johnfon was not difpleafed at this.

Speaking of a certain literary friend, "He is a very pompous puzzling feHow (faid he), he lent me a letter once that somebody had written to him, no matter what it was about; but he wanted to have the letter back, and expreffed a mighty value for it; he hoped it was to be met with again, he would not lofe it for a thousand pounds. I laid my hand upon it foon afterwards, and gave it him. I believe I faid, I was very glad to have met with it. O, then he did

not know that it fignified any thing. So you fee, when the letter was loft it was worth a thousand pounds, and when it was found it was not worth a farthing."

An author of moft anxious and reftlefs vanity being mentioned, "Sir (faid he), there is not a young fapling upon Parnaffus more feverely blown about by every wind of criticism than that poor fellow."

Talking of a certain clergyman of extraordinary character, who by exerting his talents in writing on temporary topics, and displaying uncommon boldness, had raised himself to affluence, a gentleman maintained that they ought not to be indignant at his fuccefs; for merit of every fort was entitled to reward." Sir (faid Johnfon), I will not allow this man to have merit. No, Sir; what he has is rather the contrary; I will, indeed, allow him courage, and on this account we fo far give him credit. We have more refpect for a man who robs boldly on the highway, than for a fellow who jumps out of a ditch, and knocks you down behind your back. Courage is a quality fo neceffary for maintaining virtue, that it is always refpected, even when it is affociated with vice."

Johnson was by no means of opinion, that every man of a learned profeffion should confi

der

der it as incumbent upon him, or as neceffary to his credit, to appear as an author. When, in the ardour of ambition for literary fame, I regretted to him one day that an eminent Judge had nothing of it, and therefore would leave no perpetual monument of himself to pofterity, "Alas, Sir (faid Johnfon), what a mafs of confufion fhould we have, if every Bishop and every Judge, every Lawyer, Phytician, and Divine, were to write books."

At another time he faid, "I was angry with Hurd about Cowley, for having publifhed a felection of his works; but upon better confideration, I think there is no impropriety in a man's publishing as much as he chooses of any author, if he does not put the reft out of the way. A man, for inftance, may print the Odes of Horace alone."

Talking of those writers who had affected to imitate his style, Johnson said, "The imitators of my ftile have not hit it. Mifs Aikin has done it beft; for fhe has imitated the fentiment as well as the diction."

He obferved, that a gentleman of eminence in literature had got into a bad ftyle of poetry of late. "He puts (faid he) a very common thing in a strange drefs till he does not know it himself, and thinks other people do not know it."-BOSWELL. "That is owing to his being

fo much verfant in old English Poetry.JOHNSON. "What is that to the purpose, Sir? If I fay a man is drunk, and you tell me it is owing to his taking fo much drink, the matter is not mended. No, Sir, ****** has taken to an odd mode. For example; he'd

write thus:

"Hermit hoar, in folemn cell,

"Wearing out life's evening gray."

Gray evening is common enough; but evening gray he'd think fine.-Stay ;-we'll make out

the ftanza:

"Hermit hoar, in folemn cell,

"Wearing out life's evening gray;

"Smite thy bofom, fage, and tell;

"What is blifs? and which the way

יין

BOSWELL." But why finite his bofom, Sir?" JOHNSON. " Why to fhew he was in earneft." (finiling). Johnfon at an after period added the following ftanza :

"Thus I fpoke; and fpeaking figh'd;

Scarce reprefs'd the ftarting tear;

"When the smiling fage replied,

"Come, my lad, and drink fome beer."

Speaking of a collection being made of all

the English Poets who had publifhed a volume

of