city; and, what was still more provoking to their admirers, maintained that they had no merit. The fubject having been introduced by Dr. Fordyce, Dr. Blair, relying on the internal evidence of their antiquity, afked Dr. Johnfon whether he thought any man of a modern age could have written fuch poems ? Johnfon replied, "Yes, Sir, many men, many women, and many children." Johnfon at this time did not know that Dr. Blair had juft publifhed a Differtation, not only defending their authenticity, but seriously ranking them with the poems of Homer and Virgil; and when he was afterwards informed of this circumftance, he expreffèd fome difpleafure at Dr. Fordyce's baving fuggefted the topick, and faid, "I am not forry that they got thus much for their pains Sir, it was like leading one to talk of a book, when the author is concealed behind the door." The poem of Fingal, he faid, was a mere unconnected rhapsody, a tiresome repetition of the fame images. " In vain fhall we look for the lucidus ordo, where there is neither end nor object, defign nor moral, nec certa recurrit imago."

He much commended Law's Serious Call,' which he faid was the finest piece of hortatory theology in any language. "Law (faid he) fell latterly into the reveries of Jacob Behmen,

whom

whom Law alledged to have been fomewhat in the fame state with St. Paul, and to have feen unutterable things. Were it even fo (faid Johnfon), Jacob would have refembled St. Paul ftill more, by not attempting to utter them."

Of Dr. Priestley's theological works, he remarked, that they tended to unfettle every thing, and yet fettled nothing.

The converfation turning on critical fubjects, Johnson faid," Bayes, in The Rehearfal,' is a mighty filly character. If it was intended to be like a particular man, it could only be diverting while that man was remembered; but I queftion whether it was meant for Dryden, as has been reported; for we know fome of the paffages faid to be ridiculed were written fince the Rehearfal;' at leaft a paffage mentioned in the Preface is of a later date." Mr. B. maintained that it had merit as a general fatire on the self-importance of dramatick authors. But even in this light he held it very cheap.

He seemed to take a pleasure in speaking in his own ftyle; for fometimes when he had carelessly miffed it, he would repeat the thought tranflated into it. Talking of the Comedy of the Rehearsal,' he faid, "It has not wit enough to keep it fweet." This was eafy; he therefore caught himself, and pronounced

a

more

more rounded fentence; "It has not vitality enough to preferve it from putrefaction."

Hawkefworth's compilation of the voyages to the South Sea being mentioned, Johnson faid, "Sir, if you talk of it as a fubject of commerce, it will be gainful; if as a book that is to increase human knowledge, I believe there will not be much of that. Hawkefworth can tell only what the voyagers have told him ; and they have found very little, only one new animal, I think."-BOSWELL. "But many infects, Sir,"-JOHNSON. Why, Sir, as to infects, Ray reckons of British infects twenty thoufand fpecies. They might have ftaid at home and discovered enough in that way."

6

The cafual mention of biography led to the mention of Dr. John Campbell, who had written a confiderable part of the Biographia Britannica.' Johnson, though he valued him highly, was of opinion that there was not fo much in his great work, A Political Survey of Great Britain, as the world had been taught to expect; and had formerly faid to Mr. Bofwell that he believed Campbell's difappointment, on account of the bad fuccefs of that work, had killed him. He now again obferved of it, "That work was his death." Mr. Warton, who was prefent, not adverting to his meaning, anfwered, "I believe fo; from the great

attention

attention he bestowed on it.". JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, he died of want of attention, if he died at all by that book."

Again recurring to biography, Johnson faid, "It is rarely well executed. They only who live with a man can write his life with any genuine exactnefs and difcrimination; and few people who have lived with a man know what to remark about him. The chaplain of a late Bishop, whom I was to affift in writing fome memoirs of his Lordship, could tell me fcarcely any thing."

A gentleman faid, Mr. Robert Dodfley's life fhould be written, as he had been fo much connected with the wits of his time, and by his literary merits had raifed himself from the station of a footman. Mr. Warton obferved, that he had publifhed a little volume under the title of The Mufe in Livery.' JOHNSON. "I doubt whether Dodfley's brother would thank a man who fhould write his life; yet Dodfley himself was not unwilling that his original low condition fhould be recollected. When Lord Lyttleton's Dialogues of the Dead' came out, one of which is between Apicius, an ancient epicure, and Dartineuf, a modern epicure, Dodfley faid to me," I knew Dartineuf well, for I was once his footman."

Of

Of Dodfley's Publick Virtue,' a Poem, he faid, "It was fine blank (meaning to exprefs his ufual contempt for blank verfe); however, this miferable poem did not fell, and my poor friend Doddy faid, Public Virtue was not a fubject to intereft the age."

At

Mr. Langton, when a very young man, read Dodfley's Cleone, a Tragedy,' to Johnfon, not aware of his extreme impatience to be read to. As it went on, he turned his face to the back of his chair, and put himself into various attitudes which marked his uneafinefs. the end of an act, however, he faid, "Come, let's have fome more, let's go into the flaughter-house again, Lanky; but I am afraid there is more blood than brains." Yet he afterwards faid, "When I heard you read it, I thought higher of its power of language. When I read it myself, I was more fenfible of its pathetic effect, and then paid it a compliment which many will think very extravagant. Sir (faid he), if Otway had written this play, no other of his pieces would have been remembered.' Dodfley himself, upon this being repeated to him, faid, It was too much;' it must be remembered, that Johnfon always appeared not to be fufficiently fenfible of the merit of Otway."

BB

Talking