[COPY OF THE TITLE OF THE ORIGINAL QUARTO EDITION.]

THE

LIF E

OF

SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D.

COMPREHENDING

AN ACCOUNT OF HIS STUDIES

AND NUMEROUS WORKS,

IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER;

A SERIES OF HIS EPISTOLARY CORRESPONDENCE

AND CONVERSATIONS WITH MANY EMINENT PERSONS;

AND

VARIOUS ORIGINAL PIECES OF HIS COMPOSITION,

NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED:

THE WHOLE EXHIBITING A VIEW OF LITERATURE AND LITERARY MEN IN GREAT-BRITAIN, FOR NEAR HALF A CENTURY, DURING WHICH HE

EDITOR'S PREFACE.

HORTLY after the death of Johnson-the day after,

SHO

according to Dr. Michael Lort in his letter to Bishop Percy, Nichols' "Illustrations of Literature," vol. vii., p. 467there appeared the first of the various Lives of Johnson. It was entitled: "The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., with Occasional Remarks on his Writings, an authentic Copy of his Will, and Catalogue of his Works :" and was published in 8vo., by Kearsley. It ran through several editions. The author of this anonymous sketch was William Cooke, afterwards known by the name of Conversation Cooke, from a poem of his entitled Conversation." The author professes to give but a "sketch warm from the Life;" but, sketch though it be, it contains the main facts of Johnson's life, stated with considerable accuracy and precision. A few even of the original letters, which we meet with in Boswell's matured "Life," are given in the course of this narrative.

The animated sketch of Thomas Tyers, appeared in two consecutive numbers of the "Gentleman's Magazine," the number for December, 1784, and that for January, 1785. It is reprinted at full length in the volume "Johnsoniana,” p. 171-193. Boswell, though he refused to avail himself to any great extent of this sketch, admits that it may be regarded as "an entertaining little collection of fragments" (vol. iii., P. 24). Tom Tyers was a favourite; his vivacity and eccentricity endeared him to Johnson, and this essay in the "Gentleman's Magazine" confirms the justice of Boswell's

remark, that Tyers had lived with Johnson in as easy a manner as almost any of his very numerous acquaintance.

Within a year after the publication of these mere sketches by Cooke and Tyers, there appeared, "Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the late Dr. Samuel Johnson, printed by J. Walker, 44, Pater-Noster Row, 1785." This also was anonymous, but internal evidence of a very cogent character plainly points to the Rev. William Shaw as the author of this little volume of 197 pages 12m0.-which has become exceedingly

rare.

From the notices of Shaw which we find in Boswell, and especially from the statements of Shaw himself in this little volume, the chief particulars regarding his relations to Johnson may be satisfactorily ascertained.

About Christmas of 1774-just, therefore, as the "Journey to the Western Islands" was about to leave the press-through the kind offices of their common friend Mr. Elphinston, Shaw had been introduced to Johnson,' who eagerly interrogated the young Highlander "on his knowledge of Erse, and whether the Poems of Fingal existed in that language." The candour of Shaw, who confessed his ignorance of their existence, though he admitted that he had often endeavoured to satisfy himself on the point, at once recommended him to Johnson's friendship and sympathy. In a letter to Boswell under date March 14, 1777, he says, that "one Shaw, who seems a modest and a decent man, has written an Erse grammar, which a very learned Highlander, Mr. Macbean, has, at my request, examined and approved." The grammar was still in manuscript, but its publication had been recommended by formal proposals, a parcel of which were forwarded to Boswell. The real author of "the proposals for an Analysis of the Scotch Celtic Language," Boswell at once discovered, and saw in them

Memoirs, &c., p. 148.

2 Vol. ii., p. 375.

an illumination of the pen of Johnson.' In due time the little book was published at London, 1778, as “An Analysis of the Gaelic Language." Encouraged by the success with which, he says, his labours were received, he conceived the plan of "a Collection of all the Vocables in the Gaelic Language, that could be collected from the voice, or old books and MSS." Johnson entering into his scheme with true interest, encouraged him to appeal to the Scottish nation to raise a fund for the undertaking. An attempt was therefore made to enlist the sympathies and gain the support of the Highland Society; but the machinations, as our author asserts, of Macpherson, who was aware of Shaw's connection with Johnson, defeated these efforts. In his vexation and disappointment, he turned to Johnson for advice; professed to him that he would risk his little all, three or four hundred pounds, if he could entertain any hopes of his outlays being ultimately refunded. Courage and perseverance were inspired into his heart by a speech the Doctor made to him on this occasion. "Sir, if you give the world a vocabulary of that language, while the island of Great Britain stands in the Atlantic Ocean, your name will be mentioned." The youthful enthusiasm of Shaw was rekindled by the noble words, and setting forth that same spring, he travelled in the pursuit of his object 3,000 miles, finished the work at his own expense, and "has not to this day been paid their subscriptions by his countrymen." Thus "A Gaelic and English Dictionary, containing all the words in the Scotch and Irish dialects of the Celtic, that could be collected from the voice, and old books, and MSS.," was published in London, in 2 vols. 4to., 1780.

In the year after this, he returned to the more distinctively Ossianic controversy in "An Enquiry into the Authenticity of the Poems ascribed to Ossian. By W. Shaw, A.M. London, 1 Vol. ii., p. 376. 2 Ibid., p. 152. 3 Memoirs, p. 153. Ibid., p. 154. See also Life, vol. iii., p. 349.