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sirupulous authenticity, has occafioned a degree of trouble far beyond that of any other species of composition. Were I to detail the books which I have consulted, and the inquiries which I have found it necessary to make by various channels, I should probably be thought ridiculously oftentatious. Let me only observe, as a specimen of my trouble, that I have fometimes had to run half over London, in order to fix a date correctly ; which, when I had accomplished, I well knew would obtain me no praise, though a failure would have been to my discredit. And after all perhaps, hard as it may be, I shall not be furprized if omissions or mistakes be pointed out with invidious severity. I have also been extremely careful as to the exactness of my quotations ; bolding that there is a respect due to the Publick which should oblige every Authour to attend to this, and never to presume to introduce them with—“ I think I have read ; "or," If I remember right;" when the originals may be examined.

I beg leave to express my warmest thanks to those who have been pleased to favour me with communications and advice in the conduct of my Work. But I cannot

fufficiently acknowledge my obligations to my friend Mr. Malone, who was so good as to allow me to read to him almost the whole of my manufcript, and made such remarks as were greatly for the advantage of the Work; though it is but fair to him to mention, that upon many occasions I differed from him, and followed my own judgement. I regret exceedingly that I was deprived of the benefit of his revifon, when but about one half of the book bad passed through the press; but after having completed bis very laborious and admirable edition of Shakspeare, for

which he generously would accept of no other reward but that fame which be has so defervedly obtained, he fulfilled his promise of a long-wished-for visit to his relations in Ireland; from whence his safe return finibus Atticis is desired by his friends here, with all the classical ardour of Sic te Diva potens Cypri; for there is no man in whom more elegant and worthy qualities are united; and whose fociety therefore is more valued by those who know him.

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It is painful to me to think, that while I was carrying on this work, several of those to whom it would have been most interesting have died. Such melancholy disappointments we know to be incident to humanity ; but we do not feel them the less. Let'me particularly lament the Reverend Thomas Warton, and the Reverend Dr. Adams. Mr. Warton, amidst bis variety of genius and learning, was an excellent Biographer. His contributions to my Collection are highly estimable ; and as he had a true relish

“Tour to the Hebrides," I trust I mould now have been gratified with a larger share of his kind approbation. Dr. Adams, eminent as the Head of a College, as a writer, and as a most amiable man, had known Johnson from his early years, and was his friend through life. What reason I had to hope for the countenance of that venerable Gentleman to this Work, will appear from what he wrote to me upon a former occasion from Oxford, November 17, 1785:—“Dear Sir, I hazard this letter, not knowing where it will find

you,

to thank you for your very agreeable * Tour,' which I found here on my return from the country, and in

you have depicted our friend so perfectly to my fancy, in every attitude, every scene and situation, that I have thought myself in the 3

company,

which

company, and of the party almost throughout. It has given very general satisfaction; and those who have found most fault with a passage here and there, have agreed that they could not help going through, and being entertained through the whole. I wish, indeed, some few gross expressions had been softened, and a few of our hero's foibles had been a little more shaded, but it is useful to see the weaknesses incident to great minds; and you have given us Dr. Johnson's authority that in history all ought to be told.”

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Such a fančtion to my faculty of giving a just representation of Dr. Johnson I could not conceal. Nor will I suppress my satisfaction in the consciousness, that by recording so considerable a portion of the wisdom and wit of “the brightest ornament of the eighteenth century *,I have

I largely provided for the instruction and entertainment of mankind.

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London, April 20, 1791.

* See Mr. Malone's Preface to his edition of Shakspeare.

ALPHABETICAL

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A.

Antiquities, the study of, ü. 308.

Arbuthnot, i. 231.

A BINGDON, Lord, 1.232.3:

Architecture, ii. 22.

Mrs. i. 462, 4, 7, 478, Argyle, Archibald, Duke of, ii. 85.

Abjuration, oath of, i. 463.

Armorial bearings, i. 372.
Academy Royal, instituted, 308.

Ascham, Roger, Johnson's life of, i. 253.

Actors, i.

90, 107, 320, 405; ii. 36, 163, 239, Alh, John, M. D. founder of the Eumelian

332, 3, 468.

club, ii. 567.

Adams, Reverend Dr. i. 24, 32, 144; ii. 23, Ashbourne, fingular anecdote of the mistress of
106, 496, 511, 554, 578,

an inn there, ii. 176.

Miss, ii. 501, 2.

Alle, Thomas, Esq. ii. 410.

Addison, Johnson's opinion of, i. 123, 231,

Reverend Mr. ii.

512.

477; ii. 67, 257

Afton, Mrs. ii. 37, 258, 306, 360.

his style compared with Johnson's, i. 122. Avarice, ii. 245.

Johnson's life of, ii. 356, 383.

Auchinleck, Lord, (the Authour's father,) ii. 4,

Adey, Miss, ii. 37, 306.

426.
*Adventurer, Hawkesworth's, i. 127, 135, 6,

Place of, ii. 100.

Authours, of deciding on their MSS. ii. 381;

Adultery, i. 302, 413 ; ii. 262.

ii. 207, 244, 282.

Akenside's poetry, i. 363 ; ii. :59;

of their writing for profit, ii. 149.

Akerman, Mr. character and anecdotes of, ii. 319,

the respect due to them, ii. 239397.

320.

Alfred, Johnson's desire to write his life, i. 95.

B.

Allen, wt. the printer, ii. 284, 384.

America and The Americans," i. 444, 5,-458; BACON, Lord Verulam, ii. 169.

ii. 175, 227, 241, 340, 377.

Bagshaw, Reverend Thomas, i. 421.

Anthologia, Jolinfon's translations from, ii. 560. Letters from Johnson to, ib. ii. 536.

Balloons,

7. 8.

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ii. 131.

393, 8.

Balloons, ii. 540, 1, 2.

Blank verse, i. 342 ; ii. 349. .

Baltick, The, Johnson's proposed expedition to, Blenheim Park, ii. 28.

Blue-stocking club, ii. 393.

Banks, Sir Joseph, epigram on his goat, i. 351. Boerhaave, his life by Johnson, i. 77.

his · Voyages,' i. 354.

Boetius, i. 343

Barber, Francis, i. 130, 190, 305; ii. 571, 2, 4. Bolingbroke, Lord, his works, i. 145.

Johnson's Letters to him, i. 305, 335, 6. Bolton, Mr. of Birmingham, ii. 32.

Baretti, i. 184, 196; ii. 27, 100.

Books and Booksellers, ii. 12, I 162, 493:

his trial, i. 3.21.

Boothby, Miss, letter of Johnson to, ii. 360.
Johnson's Letters to him, i. 196, 201, 3. Boscawen, Hon. Mrs. ii. 251.
Barnard, Dr. (Bishop of Killaloe) i. 454; ii. 92, Bosvile, Godfrey, Esq. ii. 326.

Bosville, Mrs. i. 366.

Barreiier, J. P. his life by Johnson, i. 77, 81. Boswell (the authour of this work)

Barrington, Hon. Daines, ii. 241.

introduced to Johnfon, i. 211.

Barrow, Dr. his Sermons, ii. 391.

his · Account of Corfica,' i. 298, 303,
Barry, Dr. his . System of Physick,' ii. 60.

4, 6, 9, 314.

Barry, Mr. his paintings, ii. 426.

elected of the Literary Club, i. 408.

Barter, Mr. i. 363.

his · Letter to the People of Scotland,'
Bath, Johnson's visit to, ii. 66.

on Mr. Fox's India Bill, ii. 478, 480.
Bathurst, Dr. i. 102, 136.

For other matters see i. 257, 274, 283,
Baxter, Richard, ii. 457.

298, 329, 393 ; ii. 3, 276, 425, 556.

Bayle's Dictionary, i. 231.

Johnson's arguments in favour of his try-

Beanie, Dr. i. 349, 354, 388.

ing his fortune in London, ii. 536.

Letter from Johnson to,

ii.

321.

Johnson's letters to him, i. 258, 273,

Beauclerk, Topham, Esq. i. 133, 444 ; ii. 221, 303, 9, 331, 348, 352, 387, 9, 424, 5, 6,
287, 291, 315, 334.

8, 430, 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 440, 1, 2, 4, 6, 7,

his death, ii. 312.

495, 6, 7, 8, 9,515; ii. 1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11,

Beggars, ii. 298, 330.

12,

66, 94,

8, 9, 106, 107, 120, 1, 7,131,

Beggar's Opera,' i. 488,9;

ii.

245-

177, 180, 2, 218, 274, 8, 281, 295, 6,

Bentham, Dr. ii. 25.

307, 312, 322, 8, 370, 412, 422, 4, 5, 6,

Bentley, Dr. English verses by, ij. 341.

7, 431, 461, 471, 480, 2, 3, 536, 555, 6.

Beresford, Mrs, and Miss, ii. 495.

Letters to Johnson from him, i. 348,

Berwick, Duke, his " Memoirs,' ii. 224.

351, 388, 428, 436, 8, 443, 5, 6, 455, 496,

Bewley, Mr. his enthusiastick veneration for 514; ii. 10, 94, 106, 116, 120, 4, 7, 130,

Johnson, ii. 401.

177, 8, 181, 3, 4, 5, 218, 272, 280, 295,

Bibliotheca Harleiana,' i. 81.

305, 8, 310, 321, s.

• Biddulph, Sidney,' the novel, i. 210.

Bofwell, Mrs. i. 428, 430; ü. 181, 3, 309, 428.

Biographia Britannica, ii. 157, 489.

Letters of Johnson to, ii. 93, 126, 427.-

Biography, remarks on, i. 1-7; ii. 26,85, 144, Dr. his character of Johnson, ii. 47.

Mr. Thomas David, ii. 321, 579.
357, 387, 553, 570.
Birch, Dr. i. 85

Boucher, Governour, ii. 381.
his letter to Johnson on his Dictionary, Boufflers, Mad. de, i. 513.

Braithwa'te, Mr. ii. 493.
Birds, their migration, i. 414.

Bribery, i. 477

Bishops, ii. 492, 518.

Brocklesby, Dr. his kind attention to Johnson,

Blackfriar's Bridge, i. 191.

ii. 439, 460, 481, 527, 570.

Blacklock's poetry, i. 254.

i

Letters of Johnson to, ii. 462, 537,

Blackmore, i. 330.

& feq.
Johnson's life of, ii. 358.

Brown, Mr. i. 13
Blagden, Dr. i. 510; ii. 344.

.

Browne, Sir Thomas, his life by Johnson, i. 169.
Blair, Reverend' Dr. Hugh, his . Sermons,' Brydone's Tour, ii. 267.
ii. roo, 6, 152, 178, 256, 387

i. 158.

Buchan, Earl of, anecdote of, i. 370.

Letter to the Authour on Pope's Buchanan, i.

250.
• Essay on Man,' ii. 299.

Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress,' i. 408.'
Reverend Robert, authour of The Grave,' Burke, Right Hon. Edmund, anecdotes of and

ii. 68.

remarks on, ii. 27, 90, 246, 339, 343,

Blake, Admiral, his life by Johnson, i. 77.

491, 515, 552, 576.

Blaney, Elizabeth, i. 9; ii. 552.

the authour introduced to him, i, 408.

Burke,

5

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