He had a little money when he came to town, and he knew how he could live in the cheapest manner. His firft lodgings were at the houfe of Mr. Norris, a staymaker, in Exeter-street, adjoining Catharine-street, in the Strand. "I dined (faid he) very well for eight-pence, with very good company, at the Pine Apple in New-street, juft by. Several of them had travelled. They expected to meet every day; but did not know one another's names. It used to coft the reft a fhilling, for they drank wine; but I had a cut of meat for fix-pence, and bread for a penny, and gave the waiter a penny; fo that I was quite well ferved, nay, better than the reft, for they gave the waiter nothing." He at this time, I believe, abstained entirely from fermented liquors; a practice to which he rigidly conformed for many years together, at different periods of his life. His OFELLUS in the Art of living in London, I have heard him relate, was an Irish painter, whom he knew at Birmingham, and who had practised his own precepts of œconomy for feveral years in the British capital. He affured Johnson, who, I fuppofe, was then meditating to try his fortune in London, but was apprehensive of the expence," that thirty pounds a year was enough to enable a man to live there without being contemptible. He allowed ten pounds for clothes and linen. He faid a man might live in a garret at eighteen-pence a week; few people would inquire where he lodged; and if they did, it was easy to fay, Sir, I am to be found at fuch a place.' By spending three-] -pence in a coffee-house, he might be for fome hours every day in very good company; he might dine for fix-pence, breakfast on bread and milk for a penny, and do without fupper. On clean-fhirt-day he went abroad, and paid visits." I have heard him more than once talk of this frugal friend, whom he recollected with esteem and kindness, and did not like to have any one fmile at the recital. "This man (faid he, gravely,) was a very fenfible man, who perfectly understood common affairs: a man of a great deal of knowledge of the world, fresh from life, not ftrained through books. He borrowed a horse and ten pounds at Birmingham. Finding himself master of fo much money, he fet off for Weft Chefter, in order to get to Ireland. He returned the horse, and probably the ten pounds too, after he got home." Confidering Johnson's narrow circumstances in the early part of his life, and particularly at the interesting æra of his launching into the ocean of London, it is not to be wondered at, that an actual inftance, proved by experience, of the poffibility of enjoying the intellectual luxury of focial life, upon a very small income, fhould deeply engage his attention, and be ever recollected H 1737. Etat. 28. 1737. Etat. 28. lected by him as a circumstance of much importance. He amufed himself, I remember, by computing how much more expence was abfolutely necessary to live upon the fame fcale with that which his friend defcribed, when the value of money was diminished by the progrefs of commerce. It may be estimated that double the money might now with difficulty be fufficient. Amidst this cold obfcurity, there was one brilliant circumstance to cheer him; he was well acquainted with Mr. Henry Hervey, one of the branches of the noble family of that name, who had been quartered at Lichfield as an officer of the army, and had at this time a house in London, where Johnson was frequently entertained, and had an opportunity of meeting genteel company. Not very long before his death, he mentioned this, among other particulars of his life, which he was kindly communicating to me; and he described this early friend " Harry Hervey," thus: "He was a vicious man, but very kind to me. If you call a dog HERVEY, I fhall love him." He told me he had now written only three acts of his IRENE, and that he retired for fome time to lodgings at Greenwich, where he proceeded in it somewhat farther, and used to compofe, walking in the Park; but did not stay long enough at that place to finish it. At this period we find the following letter from him to Mr. Edward Cave, which, as a link in the chain of his literary history, it is proper to infert: To Mr. CAVE. « SIR, Greenwich, next door to the Golden Heart, "HAVING obferved in your papers very uncommon offers of encouragement to men of letters, I have chofen, being a stranger in London, to communicate to you the following defign, which, I hope, if you join in it, will be of advantage to both of us. "The History of the Council of Trent having been lately tranflated into French, and published with large Notes by Dr. Le Courayer, the reputation of that book is fo much revived in England, that, it is prefumed, a new translation of it from the Italian, together with Le Courayer's Notes from the French, could not fail of a favourable reception. "If it be answered, that the History is already in English, it must be remembered, that there was the fame objection against Le Courayer's undertaking, with this disadvantage, that the French had a verfion by one of their best tranflators, whereas you cannot read three pages of the English History 4 without without difcovering that the ftyle is capable of great improvements; but whether thofe improvements are to be expected from this attempt, you must judge from the fpecimen, which, if you approve the propofal, I fhall fubmit to your examination. "Suppose the merit of the verfions equal, we may hope that the addition. of the Notes will turn the balance in our favour, confidering the reputation of the Annotator. "Be pleased to favour me with a fpeedy anfwer, if you are not willing to engage in this fcheme; and appoint me a day to wait upon you, if you I am, Sir, are. 1737. Ætat. 28. "Your humble fervant, "SAM. JOHNSON." It should seem from this letter, though fubfcribed with his own name, that he had not yet been introduced to Mr. Cave. We fhall presently see what was done in confequence of the proposal which it contains. In the course of the fummer he returned to Lichfield, where he had left Mrs. Johnson, and there he at laft finished his tragedy, which was not executed with his rapidity of compofition upon other occafions, but was flowly and painfully elaborated. A few days before his death, while burning a great mass of papers, he picked out from among them the original unformed sketch of this tragedy, in his own hand-writing, and gave it to Mr. Langton, by whose favour a copy of it is now in my poffeffion. It contains fragments of the intended plot, and speeches for the different perfons of the drama, partly in the raw materials of profe, partly worked up into verse; as also a variety of hints for illuftration borrowed from the Greek, Roman, and modern writers. The hand-writing is very difficult to be read, even by those who were best acquainted with Johnson's mode of penmanship, which at all times was very particular. The King having graciously accepted of this manuscript as a literary curiosity, Mr. Langton made a fair and distinct copy of it, which he ordered to be bound up with the original and the printed tragedy; and the volume is deposited in the King's library. His Majesty was pleased to permit Mr. Langton to take a copy of it for himself. The whole of it is rich in thought and imagery, and happy expreffions; and of the disjeɛta membra scattered throughout, and as yet unarranged, a good dramatick poet might avail himself with confiderable advantage. I fhall give my readers fome fpecimens of different kinds, diftinguishing them by the Italick character. A small part only of this interefting admonition is preserved in the play, and is varied, I think, not to advantage: "The foul once tainted with fo foul a crime, "No more shall glow with friendship's hallow'd ardour: "Those holy beings whose superiour care "Guides erring mortals to the paths of virtue, "Affrighted at impiety like thine, "Refign their charge to baseness and to ruin." "I feel the foft infection Flush in my cheek, and wander in my veins. "Teach me the Grecian arts of foft perfuafion." "Sure this is love, which heretofore I conceived the dream of idle maids, and wanton poets." "Though no comets or prodigies foretold the ruin of Greece, figns which beaven must by another miracle enable us to understand, yet might it be forefhown, by tokens no less certain, by the vices which always bring it on." This last paffage is worked up in the tragedy itself, as follows: LEONTIU S. That power that kindly spreads "The clouds, a signal of impending showers, DEMETRIUS. DEMETRIUS. "A thousand horrid prodigies foretold it; "When publick villainy, too ftrong for justice, MAHOMET (to IRENE). "I have tried thee, and joy to find that thou deferveft to be loved by Mahomet,—with a mind great as his own. Sure, thou art an errour of nature, and an exception to the rest of thy fex, and art immortal; for fentiments like thine were never to fink into nothing. I thought all the thoughts difpofe the colours of the of the fair had been to select the graces of the day, flaunting (flowing) robe, tune the voice and roll the eye, place the gem, choose the drefs, and add new rofes to the fading cheek, but-sparkling.” I fhall felect one other paffage, on account of the doctrine which it illuftrates. IRENE obferves," that the Supreme Being will accept of virtue, whatever outward circumstances it may be accompanied with, and may be delighted with varieties of worship-but is answered, that variety canhot affect that Being, who infinitely 1737. Ætat. 28. |