That the most minute singularities which belonged to him, and made very observable parts of his appearance and manner, may not be omitted, it is requisite to mention, that, while talking, or even musing as he sat in his chair, he commonly held his head to one side towards his right shoulder, and shook it in a tremulous manner, moving his body backwards and forwards, and rubbing his left knee in the same direction, with the palm of his hand. In the intervals of articulating he made various sounds with his mouth, sometimes as if ruminating, or what is called chewing the cud, sometimes giving a half-whistle, sometimes making his tongue play backwards from the roof of his mouth, as if clucking like a hen, and sometimes protruding it against his upper gums in front, as if pronouncing quickly, under his breath, too, too, too: all this accompanied sometimes with a thoughtful look, but more frequently with a smile. Generally, when he had concluded a period, in the course of a dispute, by which time he was a good deal exhausted by violence and vociferation, he used to blow out his breath like a whale. This, I suppose, was a relief to his lungs; and seemed in him to be a contemptuous mode of expression, as if he had made the arguments of his opponent fly like chaff before the wind. I am fully aware how very obvious an occasion I here give for the sneering jocularity of such as have no relish of an exact likeness; which to render complete, he who draws it must not disdain the slightest strokes. But if witlings should be inclined to attack this account, let them have the candour to quote what I have offered in my defence. He was for some time in the summer at Easton Maudit, Northamptonshire, on a visit to the Rev. Dr. Percy, now Bishop of Dromore.1 Whatever dissatisfaction he felt at what he considered as a slow progress in intellectual improvement, we find that his heart was tender, and his affections warm, as appears from the following very kind letter: why or wherefore he could not inform me."-Whyte, Miscellanca Nova, p. 49.-Croker. 1 He spent parts of the months of June, July, and August with me, accompanied by his friend Mrs. Williams, whom Mrs. Percy found a very agreeable companion.-Percy. TO JOSHUA REYNOLDS, ESQ. "DEAR SIR, In Leicester Fields, London. "I did not hear of your sickness till I heard likewise of your recovery, and therefore that escape part of your pain, which every man must feel, to whom you are known as you are known to me. 66 Having had no particular account of your disorder, I know not in what state it has left you. If the amusement of my company can exhilarate the languor of a slow recovery, I will not delay a day to come to you; for I know not how I can so effectually promote my own pleasure as by pleasing you, or my own interest as by preserving you, in whom, if I should lose you, I should lose almost the only man whom I call a friend. 66 "Pray, let me hear of you from yourself, or from dear Miss Reynolds. Make my compliments to Mr. Mudge. I am, dear Sir, your most affectionate and most humble servant, "At the Rev. Mr. Percy's, at Easton Maudit, Northamptonshire, (by Castle Ashby,) Aug. 19, 1764." "SAM. JOHNSON." Early in the year 1765 he paid a short visit to the University of Cambridge, with his friend Mr. Beauclerk. There is a lively picturesque account of his behaviour on this visit in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for March, 1785, being an extract of a letter from the late Dr. John Sharp.2 The two following sentences are very characteristical :— 1 Sir Joshua's sister, for whom Johnson had a particular affection, and to whom he wrote many letters which I have seen, and which I am sorry her too nice delicacy will not permit to be published. [Note introduced in the second edition, vol. i., p. 451.] Those letters were communicated by Mr. J. F. Palmer, the grandnephew of Sir Joshua and Miss Reynolds, to Mr. Croker, and will be given in the Appendices to this and the other volumes of this edition.— Editor. 2 Dr. John Sharp, grandson of Sharp, Archbishop of York, and son of the Archdeacon of Durham, in which preferment he succeeded his father. He was a member of Trinity College, Cambridge. He died in 1792, aged sixty-nine.-Croker. "He drank his large potations of tea with m3, interrupted by many an indignant contradiction, and many a noble sentiment." "Several persons got into his company the last evening at Trinity, where, about twelve, he began to be very great; stripped poor Mrs. Macaulay to the very skin, then gave her for his toast, and drank her in two bumpers." The strictness of his self-examination, and scrupulous Christian humility, appear in his pious meditation on Easter-day this year. "I purpose again to partake of the blessed sacrament; yet when I consider how vainly I have hitherto resolved, at this annual commemoration of my Saviour's death, to regulate my life by his laws, I am almost afraid to renew my resolutions." 66 The concluding words are very remarkable, and show that he laboured under a severe depression of spirits. Since the last Easter I have reformed no evil habit; my time has been unprofitably spent, and seems as a dream that has left nothing behind. My memory grows confused, and I know not how the days pass over me. Good Lord, deliver me!" 1 No man was more gratefully sensible of any kindness done to him than Johnson. There is a little circumstance in his diary this year, which shows him in a very amiable light. "July 2. I paid Mr. Simpson ten guineas, which he had formerly lent me in my necessity, and for which Tetty expressed her gratitude." 66 July 8. I lent Mr. Simpson ten guineas more." Here he had a pleasing opportunity of doing the same kindness to an old friend, which he had formerly received from him. Indeed his liberality as to money was very remarkable. The next article in his diary is, "July 16th, I received seventy-five pounds.2 Lent Mr. Davies twentyfive." Trinity College, Dublin, at this time surprised Johnson 1 Prayers and Meditations, p. 55. with a spontaneous compliment of the highest academical honours, by creating him Doctor of Laws. The diploma, which is in my possession, is as follows: "OMNIBUS ad quos præsentes literæ pervenerint, salutem. Nos Præpositus et Socii Seniores Collegii Sacrosanctæ et Individuæ Trinitatis Regina Elizabethæ juxta Dublin, testamur, Samueli Johnson, Armigero, ob egregiam scriptorum elegantiam et utilitatem, gratiam concessam fuisse pro gradu Doctoratûs in utroque Jure, octavo die Julii, Anno Domini millesimo septingentesimo sexagesimo-quinto. In cujus rei testimonium singulorum manus et sigillum quo in hisce utimur apposuimus; vicesimo tertio die Julii, Anno Domini millesimo septingentesimo sexagesimoquinto. GUL. CLEMENT. THO. LELAND.1 FRAN. ANDrews. R. MURRAY. This unsolicited mark of distinction, conferred on so great a literary character, did much honour to the judgment and liberal spirit of that learned body. Johnson acknowledged the favour in a letter to Dr. Leland, one of their number; but I have not been able to obtain a copy of it.3 1 Dr. Thomas Leland, the translator of Demosthenes, and author of the History of Ireland, was born at Dublin, in 1722, and died in 1785.— Wright. 2 The same who has contributed some notes to this work, and the elder brother of my earliest literary friend Dr. John Kearney, sometime Provost of Dublin College, and afterwards Bishop of Ossory. Both the brothers were amiable men and accomplished scholars.-Croker. 3 Since the publication of the edition in 1804 a copy of this letter has been obligingly communicated to me by John Leland, Esq., son of the learned historian, to whom it is addressed :— "TO THE REV. DR. LELAND. "Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, London, "Oct. 17, 1765. "SIR,-Among the names subscribed to the degree which I have had the honour of receiving from the University of Dublin, I find none of which I have any personal knowledge but those of Dr. Andrews and yourself. He appears this year to have been seized with a temporary fit of ambition, for he had thoughts both of studying law, and of engaging in politics. His "Prayer before the Study of Law" is truly admirable : 66 1 'Sept. 26, 1765. Almighty God, the giver of wisdom, without whose help resolutions are vain, without whose blessing study is ineffectual; enable me, if it be thy will, to attain such knowledge as may qualify me to direct the doubtful, and instruct the ignorant; to prevent wrongs and terminate contentions; and grant that I may use that knowledge which I shall attain, to thy glory and my own salvation, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen." 2 His prayer in the view of becoming a politician is entitled, "Engaging in politics with H-n," no doubt, his friend, the Right Hon. William Gerard Hamilton,3 for "Men can be estimated by those who know them not, only as they are represented by those who know them; and therefore I flatter myself that I owe much of the pleasure which this distinction gives me, to your concurrence with Dr. Andrews in recommending me to the learned society. "Having desired the Provost to return my general thanks to the University, I beg that you, Sir, will accept my particular and immediate acknowledgments. I am, Sir, your most obedient and most humble "SAM. JOHNSON." servant, I have not been able to recover the letter which Johnson wrote to Dr. Andrews on this occasion.-Malone. Prayers and Meditations, p. 60. 2 Ibid., p. 61. 3 William Gerard Hamilton, the only son of William Hamilton, a Scottish advocate who migrated from Edinburgh to London, to practise under the appellate jurisdiction created at the Union, 1707, was born in Lincoln's Inn, January, 1728. He was educated at Winchester and Oriel College; and, on leaving Oxford, became a member of Lincoln's Inn; but on the death of his father, January 15, 1754, from whom he inherited an ample fortune, he abandoned the bar, to devote himself exclusively to political life. In the general election, May, 1754, he entered Parliament as member for Petersfield, Hampshire. After remaining a silent member for a year, he made his first speech, 13th November, 1755, in the debate on an address to the Crown regarding the treaties between His Britannic Majesty, the Emperor of Russia and the Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel: "Young Mr. Hamilton," says Horace Walpole, "spoke for the first time, and was at once perfection." This was the speech which acquired for him the name of "single speech Hamilton," an epithet not altogether correct, for he spoke again on the same subject, February, 1756, when, as Walpole says, he shone again, |