240. Twenty-eighth. For the 13th, read 30th. 241. The peak. Should it not be Peak of Derby, to make it more intelligible, especially on the continent?

245. Fall of Fiers. Lockness and Fall of Fiers-excellent.

247. St. George's. Dele St. The fort was named after King George II.

247. Great convenience. There is not a communication by water all the way to Inverness, but as there is for the greatest part, the passage is perhaps quite right as it stands. 248. Glenmollison. Read Glenmorison. 256.

Glensheals. Read Glensheal: also dele s at the end of Aucknasheals. I believe its inhabitants should be written Macraas.

Your thoughts on the islands are masterly indeed. 264. Auknasheals and the Macraes. Read Aucknasheal and Macraas.

265. Gordon. Read Murchison.

[Antè, p. 427.]

266. The twentieth. For 20th, read 2d.

Reside at Edinburgh. Sir Alexander should be very thankful for your tenderness.

271. Coriatachan. Read Corichatachan.

272. Were united. In the appendix to Gordon's Itinerarium Septentrionale an account is given of cairns, and of piling and cremation being united among the northern nations.

274. Give no account. Did you not see the women at their meals as well as the men? I take their diet to be the same-strong liquor "- excellent!

275. Cheshire cheese. I do not think it is Cheshire cheese; they make cheese enough of their own.

278. Water was calm. You are mistaken in saying the water was calm: the sea was pretty rough, and you may recollect that your spurs were lost.

285. Chiefs. Dele s.

Migration. Is yet a good word here? Should it not be still, or some other expression?" Content and faithful, yet unaffected." No wonder they are unaffected if content and faithful. This may occur to a heedless reader from one sense of the word yet (a remark by my wife). Would as yet be clearer ?

289. Pharacia. Raasay - very fine! but is there not some inconsistency between saying that it affords not much ground, notwithstanding its extent for pasture," and "of black cattle I suppose the number is very great." Perhaps

the first passage might be altered to "in proportion to." My wife was delighted with the conclusion of Raasay; but it has occurred to me that "if I could have found an Ulysses" may be construed as not altogether delicate to the laird.

289. And narrow. I do not think Port Re is narrow.

. Of the Island. Does this agree with having said "one inn at Sconsor?" It should be Sconser. Might not some sharp rogues lay hold of this in a traveller so rigidly exact as you are? I believe the largest inn of Skye is at Dunvegan: that and the two you have mentioned are the only inns properly so called. There are many huts where whiskey is sold.

298. Macleod. Are you sure it was Macleod who sold the cattle? Was he one of the conspirators?

299. Long genealogy. This is a little anachronism. It was not Ulinist's boatmen, but those who rowed us from Sconser on Saturday, 25th September, who asked about your genealogy. This however is immaterial.

302. Coriatachan- Corichatachan. Your allusion to the gothic romances is admirable.

303. Is minister. Mr. Macpherson is minister of State and tacksman of Ostig.

308. Is this description of kelp accurate? Is not kelp the sea-weed after it is calcined? Are not its ashes only ingredients in the composition of glass, as in the composition of soap, and, I believe, some other substances? Upon recollection, I find that kelp is in common language used for the word itself in its original state-they talk of cutting kelp. 312. On a Crate. I do not find the word crate in your dictionary.

312. A turtle feast. Does not " a citizen at a turtle feast" seem to represent him as an image of longevity, as like an eagle. If a citizen should eat turtle as constantly as a cottager eats oaten cakes, would he live as long?

330. Now a wilderness. All this is capital. I am per. suaded the king must have his knowledge enlarged and his feelings roused.

339. Bring her husband? In the first edition there was no note of interrogation here, and Boswell asks whether there should not be. There is none in the new Oxford edition. 340. Prevail at last. Your observations on religion should do good.

341. King's palace. You have touched the political tenets of the islanders with a very soft address.

343. Second sight. I am struck to see how your great powers of mind can expand and illustrate a subject. The second sight will henceforth be treated at least with attention by thinking and unprejudiced men.

1 It would seem as if Dr. Johnson had made an imperfect correction here. Murphy's edition has the 28th. In the Oxford works it still stands 13th. - CROKER.

345. Not to believe it. I believe all the ministers in Skre are natives. Mr. Macpherson, who told you that he was resolved not to believe, was born at Ostig, so that he did ent come resolved. I am wrong: he was born in the island of Barra.

64

353. Almost suppressed. See p. 375.

357. Can be found. Your reflections on Highland learning, on bards, and on Ossian, amount to demonstration only how if any can be found" might be omitted; for I take it to be certain that some wandering ballads are inserted in Osstan Recite six lines. You are mistaken here; some of them do actually recite many more.

358. Taking in kelp. A trifling inaccuracy here. We 44 not leave Skye in a boat that was taking in kelp. It was a boat from Ilay, in which a gentleman had come in search ef an emigrant who owed him money; but before he came 'be emigrant had sailed. You treat, too, the storm too light: both Col and all the islanders thought that we were really in danger.

368. Popish Islands. This page will, I believe, make me yet go to the Popish Islands, but I must have instructions from you in writing.

375. Dronash-Fingala. Read Dowash-Finrola.

Attend the procession. Is this perfectly consistent with the passage at p. 353? Should not one or the other be modified?

380. Mull. Very instructive. Acti labores sunt jucundi, while I read your account.

381. Tabor Morar. Tobermorie;-Mori or Mory, the Erse for Mary.

387. Another little inaccuracy. The master was not in board that night; he was sitting socially with Macquarre The sailors were our kind deliverers.

388. Refinements of courtesy. As beautiful as ant this in fiction, yet all exactly true, except the inconsiderable c cumstance that" we were met by Sir Allan when we lande.” We found him in the house, or hut; this, however, a 10thing. I figure to myself how many amiable readers = envy us at Inch Kenneth.

389. Plentiful and delicate. This phrase has been m already, as to the tacksmen in Skye, page 369. Werdu better to vary one of them? If you think so, I losat Jul Sir Allan shall retain it.

392. Inch Kenneth. At the death of Col, my wife much. I was deeply affected, though I shed no tear Tacitus says, Feminis lugere honestum est — viris mCTRONIC 395. Gradually obscures. The evening sail - very & 396. Iona. I cannot express the graudeur of so the sa passage inspires. I should think numbers would visË JE to feel it fully.

397. Black stones. Read stone.

Without the blackest. Might not a better wind found for the infamy of violating an oath on the ila kw 401. Mr. Maclean. Read Mr. Macleod. At C 402. Hebrides. Your observations on the castles a 2 Hebrides, excellent!

407. Higher than the true. I am not conscions of the tim of this observation. I do not recollect instances.

408. Night came on. I am glad to find the grad m piece preserved. I remembered it imperfectly my stops at Loch-buys, I know not how but 1 am clse it, and you shall read it when we meet.

411. His college. Your account of education in Servei just. I repeated it to Lord Monhoddo. “He is richt

412. Several places. What places remarkat e ready described, did you find between Glasgow and A leck? I expected to have found something safe castle of Dundonald, where you made me with your jokes on king Bob.

Mr. Boswell's sister. Read sister-in-Lebell and I are married to two sisters.

. Stony field. Auchinleck has no partic” LP the denomination of a stony field, by which is ma much covered with loose pebbles; ut Auch.. field, and Auchinleck signifies a field of flag stur red rocks there are generally composed of the manga 413. His tenants. You have done Auchinless and have, I hope, overcome my father, who has given your warmth for monarchy and epur anxious to see how your pages will operate uwe b .. A pedant's. Why call yourself a ped a** 414. Braidwood. Braidwood deserves attem have ensured him celebrity.

416. Is not your concluding paragraph rather The more I read your journey, the more sa a. ceive. That the canvas should glow with m colour was to be expected; but it is wonde the number and variety of minute obijes T# accurately delineated. There is, in gesti tainment; but I can hardly conceive how, na you acquired the knowledge of so many partak

2 He means, piling stones on stones til -CROKER.

IN that amusing scrap.book called "Grose's Olio," there is an imputation against Dr. Johnson of having obtained an advance of money from the publishers of the Dictionary, by the trick of substituting old sheets instead of new copy, which he had neglected to prepare. The following extract from the Gentleman's Magazine contradicts this imputation; but for that sole purpose I should not have thought it necessary to quote it, but am induced to do so because it also affords some curious particulars as to the practical compilation of the Dictionary, and gives some account of Francis Stuart, whose connexion with Johnson seems to have been more important than Mr. Boswell supposed. Indeed Mr. Boswell's account of a little negotiation in which Dr. Johnson employed him with Stuart's sister is very confused. In December, 1779, he states that he had, as desired by Johnson, discovered the sister of Stuart, and given her a guinea for an old pocket-book of her brother's which Dr. Johnson had retained; that the woman wondered at his scrupulous and liberal honesty, and received the guinea as if sent by Providence:" antè, p. 641. But this must have been a total mistake on the part of Boswell; for it appears that the sister had the pocket-book or letter-case in her own possession, and that it was for obtaining it that Johnson offered the guinea. This matter was probably explained in some letters not given; for in April, 1780 (p. 643.), Johnson expresses "satisfaction at the success of Boswell's transaction with Mrs. Stuart," by which it may be inferred that Boswell had obtained the letter-case from her; but the negotiation was not terminated; for four years after, in 1784 (p. 748.), Johnson writes to Boswell," I desire you to see Mrs. Stuart once again, and say that in the letter-case was a letter relating to me for which I will give her, if she is willing to give it to me, another guinea: the letter is of consequence only to me." (p. 750.) The reader now sees that the retention by Johnson of Stewart's old pocket-book, and the scrupulous honesty of paying a guinea in lieu of it, was a total misapprehension on the part of Boswell; and that Johnson really wanted to obtain the pocket-book, which he seems to have gotten, for the sake of a letter it contained which he seems not to have gotten. But what letter could this be of consequence to Dr. Johnson, when on the verge of the grave, yet so long neglected by him; for Stewart had been dead many years? Boswell's original error and his subsequent silence on the subject are very strange. I am satisfied either that Boswell did not obtain the letter, or that it related to some circumstance of Johnson's life which he did not choose to divulge; and what could it have been that he would not have told? It might, no doubt, have related to the trick or mistake about the copy of the Dictionary; but this, as we shall see by the following explanation, could have hardly interested Johnson at the end of thirty years; while the contradictions and mystery of the case as we have it, and the strange and utter ignorance of what Johnson was about in the years 1745-6 -together with many smaller circumstances, incline me to suspect that Johnson may have taken some personal share in the disaffected movements of that period, and that the letter he was so anxious about, may have had some reference to those transactions in which Stuart was likely enough to have been engaged. From the following account it might be inferred that Stuart was not acquainted with Johnson till he lived in Gough square, 1748-that was no doubt the date at which Johnson employed him on the Dictionary, but as it seems that Stuart left Scotland soon after the celebrated Porteous riot in 1736, in which he had some share, he may have known Johnson long before 1745.

"This was Francis Stuart. He was the son of a shopkeeper in Edinburgh, and was brought up to the law. For several years he was employed as a writer in some of the principal offices of Edinburgh; and being a man of good natural parts, and given to literature, he frequently assisted in digesting and arranging MSS. for the press; and, among other employments of this sort, he used to boast of assisting or copying some of the juvenile productions of the afterwards celebrated Lord Kaimes when he was very young and a correspondent with the Edinburgh Magazine. When he came to London, he stuck more closely to the press; and in this walk of copying or arranging for the press, he got recommended to Dr. Johnson, who then lived in Gough-square. Frank was a great admirer of the doctor, and upon all occasions consulted him; and the doctor had also a very respectable opinion of his amanuensis Frank Stuart, as he always familiarly called him. But it was not only in collecting authorities that Frank was employed: he was the man who did

every thing in the writing way for him, and managed all his affairs between the doctor, his bookseller, and his creditors, who were then often very troublesome, and every species of business the doctor had to do out of doors; and for this he was much better qualified than the doctor himself, as he had been more accustomed to common business, and more conversant in the ways of men.

"That he was a porter-drinking man,' as Captain Grose says, may be admitted: for he usually spent his evenings at the Bible, in Shire lane, a house of call for bookbinders and printers, where Frank was in good esteem among some creditable neighbours that frequented the back room; for, except his fuddling, he was a very worthy character. But his drinking and conviviality, he used to say, he left behind him at Edinburgh, where he had connected himself with some jovial wits and great card-players, which made his journey to London very prudent and necessary, as nothing but such a measure could break off the connexion, or bring them to good hours and moderation. In one of those night rambles, Stuart and his companions met with the mob-procession when they were conducting Captain Porteous to be hanged; and Stuart and his companions were next day examined about it before the town-council, when (as Stuart used to say) we were found to be too drunk to have had any hand in the business.' But he gave a most accurate and particular account of that memorable transaction in the Edinburgh Magazine of that time, which he was rather fond of relating. "In another walk, besides collecting authorities, he was remarkably useful to Dr. Johnsou; that was, in the explanation of low cant phrases, which the doctor used to get Frank to give his explanation of first; and all words relating to gambling and card-playing, such as All Fours, Catch honours, Cribbage, &c. were, among the typos, said to be Frank Stuart's, corrected by the doctor, for which he received a second payment. At the time this happened, the Dictionary was going on printing very briskly in three departments, letters D, G, and L, being at work upon at the same time; and as the doctor was, in the printing-house phrase, out of town

that is, had received more money than he had produced MS. for the proprietors restricted him in his payments, and would answer no more demands from him than at the rate of a guinea for every sheet of MS. copy he delivered; which was paid him by Mr. Strahan on delivery; and the doctor readily agreed to this. The copy was written upon 4to. post, and in two columns each page. The doctor wrote, in his own hand, the words and their explanation, and generally two or three words in each column, leaving a space between each for the authorities, which were pasted on as they were collected by the different clerks or amanuenses em. ployed: and in this mode the MS. was so regular, that the sheets of MS. which made a sheet of print could be very exactly ascertained. Every guinea parcel came after this agreement regularly tied up, and was put upon a shelf in the corrector's room till wanted. The MS. being then in great forwardness, the doctor supplied copy faster than the printers called for it; and in one of the heaps of copy it happened that, upon giving it out to the compositors, some sheets of the old MS. that had been printed off were found among the new MS. paid for. It is more probable that this happened by the doctor's keeping the old copy, which was always returned him with the proof, in a disorderly manner. another mode of accounting for this was at that time very current in the printing-house. The doctor, besides his old and constant assistant, Stuart, had several others, some of them not of the best characters; and one of this class had been lately discharged, whom the doctor had been very kind to, notwithstanding all his loose and idle tricks; and it was generally supposed that he had fallen upon this expedient of picking up the old MS. to raise a few guineas, finding the money so readily paid on the MS. as he delivered it. But every body was inclined to acquit the doctor, as he had been well known to have rather too little thoughts about money matters. And what served to complete the doctor's acquittal was, Stuart immediately on the discovery supplying the quantum of right copy (for it was ready); which set every thing to rights, and that in the course of an hour or two, as the writer of this note can truly assert, as he was employed in the business.

But

"How such an erroneous and injurious account of an accident so fairly and justly to be accounted for, and the doctor's character cleared from all imputation of art or guilt, came to Captain Grose's ears, is hard to be accounted for: but it appears to have been picked up among the common gossip of the press-room, or other remote parts of the printing-house, where the right state of the fact could not be minutely related nor accurately known."- Gent. Mag. v. 69. p. 1171.

[Mr. Boswell's letters to Mr. Malone, written while the first edition of his Life of Johnson was passing through the press, afford so curious a view of his situation and state of mind at that period, that the Editor has gladly availed himself of Mr. Upcott's permission to make some extracts from the MSS. in that gentleman's collection.] — WRIGHT.

"London, Dec. 4. 1790. Let me begin with myself. On the day after your departure, that most friendly fellow Courtenay (begging the pardon of an M.P. for so free an epithet) called on me, and took my word and honour that, till the 1st of March, my allowance of wine per diem should not exceed four good glasses at dinner, and a pint after it: and this I have kept, though I have dined with Jack Wilkes; at the London Tavern, after the launch of an Indiaman; with dear Edwards; Dilly; at home with Courtenay; Dr. Barrow; at the mess of the Coldstream; at the Club; at Warren Hastings's; at Hawkins the Cornish member's; and at home with a colonel of the guards, &c. This regulation I assure you is of essential advantage in many respects. The Magnum Opus advances. I have revised p. 216. The additions which I have received are a Spanish quotation from Mr. Cambridge (p. 722.); an account of Johnson at Warley Camp from Mr. Langton (p. 618.); and Johnson's letters to Mr. Hastingsthree in all-one of them long and admirable (p. 676.); but what sets the diamonds in pure gold of Ophir is a letter from Mr. Hastings to me (p. 675.), illustrating them and their writer. I had this day the honour of a long visit from the late governor-general of India. There is to be no more impeachment. But you will see his character nobly vindicated. Depend upon this.

"And now for my friend. The appearance of Malone's Shakspeare on the 29th November was not attended with any external noise; but I suppose no publication seized more speedily and surely on the attention of those for whose critical taste it was chiefly intended. At the Club on Tuesday, where I met Sir Joshua, Dr. Warren, Lord Ossory, Lord Palmerston, Windham, and Burke in the chair,— Burke was so full of his anti-French revolution rage, and poured it out so copiously, that we had almost nothing else. He, however, found time to praise the clearness and accuracy of your dramatic history; and Windham found fault with you for not taking the profits of so laborious a work. Sir Joshua is pleased, though he would gladly have seen more disquisition you understand me! Mr. Daines Barrington is exceedingly gratified. He regrets that there should be a dryness between you and Steevens, as you have treated him with great respect. I understand that, in a short time, there will not be one of your books to be had for love or money.

"Dec. 7. 1 dined last Saturday at Sir Joshua's with Mr. Burke, his lady, son, and niece, Lord Palmerston, Windham, Dr. Lawrence, Dr. Blagden, Dr. Burney, Sir Abraham Hume, Sir William Scott. I sat next to young Burke at dinner, who said to me, that you had paid his father a very fine compliment. I mentioned Johnson, to sound if there was any objection. He made none. In the evening Burke told me he had read your Henry VI., with all its accompaniment, and it was 'exceedingly well done.' He left us for some time; I suppose on some of his cursed politics; but he returned I at him again, and heard from his lips what, believe me, I delighted to hear, and took care to write down soon after. I have read his History of the Stage, which is a very capital piece of criticism and anti-agrarianism. I shall now read all Shakspeare through, in a very different manner from what I have yet done, when I have got such a commentator.' Will not this do for you, my friend? Burke was admirable company all that day. He never once, I think, mentioned the French revolution, and was easy with me, as in days of old,

"Dec. 16. I was sadly mortified at the Club on Tuesday, where I was in the chair, and on opening the box found three balls against General Burgoyne. Present, besides moi, Lord Ossory, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Fordyce, Dr. Burney, young Burke, Courtenay, Steevens. One of the balls, I do believe, was put into the no side by Fordyce by mistake. You may guess who put in the other two. The Bishop of Carlisle and Dr. Blagden are put up. I doubt if the latter will be admitted, till Burgoyne gets in first. My work has met with a delay for a little while-not a whole day, however by an unaccountable neglect in having paper enough in readiness. I have now before me p. 256. My utmost wish is to come forth on Shrove Tuesday (8th March). 'Wits are game cocks,' &c. Langton is in town, and dines with me to-morrow quietly, and revises his Collectanea." (p. 654.)

1 John Courtenay, born in Ireland in 1738. He was, through the influence of Lords Townshend and Thanet, M. P. for Tamworth and Appleby, from 1780 to 1807. In 1806 he was a lord of the treasury. He died in March, 1815, in very

"Jan. 18. 1791. I have been so disturbed by sad money. matters, that my mind has been quite fretful: 500. which I borrowed and lent to a first cousin, an unlucky captain of an Indiaman, were due on the 15th to a merchant in the city. I could not possibly raise that sum, and was apprehensive of being hardly used. He, however, indulged me with an allowance to make partial payments; 1507. in two months, 1507. in eight months, and the remainder, with the interests, in eighteen months. How I am to manage I am at a loss, and I know you cannot help me. So this, upon my honour, is no hint. I am really tempted to accept of the 1000. for my Life of Johnson. Yet it would go to my heart to sell it at a price which I think much too low. Let me struggle and hope. I cannot be out on Shrove Tuesday, as I flattered my self. P. 376. of Vol. II. is ordered for press, and I expect another proof to-night. But I have yet near 200 pages of copy besides letters, and the death, which is not yet written. My second volume will, I see, be forty or fifty pages more than my first. Your absence is a woful want in all respects. You will, I dare say, perceive a difference in the part which is revised only by myself, and in which many insertions will appear. My spirits are at present bad: but I will mention all I can recollect."

"Jan. 29. You will find this a most desponding and disagreeable letter, for which I ask your pardon. But your vigour of mind and warmth of heart make your friendship of such consequence, that it is drawn upon like a bank. I have, for some weeks, had the most woful return of melancholy, insomuch that I have not only had no relish of any thing, but a continual uneasiness, and all the prospect before me for the rest of life has seemed gloomy and hopeless. The state of my affairs is exceedingly embarrassed. I mentioned to you that the 5001, which I borrowed several years ago, and lent to a first cousin, an unfortunate India captain, must now be paid; 150. on the 18th of March, 150%, on the 15th of October, and 2577. 15s. 6d. on the 18th of July, 1792 This debt presses upon my mind, and it is uncertain if I shall ever get a shilling of it again. The clear money on which I can reckon out of my estate is scarcely 9001. a year. What can I do? My grave brother urges me to quit London, and live at my seat in the country; where he thinks that I might be able to save so as gradually to relieve myself. But, alas! I should be absolutely miserable. In the mean time, such are my projects and sanguine expectations, that you know I purchased an estate which was given long ago to a younger son of our family, and came to be sold last autumn, and paid for it 25007.-1500. of which I borrow upon itself by a mort gage. But the remaining 10002. I cannot conceive a possi bility of raising, but by the mode of annuity; which is, I believe, a very heavy disadvantage. I own it was imprudent in me to make a clear purchase at a time when I was sadly straitened; but if I had missed the opportunity, it never again would have occurred, and I should have been vexed to see an ancient appanage, a piece of, as it were, the flesh and blood of the family, in the hands of a stranger. And now that I have made the purchase, I should feel myself quite despicable should I give it up.

"In this situation, then, my dear Sir, would it not be wise in me to accept of 1000 guineas for my Life of Johnson, supposing the person who made the offer should now stand to it, which I fear may not be the case; for two volumes may be considered as a disadvantageous circumstance? Could ! indeed raise 10001. upon the credit of the work, I should incline to game, as Sir Joshua says; because it may produce double the money, though Steevens kindly tells me that I have over-printed, and that the curiosity about Johnson is now only in our own circle. Pray decide for me; and if, as I suppose, you are for my taking the offer, inform me with whom I am to treat. In my present state of spirits, I am all timidity. Your absence has been a severe stroke to me. I am at present quite at a loss what to do. Last week they gave me six sheets. I have now before me in proof p. 456.: yet I have above 100 pages of my copy remaining, besides his death, which is yet to be written, and many insertions, were there room, as also seven-and-thirty letters, exclusive of twenty to Dr. Brocklesby, most of which will furnish only extracts. I am advised to extract several of those to others. and leave out some; for my first volume makes only 516 pages, and to have 600 in the second will seem awkward, besides increasing the expense considerably. The counter indeed has devised an ingenious way to thicken the first volume, by prefiring the index. I have now desired to have but one compositor. Indeed, I go sluggishly and comfort lessly about my work. As I pass your door I cast many a longing look.

humble circumstances. There is an interesting biographical notice of him by Sir J. Mackintosh, prefixed to his Poetical Review of Dr. Johnson's Character," in my former editions, but there is not room here for either.- CROKER, 1847.

"I am to cancel a leaf of the first volume, having found that though Sir Joshua certainly assured me he had no objection to my mentioning that Johnson wrote a dedication for him, he now thinks otherwise. In that leaf occurs the mention of Johnson having written to Dr. Leland, thanking the University of Dublin for their diploma. What shall I say as to it? I have also room to state shortly the anecdote of the college cook, which I beg you may get for me. I shall be very anxious till I hear from you.

"Having harassed you with so much about myself, I have left no room for any thing else. We had a numerous club on Tuesday: Fox in the chair, quoting Homer and Fielding, &c. to the astonishment of Jo. Warton; who, with Langton and Seward, ate a plain bit with me, in my new house, last Saturday. Sir Joshua has put up Dr. Lawrence, who will be black-balled as sure as he exists.1

"We dined on Wednesday at Sir Joshua's; thirteen with. out Miss P. Himself, Blagden, Batt, [Lawrence,] Erskine, Langton, Dr. Warton, Metcalf, Dr. Lawrence, his brother, a clergyman, Sir Charles Bunbury, myself."

"Feb. 10. Yours of the 5th reached me yesterday. I instantly went to the Don, who purchased for you at the office of Hazard and Co. a half, stamped by government and warranted undrawn, of No. 43,152. in the English State Lottery. I have marked on the back of it, Edmond, Henrietta, and Catherine Malone,' and if Fortune will not favour those three united, I shall blame her. This half shall lie in my bureau with my one whole one, till you desire it to be placed elsewhere. The cost, with registration, is &l. 12s. 6d. A half is always proportionally dearer than a whole. I bought my ticket at Nicholson's the day before, and paid 161. 8s. for it. I did not look at the number, but sealed it up. In the evening a hand-bill was circulated by Nicholson, that a ticket the day before sold at his office for 16. 8s. was drawn a prize of 50001. The number was mentioned in the hand-bill. I had resolved not to know what mine was till after the drawing of the lottery was finished, that I might not receive a sudden shock of blank; but this unexpected circumstance, which elated me by calcu lating that mine must certainly be one of 100, or at most 200 sold by Nicholson the day before, made me look at the two last figures of it; which, alas! were 48, whereas those of the fortunate one were 33. I have remanded my ticket to its secrecy. O! could I but get a few thousands, what a difference would it make upon my state of mind, which is harassed by thinking of my debts. I am anxious to hear your determination as to my Magnum Opus. I am very very unwilling to part with the property of it, and certainly would not, if I could but get credit for 10001. for three or four years. Could you not assist me in that way, on the security of the book, and of an assignment to one half of my rents, 7004., which, upon my honour, are always due, and would be forthcoming in case of my decease? I will not sell, till I have your answer as to this.

"On Tuesday we had a Club of eleven - Lords Lucan (in the chair), Ossory, Macartney, Eliot, Bishop of Clonfert, young Burke, myself, Courtenay, Windham, Sir Joshua, and Charles Fox, who takes to us exceedingly, and asked to have dinner a little later; so it was to be at half-past five. Burke had made great interest for his drum major, and, would you believe it? had not Courtenay and I been there, he would have been chosen. I am strangely ill, and doubt if even you could dispel the demoniac influence. I have now before me p. 488. in print: and 923 pages of the copy only is exhausted, and there remains 80, besides the death; as to which I shall be concise, though solemn. Pray how shall I wind up? Shall I give the character from my Tour, somewhat enlarged?"

Feb. 25. I have not seen Sir Joshua I think for a fortnight. I have been worse than you can possibly imagine, or I hope ever shall be able to imagine; which no man can do without experiencing the malady. It has been for some time painful to me to be in company. I, however, am a little better, and to meet Sir Joshua to-day at dinner at Mr. Dance's, and shall tell him that he is to have good Irish claret.

"I am in a distressing perplexity how to decide as to the property of my book. You must know, that I am certainly informed that a certain person who delights in mischief has been depreciating it, so that I fear the sale of it may be very dubious. Two quartos and two guineas sound in an alarming manner. I believe, in my present frame, I should accept even of 5001.; for I suspect that were I now to talk to Robinson, I should find him not disposed to give 1000. Did he absolutely offer it, or did he only express himself so as that you concluded he would give it? The pressing circumstance is, that I must lay down 10001. by the 1st of May, on account of the purchase of land, which my old family enthusiasm urged me to make. You, I doubt not, have full confidence in my honesty. May I then ask you if you could venture to join with me in a bond for that sum, as then I

1 Dr. Lawrence was black-balled, and did not become a member of the Club till December 1802. WRIGHT.

2 See antè, p. 168. n. 6. and 169. n. 1. Mr. Hamilton's nervousness increases our regret at not being able to pene

would take my chance, and, as Sir Joshua says, game with my book? Upon my honour, your telling me that you cannot comply with what I propose will not in the least surprise me, or make any manner of difference as to my opinion of your friendship. I mean to ask Sir Joshua if he will join; for indeed I should be vexed to sell my Magnum Opus for a great deal less than its intrinsic value. I meant to publish on Shrove Tuesday; but if I can get out within the month of March I shall be satisfied. I have now, I think, four or five sheets to print, which will make my second volume about 575 pages. But I shall have more cancels. That nervous mortal W. G. H.2 is not satisfied with my report of some particulars which I wrote down from his own mouth, and is so much agitated, that Courtenay has persuaded me to allow a new edition of them by H. himself to be made at H.'s expense. Besides, it has occurred to me, that when I mention a literary fraud,' by Rolt the historian, in going to Dublin, and publishing Akenside's Pleasures of the Imagination, with his own name (p. 121.), I may not be able to authenticate it, as Johnson is dead, and he may have relations who may take it up as an offence, perhaps a libel. Courtenay suggests, that you may perhaps get intelligence whether it was true. The Bishop of Dromore can probably tell, as he knows a great deal about Rolt. In case of doubt, should I not cancel the leaf, and either omit the curious anecdote or give it as a story which Johnson laughingly told as having circulated?"

"March 8. I have before me your volunteer letter of February 24th, and one of 5th current, which, if you have dated it right, has come with wonderful expedition. You may be perfectly sure that I have not the smallest fault to find with your disinclination to come again under any pecuniary engagements for others, after having suffered so much Dilly proposes that he and Baldwin should each advance 2001. on the credit of my book; and if they do so, I shall manage well enough, for I now find that I can have 6004. in Scotland on the credit of my rents; and thus I shall get the 10007. paid in May.

"You would observe some stupid lines on Mr. Burke in the Oracle' by Mr. Boswell! I instantly wrote to Mr. Burke, expressing my indignation at such impertinence, and had next morning a most obliging answer. Sir William Scott told me I could have no legal redress. So I went civilly to Bell, and he promised to mention handsomely that James Boswell, Esq. was not the author of the lines. The note, however, on the subject was a second impertinence. But I can do nothing. I wish Fox, in his bill upon libels, would make a heavy penalty the consequence of forging any person's name to any composition, which, in reality, such a trick amounts to.

"In the night between the last of February and first of this month, I had a sudden relief from the inexplicable disorder, which occasionally clouds my mind and makes me miserable, and it is amazing how well I have been since. Your friendly admonition as to excess in wine has been often too applicable; but upon this late occasion I erred on the other side. However, as I am now free from my restriction to Courtenay, I shall be much upon my guard; for, to tell the truth, I did go too deep the day before yesterday; having dined with Michael Angelo Taylor, and then supped at the London Tavern with the stewards of the Humane Society, and continued till I know not what hour in the morning. John Nichols was joyous to a pitch of bacchanalian vivacity. I am to dine with him next Monday; an excellent city party, Alderman Curtis, Deputy Birch, &c. &c. I rated him gently on his saying so little of your Shakspeare. He is ready to receive more ample notice. You may depend on your having whatever reviews that mention you sent directly. Have I told you that Murphy has written An Essay on the Life and Writings of Dr. Johnson,' to be prefixed to the new edition of his works? He wrote it in a month, and has received 2004. for it. I am quite resolved now to keep the property of my Magnum Opus; and I flatter myself I shall not repent it. "My title, as we settled it, is The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL. D., comprehending an account of his studies and various works, in chronological order, his conversations with many eminent persons, a series of his letters to celebrated men, and several original pieces of his composition: the whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain, for near half a century, during which he flourished. It will be very kind if you will suggest what yet occurs. I hoped to have published to-day; but it will be about a month yet before I launch."

"March 12. Being the depository of your chance in the lottery, I am under the disagreeable necessity of communicating the bad news that it has been drawn a blank. I am very sorry, both on your account and that of your sisters, and my own; for had your share of good fortune been 31661. 13s. 4d. I should have hoped for a loan to accommodate me. As it is, I shall, as I wrote to you, be enabled to weather my difficulties for some time: but I am still in great

trate the secret of his political transactions with Johnson. It was clearly something that he did not like to reveal.CROKER.

3 Viz. in the Gentleman's Magazine. - CRoker.