of a friend, made over to him his two volumes of Poems on no other condition than that of securing him from expence; but when the Publick, which neglected the first volume, had discovered the rich mine opened in "The Task," and assigned the Author his merited place among the first-rate English Poets, Mr. Johnson would not avail himself of his advantage, but displayed a liberality which has been warmly acknowledged by that admirable though unfortunate person.

It is proper to mention that his true regard for the interests of Literature rendered him an enemy to that typographical luxury which, joined to the necessary increase of expence in printing, has so much enhanced the price of new books as to be a material obstacle to the indulgence of a laudable and reasonable curiosity by the reading Publick, On this principle he usually consulted cheapness rather than appearance in his own publications; and if Authors were sometimes mortified by this preference, the purpose of extensive circulation was better served.

Mr. Johnson was of a weak and delicate frame of body, and was much afflicted with asthmatic complaints, which visibly gained ground upon him as he advanced in years. The immédiate cause of his dissolution was a pleuritic attack, under which he quietly sunk after three days of patient suffering. His remains were deposited in the church-yard of Fulham, in which parish he had a country house. He was never married. J. ATKIN.

MR. HENRY HUGHS,

whose Father I have mentioned in vol. V. p. 35; with a wish towards himself which I flattered myself would not have displeased him; was living when that page was printed; but died at Brighton, Sept. 5, 1810. He was a good scholar; and a worthy unassuming man..

MR.

MR. LEWIS, of Chelsea,

who died in 1783, used to bind books for, and enjoy the company and conversation of, the first literary men of his day; and was generally supposed to have been the original character of Strap, in "Roderick Random." Mrs. Lewis often assured the writer of this article, that her husband denied the assertions of many people, as often as it was mentioned to him; but there is every reason to suppose him to have been the person that Smollett had in view, as they came out of Scotland together, and, when Smollett lived at Chelsea, Mr. Lewis used to dine every Sunday with him. Mrs. Lewis died January 20, 1797; and left two sons.

MR. GRIFFITH JONES

was born in 1722, and served his apprenticeship with Mr. Bowyer. Of this ingenious man, slighter notice has been taken by the Biographers of the time than his virtues and talents certainly merited. He was many years Editor of the London Chronicle, the Daily Advertiser, and the Public Ledger. In the Literary Magazine with Johnson, and in the British Magazine with Smollett and Goldsmith, his anonymous labours were also associated. The native goodness of his heart endeared him to a numerous and respectable literary acquaintance, among whom he reckoned the philanthropic Mr. John Newbery, Mr. Woty the ingenious Poet, Dr. Oliver Goldsmith, and the pious and learned Dr. Samuel Johnson; to the latter of whom he was for several years a near neighbour in Bolt-court, Fleet-street. His modesty shrunk from public attention, but his labours were frequently directed to the improvement of the younger and more untutored classes of mankind. His translations from the French were very numerous; but as he rarely, if ever, put his name to the productions of his pen, they cannot now be traced. VOL. III.

Ин

One

One little publication, entitled, "Great Events from Little Causes," was his composition, and it met with a rapid and extensive sale. It is not, perhaps, ge- · nerally known, that to Mr. Griffith Jones, and a brother of his, Mr. Giles Jones, in conjunction with Mr. John Newbery, the publick are indebted for the origin of those numerous and popular little books for the amusement and instruction of children, which have been ever since received with universal арркоbation. The Lilliputian histories of Goody TwoShoes, Giles Gingerbread, Tommy Trip, &c. &c. are remarkable proofs of the benevolent minds of the projectors of this plan of instruction, and respectable instances of the accommodation of superior talents to the feeble intellects of infantine felicity. Mr. Jones died September 12, 1786. To his son, Mr. Stephen Jones, the publick are indebted for the new and improved edition of the "Biographia Dramatica, 1812," and for many other valuable publications.

MR. CHARLES RATHBAND

died Jan. 25, 1795. Possessed of strong mental abilities, improved by an excellent education, his conversation delighted all who knew him; and the powers of his pen were of a superior degree. He was a native of Ireland; and for some years followed the occupation of a Printer, having been bred in the old school of that profession, under Watts, Bowyer, &c. and was himself no mean proficient in that noble art. He was a very useful assistant in the establishment of several provincial newspapers at Canterbury, Chester, Hereford—and at each of these places his company was eagerly sought by those whose praise was fame-but, as has been well observed by Dr. Johnson, the Great are not always the best rewarders of the companions of their pleasures! He left each of the situations unenriched, though with the satis faction, in every sense of the word, of bringing with him a good name. Mr. Urban's Readers were

often,

often entertained by him; but his principal occupation was the superintendance of a Newspaper whose general characteristic bas ever been that of moderation and decency, The General Evening Post. His conduct in that situation was strictly consonant to the integrity of his principles, and the soundness of his judgment; and no employment could better have suited the inclination of a man who never wrote a licentious or an ill-natured line. His death was occasioned by a fall during a severe frost, which, rendering the amputation of a leg unavoidable, terminated in a mortification. The Editor of these Volumes, when himself a youth, looked up to him with respect; and had the pleasure, for thirty years, of enjoying his friendship and esteem.

MR. CHARLÉS SPENDELOWE,

who died Aug. 14, 1788, aged 49, was the nephew of Mrs. Nunnelly*; who bequeathed a considerable property to Spendelowe and his sister; of which they were deprived by the chicanery of Mr. Baynes their guardian. The young woman unfortunately died an early victim to sorrow and intoxication. The brother, in the humble sphere of a Journeyman Printer, passed creditably through life, the last sixteen months of which were embittered with repeated strokes of apoplexy. A long train of mourning friends gave an unequivocal proof of their esteem, by attending him at their own expence to his grave in St. Bride'schurch-yard; and this tributary effusion to his memory is penned, after a friendship of 40 years, com menced at the school of Mr. John Shield at Isling ton in the undissembling stage of infancy, by the person to whom for the last 14 years of his life he had been an affectionate and faithful servant.

* A Printer in White Fryars; and Publisher of "The St. James's Evening Post," a very old newspaper; the precursor of "The St. James's Chronicle," established afterwards in the same house by Mr. Henry Baldwin.

HH 2

No.

No. VII.

JOHN LOVEDAY, ESQ.

born in 1711, was entered at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he took the degree of M. A. June 12, 1734. This learned and worthy gentleman (who resided many years, and died, at Caversham, near Reading, May 16, 1789, æt. 78), to the steadiest Christianity added the pleasantest manners, and most refined learning; from the stores of which that he was ever ready to communicate, Mr. Urban's pages bear ample testimony, as do the Prefaces of very many writers, who have been indebted to him for useful information*. So re

* I have many of his interesting Letters to Dr. Ducarel; but shall only give a few of his brief but very useful and pleasant billets to the Editor of these Volumes, who in the former Edition of this work was considerably indebted to his communications.

"Nov. 9, 1779. Sir, I thank you for a copy of your late elegant publication †, and for some other curious articles accompanying it. You plainly (give me leave to tell you) set too high a value on what I am able to do in this way: for which you probably will always find me willing, however, for I really am, Sir,

Your sincere well-wisher and servant, JOHN LOVEDAY." "Dec. 3. Sir, You have my hearty thanks for your curious' Ap-, pendix to Mores,' abounding with entertainment and instruction. The subject of the 2d paragraph brought to mind what disgusted me in Psalmanazar's Memoirs, the uncouth beginning of every paragraph. The article of Dr. Castell in Mr. Granger, as it is worth your perusal, has had it, I presume. As a well-wisher to your literary pursuits, I can be no other than, Yours, &c. J.L."

"March 25, 1780. J. L. not being able to furnish a word of observation on the sheet which arrived on Friday, and yet willing to say something more than that he should be glad to see Mr. Nichols whenever Caversham shall lie in his way, where he will please to observe that the board has always somewhat upon it at two of the clock, sends him references to books, which have somewhat regarding his Relation (for so says a Gentleman's Magazine) the famous John Cleiveland:

"Fuller's Worthies, in Leicestershire, p. 135.

"Wood's Athen. Oxon. i. f. 274. ii. 758.

"Dryden of Dramatick Poesie, p. 22. 4to pamphlet, 1668.

Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, ii. 221. b.

"R. Jenkin's Defence of Bishop Lake's Profession, p. 2.

"Letter of Mr. John Cleveland to a learned Lord. MS. in the Lambeth Library, No. 595. p. 99. [To the learned Librarian J. L. always begs his humble service.]

Granger, by all means.

"The History of the Abbey of Bec, in Normandy."

"Now