Letters to and from the Late Samuel Johnson, LL.D.

vation to thofe contained in No. 152 of the Rambler? It were eafy to dilute the falt of Johnfon's expreffions by pages of my own infipidity; but very different is the compenfation deferved by thofe who received my Anecdotes with a degree of approbation I had not dared to hope.

May thefe letters in fome measure pay my debts of gratitude! they will not furely be the first, the only thing written by Johnson, with which our nation has not been pleased. The good tafte by which our countrymen are diftinguifhed, will lead them to prefer the native thoughts and unftudied phrases scattered over these pages, to the more laboured clegance of his other works-as bees have been obferved to reject rofes, and fix upon the wild fragrance of a neighbouring heath. I have however been attentive to avoid paining many individuals, even for the gratification of that Public to which I am much more obliged-for duty bids me defend an enemy from cenfure, while inclination eagerly brings forward the praifes of every friend.

But on revifal of thefe letters when at last they were collected, fome notes began to appear almost neceffary; partly therefore to avoid writing what could in that form have given little fatisfa&ion, partly from finding in my own anfwers to him, a better comment on his meaning than I could now have written, I was induced to print trifles not

originally intended for the Public, on whose indulgence I depend for protection. Mean time, to fuch of our intimate companions as have been spared by death, this correfpondence can scarcely fail to be interesting -yet even from kindness fome objections may be feared: for though all delight in hanging up a handfome portrait of their friends many refuse admiffion in a fine apartment to waxen figures modelled from the life, and dreffed with fuch minuteness of propriety-they startle while they please.

The verses from Boethius will be accepted as a literary rarity; it was about the year 1765 when our Doctor told me that he would tranflate the confolations of Philosophy, but faid I must do the Odes for him, and produce one every Thursday; he was obeyed; and in commending fome, and correcting others, about a dozen Thurfdays paffed away.-Of those which are given here however, he did many entirely himself, and of the others-I fuffered my own lines to be printed, that his might not be loft. The work was broken off without completion, because some gentleman, whofe name I have forgotten, took it in hand; and against him, for reasons of delicacy-Johnfon did not chufe to contend.

Here, however, fhall cease my explanations and apologies; the furling up of that curtain which keeps Shakespeare and Siddons from our fight--though the allegorical figures

upon

upon it were painted by Pouffin, would be ever impatiently fighed for: and the audience might be reasonably enough expected to clatter their fticks, till As you like it were presented to their view.

CON