gards of focial life, he mis-times and mif"places every thing. He difputes with heat "indiscriminately, mindless of the rank, cha"racter, and fituation of those with whom "he difputes. Abfolutely ignorant of the se"veral gradations of familiarity and respect, "he is exactly the fame to his fuperiors, his “equals, and his inferiors; and therefore, "by a neceffary confequence, is abfurd to " two of the three. Is it poffible to love fuch "a man? No. The utmoft I can do for "him is, to confider him a respectable Hot"tentot.' Such was the idea entertained by Lord Chesterfield. After the incident of Colley Cibber, Johnson never repeated his vifits. In his high and decifive tone, he has been often heard to say, "Lord Chesterfield is a Wit " among Lords, and a Lord among Wits."

In the course of the year 1747, Garrick, in conjunction with Lacy, became patentee of Drury-lane Playhouse. For the opening of the theatre, at the ufual time, Johnson wrote for his friend the well-known prologue, which, to fay no more of it, may at least be placed on a level with Pope's to the tragedy of Cato. The playhouse being now under Garrick's

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Garrick's direction, Johnson thought the opportunity fair to think of his tragedy of Irene, which was his whole stock on his first arrival in town, in the year 1737. That play was accordingly put into rehearsal in January, 1749. As a precurfor to prepare the way, and to awaken the public attention, The Vanity of Human Wishes, a Poem in Imitation of the Tenth Satire of Juvenal, by the Author of London, was published in the fame month. In the Gentleman's Magazine, for February, 1749, we find that the tragedy of Irene was acted at Drury-lane, on Monday, February the 6th, and from that time, without interruption, to Monday, February the 20th, being in all thirteen nights. Since that time it has not been exhibited on any ftage. Irene may be added to fome other plays in our language, which have lost their place in the theatre, but continue to please in the closet. During the reprefentation of this piece, Johnfon attended every night behind the fcenes. Conceiving that his character as an author required fome ornament for his perfon, he chofe, upon that occafion, to decorate himself with a handfome waistcoat, and a gold-laced hat. The late Mr. Topham

Beau

Beauclerc, who had a great deal of that humour which pleases the more for seeming undefigned, used to give a pleasant defcription of this Green-room finery, as related by the author himself; "But," faid Johnson, with great gravity, "I foon laid afide my 'gold-laced hat, left it fhould make me

proud." The amount of the three benefit nights for the tragedy of Irene, it is to be feared, was not very confiderable, as the profit, that stimulating motive, never invited the author to another dramatic attempt. Some years afterwards, when the present writer was intimate with Garrick, and knew Johnson to be in distress, he asked the manager why he did not produce another tragedy for his Lichfield friend? Garrick's anfwer was remarkable : "When

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Johnson writes tragedy, declamation roars, " and passion fleeps: when Shakspeare wrote, "he dipped his pen in his own heart."

There may, peaps, be a degree of fameness in this regular way of tracing an author from one work to another, and the reader may feel the effect of a tedious monotony ; but in the life of Johnson there are no other land

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landmarks. He was now forty years old, and had mixed but little with the world. He followed no profeffion, transacted no business, and was a stranger to what is called a town-life. We are now arrived at the brightest period he had hitherto known. His name broke out upon mankind with a degree of luftre that promised a triumph over all his difficulties. The Life of Savage was admired as a beautiful and instructive pięce of biography. The two imitations of Juvenal were thought to rival even the excellence of Pope; and the tragedy of Irene, though uninteresting on the stage, was univerfally admired in the clofet, for the propriety of the fentiments, the richness of the language, and the general harmony of the whole compofition. His fame was widely diffused; and he had made his agreement with the bookfellers for his English Dictionary at the fum of fifteen hundred guineas; part of which was to be, from time to time, advanced in proportion to the progrefs af the work. This was a certain fund for his support, without being obliged to write fugitive pieces for the petty supplies of the day. Accordingly we find that, in 1749, he established a club, con

fifting

fifting of ten in number, at Horseman's in Ivy-lane, on every Tuesday evening. This is the first scene of focial life to which Johnfon can be traced out of his own house. The members of this little fociety were, Samuel Johnfon; Dr. Salter (father of the late Mafter of the Charter-house); Dr. Hawkefworth; Mr. Ryland, a merchant; Mr. Payne, a bookfeller, in Pater-nofter-row; Mr. Samuel Dyer, a learned young man; Dr. William M'Ghie, a Scotch phyfician; Dr. Edmund Barker, a young phyfician; Dr. Bathurst, another young physician; and Sir John Hawkins. This lift is given by Sir John, as it should feem, with no other view than to draw a spiteful and malevolent character of almost every one of them. Mr. Dyer, whom Sir John fays he loved with the affection of a brother, meets with the harfheft treatment, because it was his maxim, that to live in peace with mankind, and in a temper to do good offices, was the most effential part of our duty. Thit notion of moral goodnefs gave umbrage to Sir John Hawkins, and drew down upon the memory of his friend the bittereft imputations. Mr. Dyer, however, was admired and loved through life.