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mired in the closet, 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 sum of fifteen hundred guineas; part of which was to be, from time to time, advanced in proportion to the progrefs of the work. This was a certain fund for his fupport, without being obliged to write fugitive pieces for the petty fupplies of the day. Accordingly we find that, in 1749, he established a club, confifting of ten in number, at Horfeman's in Ivy-lane, on every Tuesday evening. This

is the firft fcene of focial life to which Johnfon can be traced out of his own houfe. The members of this little fociety were, Samuel Johnson; Dr. Salter (father of the late Mafter of the Charter-houfe ;) 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 physician; Dr. Edmund Barker, a young phyfician; Dr. Bathurst, another young phyfician; and Sir John Hawkins. This lift is given by Sir John, as

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it should feem, with no other view than tơ draw a fpiteful 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 harsheft 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. That notion of moral goodness gave umbrage to Sir John Hawkins, and drew down upon the memory of his friend the bitterest imputations. Mr. Dyer, however, was admired and loved through life. He was a man of literature. Johnfon loved to enter with him into a difcuffion of metaphyfical, moral, and critical fubjects; in thofe conflicts, exercifing his talents, and, according to his cuftom, always contending for victory. Dr. Bathurst was the perfon on whom Johnfon fixed his affection. He hardly ever fpoke of him without tears in his eyes. It was from him, who was a native of Jamaica, that Johnson received into his fervice Frank *, the black fervant, whom, on account of his mafter, he valued to the end of his life. At the time of instituting the club in Ivy-lane, Johnson had projected

* See Gent. Mag. vol. LXXI. p. 190.

the

the Rambler. The title was most probably fuggefted by the Wanderer; a poem which he mentions, with the warmeft praife, in the Life of Savage. With the fame spirit of independence with which he wifhed to live, it was now his pride to write. He communicated his plan to none of his friends; he defired no affiftance, relying entirely on his own fund, and the protection of the Divine Being, which he implored in a folemn form of prayer, compofed by himself for the occafion. Having formed a refolution to undertake a work that might be of use and honour to his country, he thought, with Milton, that this was not to be obtained "but

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by devout prayer to that Eternal Spirit "that can enrich with all utterance and

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knowledge, and fend out his feraphim “with the hallowed fire of his altar, to "touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases."

Having invoked the special protection of Heaven, and by that act of piety fortified his mind, he began the great work of the Rambler, The first number was published on Tuesday, March the 20th, 1750; and from that time

was

was continued regularly every Tuesday and Saturday for the space of two years, when it finally clofed on Saturday, March 14, 1752. As it began with motives of piety, fo it appears that the fame religious fpirit glowed with unabating ardour to the last, His conclufion is: "The Effays profeffedly ferious, "if I have been able to execute my own in"tentions, will be found exactly conformable "to the precepts of Chriftianity, without

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any accommodation to the licentioufnefs "and levity of the prefent age. I therefore "look back on this part of my work with "pleasure, which no man fhall diminish or "augment. I fhall never envy the honours "which wit and learning obtain in any other "caufe, if I can be numbered among the "writers who have given ardour to virtue, " and confidence to truth." The whole number of Effays amounted to two hundred and eight. Addifon's, in the Spectator, are more in number, but not half in point of quantity: Addison was not bound to publish on stated days; he could watch the ebb and flow of his genius, and fend his paper to the prefs when his own tafte was fatisfied. Johnfon's cafe was very different. He wrote fingly

and alone. In the whole progress of the work he did not receive more than ten effays, This was a fcanty contribution. For the reft, the author has defcribed his fituation, "He that condemns himself to compofe on "a ftated day, will often bring to his task an "attention diffipated, a memory embarraffed,

an imagination overwhelmed, a mind dif"tracted with anxieties, a body languishing "with difeafe; he will labour on a barren

topic, till it is too late to change it; or, in "the ardour of invention, diffufe his thoughts "into wild exuberance, which the preffing " hour of publication cannot fuffer judgment "to examine or reduce," Of this excellent production the number fold on each day did not amount to five hundred of course the bookfeller, who paid the author four guineas a week, did not carry on a fuccessful trade. His generofity and perfeverance deferve to be commended; and happily when the collection appeared in volumes, were amply rewarded. Johnfon lived to fee his labours flourish in a tenth edition. His pofterity, as an ingenious French writer has faid on a fimilar occafion, began in his life-time,

In

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