'Poor Beauclerk still continues very ill.Langton lives on as he used to do.His children are very pretty,and,I think,his lady loses her Scotch.Paoli I never see.
'I have been so distressed by difficulty of breathing,that I lost,as was computed,six-and-thirty ounces of blood in a few days.Iam better,but not well....
'Mrs.Williams sends her compliments,and promises that when you come hither,she will accommodate you as well as ever she can in the old room.She wishes to know whether you sent her book to Sir Alexander Gordon.
'My dear Boswell,do not neglect to write to me;for your kindness is one of the pleasures of my life,which I should be sorry to lose.I am,Sir,your humble servant,'February 18,1777.'
'SAM.JOHNSON.'
'To DR.SAMUEL JOHNSON.
'Glasgow,April 24,1777.
'MY DEAR SIR,...My wife has made marmalade of oranges for you.
I left her and my daughters and Alexander all well yesterday.Ihave taught Veronica to speak of you thus;--Dr.JohnSON,not JohnSTON.I remain,my dear Sir,your most affectionate,and obliged humble servant,'JAMES BOSWELL.'
'TO JAMES BOSWELL,ESQ.
'DEAR SIR,...Tell Mrs.Boswell that I shall taste her marmalade cautiously at first.Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes.
Beware,says the Italian proverb,of a reconciled enemy.But when I find it does me no harm,I shall then receive it and be thankful for it,as a pledge of firm,and,I hope,of unalterable kindness.
She is,after all,a dear,dear lady....
'I am,dear Sir,your most affectionate humble servant,'May 3,1777.'
'SAM.JOHNSON.'
'TO JAMES BOSWELL,ESQ.
'Southill,Sept.26,1777.
'DEAR SIR,You will find by this letter,that I am still in the same calm retreat,from the noise and bustle of London,as when Iwrote to you last.I am happy to find you had such an agreeable meeting with your old friend Dr.Johnson;I have no doubt your stock is much increased by the interview;few men,nay I may say,scarcely any man,has got that fund of knowledge and entertainment as Dr.Johnson in conversation.When he opens freely,every one is attentive to what he says,and cannot fail of improvement as well as pleasure.
'The edition of The Poets,now printing,will do honour to the English press;and a concise account of the life of each authour,by Dr.Johnson,will be a very valuable addition,and stamp the reputation of this edition superiour to any thing that is gone before.The first cause that gave rise to this undertaking,Ibelieve,was owing to the little trifling edition of The Poets,printing by the Martins,at Edinburgh,and to be sold by Bell,in London.Upon examining the volumes which were printed,the type was found so extremely small,that many persons could not read them;not only this inconvenience attended it,but the inaccuracy of the press was very conspicuous.These reasons,as well as the idea of an invasion of what we call our Literary Property,induced the London Booksellers to print an elegant and accurate edition of all the English Poets of reputation,from Chaucer to the present time.
'Accordingly a select number of the most respectable booksellers met on the occasion;and,on consulting together,agreed,that all the proprietors of copy-right in the various Poets should be summoned together;and when their opinions were given,to proceed immediately on the business.Accordingly a meeting was held,consisting of about forty of the most respectable booksellers of London,when it was agreed that an elegant and uniform edition of The English Poets should be immediately printed,with a concise account of the life of each authour,by Dr.Samuel Johnson;and that three persons should be deputed to wait upon Dr.Johnson,to solicit him to undertake the Lives,viz.,T.Davies,Strahan,and Cadell.The Doctor very politely undertook it,and seemed exceedingly pleased with the proposal.As to the terms,it was left entirely to the Doctor to name his own:he mentioned two hundred guineas:it was immediately agreed to;and a farther compliment,I believe,will be made him.A committee was likewise appointed to engage the best engravers,viz.,Bartolozzi,Sherwin,Hall,etc.Likewise another committee for giving directions about the paper,printing,etc.,so that the whole will be conducted with spirit,and in the best manner,with respect to authourship,editorship,engravings,etc.,etc.My brother will give you a list of the Poets we mean to give,many of which are within the time of the Act of Queen Anne,which Martin and Bell cannot give,as they have no property in them;the proprietors are almost all the booksellers in London,of consequence.I am,dear Sir,ever your's,'EDWARD DILLY.'
Johnson's moderation in demanding so small a sum is extraordinary.Had he asked one thousand,or even fifteen hundred guineas,the booksellers,who knew the value of his name,would doubtless have readily given it.They have probably got five thousand guineas by this work in the course of twenty-five years.--MALONE.
A circumstance which could not fail to be very pleasing to Johnson occurred this year.The Tragedy of Sir Thomas Overbury,written by his early companion in London,Richard Savage,was brought out with alterations at Drury-lane theatre.The Prologue to it was written by Mr.Richard Brinsley Sheridan;in which,after describing very pathetically the wretchedness of 'Ill-fated Savage,at whose birth was giv'n No parent but the Muse,no friend but Heav'n:'
he introduced an elegant compliment to Johnson on his Dictionary,that wonderful performance which cannot be too often or too highly praised;of which Mr.Harris,in his Philological Inquiries,justly and liberally observes:'Such is its merit,that our language does not possess a more copious,learned,and valuable work.'The concluding lines of this Prologue were these:--'So pleads the tale that gives to future times The son's misfortunes and the parent's crimes;There shall his fame (if own'd to-night)survive,Fix'd by THE HAND THAT BIDS OUR LANGUAGE LIVE.'