The Life of Samuel Johnson, vol 2

Of Johnson, Vol. 2, by Boswell,

Project Gutenberg's Life Of Johnson, Vol. 2, by Boswell, Edited by
Birkbeck Hill
Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the
copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing
this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how
the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of
Volunteers!*****
Title: Life Of Johnson, Vol. 2
Author: Boswell Edited by Birkbeck Hill
Release Date: October, 2005 [EBook #9072] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on September 2,

2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIFE OF
JOHNSON, VOL. 2 ***

Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David King and the Online Distributed
Proofreaders

BOSWELL'S
LIFE OF JOHNSON
INCLUDING BOSWELL'S JOURNAL OF A TOUR TO THE
HEBRIDES, AND JOHNSON'S DIARY OF A JOURNEY INTO
NORTH WALES
EDITED BY
GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, D.C.L.
PEMBROKE COLLEGE, OXFORD
IN SIX VOLUMES
VOLUME II.--LIFE (1765-1776)
CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. (NOVEMBER, 1765-MARCH,
1776)

APPENDICES:
A. AUTOGRAPH RECORDS BY JOHNSON (1766) IN THE
BODLEIAN LIBRARY
B. JOHNSON'S SENTIMENTS TOWARDS HIS
FELLOW-SUBJECTS IN AMERICA

THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
In 1764 and 1765 it should seem that Dr. Johnson was so busily
employed with his edition of Shakspeare, as to have had little leisure
for any other literary exertion, or, indeed, even for private
correspondence[1]. He did not favour me with a single letter for more
than two years, for which it will appear that he afterwards apologised.
He was, however, at all times ready to give assistance to his friends,
and others, in revising their works, and in writing for them, or greatly
improving their Dedications. In that courtly species of composition no
man excelled Dr. Johnson. Though the loftiness of his mind prevented
him from ever dedicating in his own person[2], he wrote a very great
number of Dedications for others. Some of these, the persons who were
favoured with them are unwilling should be mentioned, from a too
anxious apprehension, as I think, that they might be suspected of
having received larger assistance[3]; and some, after all the diligence I
have bestowed, have escaped my enquiries. He told me, a great many
years ago, 'he believed he had dedicated to all the Royal Family
round[4];' and it was indifferent to him what was the subject of the
work dedicated, provided it were innocent. He once dedicated some
Musick for the German Flute to Edward, Duke of York. In writing
Dedications for others, he considered himself as by no means speaking
his own sentiments.
Notwithstanding his long silence, I never omitted to write to him when
I had any thing worthy of communicating. I generally kept copies of
my letters to him, that I might have a full view of our correspondence,

and never be at a loss to understand any reference in his letters[5]. He
kept the greater part of mine very carefully; and a short time before his
death was attentive enough to seal them up in bundles, and order them
to be delivered to me, which was accordingly done. Amongst them I
found one, of which I had not made a copy, and which I own I read
with pleasure at the distance of almost twenty years. It is dated
November, 1765, at the palace of Pascal Paoli, in Corte, the capital of
Corsica, and is full of generous enthusiasm[6]. After giving a sketch of
what I had seen and heard in that island, it proceeded thus: 'I dare to
call this a spirited tour. I dare, to challenge your approbation.'
This letter produced the following answer, which I found on my arrival
at Paris.
A Mr. Mr. BOSWELL, chez Mr. WATERS, Banquier, à Paris.
'DEAR SIR,
'Apologies are seldom of any use. We will delay till your arrival the
reasons, good or bad, which have made me such a sparing and
ungrateful correspondent. Be assured, for the present, that nothing has
lessened either the esteem or love with which I dismissed you at
Harwich. Both have been increased by all that I have been told of you