Fuc simile of a letter from Richar

my Remarks

In my firs

on our Hist

But of all plagues, w Sure from & falfe Historia Is there of Genius one nee Thro Fancy, thro Affectio whose aim quite honest, To truth can, twixt con Nor spears on this, or the Syclears, Lives fuch a man? there d While worthy pens, E

Epistle, I have introduced ones as follows.

which dull grrose is curst, on comes off worst. ~ partial seen,

on, or thro spleen; whose discernment dear, tending parkies, steer, at, in state, or Church? ves — read candid Birch! ike his, & c

Ri Lavage

247

CHAPTER VIII.

1777.

Richard Brinsley Sheridan.- Savage's "Sir Thomas Overbury." Thomson. · Mrs. Strickland.

-

- The

Townley Collection. Dr. Dodd. Boswell at the Tomb of Melancthon.-Isaac De Groot.-Dr. Watts. -Letter to Mrs. Boswell. - Visit to Ashbourne.

Harry Jackson.”- Sidney's "Arcadia." Projected Trip to the Baltic. Grief for the Loss of Incomes of Curates. Johnson's humane and zealous Interference in behalf of Dr. Dodd.

Relatives and Friends.

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. (1) 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 given

No parent but the Muse, no friend but Heaven,"

he introduced an elegant compliment to Johnson on

The

(1) Our author has here fallen into a slight mistake. prologue to this revived tragedy being written by Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Boswell very naturally supposed that it was performed at Drury-lane theatre. But in fact, as Mr. Kemble observes to me, it was acted at the theatre in Covent-garden. — M.