On the Distinction between TORY and WHIG; dictated to me. acknowl. Argument in favour of Joseph Knight an African Negro, who claimed his Defence of Mr. Robertson, Printer of the Caledonian Mercury, against the Society of Procurators in Edinburgh, for having inserted in his Paper a ludicrous Paragraph against them; demonstrating that it was not an injurious Libel; dictated to me. acknowl. 1782. The greatest Part, if not the whole, of a Reply, by the Reverend Mr. Shaw, to a Person at Edinburgh of the Name of Clark, refuting his arguments for the authenticity of the Poems published by Mr. James Macpherson as Translations from Ossian. intern. evid. 1784. List of the Authours of the Universal History, deposited in the British Museum, and printed in the Gentleman's Magazine for December this Year. acknowl. Various Years. Letters to Mrs. Thrale. acknowl. Prayers and Meditations, which he delivered to the Rev. Mr. Strahan, enjoining him to publish them. acknowl. Sermons left for Publication by John Taylor, LL.D., Prebendary of Westminster, and given to the World by the Reverend Samuel Hayes, A.M. intern. evid. Such was the number and variety of the Prose Works of this extraordinary man, which I have been able to discover and am at liberty to mention; but we ought to keep in mind, that there must undoubtedly have been many more which are yet concealed; and we may add to the account, the numerous Letters which he wrote, of which a considerable part are yet unpublished. It is hoped that those persons in whose possession they are, will favour the world with them.? To the last Mr. Croker is disturbed by the notion of some mysterious, if not guilty, passage in Johnson's life. "This is a strange phrase," he writes in this place. "What work could it have been that Mr. Boswell was not at liberty to mention? That there was some peculiar meaning here can hardly be doubted. It perhaps may allude to some publications of a Jacobite tendency, written in Johnson's earlier days, and which may have been acknowledged in confidence to Boswell; but this is a mere conjecture." Mr. Boswell alludes either to some inferior articles, which Johnson did not care to acknowledge, or which he may have regretted writing. This seems to refer more particularly to Miss Burney, whose account of Mr. Boswell gives a good idea of his pressing importunity to secure contributions for his book. "Mr. Boswell, about this time, guided by M. de Gaiffardiere, crossed and intercepted her passage, one Sunday morning, from the Windsor cathedral to the Queen's lodge. Mr. Boswell had visited Windsor to solicit the King's But we can't spare you.-Besides, Madam, I want your Johnson's letters for my book!' Then, stopping at once himself and his hearer, by spreading abroad both his arms, in starting suddenly before her, he energetically added, 'For THE BOOK, Madam! the first book in the universe!' Swelling, then, with internal gratulation, yet involuntarily half-laughing, from good-humouredly catching the infection of the impulse which his unrestrained self-complacency excited in his listener, he significantly paused; but the next minute, with double emphasis, and strong, even comic gesticulation, he went on: 'I have every thing else everything that can be named, of every sort, and class, and description, to show the great man in all his bearings ! ΤΟ EDMOND MALONE, Esq. MY DEAR SIR, former work to I need not tell IN every narrative, whether historical or biographical, authenticity is of the utmost consequence. Of this I have ever been so firmly persuaded, that I inscribed a that person who was the best judge of its truth. you I mean General Paoli; who, after his great, though unsuccessful, efforts to preserve the liberties of his country, has found an honourable asylum in Britain, where he has now lived many years, the object of Royal regard and private respect; and whom I cannot name without expressing my very grateful sense of the uniform kindness which he has been pleased to show me. The friends of Dr. Johnson can best judge, from internal evidence, whether the numerous conversations which form the most valuable part of the ensuing pages, are correctly related. To them therefore I wish to appeal, for the accuracy of the portrait here exhibited to the world. As one of those who were intimately acquainted with him, you have a title to this address. You have obligingly taken the trouble to peruse the original manuscript of this Tour, and can vouch for the strict fidelity of the present publication. Your literary alliance with our much-lamented friend, in consequence of having undertaken to render one of his labours more complete, by your edition of Shakespeare, a work which I am confident will not disappoint the expectations of the publick, gives you another claim. But I have a still more powerful inducement to prefix your name to this Second Edition.-Headed "DEDICATION." |