From this conversation, which we have felected merely from its being of a manageable length, our readers may form a pretty fair idea both of the execution of this work, and of that fort of picture which it exhibits of its fubject.

But they would hardly fuppofe, without our telling them, that among ft the memorabilia of Johnfon in these vols. are feveral papers written by him, in caufes depending before the Court of Seffion in Scotland, in which Mr Bofwell was counfel. For Johnson was a writing machine, whofe powers could act on any given fubject, without being at all difturbed by want either of the knowledge or inclination which other people might think neceffary for treating it. Moft readers, we believe, will be of the fame mind, with regard to thofe le gal arguments of the Dr's, with our good Judges of the Court of Seffion, one of whom, Mr Bofwell fays, told him, that giving in fuch papers to them was" cafting pearls before fwine." "Tis with a peculiar naïveté that Mr Bofwell introduces this ftory, by faying, that he tells it from his regard for the good law precept "fuum cuique tribuito," Give every one his due.

This dramatic method of writing may easily account for the fize of the book, and the many unneceffary and animportant pages which it contains. Nor do we think a view of a character thus exhibited a favourable or a fair one. Who is fo blameless in conduct, fʊ equal in temper, fo guarded in expreffion, as not to do and fay many little things which are faulty and ludicrous? Of all men, perhaps, Johnfon was the most unfit for this over-curious expofure of his life and converfation. With a conftitution,

both of body and mind, diftempered, nervous, and irritable: always open on the fide of that vanity which the club of admirers with whom he lived tended fo much to ftrengthen and increafe, and unreftrained by the nicer decorums of fociety, which early good company alone can teach, his weaknefes had every incitement to their growth, and were not repreffed like thofe of other men, by the fear of offending, or the defire of conciliating thofe around him.

In the life of Johnfon there is another circumftance which renders this mode of relating it rather unfair to others as well as to him. His converfation was almost always polemical; he and his friends met in their fympofium, like gladiators of old in the Arena; not for an amicable communication of fentiment, but to exercife their wit and their eloquence in perpetual conteft. The victory was almost always Johnfon's; but, in relating his victories, Mr B. muft, at the fame time, record the defeats of his opponents, which to fome of them may not be a pleafant recollection.

Mr Bofwell, however, to do him juftice, is perfectly difinterefted and impartial. He relates with equal fi delity the buffetings and chaftifements he received himfeif, as thofe which were inflicted on any of the other gentlemen and ladies who fhared in the delights of Johnfon's company and converfation. In their various journies and adventures in England and Scotland, poor Mr B. experienced. fomewhat of the fate of another equally facetious fquire and companion. He received ftripes like Sancho, but they were not laid on by himself; like Sancho's, however, they were to have their reward; they were to be recorded in a book, and to be tranfmitted, (as Don Quixote fays, for a confolation to his faithful attendant) along with the fame of his illuftrious master, to. diftant pofterity,

Mr

Mr Bofwell does not feem always to perceive the effect which his narra tive will be likely to produce on its readers, in his commendations of Johnson, either as an author or a man. For we do not fufpect him of irony when he quotes the following example, (p. 162.) of that wonderful perfpicuity with which Johnson has expreffed abstract scientific notions. When the radical idea branches out into parallel ramifications, how can a confecutive feries be formed of fenfes in their own nature collateral. He certainly is ferious when he tells us, that it has been of late the fashion to depreciate the stile of Addifon in compafon with that of Jehnfon. What i dea does Mr Bofwell annex to the word Fashion? In this inftance, he probably means by it the opinion of three or four of Dr Johnson's London encomiafts: During the life of the Doctor the word Fashion probably meant in Mr Bolwell's Vocabulary the opinion of that great man alone. At that period, he might have faid it was the fashion to prefer Goldsmith as an hiftorian to Robertson, to hold Gray a dull poet, who had only written eight good lines in his life, Swift a filly and common-place writer, and Fielding a blockhead and a barren fellow. That vanity which, in the beginning of this account, we observed to be the leading weakness in Johnfon's character, produced, in one of its worst modifications, this abfurdity in his critic fms. He could allow mediocrity its proportionate praise; but excellence, in whatever department of literature, seldom had his willing fuffrage. Even Mis Montague, who had done much to conciliate the favour of literary men, because her "Effay on Shakespeare" was a popular performance, did not efcape him; and Mr Bofwell, who declares himself one of the admirers of that effay, faithfully records all the contemptuous abufe which Johnfon poured out against it. In this manner, indeed, he often gives his illuftrious

friends opinion, qualified with a declaration of his own diffent from it; following the model of the amiable Mrs Gandour in the School for Scandal, Every body fays fo, to be fure; but for my part I don't believe a word on't'

To all thefe criticifms on the prefent performance, there is, however, a fhort and eafy answer: Mr Boswell had kept a journal of Dr Johnfon's converfation, and he gives it to the world, with all its imperfections on its head.' He mentions a very proper advice which Mr Colman gave him on his introducing the subject of belief in the fecond fight. Dr Johnson, faid his biographer, is only willing to believe, I do believe. The evidence is enough for me, though not for his great mind. What will not fill a quart bottle will fill a pint bottle. I am filled with belief. Then cork it,' replied Col man.

་

But Mr Bofwell is no curl of his liquor, fuch as it is; he pours it out, froth and dregs and all; and whoever has money, and inclination for the purchase, may procure these two large bottles of it. Double bottles, Mr Bofwell fomewhere informs his readers, are in Scotland called Magnum Bonums. The Magnum, in the pref nt cafe, every body must allow ;the Bonum fome faftidious readers may be inclined to difpute.

A Tour through Italy; containing full directions for travelling in that in terefting country; with ample cata. logues of every thing that is curious in architecture, painting, fculpture, &c. By T. Martyn, F. R. S.Kearsley, London, 1791.

The title of this book expreffes fufficiently its contents. It does not profefs to defcribe the manners or cuitoms of the inhabitants of Italy, but to give a diftinct and accurate account of the objects which are beft worth the traveller's attention.

The

66

ILE earthworm" the fpirit cried, as

Vhe lifted up his eyes, and beheld from the lofty pinnacle of the rock the fpires of churches and cloisters rifing from the bofont of many a city;" thou ftill crawleft, I fee, in the vale below. Thy craft and cunning has once made mock of me: now thou shalt pay for thy triumph; I will pinch and plague thee, till thou quake at the mention of the mountain fpirit.”

He had fcarce uttered thefe words, when his ear was ftruck with the found of human voices at a distance. Three young compations were chatting as they croffed the mountain; the boldeft of them crying out inceffantly, Number-Nip, come down! Number-Nip, thou thief, that stealeft help lefs girls!" The fcandalous chronicle had faithfully preferved the love-affair of the fpirit; and as it had paffed from mouth to mouth, it had gained, as is ufually the cafe, a number of falfe additions: every traveller that paffed the mountain entertained his fellow with the particulars. A thousand ftories of apparitions had been invented, to the great terror and difmay of the fainthearted wanderer, though they were totally groundless; and the free-thinkers, wits, and philofophers, who in broad day-light, and in a large company, have no faith in ghosts, and even prefume to make merry at their expence, were accuftomed, either from the defire of fhewing their courage, or in mere wantonnefs, to invoke the Gnome by his nick-name, and make very free with his conduct. It had never been known that any of these infults had been revenged by the patient and long-fuffering fpirit; and no wonder, for he could not hear a word of them in the depths of the earth where he held his refidence. He was now fo much the more ftruck at hearing the whole reproachful tale fo comprehenfively repeated; and down he came roaring like a whirlwind through the gloomy foreft of firs, with a full intention to ftrangle the poor wretch on the spot, for making fo free with his hiftory, though it was entirely without any defign to give offence: but he feasonably bethought himself, that fo exemplary and open a correction would raise a great alarm and out-cry in the country, which might de

ter travellers from paffing the mountain, whence he would lose all opportunity of playing his projected pranks upon mankind. He therefore fuffered the infolent bawler and his companions to pafs quietly along for the prefent, with a firm refolution, however, not to fuffer him to be at the trouble of calling upon him in vain.

At the next cross road our merry-maker parted from his meffmates, and for this time arrived at Hirfchberg with a found fkin: but an invifible attendant followed him to his inn, that he might know where to find him again in due feafon. Number

Nip returned upon his footsteps to the mountain, thinking all the while upon the means of gratifying his revenge. On the road he chanced to meet a rich Ifraelite, travelling also towards Hirschberg; whom he immediately determined to employ as the inftrument of his vengeance. He therefore joined the Jew in the shape of the wanton spark that had infulted him. NumberNip entered into a friendly conversation. with the ftränger; and, in the mean time, took an opportunity to lead him infenfibly out of the way. When they found themfelves entangled among the thickets, the Jew was alarmed at feeling himself seized by the beard, which the ruffian piteoufly tore, threw him on the ground, tied his hands and feet, and robbed him of a purse full of gold and jewels. The foot-pad having moreover, by way of a farewell benediction, bestowed a fhower of blows and kicks upon him, went his way, leaving the poor plundered Jew in utter despair of his life, and actually half dead among the brambles.

When Aaron had a little recovered from his fright, and perceived that there was yet life remaining in him, he began to whine and to call aloud for help, for he was afraid' of being starved to death in that remote wilderness. His outcries foon brought to the fpot where he lay a refpectable gravelooking perfonage, in appearance a burgefs. of fome of the neighbouring towns. Having enquired into the caufe of his distress, and how he came to lie bound fo far out of the road, he kindly took the cords from his hands and feet, and performed all the offices of humanity which the good Samaritan, in the gofpel, fhewed to the man who had fallen among thieves. He recruited his fpirits with an exhilarating cordial, which he, by good luck, happened to have in his pocket, accompanied him back to the highway as obligingly as the angel did young Tobias, till he had brought him to the door of the inn at Hirschberg; where, after giving him a piece of money for his immediate neceffities, he took his leave. How was the Jew thunder-ftruck at feeing, on his entrance, the very ruffian who had robbed

and bound him fitting at table in the kit chen, as cool and unconcerned as if his conscience had been burthened with no crime! He had before him a pint of the country wine, and was cracking his jokes with a fet of jovial companions: befide him lay the very wallet in which he had feen his purfe ftowed. The aftonished defcendant of Abraham was doubtful at first, whether he fhould truft his eyes; he therefore flipped into a corner, and held a counfel with himself in what manner he should proceed to recover his rightful property. He thought he could not poffibly have mistaken the perfon; fo he paffed out unobferved at the door, and carried his information ftraight to the bailiff of the town.

The Hirschberg corporation had, in those days, the character of administering justice fpeedily whenever there was a profpect of the fees being well and duly paid. But whenever it was a cafe of mere duty and confcience, then dame Justice went her fnail's pace at Hirschberg as at other places. The experienced ifraelite was well apprifed of both her paces: he therefore bent the magiftrate's attention, who hefitated to take the information, towards the fhining corpus delicti; the golden prospect very foon worked out a warrant of apprehenfion. The beadles having well armed themselves with prongs and clubs, furrounded the inn, feized the innocent culprit, and carried him before the rails of the council-chamber, where the fapient fathers of the borough had, in the mean time, affembled." Who art thou?" demanded the grave bailiff as the criminal entered; "and whence comeft thou?" He answered openly and unterrified, "I am an honest tailer by trade; my name is Benedick: I come from Liebenaw, and work journey-work here with my maAter."

"Hait thou not fallen upon this Jew in the wood, with a design to murder him; didft thou not maltreat him, and take his purse ?"

"I never beheld this Jew with my eyes before; I have neither ftruck, nor bound, nor robbed him of his purfe; I am an honest handicraftsman, and no highway robber."

"How canft thou prove thy honesty?" "By the contents of my wallet, and the teftimony of my clear confcience."

"Open thy wallet, and let us fee what it contains."

Benedick fet about opening his package in great confidence, being well affured that it contained nothing but his own honestly-acquired property. But as he was turning over his linen, behold fomething jingled like gold amongst the things that were emp tied out. The beadles fnatched at with great eagerness; and after poring among

Benedick's fundries, they drew forth an heavy purse, which the overjoyed Jew immediately claimed as his property, after the dues of juftice-understand should be de ducted. The poor culprit was thunderstruck at the difcovery: he was ready to drop down with fear; he turned pale about the nofe; his lips quivered, his knees trembled, and he was unable to utter a word in his defence. The magiftrate's brow lowered more and more; and the darkness of his countenance prognofticated a fevere fentence.

"How now, villain! haft thou fill confidence to deny the robbery?”

"Mercy! good Mr Bailiff," cried the weeping criminal, as he dropped on his knee, and lifted up his hands; "I call all the faints in heaven to witness that I am innocent of the robbery: God knows how the Jew's purse came into my wallet God above only knows it."

"All denial is now in vain, thou art clearly convicted," proceeded the bailiff; the purfe is a fufficient proof of thy guilt: there fore give fatisfaction to God and the magi ftracy, and freely confefs, before the rack comes to extort an acknowledgment of thy crime."

Benedick, quite overpowered by thefe fufpicious circumstances, could only make pros teftations of his innocence: but he piped to the deaf; he was put down for an hardened ragamuffin, that wanted but to fwear his neck out of the halter. The inquifitorial machinery was called in to perfuade him, by the rhetoric of iron arguments, to do honour to God and the magiftracy, by confefling away his own life. At the terrible appear. ance of the new orator, the calmness proceeding from his purity of confcience deferted the poor tailor: he started back at the idea of the fufferings that awaited him. As the officer was going to fix the thumb-fcrews, having confidered that the operation would render him ever afterwards unfit to brandish the needle with credit, he thought it better to flip the pain altogether, rather than be a ruined man for life: fo he fathered the crime of which his heart was innocent. The trial was brought to a fpeedy iffue, the convict was unanimoufly fentenced, without prorogation of the court, to be hanged; and, to keep up the credit of a speedy adminiftration of juftice, as well as for the fake of faving the cost of maintenance, the fentence was ordered to be executed early next morning.

The crowd of fpectators, whom a trial for life and death had affembled, all applauded the fentence of the court as just and upright; yet none were observed to commend the integrity of the judges fo loudly as the tenderhearted Samaritan, who had forced his way among the reft into court. He could nor fufficiently exprefs his admiration of the love of juftice, which diftinguished the worshipI 2

ful

ful council of Hirschberg. In fact, no one was more nearly interefted in the iffue of the affair than this fame philanthropist, for it was he whofe invifible hand ftuffed the Jew's purfe into the tailor's knapfack, and he was in fact no other than Number-Nip himself. Early next morning he perched in the form of a raven on the gallows, in expectation of the cart that was to convey thither the victim of his vengeance: he already felt a raven's defire ro pick out the eyes of the convict-but for this time he waited for his prey in vain. A pious brother, who fet a very different value on the efficacy of a death bed repentance from fome of our modern divines, and who was zealous to embalm every malefactor he prepared for death with the fpice of holiness, found in the uninftruct ed Benedick fo rough and unhewn a log, that he thought it impoffible, in the short Space allotted for the business of prayer and and admonition, to carve a decent faint out of it. He therefore folicited a refpite of three days, and obtained it, though not without great difficulty, by appealing to the piety of the magistracy, and holding forth fevere denunciations of the difpleasure of mother church, if it fhould be refufed. Number Nip, hearing of this delay, flew away to his mountain, there to abide the term of the refpite.

During the interval, he amused himself by traverfing his woods according to cuftom; in one of his excurfions he efpied a youthful damfel fitting under a fpreading beech. Her chin was funk in melancholy on her bofum, and she supported her head with her fnowwhite arm her drefs was not coftly, but it was clean, and the cut was in the town fafhion. From time to time fhe wiped away, a tear that ftole down her cheek, and deep fighs iffued from her heaving bofom. The Gnome had formerly felt the powerful influence of a virgin's tears: he was again fo touched with them, as to make the first deviation from the rule he had laid down to himself, viz. to plague and pinch every defcendant of Adam, whom ill fortune fhould lead to cross the mountain : he even acknowledged the fentiment of compaffion to be a kindly feeling, and was irrefiftibly bent upon confoling the afflicted beauty. He put on the appearance of a reputable burgher, and advancing towards her, enquired, “Why art thou fitting here alone, my girl, in this melancholy mood? Do not hide the occafion of thy forrow from me, that I may confider if there be any method of relieving it."

The maiden, who had been quite absorbed in grief, started on hearing a voice fo near her, and lifted up her downcaft face. Ah! what a languifhing pair of blue eyes peeped that moment from under her hat! truly their mild dewy light was enough to

melt an heart of steel. In each a bright tear drop fparkled like a diamond; the whole of the damfel's lovely face was deeply expreffive of affliction, which ferved but to heighten the foft charms of her Madonna features. Seeing that it was a refpectable looking perfon who addreffed her, fhe opened her rofy mouth, and faid, "Why fhould you trouble yourself to enquire about my forrow, good Sir, fince there is no help for me? I am an unhappy guilty girl, no better than a murderefs: for have I not murdered the man of my heart? But I will never cease to rue my fault: sighs and tears fhall be my portion, till my bursting heart put an end to my grief."

The grave perfonage looked amazement. "Thou a murderefs! with that heavenly face, doft thou carry hell in thy heart? inpoffible-Mankind are indeed capable of all deceit and wickedness, that I well know; but here I am puzzled."

"I will folve the riddle," returned the afflicted maiden, " if you have any defire to have an explanation.'

"Say on.

"I had for a play-fellow, from my youth up, the fon of a virtuous widow, my neighbour. He chofe me for his sweetheart as he grew older he was so good and kind, fo honeft and faithful, loved me so constantly and dearly, that he ftole away my heart, and I vowed everlasting fidelity to him: Alas, like a fake, I have poisoned the bo fom of the dear youth! I have made him forget the good leffons of his virtuous mother, and put him upon a deed, for which he has forfeited his life to the law!"

.

"Thou!" cried the Gnome emphatically.

"Yes, Sir, I am his murderefs! I inftigated him to commit an highway robbery : he plundered a knavifh Jew; the gentlemen of Hirschberg have apprehended, convicted, and condemned him; and to-morrow, alas! he is to fuffer."

"And haft thou been guilty of this crime?" cried the aftonished sprite. "Yes! Sir, I feel his young blood lying upon my confcience."

How fo?"

He went upon the tramp beyond the mountain; at fetting out, as he had his arms clafped round my neck, and was bidding me farewell, My deareft girl, he said, remember and be true to me: when the apples are in bloffom the third feafon from this, and the fwallow is loaded with a burden of ftraws for her nek, expect me back to fetch thee home, that I may make thee my youthful bride-and fuch I promifed him to be by a folemn oath. Now when the apples were in bloffom, and the fwallow was building her neft the third time, back came Benedick, reminded me of

my