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and even in fo flight a performance exhibited peculiar talents. At the fame time he iffued Proposals of confiderable length for his edition of Shakspeare, with Notes; and his fancied activity was fuch, that he promised his work fhould be published before Christmas 1757, though it was nine years before it faw the light.

About this period, he was offered by Mr. Langton, the father of his much valued friend, a living of confiderable value in Lincolnshire, if he would accept it and take orders; " but he chofe not to put off his lay habit." This year the Ivy-Lane club was diffolved, by the difperfion of the members.

In 1757, it does not appear that he published any thing, except fome of those effays in the " Literary Magazine,” which have been mentioned. That magazine, after he ceafed to write in it, gradually, declined; and in July 1758, it expired.

He dictated, this year, a

Speech on the

Subject of an Addrefs to the Throne," after the expedition to Rochefort, which was delivered by one of his friends in a public meeting. It is printed in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for October 1785.

On the 15th of April 1758, he began The Idler, which came out every Saturday, in a weekly newspaper called the "Univerfal Chronicle," publifhed by Newbery, and was continued till April 5th 1760. Of 103, the total number of effays, twelve were contributed by his friends; of which Nos. 33, 93. and 96, were written by Mr. Warton, No. 67 by Mr. Langton, and Nos. 76, 79, and 82, by Sir Joshua Reynolds; the concluding words of No. 82, "and pollute his canvass with deformity," being added by Johnson. The Idler is evidently the work of the fame mind which produced the Rambler, but has lefs body and more fpirit, It has more variety of

real life, and greater facility of language, Yet Nos. 14, 24, 41, 43, 51, 52, 58, and 89, fhow as much profundity of thought, and labour of language, as any of his writings. To The Idler, when collected in volumes, he added (befide the Essay on Epitaphs, and the Differtation on those of Pope), an Effay on the Bravery of the Englifh common Soldiers.

In January 1759, his mother died, at the age of ninety; an event which deeply affected him. He regretted his not having gone to vifit her for feveral years previous to her death; but he had long contributed liberally to her fupport.

Soon after this event, he wrote his Raffelas, Prince of Abyssinia, that, with the profits, he might defray the expence of his mother's funeral, and pay fome little debts which fhe had left. He told Sir Joshua Reynolds, that he composed it in the evenings of one week, fent it to the prefs in

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portions as it was written, and had never fince read it over. He received for the copy 100l. and 251. when it came to a fecond edition. The applaufe given to the hiftory of Raffelas, has been fuch, as must fatisfy an author the most avaricious of fame. It has been tranflated into various modern languages, and received the admiration of Europe.

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During all this year, he carried on his Idler, and was proceeding, though flowly, in his edition of Shakspeare. He, however, found time to tranflate for Mrs. Lenox's English verfion of Brumoy's "Greek Theatre," A Differtation on the Greek Comedy," and the general "conclufion" of the book. On the controversy arising concerning the eliptical or circular form of arches for Blackfriar's bridge, Johnfon engaged in it, on behalf of his friend Mr. Gwyn, and wrote three letters in the "Gazetteer," in oppofition to the eliptical fide

of the question; but without any illiberal antipathy to Mr. Mylne, with whom he afterwards lived upon very agreeable terms of acquaintance.

While he was employed in writing The Idler, he quitted his house in GoughSquare, and retired to Gray's-Inn; and foon after Mifs Williams went to lodgings. This year he removed to chambers in the Inner-Temple Lane, "where he lived," fays Mr. Murphy, " in poverty, total idlenefs, and the pride of literature, Magni ftat nominis umbra. Mr. Fitzherbet (the father of Lord St. Helens), used to say, that he paid a morning vifit to Johnson, intending from his chambers to fend a letter into the city; but, to his great furprise, he found an author by profeffion, without pen, ink, or paper."

His black fervant Francis Barber having left him, and entered on board a man of

war, “he was humble enough to defire

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