want of leifure or inclination, he never

perfected it.

This year he alfo wrote the Preface to

Mr. Baretti's Leffons, Italian and English," and published an account of his Tour to the Hebrides, under the title of A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland, 8vo. This elegant narrative has been variously praised and abused in the newspapers, magazines, and other fugitive publications. It was formally attacked by the Rev. Donald M'Nicol, in his "Remarks," &c. 8vo. 1780. That it is written with an undue prejudice against both the country and people of Scotland, must be allowed; but it abounds in extensive philosophical views of society, and in ingenious fentiments and lively defcription. Among many other difquifitions equally inftructing and amufing, he expreffes his difbelief of the authenticity of the poems of Offian, presented to the public as a tranflation from the

Erfe, in fuch terms as honeft indignation is apt to hurl against impofition. If there was a manufcript, in what age was it written? and where is it? If it was collected from oral recitation in different parts of the Highlands, who put it together in its prefent form? These, and fuch like obfervations, provoked the refentment of Mr. Macpherson; he fent a threatening letter to the author, and Johnfon answered him in the rough phrase of stern defiance.

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I received your foolish and impudent letter. Any violence offered me, I fhall do my best to repel; and what I cannot do for myself, the law fhall do for me. I hope I fhall never be deterred from detecting what I think a cheat, by the menaces of a ruffian.

"What would you have me retract? I thought your book an imposture; I think it an imposture ftill. For this opinion I have given my reasons to the public, which

I here dare you to refute. Your rage I defy. Your abilities, fince your Homer, are not fo formidable; and what I hear of your morals, inclines me to pay regard not to what you shall fay, but what you shall prove. You may print this if you will." The threats alluded to in this letter ne

ver were attempted to be put in execution. But Johnson, as a provifion for defence, furnished himself with a large oaken plant, fix feet in height, of the diameter of an inch at the lower end, increasing to three inches at the top, and terminating in a head (once the root) of the fize of a large orange. This he kept in his bed-chamber, fo near his chair, as to be within his reach.

In 1776, he wrote nothing for the pub lic. This year he removed from No. 7. Johnson's Court, to a larger house, No. 8. Bolt-Court, Fleet-Street, with a garden, which he took delight in watering." A

room on the ground-floor was affigned to Mifs Williams; and the whole of the two pair of stairs floors was made a repofitory for his books, confifting of about 5000 volumes. Here, in the intervals of his refidence at Streatham, he fat every morning receiving vifits, and hearing the topics of the day, and indolently trifling away the time; and to the 'moft intimate of his friends, Dr. Burney, Mr. Hoole, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Davies, Mr. Baretti, Mr. Bofwell, Mr. Langton, &c. fometimes gave not inelegant dinners. Chemistry afforded fome amusement. In Gough-Square, and in Johnson's-Court, he had an apparatus for that purpose; and the fame, with perhaps a few additions, was now fixed up in BoltCourt. He had alfo a fort of laboratory at Streatham, and diverted himself with drawing effences, and colouring liquors for Mrs. Thrale.

Johnson's benevolence to the unfortunate, was, at all periods of his life, very remarkable. In his houfe at Bolt-Court, an apartment was appropriated to Mrs. Defmoulins, daughter of his god-father, Dr. Swinfen, and widow of Mr. Defmoulins, a writing-mafter, and her daughter, and a Miss Carmichael. Such was his humanity, and fuch his generofity, that he allowed Mrs. Defmoulins half-a-guinea aweek, which was above a twelfth part of his penfion.

"It feems," fays Mrs. Piozzi, at once vexatious and comical, to reflect that the diffenfions those people chofe to live in, diftreffed and mortified him exceedingly. He really was oftentimes afraid of going home, because he was fure to be met at the door with numberlefs complaints; and he ufed frequently to lament pathetically to me, and to Mr. Saftres, the Italian master, who was much his favourite, that they made his