fo worthy of remark, on this fubject, that Johnson has altered, and perhaps improved his style, long after his reputation had been established, and his Rambler had appeared. The compofition of this work differs a good deal from that of Raffelas, the Journey to the Western Islands, and The Lives of the Poets. The native vigour, and peculiarity of feature, are indeed preferved, but they are polished to greater elegance, and taught to wear the appearance of a happier ease. In the Rambler his periods are longer, and his meaning more condenfed; he is more fond of abftract terms, and ambitious of fefquipedalian words. But this work was written while he was occupied in collecting authorities for hist Dictionary; at a time when Browne and Hooker, Bacon and Hakewell, were continually before him; men whom it was difficult to read, and remain free from the temptation to imitate. In his latter productions, particularly his Lives of the Poets,

his fentences are shorter, their construction more fimple, and the use of Latin derivations lefs frequent. He has made his style in a greater degree elegant without constraint, dignified without ambitious ornament, ftrong without rigidity, and harmonious without elaboration. He has a

dopted a meafured paufe, and a correfpondent length in the numbers of his periods, which gives to his profe much of the harmony, and fometimes fomewhat of the monotony of verfe. As Homer gave a peculiar language to his gods, to express their divine conceptions, let us allow to Johnfon, and to men like him, a ftyle fuch as he has used; for we have as yet found none more grand and energetic. It is certain that his example has given a general elevation to the language of his country; for many of our beft writers have approached very near to him; and from the influence which he has had upon our com

pofition, scarcely any thing is written now, that is not better expreffed than was usual before he appeared to lead the national tafte. This circumftance is well defcribed by Mr. Courtenay, in his " Poetical Review;" a performance which shows that he has caught no mean degree of the expanfion and harmony which characterize the style of Johnson.

By nature's gifts ordain'd mankind to rule,
He like a Titian form'd his brilliant school,
And taught congenial fpirits to excel,
While from his lips impreffive wisdom fell.

"who

Among the congenial spirits formed the school of Johnson," Mr. Courtenay celebrates the refpectable names of Goldsmith, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Burney, Mr. Malone, Mr. Steevens, Dr. Hawkefworth, Sir William Jones, and Mr. Boswell, and concludes his description in the following animated lines:

Nor was his energy confin'd alone
To friends around his philofophic throne;
His influence wide improv'd our letter'd isle,
And lucid vigour mark'd the general ftyle ;

As Nile's proud waves, fwoln from their oozy bed,
First o'er the neighb'ring mead majestic spread,
Till, gathering force, they more and more expand,
And with due virtue fertilize the land.

Among the imitators of Johnson's style, whether intentionally, or by the imperceptible effect of its strength and animation, may be reckoned a great proportion of the moft diftinguished writers in our language fince he appeared, Dr. Robertson, Dr. Blair, Mr. Gibbon, Dr. Leland, Dr. Ferguson, Dr. Knox, Dr. Stuart, Dr. Parr, Dr. Thomfon, Dr. Gillies, Mr. Mac, kenzie, and Mr. Chalmers, &c. Perhaps the most perfect imitation of Johnson is a professed one, intituled "A Criticifm on Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-Yard," faid to be written by Dr. Young, Professor of Greek at Glasgow. It has not only the

peculiarities of Johnson's ftyle, but that very fpecies of literary difcuffion and illuftration for which he was eminent.-But let men of moderate conceptions beware of ill judged imitations. Their attempt to copy his language is Salmoneus thundering at Elis, or a mortal wielding the spear of Pelides. It is to raise a melancholy contraft between the flimness of the thought, and the capacity of the expreffion, to cover the head of a pigmy with the cafque of a giant.

As a poet, the merit of Johnson, though confiderable, yet falls far fhort of that which he has difplayed in thofe provinces of literature in which we have already furveyed him. As far as ftrength of expreffion, fruitfulness of invention, and abundance of imagery, conftitute poetry, he is much more of a poet in his profe works, than in his metrical compofitions. Metaphor, to the merit of which he was blind and uncharitable, is fo much the foul and