gether. Davy Garrick is to be with you early the next week, and Mr. Johnfon, to try his fate with a tragedy, and to fee to get himself employed in fome translation, either from the Latin or the French. Johnfon is a very good scholar and poet, and. I have great hopes will turn out a fine tragedy writer."

How he employed himself upon his firft coming to London, is not certainly known. His firft lodgings were at the house of Mr. Norris a staymaker in Exeter-Street, in the Strand. Here he found it neceffary to practise the most rigid economy; and his Ofellus in the Art of Living in London, is a real character of an Irish painter, who initiated him in the art of living cheaply in London.

Soon after his arrival in London, he renewed his acquaintance with Mr. Henry Hervey, one of the branches of the Bristol family, whom he had known when he was

A

quartered at Litchfield as an officer of the army. At his house he was entertained with a kindness and hospitality of which he ever afterwards retained a warm remembrance. Not very long before his death, he described this early friend "Harry Hervey," thus: "he was a vicious man, very kind to me. If you call a dog

but

Hervey, I fhall love him."

He had now written three acts of his Irene; and he retired for fome time to lodgings at Greenwich, where he proceeded in it fomewhat farther, and used to compofe walking in the Park; but he did not stay long enough in that place to finish it.

At this period, he wished to engage more closely with Mr. Cave, and propofed to him, in a letter dated Greenwich, July 12. 1737, to undertake a translation of Father Paul Sarpi's History of the Council

of Trent," from the French edition of Dr.

Le Courayer. His propofal was accepted; but it should seem from this letter, though fubfcribed with his own name, that he had not yet been introduced to Mr. Cave.

In the course of the fummer, he returned to Litchfield, where he had left his wife; and there he at last finished his tragedy; which was not executed with his rapidity of compofition upon other occafions, but was flowly and painfully elaborated. The original unformed sketch of this tragedy, partly in the raw materials of profe, and partly worked up in verfe, in his own handwriting, is preserved in the King's Library.

In three months after, he removed to London with his wife; but her daughter, who had lived with them at Edial, was left with her relations in the country. His lodgings were for fome time in Woodstock-Street, near Hanover-Square, and afterwards in Castle-Street, near CavendishSquare. His tragedy being, as he thought,

completely finished, and fit for the stage, he folicited Mr. Fleetwood, the manager of Drury-Lane Theatre, to have it acted at his houfe; but Mr. Fleetwood would not accept it.

Upon his coming to London, he was inlifted by Mr. Cave, as a regular coadjutor in his magazine, which, for many years, was his principal refource for employment and fupport. A confiderable period of his life is lost in saying that he was the hireling of Mr. Cave. The narrative is little diverfified by the enumeration of his contributions. But the publications of a writer, like the battles and fieges of a general, are the circumstances which muft fix the feveral eras of his life. In this part of the narrative, the pieces acknowledged by Johnson to be of his writing, are printed. in Italics, and those which are ascribed to him upon good authority, or internal evi

dence, are diftinguished by inverted com

mas.

His first performance in the "Gentleman's Magazine," was a Latin Ode, Ad Urbanum, in March 1738, a translation of which, by an unknown correfpondent, appeared in the Magazine for May following.

At this period, the misfortunes and mifconduct of Savage had reduced him to the lowest state of wretchednefs as a writer för bread; and his vifits at St. John's Gate, where the "Gentleman's Magazine” was originally printed, naturally brought Johnfon and him together. Johnson commenced an intimacy with this extraordinary man. Both had great parts, and they were equally under the preffure of want. They had a fellow-feeling, and fympathy united them closer:

It is melancholy to reflect, that Johnfon and Savage were fometimes in fuch

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