by Johnson. Oldham had also imitated it, and applied it to London; but there is fcarcely any coincidence between the two performances, though upon the very fame fubject.

In the course of his engagement with Mr. Cave, he composed the Debates in the Senate of Magna Lilliputia, the firft number of which appeared in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for June 1738, fometimes with feigned names of the feveral fpeeches, fometimes with denominations formed of the letters of their real names, so that they might be easily decyphered. Parliament then kept the prefs in a kind of myfterious awe, which made it neceffary to have recourse to fuch devices. The debates for fome time were brought home and digested by Guthrie, and afterwards fent by Mr. Cave to Johnson for his revifion. When Guthrie had attained to a greater variety of employment, and the fpeeches were

more and more enriched by the acceffion of Johnson's genius, it was refolved that he fhould do the whole himself, from notes furnished by perfons employed to attend in both houses of Parliament. His fole compofition of them began November 19. 1740, and ended February 23. 1742-3. From that time they were written by Hawkefworth to the year 1760. Johnson acknowledged the debates to be spurious, long after the world had confidered them as genuine; and fome days previous to his death, declared, that of all his writings they gave him the most uneafiness. deceit, however, could not be very pernicious, in the effects of which fo many perfons were involved. Neither are they fo completely his own compofition as is generally fuppofed. That notes of the fpeeches were taken in the Houses of Parliament, and given to him, is evident from his own declarations. And it does not

The

appear probable that Mr. Cave, who was ever attentive to the improvement of his Magazine, fhould be more negligent in procuring notes as accurate as he could, during the time when Johnson executed this department, than when it was in the hands of Guthrie. It seems at leaft most likely, therefore, that the language and illuftrations are Johnson's own, but that the arguments and general arrangements were taken from the several speeches spoken in either House.

The trade of writing was, however, fo little profitable, that notwithstanding the fuccefs of his London, he wifhed to accept an offer made to him, of becoming master of the free school at Appleby in Leicesterfhire (Pope fays in Shropshire), the falary of which was fixty pounds a-year. the ftatutes of the fchool required that he fhould be a Master of Arts, and it was then

But

thought too great a favour to be asked of

the University of Oxford. Pope, without any knowledge of him, but from his London, recommended him to Lord Gower, who, by a letter which has been often printed, to a friend of Swift, dated Trentham, Auguft 1. 1738, endeavoured to procure him a degree from TrinityCollege, Dublin. This expedient failed. There is reason to think that Swift declined to meddle in the business; and to this circumstance Johnson's known dislike of Swift has been often imputed.

He made one other effort to emancipate himself from the drudgery of authorship, by endeavouring to be introduced to the bar at Doctor's Commons; but here the want of a Doctor's degree in Civil Law, was also an unfurmountable impediment.

He was, therefore, under the neceffity of perfevering in that courfe into which he was forced; and we find him prosecuting his defign of tranflating Father Paul's

Hiftory of the Council of Trent," in 2 vols. 4to, which was announced in the "Weekly Miscellany," October 21. 1738. Twelve sheets of this translation were printed off; but the defign was dropped; for it happened, that another Samuel Johnson, Librarian of St. Martin's in the Fields, and Curate of that parish, had engaged in the farne undertaking, under the patronage of Dr. Pearce; the confequence of which was, an oppofition, which mutually destroyed each others hopes of fuccefs.

66

In the "Gentleman's Magazine" of this year, befides the pieces already mentioned, he gave a Life of Father Paul in the November Magazine, and wrote the "Preface" to the volume. The Apotheofis of Milton, a vifion," printed in the Magazine for 1738 and 1739, given to him by Sir John Hawkins, was the production of Guthrie. The tranflation of Cronfaz's "Examination of Pope's Effay on Man,"