the reign of Nature and of Sense would revive, and scenic Virtue form the rising age. Like the celebrated epilogue to "The distressed Mother," it was, during the season, often called for by the audience; and the most striking passages of it are familiar to all the lovers of the drama and of poetry.

In 1748, while the Dictionary was going forwards, he formed a club that met at Horseman's chop-house in Ivy-Lane, Pater-nosterrow, every Tuesday evening, with a view to enjoy literary discussion, and the pleasure of animated relaxation. The members associated with him in this little society were Dr Richard Bathurst, a young physician, Mr (afterwards Dr) Hawkesworth, Dr Salter, father of the late master of the Charter-house, Mr Ryland, a merchant, Mr John Payne, bookseller in Pater-noster-row, Mr Samuel Dyer, a learned young man, intended for the dissenting ministry, Dr William M'Ghie, a Scottish physician, Dr Edmund Barker, a young physician, and Mr (afterwards Sir)

John Hawkins, an attorney*; all men of much respectablity, several of whom afterwards attained considerable eminence in the literary world. As the majority of the club were Whigs, it required, on the part of those members, who considered themselves as his disciples, some degree of compliance with his political prejudices. He was most intimately connected with Mr Dyer and Dr Bathurst, both men of great moral worth, of highly cultivated understanding, and graced with pleasing manners. The endowments of Mr Dyer are represented by Sir John Hawkins as of such a superior kind, "that in some instances Johnson might almost be said to have looked up to him." Keen penetration and deep erudition were the qualities that distinguished his character. He was a pupil of Hutcheson of Glasgow, and maintained his notion of moral goodness,

that to live in peace with man

* He was afterwards chairman of the Middlesex justices, and knighted upon occasion of presenting an address to the king. He is the author of a valuable "History of Music," in 5 vols. 4to, and editor of Walton's "Complete Angler." He died in 1791.

kind, and in a temper to do good offices, is the most essential part of our duty *." They used to dispute about the moral sense and the fitness of things; but Johnson was not uniform in his opinions; at one time good, at another evil, was predominant in the moral constitution of the world; contending as often for victory as for truth. This infirmity attended him through life. Dr Bathurst was a native of Jamaica, the son of Colonel Bathurst, a planter in that island. He loved and admired him for the sweetness of his disposition, the elegance of his manners, and the brilliancy of his talents. In the practice of physic he was unsuccessful; for though his qualifications, natural and acquired, were unexceptionable, he wanted not only fortune, but interest; without which no ability, however great, has in general been found availing in this profession. This is the first convivial association to which Johnson can be traced out of his own house.

* He was employed in revising the old translation of "Plutarch's Lives, by several hands," for Draper and Tonson.

For the enjoyment of scenes of social life, unfettered by the restraints of domestic regulation, he had a peculiar relish. A tavern chair, he would assert, was the throne of peace and felicity. He could there act with the independence which he loved; and to this mode of collecting his friends he was partial to the end of his life.

Gentle

This year he contributed to the man's Magazine" for May, The Life of Roscommon, which he afterwards enlarged in his Lives of the Poets. He wrote also the Preface to Dodsley's" Preceptor," containing a general sketch of that valuable work, with a short and perspicuous recommendation of each article; and the Vision of Theodore, the Hermit of Teneriffe, found in his cell, a most beautiful allegory of human life, under the figure of ascending the Mountain of Existence; which he himself always esteemed the best of his writings; and it is indeed truly excellent.

In January 1749, eleven years after the publication of his London, he gave to the world his second imitation of the Roman satirist,

entitled, The Vanity of Human Wishes, the tenth Satire of Juvenal imitated, 4to, with his name. Though his fame had been advancing progressively, in the space which had elapsed between the two classical imitations, yet he got from Dodsley only fifteen guineas for the copy of this poem, reserving to himself, in the agreement, according to his custom," the right of printing one edition;" it being his fixed intention to publish, at some period, for his own profit, a complete collection of his works. The fervid rapidity with which it was produced is scarcely credible. Mr Boswell heard him say, that he composed seventy lines of it in one day, without putting one of them upon paper till they were finished. Dryden preceded him in attempting an imitation of the tenth satire of Juvenal; and though he failed in giving the general merit of the original, yet he rivals the Latin poet in many passages. The imitation of Johnson challenges a comparison with the page of Juvenal in every line, and, in some instances, surpasses the most perfect composi