much disordered as to deprive him of the benefit of personal exertion. On this occasion, Johnson kindly lent his assistance in writing Advertisements and Letters for him, with his usual felicity of expression; and, at the close of the contest, accompanied him to Bright, helmstone, and tried every prudent artifice of amusement, and every pious argument of consolation, for the restoration of his health and peace of mind. This year, Dr Francklin, the object of Mr Murphy's satirical vengeance, * gave a public testimony of his "admiration of the respecta ble talents of the English moralist, beyond all suspicion of partiality, by a dedication of the Demonax, in his translation of Lucian, "To Dr Samuel Johnson, the Demonax of the present age;" a just and appropriate compliment, corresponding with the general character given by Lucian of the ancient sage, "the best philosopher whom I have ever seen. * See page 276. or known,"* of which he could not be insensible. In 1781, after many intervals of relaxation, Johnson at last gave to the world the remaining portion of his Biographical and Critical Prefaces, in 5 vols. 12mo. "Some time in March," he says, in a memorandum of that year, "I finished the Lives of the Poets, which I wrote in my usual way, dilatorily and hastily, unwilling to work, and working with vigour and haste."* morandum previous to this, he says of them, "Written, I hope, in such a manner as may tend to the promotion of piety." In a me In one instance, in the new series of Lives, the assistance he received extended to an entire article, the Life of Young, written at his request by the Rev. Sir Herbert Croft, Bart. then a Barrister-at-law, and possessing, in a considerable degree, the vivacity of style, and faci * 66 αριστον αν οιδα εγω φιλοσοφων γενομενη.” lity of moral reflection, which distinguish the Biographical Prefaces of his "great master." This was the last of Johnson's literary labours; and though completed when he was in his seventy-second year, shows that his faculties were in as vigorous a state as ever. His judgment and his taste, his quickness in the discrimination of motives, and facility of moral reflection, shine as strongly in these narratives as in any of his more early performances; and his style, if not so energetic, is at least more level to the taste of the generality of critical objectors. The Lives of the English Poets, compre hending the poetical biography of a whole century, formed a memorable era in the life of Johnson; and have contributed to immortalize his name, and secured him that rational esteem which party or partiality could not procure, and which even the defects of the work have not been able to lessen. The inveteracy of his political prejudices, and resolute adherence to certain early preconceived opinions of the excellence of poetry, unfortunately influenced his great mind in forming a degrading estimate of our most exalted poets. But his Lives, notwithstanding this unconquerable bias, will always be held in high estimation, for the vigour of expression, the sagacity of criticism, and the knowledge of life which they display, and the pure morality which they inculcate. It is certain that no one reader will universally subscribe to his critical decisions; but all may admire his vast intuitive knowledge, and power of reasoning, and venerate his inflexible sincerity, and noble intrepidity in declaring his opinions, unbiassed by the partialities of friendship, the sanction of names, or the influence of prescriptive authority. Among the Lives of the early poets, of which the execution is most elaborate and satisfactory, his abhorrence of the politics of Milton has led him to speak of the "acrimonious and surly republican," in terms of harsh and unjustifiable severity. This may be granted to the whig-accusers of our great poetical biographer, without admitting the va lidity of the charges brought against him by Archdeacon Blackburne, of being an accomplice in the forgeries of Lauder, of undervaluing Milton in a "poetical scale," inserted in the " Literary Magazine," and of accusing the Latin secretary of the Council of State, of interpolating a passage in the "Eikon Basilike," and censuring Charles I. for the interpolation. * "On my shewing Dr Johnson," says Mr Nichols," Archdeacon Blackburne's Remarks * Milton, in his "Eikonoclastes," (1649) arraigned his Majesty for having adopted a prayer, attributed to a heathen princess, from Sir Philip Sidney's " Arcadia," (p. 252. 4th edit. 1618), and giving it, with other papers, as his own, to Bishop Juxon, who attended him on the scaffold. Whether Charles himself transcribed this prayer from the " Arcadia," or whether, unconscious of its origin, he received it from one of his clerical attendants, the offence, if any, seems of a very pardonable nature. The King never claimed the prayer as his own composition; and it has been proved, that the "Eikon Basilike," in which it first appeared, was compiled by Dr Gauden, from the original notes and daily memorandums found in the King's closet. "I have now in my possession," says Dr Symmons, " (Life of Milton, note, p. 229.) the first edition of the Eikon,' printed |