the said Francis Barber, his executors and administrators*. Witness my hand and seal, this 9th day of December 1784. "SAMUEL JOHNSON, (L. s.) "Signed, sealed, published, declared, and delivered by the said Samuel Johnson, as, and for a Codicil to his last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who, in his presence, and at his request, and also in the presence of each other, have hereto subscribed our names as witnesses. "JOHN COPLEY. WILLIAM GIBSON. Sir John Hawkins estimates the amount of the bequest to Fran. cis Barber at a sum little short of L.1500, including the annuity of L.70 to be paid to him by Mr Langton. The sum of L.26 obtain. ed by the sale of his Latin Poems, and the remission of a debt of L.30 due by him to Mr Beauclerk, by his relict, Lady Diana Beauclerk, afforded the means of benefiting Humphry Heely, an old man and lame, whose first wife was a Ford, the daughter of his mother's brother; and his son, an idiot; and some other poor relations, whose distresses had escaped his recollection in making his testamentary dispositions in the last hours of life. No. II. CATALOGUE OF WORKS PROPOSED TO BE EXECUTED BY DR JOHNSON *. DIVINITY. "A SMALL book of precepts and directions for piety; the hint taken from the directions in the [Countess of] Morton's [daily] exercise. PHILOSOPHY, HISTORY, AND LITERATURE IN GENERAL. "History of Criticism, as it relates to the judging of authors, from Aristotle to the present age. An account of the rise and improvements of that art; of the different opinions of authors, ancient and modern t. Given by him to Mr Langton, and by that gentleman presented to his Majesty, (p. 105.) It is appended to this narrative, as it affords a curious and interesting proof of his intimacy with books and general literature, and as it it includes many noble and useful designs, which must still be considered as desiderata in English lite rature. + The completion of this comprehensive outline, executed with competent erudition and acumen, would be a valuable accession to English literature. Nothing of the kind has been attempted in this country. "Translation of the History of Herodian. "New edition of Fairfax's translation of Tasso *, with notes, glossary, &c. "Chaucer, a new edition of him, from manuscripts and old editions, with various readings, conjectures, remarks on his language, and the changes it had undergone from the earliest times to his age, and from his age to the present; with notes explanatory of customs, &c. and references to Boccace and other authors from whom he has borrowed, with an account of the liberties he has taken in telling the stories; his life, and an exact etymological glossary t. "Aristotle's Rhetoric, a translation of it into Eng lish. "A Collection of Letters, translated from the modern writers, with some account of the several authors. "Oldham's Poems, with notes, historical and critical ‡. First printed in 1600, and dedicated to Q. Elizabeth. The 4th edition, modernized, with a glossary, &c. was printed in 8vo, 1749. A republication of the original edition, with suitable appendages, may be expected from the present age, so laudably attentive to old English literature. An incomparable edition of the "Canterbury Tales," upon this plan, has been executed by Mr Tyrwhitt, in 5 vol. 8vo, 1775— 78, and a copious life of the poet by Mr Godwin, in 2 vol. 4to. 1803. An edition of Oldham, upon this plan, but by no means to the full extent, was executed by Capt. E. Thompson, in 3 vol. 12mo, 1770. "Roscommon's Poems, with notes. "Lives of the Philosophers, written with a polite air, in such a manner as may divert as well as instruct. "History of the Heathen Mythology, with an explication of the fables, both allegorical and historical; with references to the poets. "History of the state of Venice, in a compendious manner. "Aristotle's Ethics, an English translation of them, with notes. "Geographical Dictionary, from the French. "Hierocles upon Pythagoras, translated into English, perhaps with notes. "A Book of Letters upon all kinds of subjects. "Claudian, a new edition of his works, cum notis variorum, in the manner of Burman. "Tully's Tusculan Questions, a translation of them. "Tully's de Natura Deorum, a translation of those books. "Benzo's New History of the New World, to be translated. ted. "Machiavel's History of Florence, to be transla "History of the Revival of Learning in Europe; containing an account of whatever contributed to the restoration of literature; such as controversies, printing, the destruction of the Greek empire, the encouragement of great men, with the lives of the most eminent patrons, and most eminent early professors of all kinds of learning in different countries *. "A Body of Chronology, in verse, with historical notes t. "A Table of the Spectators, Tatlers, and Guardians, distinguished by figures into six degrees of value, with notes, giving the reasons of preference or degradation. "A Collection of Letters from English authors, with a preface giving some account of the writers, with reasons for selection, and criticism upon styles; remarks on each letter, if needful. "A Collection of Proverbs from various languages, Jan. 6. —53. "A Dictionary to the Common Prayer, in imitation of Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible, March -52. "A Collection of Stories and examples like those of Valerius Maximus, Jan. 18. -53. "From Ælian, a volume of select stories, perhaps from others, Jan. 28.53. "Collections of Travels, Voyages, Adventures, and Descriptions of Countries. "Dictioinary of Ancient History and Mythology. "Treatise on the Study of Polite Literature, This splendid and comprehensive plan, which had been contemplated by Bacon, Collins, Warton, and Gibbon, and corresponded, in some degree, with the powers of Johnson, has been partially executed, with respect to Italian literature, by the compositions of Tiraboschi, Roscoe, and Walker. + He commenced a body of geography, in verse, entitled Geogra phia Metrica, which closes the Poemata in Murphy's edition. |