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granted to him not as a player, but as a fufferer in the cause of government, when he was manager of the Theatre Royal in Ireland, when parties ran high tat. 54. in 1753. And it muft alfo be allowed that he was a man of literature, and had confiderably improved the arts of reading and speaking with distinctness

and propriety.

Besides, Johnson should have recollected that Mr. Sheridan taught pronunciation to Mr. Alexander Wedderburn, whose sister was married to Sir Harry Erskine, an intimate friend of Lord Bute, who was the favourite of the King; and furely the most outrageous Whig will not maintain, that, whatever ought to be the principle in the disposal of offices, a penfion ought never to be granted from any bias of court connection. Mr. Macklin, indeed, fhared with Mr. Sheridan the honour of inftructing Mr. Wedderburn; and though it was too late in life for a Caledonian to acquire the genuine English cadence, yet fo fuccessful were Mr. Wedderburn's instructors, and his own unabating endeavours, that he got rid of the coarse part of his Scotch accent, retaining only as much of the "native wood-note wild," as to mark his country; which, if any Scotchman should affect to forget, I should heartily despise him. Notwithstanding the difficulties which are to be encountered by those who have not had the advantange of an English education, he by degrees formed a mode of speaking, to which Englishmen do not deny the praise of elegance. Hence his distinguished oratory, which he exerted in his own country as an advocate in the Court of Seffion, and a ruling elder of the Kirk, has had its fame and ample reward, in much higher spheres. When I look back on this noble perfon at Edinburgh, in fituations fo unworthy of his brilliant powers, and behold LORD LOUGHBOROUGH at London, the change feems almost like one of the metamorphofes in Ovid; and as his two preceptors, by refining his utterance, gave currency to his talents, we may fay in the words of that poet, "Nam vos mutaftis."

I have dwelt the longer upon this remarkable instance of successful parts and affiduity, because it affords animating encouragement to other gentlemen of North-Britain to try their fortunes in the fouthern part of the island, where they may hope to gratify their utmost ambition; and now that we are one people by the Union, it would furely be illiberal to maintain that they have not an equal title with the natives of any other part of his Majesty's dominions.

Johnson complained that a man who disliked him repeated his farcasm to Mr. Sheridan, without telling him what followed, which was, that after a pause he added, However, I am glad that Mr. Sheridan has a penfion, for he is a very good man." Sheridan could never forgive this hafty contemptuous Ee expreffion.

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expreffion. It rankled in his mind; and though I informed him of all that Johnfon faid, and that he would be very glad to meet him amicably, he pofitively declined repeated offers which I made, and once went off abruptly from a house where he and I were engaged to dine, because he was told that Dr. Johnson was to be there. I have no fympathetick feeling with fuch perfevering refentment. It is painful when there is a breach between those who have lived together focially and cordially; and I wonder that there is not, in all such cases, a mutual wish that it fhould be healed. I could perceive that Mr. Sheridan was by no means fatisfied with Johnson's acknowledging him to be a good man. That could not footh his injured vanity. I could not but fmile, at the fame time that I was offended, to obferve Sheridan in the Life of Swift, which he afterwards publifhed, attempting, in the writhings of his refentment, to depreciate Johnson, by characterising him "A writer of gigantick fame in these days of little men;" that very Johnson whom he once fo highly admired and venerated.

This rupture with Sheridan deprived Johnson of one of his most agreeable resources for amusement in his lonely evenings; for Sheridan's well-informed, animated, and bustling mind never fuffered converfation to ftagnate; and Mrs. Sheridan was a most agreeable companion to an intellectual man. She was fenfible, ingenious, unaffuming, yet communicative. I recollect, with fatisfaction, many pleasing hours which I paffed with her under the hospitable roof of her husband, who was to me a very kind friend. Her novel, entitled "Memoirs of Mifs Sydney Biddulph," contains an excellent moral, while it inculcates a future ftate of retribution; and what it teaches is impreffed upon the mind by a series of as deep diftress as can affect humanity. Johnfon paid her this high compliment upon it: "I know not, Madam, that you have a right, upon moral principles, to make your readers fuffer fo much."

Mr. Thomas Davies the actor, who then kept a bookfeller's fhop in Ruffelftreet, Covent-garden, told me that Johnson was very much his friend, and came frequently to his house, where he more than once invited me to meet him; but by fome unlucky accident or other he was prevented from coming

to us.

Mr. Thomas Davies was a man of good underftanding and talents, with the advantage of a liberal education. Though fomewhat pompous, he was an entertaining companion; and his literary performances have no inconfiderable fhare of merit. He was a friendly and very hospitable man. Both he and his wife, (who has been celebrated for her beauty,) though upon the stage

• P. 447•

for

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for many years, maintained an uniform decency of character; and Johnson esteemed them, and lived in as easy an intimacy with them as with any family Etat. 54. which he used to vifit. Mr. Davies recollected feveral of Johnson's remarkable fayings, and was one of the best of the many imitators of his voice and manner, while relating them. He increased my impatience more and more to fee the extraordinary man whose works I highly valued, and whofe converfation was reported to be fo peculiarly excellent.

At last, on Monday the 16th of May, when I was fitting in Mr. Davies's back parlour, after having drunk tea with him and Mrs. Davies, Johnfon unexpectedly came into the fhop; and Mr. Davies having perceived him through the glass door of the room in which we were fitting, advancing towards us, he announced his aweful approach to me, fomewhat in the manner of an actor in the part of Horatio, when he addreffes Hamlet on the appearance of his father's ghoft, "Look, my Lord, it comes." I found that I had a very perfect idea of Johnson's figure, from the portrait of him painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds foon after he had published his Dictionary, in the attitude of fitting in his eafy chair in deep meditation, which was the first picture his friend did for him, which Sir Joshua has very kindly prefented to me, and from which an engraving has been made for this work. Mr. Davies mentioned my name, and respectfully introduced me to him. I was much agitated; and recollecting his prejudice against the Scotch, of which I had heard much, I faid to Davies, "Don't tell where I come from."-" From Scotland," cried Davies, roguishly. "Mr. Johnson (faid I) I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it." I am willing to flatter myself that I meant this as light pleasantry to footh and conciliate him, and not as any humiliating abasement at the expence of my country. But however that might be, this fpeech was fomewhat unlucky; for with that quickness of wit for which he was fo remarkable, he feized the expreffion" come from Scotland," which I ufed in the fense of being of that country; and as if I had faid that I had come away from it or left it, retorted, "That, Sir, I find, is what a very great many of your countrymen cannot help." This ftroke ftunned me a good deal; and when we had fat down, I felt myself not a little embarraffed, and apprehenfive of what might come next. He then addreffed himself to Davies: "What you think of Garrick? He has refufed me an order for the play for Miss Williams, because he knows the houfe will be full, and that an order would be worth three fhillings." Eager to take any opening to get into converfation with him, I ventured to fay, "O, Sir, I cannot think Mr. Garrick would grudge fuch a trifle to you." "Sir, (faid he, with a stern look,) I have known

do

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Etat. 54.

David Garrick longer than you have done; and I know no right you have to talk to me on the fubject." Perhaps I deferved this check; for it was rather prefumptuous in me, an entire ftranger, to exprefs any doubt of the justice of his animadverfion upon his old acquaintance and pupil. I now felt myfelf much mortified, and began to think that the hope which I had long indulged of obtaining his acquaintance was blafted. And, in truth, had not my ardour been uncommonly ftrong, and my refolution uncommonly perfevering, fo rough a reception might have deterred me for ever from making any further attempts. Fortunately, however, I remained upon the field not wholly discomfited; and was foon rewarded by hearing fome of his converfation, of which I preferved the following fhort minute, without marking the questions and obfervations by which it was produced.

People (he remarked) may be taken in once, who imagine that an authour is greater in private life than other men. Uncommon parts require uncommon opportunities for their exertion.

"In barbarous fociety, fuperiority of parts is of real confequence. Great ftrength or great wisdom is of much value to an individual. But in more polished times there are people to do every thing for money; and then there are a number of other fuperiorities, such as those of birth and fortune, and rank, that diffipate men's attention, and leave no extraordinary fhare of refpect for perfonal and intellectual fuperiority. This is wifely ordered by Providence, to preserve some equality among mankind."

"Sir, this book (The Elements of Criticism,' which he had taken up,) is a pretty effay, and deferves to be held in fome eftimation, though much of it is chimerical."

Speaking of one who with more than ordinary boldness attacked publick measures and the royal family, he faid, "I think he is fafe from the law, but he is an abufive fcoundrel; and inftead of applying to my Lord Chief Justice to punish him, I would fend half a dozen footmen and have him well ducked."

"The notion of liberty amufes the people of England, and helps to keep off the tædium vite. When a butcher tells you that his heart bleeds for his country, he has, in fact, no uneafy feeling."

That this was a momentary fally against Garrick there can be no doubt; for at Johnson's defire he had, fome years before, given a benefit-night at his theatre to this very person, by which fhe got two hundred pounds. Johnson, indeed, upon all other occafions, when I was in his company, praised the very liberal charity of Garrick. I once mentioned to him, " It is observed, Sir, that you attack Garrick yourself, but will fuffer nobody else to do it." JOHNSON, (fmiling) Why, Sir, that is true."

"Sheridan

"Sheridan will not fucceed at Bath with his oratory. Ridicule has gone down before him, and, I doubt, Derrick is his enemy'.

"Derrick may do very well, as long as he can outrun his character; but the moment his character gets up with him it is all over."

It is, however, but juft to record, that fome years afterwards, when I reminded him of this farcafm, he faid, "Well, but Derrick has now got a character that he need not run away from."

I was highly pleased with the extraordinary vigour of his conversation, and regretted that I was drawn away from it by an engagement at another place. I had, for a part of the evening, been left alone with him, and had ventured to make an observation now and then, which he received very civilly; fo that I was fatisfied that though there was a roughnefs in his manner, there was no ill-nature in his difpofition. Davies followed me to the door, and when I complained to him a little of the hard blows which the great man had given me, he kindly took upon him to confole me by faying, "Don't be uneafy. I can fee he likes you very well."

A few days afterwards I called on Davies, and asked him if he thought I might take the liberty of waiting on Mr. Johnson at his Chambers in the Temple. He faid I certainly might, and that Mr. Johnson would take it as a compliment. So upon Tuesday the 24th, after having been enlivened by the witty fallies of Meffieurs Thornton, Wilkes, Churchill and Lloyd, with whom I had paffed the morning, I boldly repaired to Johnson. His Chambers were on the first floor of No. 1, Inner Temple-lane, and I entered them with an impreffion given me by the Reverend Dr. Blair, of Edinburgh, who had been introduced to him not long before, and defcribed his having "found the giant in his den;" an expreffion, which, when I came to be pretty well acquainted with Johnson, I repeated to him, and he was diverted at this picturesque account of himself. Dr. Blair had been presented to him by Dr. James Fordyce. At this time the controverfy concerning the pieces published by Mr. James Macpherson, as tranflations of Offian, was at its height. Johnfon had all along denied their authenticity; and, what was still more provoking to their admirers, maintained that they had no merit. The fubject having been introduced by Dr. Fordyce, Dr. Blair, relying on the internal evidence of their antiquity, asked Dr. Johnson whether he thought any man of a modern age could have written fuch poems? Johnson replied, "Yes, Sir, many

'Mr. Sheridan was then reading lectures upon Oratory at Bath, where Derrick was Master of the Ceremonies, or, as the phrafe is, KING.

men,

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