Dublin. In 1779, he began his Lives of the English Poets, which work was not completed till 1781. Though he was now seventytwo years of age, we perceive no decay of intellect, nor abatement of his wonted vigour. This, however, was his last performance: soon after which, nature began to give symptoms of failure, and to warn him of his dissolution. This event he had always looked to with a degree of horror; but, towards the close of his life, his gloomy apprehensions vanished. He died, with appropriate resignation, December 13, 1784, His remains were interred in Westminster Abbey, close to those of his friend Mr. Garrick; and a statue has been erected to his memory in St. Paul's cathedral. In his person he was large, robust, and rather unwieldy; in his dress singular and slovenly; in his conversation violent, positive, and impatient of contradiction; yet with all his singularities, he had an excellent heart, full of tenderness and compassion, and all his actions were the result of principle. Our author, indeed, was formed to sustain the character of an exalted moralist; and never was known to descend from himself till he became a political writer, and had a pension. When talents designed for the support of religion and truth, are prostituted to the defence of royal and ministerial errors, the possessor of them could not be said to have been perfectly immaculate. The following particulars respecting Johnson, are extracted from SYLVA, or, The WOOD. "The late Dr. Samuel Johnson, was

a man

a man of great parts, and was indisputably a great man, if great parts, simply, can make one: but Dr. Johnson was the meanest of bigots, a dupe and a slave to the most contemptible prejudices; and, upon subjects the most important, is known to have held opinions which are absolutely a disgrace to human understanding. Let us hear the testimony of those who have always known him personally, and intimately. Bishop Newton speaking of his Lives of the Poets, says, that malevolence predominates in every part: and that, though some passages are judicious and well written, yet they make not a sufficient compensation for so much spleen and ill-humour."

JOHNSON, (SAMUEL) an eccentric dramatic writer, was a native of Cheshire, and bred to the profession of a dancing-master, which he afterwards followed. He found leisure, however, to write several pieces for the stage. The first of which, entitled Hurlothrumbo, had an amazing run, occasioned by the whimsical madness and extravagance of the whole composition. It is said that Sir Robert Walpole promoted the success of this piece as far as lay in his power, making it serve to engage the attention of the public from some state designs of his own. Soon after the exhibition of this whimsical drama, he formed a meeting called the Hurlothrumbo Society. A list of its members were printed, with a frontispiece representing the monster in the first lines of Horace's Art of Poetry. Johnson was supposed to have been infected with a strong tincture of

2

insanity

insanity, in consequence of which it is probable, he met with little encouragement in his business; yet, as his flightiness was accompanied with flashes of wit and humour, and not of a dangerous or mischievous turn, his acquaintance was sought by most of the gentlemen of fortune in that country, at whose houses he used to reside alternately for a considerable time, in such a manner as to render the pursuit of business unnecessary to him. The following humourous anecdote may serve to give the reader some idea of his manner. Mr. Johnson having been invited to pass some months at the country house of a gentleman, where he had never been before, he accepted the invitation, and was for some time treated with the utmost hospitality and kindness. But at length having shewn great extravagance, wildness, and oddity in his expressions and actions, the lady of the house, who happened to be rather in a low-spirited way, began to be extremely alarmed at his behaviour, and apprehended he might do a mischief to himself or others. On this subject she repeatedly remonstrated to her husband, entreating him to find some means of getting rid of Mr. Johnson. The gentleman, unwilling to be guilty of a breach of hospitality, commissioned a mutual friend to both, to break the affair to him. This being done with all the tenderness imaginable, and the true reason assigned, by way of vindication of the gentleman himself, Mr. Johnson, with great coolness, and gaiety of temper peculiar to himself, replied, "That he was most perfectly persuaded of Mr. regard for him, and should ever retain the most

R

's

grate

grateful sense of the civilities he had received from him; and that he also entertained the highest respect for his lady; and therefore, as he was the innocent cause of her distress, he would never again trouble her house whilst living; but as a testimony of his sincere esteem, she might depend upon it, that after his death, she should be the very first person to whom, on a visit back to this world, he should pay his respects." This message being delivered to the lady, who was before of an hypochondriac complexion, threw her into still greater apprehensions than before. She requested the gentleman to go back to Mr. Johnson, and beg, from her, that he would continue where he was, for that with all his wildness and eccentricity, she had much rather see him alive than dead." Johnson died a few years ago. In his Hurlothrumbo there are some beauties, in the midst of number. less absurdities, that would do honour even to our first-rate geniuses. This will appear from the following quotation, which is Delegodelmo's curse upon Hurlothrumbo. "May heaven pour down upon him the bitter-blessing, the honey-curse, the gilded pill that satisfies desire, and infects the mind; give him riches, and make him love them; then will he be abhorred of men, the spirits, the angels, and the gods; may a proud sign appear in his face, that he may be a tavern, for the devils to riot and banquet in; let him pamper nature, feed high to destroy his taste, and so blind all the beauties of his inind; then will his hungry pleasure devour up all the eternal treasure of his 'seul."

KAUFFMAN. (Mrs. ANGELICA) This accomplished and singular lady is a native of Germany. She studied the fine arts at a very early period. At the age of twenty-five she visited England, and, considering her age and sex, burst upon the hemisphere of painting as a luminous wonder; as, independent of her professional qualifications, she can communicate her sentiments in seven different languages, and is an adept in music; connecting her beauty with her knowledge, and her sweet disposition with both, she is per haps the most fascinating woman in Europe. In 1775 she visited Dublin, and was hospitably entertained by the nobility, and particularly by Mr. Tisdall, then Attorney-general, at whose house she resided, and exercised her talents. It was her luckless fate to be deceived into marriage by a valet de chambre of the name of Kauffman, who passed with her for a Saxon count, but upon a developement of the truth, she purchased her emancipation, but never regained her own esteem. At this period Nathaniel Dance was sighing at her feet, and rejected. She is said to have qualified this repulsion by the hope of becoming Lady Reynolds; but the cold president was too abstracted in thought for the interests of the Paphian boy. After practising for several years in London with the greatest success, she retired to Rome, where she condescended to wed Mr. Zucchi, an inconsiderable artist, but a worthy man. Considering this lady as an artist, she is too meritorious to be unhonoured, yet too indefinite to be exemplary: she is tolerably well acquainted with the antique,