THE

WORKS

OF

Samuel Johnson, LL.D.

A NEW EDITION

IN TWELVE VOLUMES.

WITH

AN ESSAY ON HIS LIFE AND GENIUS,

BY ARTHUR MURPHY, Esq.

VOLUME THE SECOND.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR NICHOLS AND SON; F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; A. STRAHAN; LEIGH AND SOTHEBY; G. NICOL AND SON; G. WILKIE; C. DAVIS; T. EGERTON; J. DEIGHTON AND SONS; J. NUNN; LACKINGTON AND CO.; J. CUTHELL; CLARKE AND SONS; LAW AND WHITTAKER; LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN; CADELL AND DAVIES; J. OTRIDGE; J. BOOKER; CARPENTER AND SON; E. JEFFERY; J. AND A. ARCH; BLACK AND CO; J. BLACK AND SON; J. BOOTH; JOHN RICHARDSON; S. BAGSTER; J. HATCHARD; W. GINGER; R. H. EVANS; J. MAWMAN; R. SCHOLEY; BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY; J. ASPERNE; SHERWOOD, NEELEY AND JONES; GALE AND FENNER; T. HAMILTON; J. PORTER; JOHN ROBINSON; J. SHELDON; R. SAUNDERS; WALKER AND EDWARDS; AND SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL.

My

V. 2

Printed by Nichols, Son, and Bentley, Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street, London.

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

PHILOLOGICAL TRACTS.

THE Plan of an English Dictionary

Preface to the English Dictionary

Proposals for printing the Works of Shakespeare

Preface to Ditto

General Observations on Shakespeare's Plays

Account of the Harleian Library

Essay on the Origin and Importance of Fugitive Pieces 184

Account of the Life of Benvenuto Cellini

-

194

View of the Controversy between Crousaz and Warburton 198

Preliminary Discourse to the London Chronicle, 1757 203

Introduction to the World Displayed ·

Preface to the Preceptor

Preface to Rolt's Dictionary

-

- 208

- 235

- 256

Preface to the Translation of Father Lobo's Voyage - 265

POLITICAL ESSAYS.

Observations on the State of Affairs in 1756

Introduction to the Political State of Great Britain

MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS.

Review of Memoirs of the Court of Augustus

- 270

-

328

Review of Four Letters from Sir Isaac Newton to Dr.

Bentley

Review of a Journal of Eight Days Journey from Ports-

mouth to Kingston upon Thames, &c.

Reply to a Paper in the Gazetteer

Page

- 333

349

Review of an Essay on the Writings and Genius of Pope 357

Introduction to the Proceedings of the Committee for

cloathing French Prisoners of War

- 368

-

On the Bravery of the English Common Soldiers

Considerations on the Plans for the Construction of

Black Friars Bridge

371

375

Some Thoughts on Agriculture, Ancient and Modern - 384

Further Thoughts on Agriculture

The Vision of Theodore, the Hermit of Teneriffe

APPENDIX.

Miscellaneous Observations on the Tragedy of Macbeth,

&c.

Notes

- 391

- 398

THE

PLAN

OF AN

ENGLISH DICTIONARY.

To the Right Honourable PHILIP DORMER,
Earl of CHESTERFIELD,

One of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State.

MY LORD,

WHEN first I undertook to write an English Dictionary, I had no expectation of any higher patronage than that of the proprietors of the copy, nor prospect of any other advantage than the price of my labour. I knew that the work in which I engaged is generally considered as drudgery for the blind, as the proper toil of artless industry; a task that requires neither the light of learning, nor the activity of genius, but may be successfully performed without any higher quality than that of bearing burthens with dull patience, and beating the track of the alphabet with sluggish resolution.