that, amidst the progress which Literature was making at St Petersburgh, translations of "The Rambler," and of "Blackstone's Commentaries," had been made into the Russian language, by the especial command of the Empress. I was present also when Mr Henderson the Tragedian was first introduced to Dr Johnson, who received him with great cordiality; and, having occasion to mention a certain Dramatic Writer, added, "I never did the man an injury: but he would read his Tragedy to me!"-Speaking one day of a person for whom he had a real friend. ship, but in whom vanity was somewhat predominant, he observed, that Kelly was so fond of displaying on his side-board the plate which he possessed, that he added to it his spurs. For my part," said he, "I never was master of a pair of spurs but once; and they are now at the bottom of the Ocean. By the carelessness of Boswell's servant, they were dropped from the end of the boat, on our return from the Isle of Sky."

46

At the beginning of the Winter of 1783 the project was started of establishing an evening club for his comfort; which was accordingly begun early in the year 1784, at the EssexHead, in Essex-street. To this club, founded, according to his own words, "in frequency and parsimony," he gave a set of Rules, as Ben Jonson did his Leges Convivales at the Devil Tavern; and prefixed this motto:

"To-day deep thoughts with me resolve to drench

"In mirth, which after no repenting draws." MILTON.

The club consisted of a select number of his friends, who entered very heartily into the scheme, for the pleasure of enjoying his conversation, and of contributing their quota to the general amusement. The names of the constant members at the time of Dr Johnson's death were thus placed in the book, "on the rota of indispenAugust 1812,

sable monthly attendance:" Dr Johnson, *Dr Horsley, Dr Brocklesby, Mr Joddrell, * Mr Cooke, * Mr Ry. land, Mr Paradise, * Dr Burney, * Mr Hoole, *Mr Sastres, Mr Allen, Hon. Mr Barrington, Mr Barry, Mr Wyatt, *Mr Nichols, Mr Poore,

Mr Wyndham, Mr Cruikshank, * Mr Seward, Mr Clarke, Mr Murphy, Mr Bowles, * Mr Metcalfe, Mr Boswell. The three last gentlemen had been introduced in the room of Dr Scott, who was named, but never attended; of Mr Tyers, who abdicated the club, Feb. 1, 1784; and of Mr Strahan, who followed his example on the 26th of June. [Those whose names are thus marked attended the Doctor's funeral. The others, by some mistake, were not invited.]

*

The following letter, which I received only seven days before his death, is one of the last that he ever

wrote:

"Dec. 6, 1784. The late learned Mr Swinton of Oxford, having one day remarked that one man, meaning, I suppose, no man but himself, could assign all the parts of the Antient Universal History to their proper authors; at the request of Sir Robert Chambers, or of myself, gave the acin his own hand, being willing that count which I now transmit to you of so great a work the History should be known, and that each writer should receive his due proportion of praise from posterity.I recommend to you to preserve this scrap of literary intelligence in Mr Swinton's own hand, or to deposit it in the Museum, that the veracity of this account may never be doubted. I am, Sir,

Your most humble servant,
SAM. JOHNSON.

Mr Swinton: The History of the Carthaginians, Numidians, Mauritanians, Gætulians, Garamantes, Melano Gætulians, Nigritæ, Cyrenaica, Marmarica, the Regio Syrtica, Turks,

Tartars,

Tartars, and Moguls, Indians, Chinese; Dissertation on the Peopling of America, Dissertation on the Indepency of the Arabs.-The Cosmogony, and a small part of the History immediately following, by Mr Sale. To the Birth of Abraham, chiefly by Mr Shelvock.-History of the Jews, Gauls, and Spaniards; and Xenophon's Retreat, by Mr Psalmanazar. -History of the Persians, and of the Constanstinopolitan Empire, by Dr Campbell.-History of the Romans, by Mr Bower." The original of the above Letter, agreeably to Dr Johnson's desire, is deposited in the British Museum. It was also printed, at the time it was sent, by the Doctor's express desire, in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LIV. p. 892.-The date of it will shew, that, amidst the pangs of illness, the love of truth, and an attachment to the interests of of Literature, were still predominant. His Letter, I may add, appeared in public, not only by his permission, but by his express desire. And it may be matter of some exultation to Mr Urban, whom Dr Johnson always acknowledged to have been one of his earliest patrons, that the Gentleman's Magazine should have been by him selected as the repository of perhaps the last scrap he ever dictated for the press.

On the following day, he said to me, "I may possibly live, or rather breathe, three days, or perhaps three weeks; but I find myself daily and gradually worse." His farther conversation on the subject of Mr Cave and the Magazine, &c. is printed in vol. V. p. 15.-Before I quitted him, he asked whether any of the family of Faden, the printer, were living. Being told that the Geographer near Charing Cross was Faden's son, he said, after a short pause, "I borrowed a guinea of his father near thirty years ago; be so good as to take this, and it for me." Whilst confined by his last illness,

pay

it was his regular practice to have the Church-service read to him, by some attentive and friendly Divine; and he occasionally requested me to join the small devotional assembly. The Rev. John Hoole performed this kind office in my presence for the last time, when, by his own desire, no more than the Litany was read; in which his responses were in the deep and sonorous voice which Mr Boswell has occasionally noticed, and with the most profound devotion that can be imagined. His hearing not being quite perfect, he more than once interrupted Mr Hoole, with Louder, my dear Sir, louder, I entreat you, or you pray in vain-and when the service was ended, he, with great earnestness, turned round to the mother of Mr Hoole, who was present, saying, 'I thank you, Madam, very heartily, for your kindness in joining me in this solemn exercise. Live well, I conjure you; and you will not feel the compunction at last, which I now feel.' So truly humble were the thoughts which this great and good man entertained of his own approaches to religious perfection. He said at another time, speaking of the little fear he had of undergoing a chirurgical operation,

I would give one of these legs for a year more of life, I mean comfortable life, not such as that which I now suffer;'-and lamented much his inability to read during his hours of restlessness; I used formerly,' he added,' when sleepless in bed, to read like a Turk.

During the whole time of my intimacy with him, he rarely permitted me to depart without some sententious advice. At the latest of these affecting interviews, I was gratified by his approbation of a Sonnet which I shewed him, addressed to Mr Urban, (printed in vol. LXV. p. ii.) and his words at parting were, "Take care of your eternal salvation. Remember to observe the Sabbath. Let it never be a day of business, nor wholly a day

of

of dissipation." He concluded his solemn farewell with," Let my words have their due weight. They are the words of a dying man."-I never saw him more.-In the last five or six days of his life but few even of his most intimate friends were admitted. Every hour, that could be abstracted from his bodily pains and infirmities, was spent in prayer, and the warmest ejaculations; and in that pious, praise-worthy, and exemplary manner, he closed a long life, begun, continued, and ended, in virtue.

He expired, on the 13th of December 1784, without a pang, in the 75th year of his age, to the loss of his intimate associates and the world, whose unremitting friend he had ever been. And I had the mournful satisfaction of joining the train of friends who paid the last tribute of gratitude and esteem at his grave in Westminster Abbey.

View of the present State of TUNIS.

(From Macgill's Travels.)

THE THE history of the Beys of Tunis, for a century and a half, is little else than a series of treasons and massacres. The present Bey is advanced in years, and bears that character for ready penetration, aptitude in artifice, and deficiency in liberal knowledge, which may naturally be anticipated in the leader of an unprincipled and semi-barbarous community. By his activity he keeps down all intrigues and civil broils, while he makes his government respected by foreign states. He has judgment enough to pay his troops regularly, and a sufficient share of justice to decide equitably in cases in which he is not personally interested. He permits his subject to have free access to him with their complaints; and he takes care to avoid the formation of aristocratic influence, by holding in his

own hand, the reins of government, and employing scarcely any persons but renegadoes and slaves. According to Mr Macgill's account, we question whether even a kind-hearted philosopher would pronounce the Moorish character to be in a state of improvement.

is

No great degree of discernment necessary in studying the character of the Moors. They are proud, ignorant, cunning, full of deceit, avaricious, and ungrateful. In all their dealings, whether political or mercantile, the Moors will endeavour to over-reach you; and if they have not a just idea of your national superiority, they will not fail to remind you of your situation, and avail themselves of it. Even should they be convinced of your superiority, they will, nevertheless, need to be reminded of it, before they behave to you with proper respect. In dealing with these barbarians, it is a mistaken and foolish maxim of European nations, to treat them with either friendship or delicacy; they have no regard for either. They look on all Christians with contempt or hatred; and if they do not commit outrages on your person and property, their forbearance proceeds not from justice or humanity, but from fear or interest. The first moment that offers, in which they may, with impunity, plunder or defraud you, their hatred and thievish inclinations will, without delay, appear. In order to be respected and kindly treated by any of the barbaresque powers, the rod must be kept over their heads. No favour must be granted, but in lieu of something equivalent, and not until it has been repeatedly requested; even then, it, should only be granted with reluctance.-Revenge is one of the noble qualities of the Moors. A Moor long retains the remembrance of an injury, and will exert all the cunning and deceit of his character, to ensnare his enemy, and satiate his revenge

Any

no

Any good done to them by an infidel, they look upon as their right, confer ring no obligation, and requiring return. The most sordid ideas pervade all ranks of the Moors. Among the lower classes, it is curious to observe, than when called upon to pay their dues to the prince, they uniformly plead inability, and make use of every protestation to support their plea. The tax-gatherer, accustomed to this kind of pretence, puts him who refuses immediately under the bastinado; he then cries out, that he will pay, and generally before rising from the ground, draws forth his bag, and counts out the cash. A gentle man who stood by, on an occasion of this kind, inquired of the man who had been under the bastinado, if it would not have been better to have paid at once?"What?" cried he, "pay my taxes without being bastinadoed! No! no!"

The Moors are extremely superstitious; and many of their actions are guided by omens or signs. In their religion, they are perhaps more rigorous than the Mahometans of any other country. Throughout every part of the country, are to be seen places of prayer, which are, in general, either the dwelling places of their saints, or their tombs, (called marabouts,) and, like the retreats of the Roman Catholic recluses, built upon the finest spots of the country. The saints who inhabit these places are the unfortunate part of the human species whom it has pleased the Almighty to deprive of the use of their senses. Many outrages are, with impunity, committed by them, and as may be easily supposed, many crafty people feign madness to enjoy this privilege. Great miracles are said to be wrought by these saints, and it would be esteemed impiety to doubt their supernatural powers.'

A strange belief takes place among the people of Barbary, that the country is to be taken by a people

clothed in red; and they have an idea, that these people will be the English.

Previously to the marching of their armies, the astrologers of the country are employed to watch the rising of a particular star. Should it rise clear, they augur good, discharge their ar tillery, and plant the standard round which their camp is to be formed; but should the star rise obscured by clouds, or by a fog, they reckon the omen to be evil, and defer the planting of the standard until another day. When the camp breaks up, which is formed near the Bey's palace, where every thing is prepared for the march, a pair of black bulls are sacrificed as the commander passes.'

The Moors of Tunis appear to be less jealous of their wives than the Turks are. In Turkey, the fair sex are guarded by eunuchs; in Tunis they have none, nor can the women be said to be guarded at all. The Tunisines have a curious custom of fattening up their young ladies for marriage. A girl, after she is betrothed, is cooped up in a small room. Shackles of silver and gold are put upon her ankles and wrists, as a piece of dress. The food used for this custom, worthy of barbarians, is a seed called drough; which is of an extraordinary fattening quality, and also famous for rendering the milk of nurses rich and abundant. With this seed, and their national dish cuscusu, the bride is literally crammed, and many actually die under the spoon,

A plurality of wives is allowed in Barbary, as well as in all Mahometant countries. A man here may possess four wives, and as many concubines as he can maintain. It seldom happens, however, that a Moor has more than two wives at the same time; but the ceremony of divorcing them is so simple, that he may change as often as he finds it convenient.'

'In Barbary, the fine arts are totally abandoned; and like all other ignorant Mahometans, the Moors

seek

seek to destroy every vestige of ancient grandeur which remains in their country. Every piece of fine marble which they find in any way wrought, is broken to pieces by them; as they judge, from its great weight, that it may contain money.-Their music is of the most barbarous kind. The braying of an ass is sweeter than their softest note, whether vocal or instrumental.

The Bey's troops are numerous, but have no title to be called any thing better than an armed rabble. An European force of one-tenth of their number would easily disperse them; although, to kill or take them would be no easy matter, since they generally serve on horseback, and contrive to get away with wonderful expedition.

The army of the Bey which went against the Algerines in the Spring of 1807, consisted of upwards of fifteen thousand cavalry, and ten thousand infantry, besides his Turks. They in the run-away, (for it never came to a battle,) in the month of March, seized with panic, abandoned the field, and fled in every direction, with such precipitation, that the Algerines, without the least trouble, took entire possession of their camp, baggage, and fifteen thousand camels laden with provisions and stores of every description. Many reached Tunis on horseback, without ever stopping or even daring to look behind them, imagining the enemy at their heels; and several thousands, in their alarm, rode their animals with such speed that they fell down under them dead. The Bey with wonderful speed repaired his losses, and again in July took the field with his army. On the 13th of that month, they were at a distance of only fifteen miles from the army of the Dey of Algiers. The advanced guard was then sent forward for water, which they knew was to be found at a river about half-way between the two ar

mies. In their way, they fell in with a party of the enemy, which frightened them to such a degree, that they retreated in the most disorderly manner to the camp. Here the whole army took the alarm, and in the greatest confusion began to fly. Indeed, the cavalry set off, and the infantry were preparing to follow but a Greek slave, who had charge of the artillery, applied the match to one of the pieces. Fortunately, this shot killed the horse of one of the first assailants, and did some other trifling damage. The Algerines, in their turn, became frightened, pulled up their horses, and receiving a discharge from the remaining three guns, which the Greek commanded, loaded with round and grape shot, wheeled round, and also took to flight. The Bey's cavalry, who were yet at no great distance, seeing this, recovered from their fears, and returning to their duty, pursued the Algerines to their camp.

In the morning of the 14th, the two armies came in sight of each other on the margin of the river before mentioned, but kept at a safe distance.

A kind of irregular fighting continued from day break till sun-set, without injury on either side; and they appeared more inclined to menace each other, than to come to close action.

Some of the Bey's cavalry, however, whom Soliman Kaiya had under his command, being seen on the mountains at sun-set, the Algerines, fearing that it was the intention of the Tunisines to surround them before the morning, again took alarm; fled during the night with as great precipitation as the Bey's troops had done in the Spring, and left behind them the whole of their stores, camp, and camels. The camels are said to have amounted to ten thousand. The Tunisines took also the whole of the Algerine artillery, consisting of twenty field-pieces, and four mortars. In these engagements, it will not excite

wonder