Mr. Boswell, in his admirable Life of Dr. Johnson, thus observes : "The consideration of the numerous papers of which he was possessed seems to have struck Johnson's mind with a sudden anxiety; and, as they were in great confusion, it is much to be lamented that he had not intrusted some faithful and discreet person with the care and selection of them; instead of which he, in a precipitate manner, burnt masses of them, as I should apprehend, with little regard to discrimination. . . . . . Two very valuable articles, I am sure, we have lost, which were two quarto volumes, containing a full, fair, and most particular account of his own life, from his earliest recollection."

It does not appear that the MS., from which the following short account of Dr. Johnson's Early Life is copied, was one of the two volumes to which Boswell alludes; although it is evident, from his enumeration of particular dates in the blank pages of the book, that he intended to have finished these Annals, according to this plan, with the same minuteness of description, in every circumstance and

event.

This volume was among that mass of papers which were ordered to be committed to the flames a few days before his death, thirty-two pages of which were torn out by himself and destroyed; the contents of those which remain are here given with fidelity and exactness.

venerable and amiable friend, Lord St. Helens, informs me, described in that novel the several members of that family, and their visiters, with great accuracy. It may be as well to preserve here the key which Lord St. Helens has given me to the characters introduced into the novel:

Even the inferior characters were drawn from the life. The jacobite barber was one Daniel Shipley; George, the butler, was John Latham; and Molly, the lady's maid, was Mary Etches, afterwards married to Latham; Wildgoose, the hero, was supposed to be a portrait of Mr. Graves's own brother; and Lord St. Helens adds, that although the author, to heighten the contrast between him and his brother, describes himself as a sporting parson, he was really no such thing, but, on the contrary, a worthy and conscientious parish priest. There is an account of him in the "Public Characters" for 1800-Sec ante, vol. iii. p. 212, where Mr. Graves is erroneously stated to have been a tutor in Mr. Fitzherbert's family. He was the minister of the parish, and acted as domestic chaplain.—ED.]

Post, vol. v. p. 316. WRIGHT.

2 [It certainly was not. Mr. Wright's book was, he tells us, half destroyed on the 1st Dec. 1784, and the two volumes alluded to were safe in Sir J. Hawkins's pocket on the 5th (post, vol. v. p. 336.)—ED.]

Francis Barber, his black servant, unwilling that all the MSS. of his illustrious master should be utterly lost, preserved these relics from the flames. By purchase from Barber's widow they came into the possession of the editor 1.

Dr. Johnson's acquaintance with Miss Hill Boothby, aunt of Sir Brooke Boothby, commenced at Ashbourne, between the years 1737 and 1740, when he was upon a visit at Ashbourne to his friend Dr. Taylor 2. As an evidence of the value which he set upon the letters that he received from her, he numbered them, wrote the dates upon them, and had them bound together in one volume. His intimacy and correspondence with Miss H. Boothby were uninterruptedly continued till her death.

To say that these letters do credit to the understanding of that lady is faint praise. Dr. Johnson himself said of her, that "she had the best understanding he ever met with in any human being"."

As they betray no family secrets, but contain reflections upon serious and literary subjects, and display with what benevolent ardour Dr. Johnson valued her friendship, they form an interesting and proper appendage to this little tract. The Doctor's letters to Miss Boothby are printed in Mrs. Piozzi's Collection, and in Boswell's Life of him *.

1

[So far relates to the Early Life, which is contained in the first 32 pages of Mr. Wright's little volume, and which (except a few observations on some school books) is inserted in different parts of the first volume of this edition: what follows relates to the correspondence with Miss Boothby.-ED.]

2 [This statement is founded on the assertion of an anonymous lady, quoted by Mr. Boswell (ante, v. i. p. 51), of the correctness of which the Editor had already expressed his suspicion; but he now, on farther consideration, disbelieves most, if not all, the particulars of that statement. It appears certain that Dr. Johnson did not leave London between 1737 and 1740. Mrs. Fitzherbert was not married till 1744. The first of Miss Boothby's letters, dated 1753, seems to prove that her acquaintance with Dr. Johnson was then recent- it is certainly her first letter to him. Lord St. Helens does not recollect to have heard how Dr. Johnson's acquaintance with his parents began, but thinks it not improbable that Dr. Lawrence, who had married a Derbyshire lady, may have been the original link of acquaintance; and it appears likely, from several passages of these letters, that it was in his society that Miss Boothby, on coming to town in 1753, made Johnson's acquaintance. That the acquaintance was not made in early life, and in Derbyshire, seems clear, and that Johnson never was at Mr. Fitzherbert's seat is almost certain. If he had had any local knowledge of it, we should not find Miss Boothby telling him that she was "then at Tissington, near Ashbourne in Derbyshire;" nor is it probable, if Johnson had got acquainted with Miss Boothby while he was on a visit with Dr. Taylor at Ashbourne, that there should be no allusion to Dr. Taylor, or to Ashbourne, or to any such previous acquaintance in the whole of this correspondence. Indeed, it seems clear, from the history of Dr. Johnson's own life, that he had not been down to Staffordshire, or Derbyshire, from 1737 till after his mother's death in 1759, nor even, the Editor believes, till after the grant of his pension in 1762.-ED.]

3 [Another gross error of Mr. Wright: Johnson said this, not of Miss Boothby, but of Mrs. Fitzherbert. See ante, vol. i. p. 51.-ED.]

4 [Only one of his letters is published by Mr. Boswell, "the merits of the others not being," said he, (ante, vol. iv. p. 426. n.) “so apparent." The truth probably was, that Boswell thought they were written in a style that might afford some scope to ridicule or misrepresentation against his revered friend.-ED.]

The original MSS. are deposited in the museum of antiquities and natural curiosities, belonging to the editor; which is open to the inspection of the public.

Lichfield, 2d March, 1805.

LETTER I.

"MISS BOOTHBY TO DR. JOHNSON.

"30th July, 1753.

"SIR,-I assure you I esteemed your request to write to and hear from me, as an honour done me, and received your letter with much pleasure. Most people, and particularly a lady, would tremble at taking up the pen to reply to a letter from Mr. Johnson; but I had the pleasure of experiencing so much candour and goodness in the man, that I have no fear of the eminent genius, extensive learning, accurate judgment, and every other happy talent which distinguish and complete the author. In a correspondence with you, sir, I am confident I shall be so far from hazarding any thing by a discovery of my literary poverty, that in this view I shall be so much the more a gainer: a desire to be such will be a motive sufficient to engage your generosity to supply me out of your large stock, as far as I am capable of receiving so high an advantage.

"Indeed you greatly overrate my poor capacity to follow the great examples of virtue, which are deeply engraven in my heart. One1 of the most eminent of these you have seen, and justly admired and loved. It is but a faint ray of that brightness of virtue which shone in her, through every part of her life, which is, as by reflection only, to be seen in me, her unworthy substitute in the care of her dearest remains.

"Let me beg you therefore to give honour to whom honour is due. Treat me as a friend, dear sir; exercise the kindest office of one towards me; tell me my faults, and assist me in rectifying them. Do not give me the least reason to doubt your sincerity by any thing that has the air of compliment. Female vanity has, I believe, no small share in the increase of the difficulties you have found in one part of your labours, I mean that of explaining in your Dictionary the general and popular language. You should therefore treat this vanity as an enemy, and be very far from throwing any temptation in its

way.

"I have great obligations to Dr. Lawrence and his family. They have hearts like yours; and therefore I do not wonder they are partial in judging of me, who have a friendly and grateful heart. You are in the right: I should have been most heinously offended, if you had omitted a particular inquiry after my dear charge. They

1

1 [Mrs. Fitzherbert, who had died a few months before.-ED.]

are all six 'in perfect health, and can make as much noise as any six children in England. They amply reward all my daily labours for them the eldest has her dear mother's disposition and capacity. I am enabled to march on steadily with my shattered frame; how long I think not of, but cheerfully wait for

'Kind Nature's signal of retreat'

whenever it pleases God.

"I hope, however, to see you the author of a Great Dictionary before I go, and to have the pleasure of joining with a whole nation in your applause; and when you have put into their hands the means of speaking and writing the English language with as much purity and propriety as it is capable of being spoken and wrote, give me leave to recommend to you your future studies and labours—let them all be devoted to the glory of God, to exemplify the true use of all languages and tongues. The vanity of all human wishes, you have finely and forcibly proved; what is then left for you, but to seek after certain and permanent happiness, divine and eternal goods,

(These goods he grants, who grants the power to gain,')

and with all the great talents bestowed on you, to call others to the same pursuit. How should I rejoice to see your pen wholly employed in the glorious Christian cause; inviting all into the ways of pleasantness; proving and displaying the only paths to peace. Wherever you have chosen this most interesting subject of religion in your Ramblers, I have warmly wished you never to choose any other. You see, sir, I am much inclined to indulge the liberty you have given me of conversing with you in this way. But I will not please myself longer at the hazard of tiring you. One request, however, I must make; some of those parts of your life, which, you say, you pass in idleness, pray, for the future, bestow on one who has a great regard for you, will highly value every testimony of your esteem, and is, sir, your much obliged friend and humble servant, "H. BOOTHBY.

1 [These six children were, as Lord St. Helens informs me, Judith, born 1746, whom Miss Boothby calls Miss Fitzherbert, a young person of uncommon promise, but who died in 1758; William, born in 1748, created a baronet in 1783, the father of the present Sir Henry Fitzherbert; John and Thomas, who both died young; Selina, born in 1751, married to H. Galley Knight, Esq.; she died in 1823, leaving an only son, well known in the literary world; and, lastly, Lord St. Helens himself, born a few weeks before his mother's death, who enjoys, the editor is happy to add, excellent health, and is distinguished by the elegant amenity of his manners and the pleasantry and acuteness of his conversation. It is pleasing and consolatory to find in one old enough to have been for thirty years known to Dr. Johnson, such an example of the mens sana in corpore sano.-ÉD.]

"My good wishes attend Miss Williams'. Mr. Fitzherbert returns you his compliments. We are now at Tissington, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire."

LETTER II.

"Tissington, 4th Dec. 1753. "DEAR SIR,-You might be very sure that something extraordinary and unavoidable must keep me so long silent, to a person whom from every motive I esteem and regard, and consequently love to converse with. I will honestly own to you likewise, that I was extremely pleased with your letter, as one of the prettiest things I ever read in my life, and longed to praise you in reply to it, as a proof of my being convinced that, as a friend, I owed you this honest tribute. But, alas! all my purposes of writing were prevented; first, by a series of family engagements and perplexities, which much affected me, and lately, by what, I believe, is in part the consequence of them, sickness. I have a very tender weak body, and it is next to a miracle it has stood up so long as for seven months without one day's confinement to a room; but, on last Friday se'nnight, a violent fit of the colic seized me, and, till yesterday, disabled me from going out of my room. I am now, thank God, recovering, and only low, weak, and languid. My dear children have been and are all well, except some trifling colds and little disorders: and for them nothing is too hard to suffer, too arduous to attempt; my confidence is strong, founded on a rock ; and I am assured I shall be supported for them, till it pleases God to raise them up a better helper. O, certainly, I allow a friend may be a comfort, and a great one; and, I assure you, dear sir, your last kind notice of me brought comfort with it, for which I thank you. Please not to mention any thing more of me in Essex-street, or to any, than that various engagements and sickness have made me appear negligent. I am no complainer, but, on the contrary, think every dispensation of Providence a blessing; enjoy the sweet portion, nor quarrel with the medicinal draught, because it is bitter. What I have hinted to you, of perplexity, &c. is in the confidence of friendship.

May all your labours be blest with success! Excuse my trembling hand, which cannot do more at present than assure you I am, dear sir, your much obliged and sincere friend, "H. BOOTHBY.

"Some acquaintance of mine at a distance will have it that you sometimes write an Adventurer; for this reason, because they like some of those papers better than any, except the Ramblers. I have not seen any. Pray tell me if I must; for, if your pen has any share

[Had there been an old friendship, formed in Derbyshire, the information that she was now at Tissington, near Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, would have been quite superfluous.-ED.]