founded his reputed tranflations, yet the prefent form, the images, and the defcriptions, are very different from the boafted originals.

As it was owing to Johnfon's recommendation, that the relation of the efcape of the grandson of James the Second was collected, we ought to own our obligations to him, for having refcued this part of our history from the uncertain, perishable, ftate of oral tradition. It is well related, and feemingly au thentic; but why did the reporter attempt to defend his perif phraftic appellation?

Johnfon's Latin poetry we have formerly had occafion to mention. In this Journal two odes are preferved, and fome fmaller pieces. We were furprised to find the tranflation of the infcription Three Poets in Three diftant Ages born,' so defective. We will fubjoin it.

"Quos laudet vates Graius Romanus et Anglus
Tres tria temporibus fecla dedere fuis.

Sublime ingenium Graius; Romanus habebat
Carmen grande fonans; Anglus utrumque tulit.
Nil majus Natura capit: clarare priores
Que potuere duos tertius unus habet."

The preterimperfect and perfect tenfes are Atrangely confufed, to make at last a very lame verfe. His Ode on the Isle of Sky is in the manner of Horace, when in his philofophical and reflecting vein. It has fome faults; but is in general excellent. The Sapphics, addreffed to Mrs. Thrale, from the fame island, are more equably good than any of his other Latin compofitions; but they do not rife to the force, the dignity, the majestic grandeur of the former ode.

We cannot easily leave Johnfon, but his companion will not forgive us if we pafs him without notice; and why should we omit to mention him, whofe vivacity has confeffedly enlivened the didactic gravity of the literary Coloffus,-whofe goodhumoured vanity generally pleases? Excufe us, Mr. Boswell; though we fometimes fmile at your volubility, yet we go with you chearfully along. Life has too many grave paths; let us catch the fluttering butterfly occafionally in the flowery meadows: he will not detain us long, and may deceive the length, fometimes the tedioufnefs of the way.

Mr. Bofwell has drawn his own, and Dr. Johnson's character the laft is delineated with much strength, and coloured with juftnefs; the former is drawn from the heart. We re- ' cognized him at the first glance. We fhall fele&t part of Johnfon's character, as a favourable fpecimen,

Dr. Samuel John fon's character, religious, moral, politi cal, and literary, nay his figure and manner are, 1 believe,

24

more

more generally known than those of almost any man; yet it may not be fuperfluous here to attempt a fketch of him. Let my readers then remember that he was fincere and zealous Christian, of high church of England and monarchical principles, which he would not tamely fuffer to be queftioned; steady and inflexible in maintaining the obligations of piety and virtue, both from a regard to the order of fociety, and from a veneration for the Great Source of all order; correct, nay ftern in his tafle; hard to please, and easily offended; impetuous and irritable in his temper; but of a moft humane and benevolent heart; having a mind fored with a vaft and various collection of learning and knowlege, which he communicated with peculiar perfpicuity and force, in rich and choice expreffion, He united a moft logical head with a moft fertile imagination, which gave him an extraordinary advantage in arguing; for he could reason close or wide, as he saw belt for the moment. He could, when he chofe it, be the greatest fophift that ever wielded a weapon in the fchools of declamation; but he indulged this only in converfation, for he owned he fometimes talked for victory. He was too confcientious to make error permanent and pernicious, by deliberately writing it. He was confcious of his fuperiority. He loved praife when it was brought to him; but was too proud to feek for it. He was fomewhat fufceptible of flattery. His mind was fo full of imagery, that he might have been perpetually a poet. It has been often remarked, that in his poetical pieces, which it is to be regretted are fo few, because fo excellent, his ftyle is eafier than in his profe. There is deception in this: it is not eafier, but better fuited to the dignity of verfe; as one may dance with grace, whofe motions, in ordinary walking in the common ftep, are aukward. He had a conftitutional melancholy, the clouds of which darkened the brightness of his fancy, and gave a gloomy caft to his whole courfe of thinking: yet, though grave and awful in his deportment, when he thought it neceflary or proper, he frequently indulged himself in pleafantry and sportive fallies. He was prone to fuperftition, but not to credulity. Though his imagination might incline him to a belief of the marvellous, and the myfterious, his vigorous reafon examined the evidence with jealoufy. He had a loud voice, and a flow deliberate utterance, which no doubt gave fome additional weight to the fterling metal of his converfation.'

The egotifms of the journalist are numerous: he apologizes for them, and fays they are related rather as keys to what is valuable belonging to others, than for their own fake.' This is a plaufible excufe; but unluckily when these keys are examined, we often find no locks. The reporter rather resembles the chamberlain of an inn in ruins; the badge of office is preferved, the keys are numerous, but nothing valuable is difcovered on applying them. A good Proteftant may rife

higher in the comparison, and compare him to the holy fucceffor of St. Peter, who retains the keys of heaven, with little power over the gates. Really, from a regard to Mr. Boswell's fame, we wish the keys, like thofe of the library at St. Andrew's, may be put in a profeffor's pocket, and thought of no more. The following paffage is philofophical and juft. It deferve a moment's reflection.

may

I have often experienced, that fcenes through which a man has paffed, improve by lying in the memory: they grow mellow. Acti labores funt jucundi This may be owing to comparing thein with prefeat littlefs eafe. Even harth fcenes acquire a foftnefs by length of time; and fome are like very loud founds, which do not please, or at least do not please fo much, till you are removed to a certain diftance. They may be compared to trong coarse pictures, which will not bear to be viewed near. Even pleafing fcenes improve by time, and feem more exquifite in recollection, than when they were prefent; if they have not faded to dimnefs in the memory. Perhaps there is fo much evil in every human enjoyment, when prefent,-so much drofs mixed with it, that it requires to be refined by time; and yet I do not fee why time fhould not melt away the good and the evil in equal proportions ;-why the fhade fhould decay, and the light remain in prefervation.'

The reafon of this feems to be, that we compare the former with the present times, the pure gold with the fame metal in its ore. The good and evil do not melt in equal proportions, because of the different impreffions which they have made. The deductions from a pleafing scene are often more imaginary than real on the contrary, in recollecting fcenes of deep distress, we overlook the confolations that fupported us at the time; for then they were equally tranfitory. The whole of this fubject, which forms an useful part of the hiftory of the human mind, may be much illuftrated by Hartley's Theory of Affociation.

:

But it is now time to leave Dr. Johnson and his journalist: in fpite of the errors which we have so freely pointed out, in fpite of a few Scotticifms, which the journalist, with all his anxiety to write high English,' has not been able to detect, in spite of a few laughable attempts to palliate Johnson's errors, we must recommend this Journal as a pleafant, lively, and fometimes ufeful companion.

Critical Effays on fome of the Poems, of feveral English Poets: By John Scott, Efq. With an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author; by Mr. Hoole. 8vo. 55. 3d. in Boards. Philips. HESE Effays are preceded by the Life of Mr. Scott, a man who was not lefs diftinguished by the blameless fimplicity of his manners, than the warmth of his friendships,

T

and

and the activity of his benevolence. We once by fpeaking perhaps too lightly, of the ornaments of his works, attracted his difpleasure. When the favourite is attacked, nothing is well; and he then probably first found, that the warmth of our praife was not quite confonant to his own feelings. Thefe little difputes, the misfortunes of those who dare to judge without receiving, with implicit reverence, the dictates of fafhion, and fometimes of prejudice, are now at an end. We feel no rancour for the paft, and can 'curfe' the jeft and the verfe,

how well fo e'er it flow,

That tends to make one boneft man our foe.'

But while we apologize for one error, we must not meanly facrifice opinions, the refult of mature deliberation. We cannot think more highly than before of Mr. Scott's poetical merits, or rather of his works. The limæ labor & mora feem to have destroyed each characteristic relief, the glowing thought, and the ardent language of the heart.

The Life of Mr. Scott is written with an elegant neatness by Mr. Hoole; but with no peculiar force and energy. Perhaps we are faftidious in biography; for we wish that each distinguishing feature of the mind fhould be carefully delineated. To common obfervers, there is a wonderful fimilarity in things which, when accurately examined, differ in many refpects. We fee enough to admire in the general conduct of his life, but we with alfo to be instructed in fomewhat else: too much is generally facrificed to a trite, but a humane maxim, 'de mortuis nil nifi bonum.'

An anonymous author, to whom we owe our thanks for his candour, while we are instructed by the justice of his remarks, begs to point out to our attention, the fhort account of Mr. Scott's friend, the rev. Mr. Turner. If Mr. Hoole had known him, he thinks that he would not have paffed him with faint praife. We own, we do not think it faint; and fhall therefore tranfcribe it.

'He poffeffed confiderable natural abilities, and much acquired knowledge, with a candid difpofition and elegant tafte; and by the general tenor of his correspondence with Scott, appears to have been always a young man of a religious and ftùdious turn.'

If our correfpondent, who appears to have known him well, is not deceived, his acquifitions were not more confiderable in themselves, than extraordinary in their nature' they chiefly confifted in mathematics and philofophy; but, if he had not particularly excelled in thefe, his other attainments would

have

have fecured him, when known, extenfive fame. He was, however, born to bloom unfeen;' for it seems that his great benevolence would not let him build on another's reputation; and his unconquerable modesty probably forbad him to raise a ftructure on his own. Our correspondent must excufe us from enlarging farther; the zeal and warmth of his praises strongly indicate fome little partiality.

The Critical Effays contained in this volume are, I. Coop. er's Hill, by Denham. II. Lycidas, by Milton. III. Windfor Foreft, by Pope. IV. Grongar Hill, by Dyer. V. Ruins of Rome, the fame. VI. Oriental Eclogues, by Collins. VII Church Yard Elegy, by Gray. VIII. Deferted Village, by Goldsmith. IX. Seafons, by Thomson.

Mr. Scott, in the minutenefs and rigour of his examination, approaches to the inquifitorial ftrictnefs of Dr. Johnson; and fo fixed is his opinion of its neceffity, that he seems to think a little jeu d'efprit, entitled a Criticism on the Elegy in a Country Church-yard,' a ferious performance. This exactnefs, however, is fometimes mifapplied, and fometimes leads him into error. In the first Effay, for instance, on Windfor Foreft, he makes the following obfervation.

The apostrophe to Windfor, is abrupt and aukward; and contains matter which will furely find few advocates for its propriety or elegance. To brighten an object, is generally underfood to augment or increase it; but meekness certainly cannot be augmented or increased by majestic grace: the reverfe would have been right; majestic grace may be diminished by meekness. What fubject was defigned by the obfcure and affected appellation, pompous load, feems doubtful; probably it was the caftle

"Windfor the next (where Mars and Venus dwells,
Beauty with ftrength) above the valley favells
Into my eye, and doth itfelf present

With fuch an easy, and unforc'd afcent,
That no ftupendous precipice denies
Accefs, no horror turns away our eyes:
But fuch a rife as doth at once invite
A pleasure and a reverence from the fight.
Thy mighty mafter's emblem, in whofe face
Sat meeknefs, heighten'd with majestic grace;

Such feems thy gentle height, made only proud

To be the bafis of that pompous load,

Than which a nobler weight no mountain bears,

But Atlas only, which fupports the spheres."

Our author does not perceive that majestic grace' is a corporeal quality, and meeknefs' a mental one; that either is not inconfiftent with the other. In another place, Mr. Scott would amend the two firft lines of Dyer's Grongar-Hill, in a

manner