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ADVERTISEMENT.

THE

HE Author of the feveral pieces contained in the enfuing Volumes, had meditated a complete edition of bis Works, but had made small progress in his defign even a few months before bis decease, when his infirmities obliged him to abandon it. By certain papers, however, that came to my hands, he had fo far afcertained the particulars of his intended publication as to enable me to carry his purpofe into execution.

Thus informed, I bave, at the request of fome of his friends, taken upon myself the office of his Editor, and accordingly here prefent to view as complete a collection of the various writings of Dr. Samuel Johnson as I was able to form, and the directions he left behind him would permit me to publish.

As

As I food engaged, by a promife made to him a Short time before his deceafe, to be as well the guardian of his fame as an executor of his will,

I thought I could no way better discharge the former of thefe obligations than by giving to the world a fuccinct narration of the principal events of his life, interfperfed with fuch particulars as beft ferved to delineate and illuftrate his character; in the performance of which task, baving endeavoured with equal care to avoid the extremes of praife and blame, I trust to the charity, the gratitude, and the juftice of impartial pofterity, that the failings of a man whofe whole life was a conflict with pain and adverfity, will either be forgiven or forgotten, and that the remembrance of bis virtues, and a reverence for the wonderful endowments of his mind, and his zeal in the employment of them to the best purposes, will be coeval with thofe excellent leffons of religion, morality, and economical wisdom, which be bas left behind him.

In the Lives of the Poets I have inferted notes that contain either additional facts, or that tend to explain particular paffages. The paucity of anecdotes in this part of the Author's writings, it is Arefimed, will justify this liberty, it being a known

part

[ix]

part of his character, that he was more ingenious in critical difquifition than induftrious in collecting memoirs; fo that, in many inftances, what he calls the life of a poet may more properly be termed an examen of his works.

Of the Latin pieces in the last of thefe volumes, many were compofed in thofe intervals of eafe, which during his laft illness be at times experienced: others, and those the greater number, were the employment of his thoughts, when, being retired to reft, the powers of fleep failed him, when the remission of pain became to him pofitive pleafure, and having no outward objects present to his view, his ever-active imagination had liberty to wander through the boundless regions of fancy, and his reafon to investigate the most important and fublime truths. The originals, as they were from time to time committed to writing, were by bim delivered to Mr. Langton, with directions to publish them; and it is to that gentleman that we owe the pleasure of perufing, in this form, thefe the most recent effufions of his genius, and latest evidences of his piety.

Befides the Pieces contained in the enfuing Volumes, there is extant, of Dr. Johnson's writing,

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a fmall volume, entitled " Prayers and Meditations," the profits whereof be directed to be employed for a charitable purpose, mentioned in the preface thereto. That they are not included in this edition of his Works, will therefore need no apology.

J. H.

THE

LIF FE

O F

Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON.

T

that

HE general fenfe of mankind, and the practice of the learned in all ages, have given a fanction to biographical hiftory, and concurred to recommend precept of the wife fon of Sirach, in which we are exhorted to praife famous men, fuch as by their counfels and by their knowledge of learning were meet for the people,—and were wife and eloquent in their inftructions,-and fuch as recited verses in writing*.' In each of these faculties did the perfon, whose history I am about to write, fo greatly excel, that, except for my prefumption in the attempt to display his worth, the undertaking may be thought to need no apology; efpecially if we contemplate, together with his mental endowments, thofe moral qualities which diftinguished him, and reflect that, in an age when literary acquifitions and

Ecclus. Chap. XLIV. Verse 1, et feqq.

VOL. I.

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