Page:A dictionary of printers and printing.djvu/761

 732

HISTORY OF PRINTING.

1784, Nov. 7. Died, Thomas Lowndes, who was for twenty-dgfat years a booksellei in Fleet- stnet, where he had an extensiTe circulating lihiary, and was a considerahle dealer in dra- matlMl works; and, by perseTeriiiK industry, acquired a considerable fortune. He was a strong-minded uneducated man ; rough in his manners, but of sterling integrity ; and is sup- ^ posed to have been delineated by Miss Bumey, m her celebrated novel, Cecilia, under the name of Briggt.

On a flat stone in the chancel of St. Bride's, is this inscription.

H. S. B.

Tbomu Lowndes, BibUopola,

hnjns puochlie iqeolB annos sopra vlg^ti octo,

Natiu laMlc al. DeeembrU, anno Saliitis 1719 1

denatns 7 Noremtaria, 1 784.

QolB deaiderlo ait pudor ant modos

Tam cbaii capitis I

He was a native of Cheshire, as were three eminent printers of the same name in the six- teenth century.

1784, Dec. 13. Died, Samuel Johnson, one of the brightest luminaries that ever graced the literary hemisphere, a learned critic, lexicogia-

Eher, and miscellaneous writer, in the seventy- fth year of his age, to the loss of his intimate associates, and the world, whose unremitting friend he had ever been. He was born at Lich- field, Sept. 7, 1709, where his father was a bookseller. He was educated partly at the free school of Lichfield, and in 1728 was admitted of Pembroke college, Oxford, which he left in 1731, without a degree. On the death of his father he became usher of the school at Bosworth, where he did not continue long. We next find him ^ residing with a printer at Birmingham, where he V t/ '" translated Lobo's Recount of Abyttima. In .(?.•' ,^, .' 1736 he married a widow lady of that town, and ' -' ' the same year opened a school at Edial, near '- Lichfield, but he obtained only three scholars,

one of whom was David Garrick. About this time he wrote his tragedy of Irene. In 1737 he set out for the metropolis, accompanied by Gar- rick, where he formed a connexion with Cave, the publisher of the Gentleman's Magazine, for which work he continued to write several yetus. In 1759, he produced his fine eastern tale of Rauelat, which is designed to prove that no worldly pleasures are capable oi^ yielding true gratification, and that men must look for this to a future state of existence. In 1762 the king granted him a pension of £300 -per annum, without any stipulation with respect to his lite- rary exertions. Johnson had the honour of a conversation with the king in the royal library in 1765, when his majesty asked if he intended to publish any more works ? To this he answered, that he thought he had written enoujp^h ; on which the king said, " so should I too, if you had not written so well." About this time he instituted the literary club, consisting of some of the most celebrated men of the age. In 1773 he went on a tour with Mr. Boswell to the western islands of Scotland, of which journey he shortly after

published an account, which occasioned a differ- ence between him and Macpherson relative to the poems of Ossian. In 1776 the university of Oxford sent him the degree of LL.D. by diplo- ma, which before had been conferred on torn by the university of Dublin. AfW a long Ul- ness, during part of which he had fearful appre- hensions of death, but at last his mind became calm, composed, and resigned, he died full of that &ith which he had so vigorously defended and inculcated by his writings.

When Mr. Thrale built the new library at Streatham, and hung up over his books the portraits of his favourite fnends, that of Johnson was last painted and closed the number, upon which Mrs. Thrale* wrote the following lines :

GiganUe in knowledge, in virtue, in strength,

Onr company closes with Johnson at leng& j

SotheOiedufromtheeaveraof Foln>heme put.

When wisest, and greatest, myasc* came last

To his comiades oontemptooos, we see him look down.

On their wit and their worth with a genetal frown.

Since from science' proud tree the rich frnit he le ce lvea.

Who coold shake the whole trunk while they tam'd a few

His piety pore, his morality nice— [leaves.

Protector of virtue, and tenroi of vice i

In these features religion's dim chaminon disflay'd.

Shall make infidels fear for a modern crusade.

While th' inflammable temper, the positive tongne.

Too conscioos of right for endurance of wrong :

We suflbr from Johnson, contented to find,

lliBt some notice we gabi from so noble a mind ;

And pardon onr harts, since so often we've fomd

The balm of instruction ponr'd into the wound.

'TIS thus for its virtues the chemists extol

Pure rectified spirit, snbUme alcohol 1

From noxious putrescence, preservative pore,

A cordial in health. In sickness a cure ;

But expos'd to the sun, taking fire at his rays.

Bums bright to the bottom, and ends in a blaze.

The great peculiarity which most conspicu- ously characterizes the writings of Johnson is : under the weightof a pompous and over.artificia} diction, and struggling with numberless preju- dices and foibles, we see, in all of his composi- tions, the workings of a strong and reflecting mind. It is to be lamented that this great writer and vinuous man laboured under constitutional infirmities of body and mind, which rendered him occasionally gloomy, capricious, and over- bearing ; though he seems to have been by no means deficient in either abstract or practical benevolence. It is remarkable that, while the works of Johnson are becoming less and less fa- miliar to modern readers, his life, as related by his friend James Bo8WELL,t is constantiy in- creasing in popularity. This appears to result from the forced and turgid style of his wiiting, which is inconsistent with the taste of the pre-

afterwards Krs. Hirale.) died at C^fton, near Bristol, Hay 9, 1891 . She was the author of the Tkree Wanrngu, and other poems.
 * Hesther Lynch Piozzi. (originally Miss SaUsbutr,

t Jamea Boswell was the son of Alexander BoswdL of Anchinleck, one of the Jnsticea of session, and born at Edinburgh, Oct. 19, 174<- He received his edncatton at the school and nniveisity of his native dty t and early distin- guished himself by hislove of poetry and the belles letlres. He was an advocate first at the Scottish bar, and upon the death of his father removed to the En^ish bar 1 but his disposition was rather indolent; and he was fond of plea- sure, which were powerful impediments to his progress in the legal profession. By the favour of lord Ixiiudale he was chosen recorder of OuUsle. HediedMay IV, ITDS.

VjOOQ IC