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 156 Anecdotes.

��men of wit and sense, as these two certainly were, concerning the future character and conduct of those for whose welfare they were honestly and deeply concerned ; and so late do those features of peculiarity come to their growth, which mark a character to all succeeding generations.

Dr. Johnson first learned to read of his mother and her old maid Catharine, in whose lap he well remembered sitting while she explained to him the story of St. George and the Dragon. I know not whether this is the proper place to add, that such was his tenderness, and such his gratitude, that he took a journey to Litchfield fifty-seven years afterwards to support and comfort her in her last illness * ; he had enquired for his nurse, and she was dead 2. The recollection of such reading as had delighted him in his infancy, made him always persist in fancying that it was the only reading which could please an infant ; and he used to condemn me for putting Newbery's books into their hands as too trifling to engage their attention. ' Babies do not want (said he) to hear about babies ; they like to be told of giants and castles, and of somewhat which can stretch and stimulate their little minds.' When in answer I would urge the numerous editions and quick sale of Tommy Prudent or Goody Two Shoes 3 : f Remember always (said he) that the parents buy the

1 Mrs. Piozzi is speaking of Cath- many little books for children : he

erine Chambers, who died in 1767 called himself their friend, but he was

(ante, p. 45). She and Johnson were the friend of all mankind.'

of the same age ; moreover it was Johnson at Rochester maintained

not till 'about 1724,' when he was 'that Jack the Giant-Killer, Pari-

fifteen years old, that she came to senus and Parismenus, and The

live with his mother. Ib. Seven Champions of Christendom

8 Ante, p. 130. were fitter for children than Mrs.

3 The author of Caleb Williams Barbauld and Mrs. Trimmer.' Life,

[William Godwin], who had been a iv. 8.

child's publisher himself, had always Boswell wrote on the fly-leaf of the

a strong persuasion that Goldsmith first volume of a collection of Chap

wrote Goody Two Shoes' Forster's Books which he bought in 1763 :

Goldsmith, i. 346. Goldsmith intro- ' Having when a Boy been much

duces Newbery in the Vicar of entertained with Jack the Giant

Wakefield, ch. xviii, as ' the philan- Killer, I went to the Printing office

thropic bookseller in St. Paul's in Bow Churchyard and bought this

Church-yard, who has written so collection. I shall certainly, some

books,

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