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 Johnson at that time lodged at Greenwich x. He there fixes the scene, and takes leave of his friend ; who. he says in his Life, parted from him with tears in his eyes 2. The poem, when finished, was offered to Cave 3. It happened, however, that the late Mr. Do.dsley was the purchaser at the price often guineas 4. It was published in 7 738 ; and Pope, we are told, said, ' The author, whoever he is, will not be long concealed ; ' alluding to the passage in Terence, Ubi, ubi est, diu celari non potest 5. Notwithstanding that prediction, it does not appear that, besides the copy-money, any advantage accrued to the author of a poem, written with the elegance and energy of Pope. Johnson, in August I738 6, went, with all the fame of his poetry, to offer himself a candidate for the mastership of the school at Appleby, in Leicestershire. The statutes of the place required, that the person chosen should be a master of arts. To remove this objection, the late Lord Gower was induced to write to a friend, in order to obtain for Johnson a master's degree in the Univer sity of Dublin, by the recommendation of Dr. Swift 7.

This scheme miscarried. There is reason to think, that Swift declined to meddle in the business ; and to that circumstance Johnson's known dislike of Swift has been often imputed 8.

1 He had lodged at Greenwich a art, thou canst not long be con- year earlier. Life, i. 107. He was cealed." ' Hawkins, p. 60. Per- living in Castle Street, Cavendish haps he recollected the line in Le Square, when he wrote London. Ib. Misanthrope, Act iii. sc. 8 :

p. 1 20. * Un merite e*clatant se de'terre

2 'Savage left London in July, lui-meme.'

1739, having taken leave with great Johnson never saw Pope, as the fol-

tenderness of his friends, and parted lowing note by Mr. Hussey shows :

from the author of this narrative with ' Asking Johnson if he had ever been

tears in his eyes.' Works, viii. 173. in Mr. Pope's company he replied,

3 Life, i. 120. " No, Sir, I never saw Pope." ' Yet

4 Id. p. 124. Pope lived seven years after John-

5 Eunuchus, ii. 3, 4. * Pope said, son's first visit to London.

" he will soon be de"terreV' ' Life, i. 6 It was in 1739 that Johnson went

129. ' Pope recollected perhaps a pas- to Appleby. Life, i. 132, n. I ; Let-

sage recorded of Milton, who, seeing a ters, i. 3, n. I.

beautiful young lady pass him whom 7 For Lord Gower's letter, which

he never had seen before, turned to I omit, see Life, i. 133.

look at her and said, " Whoever thou 8 ' I once took the liberty to ask

It

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