Page:Johnsonian Miscellanies II.djvu/358

 350 A Biographical Sketch of Dr. Johnson

Johnson's world of words demands frequent editions. His titles of Doctor of Laws from Dublin and from Oxford J (both of which came to him unasked and unknown, and only not unmerited) ; his pension from the King, which is to be considered as a reward for his pioneering services in the English language, and by no means as a bribe 2 ; gave him consequence, and made the Dictionary and its author more extensively known. It is a royal satisfaction to have made the life of a learned man more comfortable to him.


 * These are imperial works, and worthy Kings 3 .'

Lord Corke, who would have been kinder to him than Stanhope (if he could) as soon as it came out, presented the Dictionary to the Academy della Crusca at Florence in I755 4. Even for the abridgment in octavo 5, which puts it into every body's hands, he was paid to his satisfaction, by the liberality of his booksellers. His reputation is as great for compiling, digesting, and ascertaining the English language, as if he had invented it. His Grammar in the beginning of the work was the best in our language, in the opinion of Goldsmith. During the printing of his Dictionary, the Ramblers came out periodically ; for he could do more than one thing at a time. He declared that he wrote them by way of relief from his application to his Dictionary, and for the reward. He has told this writer, that he had no expectation they would have met with so much success, and been so much read and admired 6. What was amusement to him, is instruction

known. Blair was paid for his Ser- His Lordship, he said, behaved in

mons, ;i,ioo. Life, iii. 98. For his the handsomest manner. He re-

Lectures on Rhetoric, which came peated the words twice, that he

later, he, no doubt, received a far might be sure Johnson heard them.'

larger sum. H is Sermons and Hume's 7^.1.374.

History do not, however, fall within } ' These are imperial arts and ' a course of fifteen years.' Boswell worthy thee.' was, it seems, offered ^1,000 for his Dryden, quoted in Johnson's Die- Life of Johnson, but he resolved to tionary. keep the copyright. Ante, ii. 33, 37. 4 Life, i. 298, 443. Stanhope was

1 Life, i. 488 ; ii. 331. Lord Chesterfield.

2 ' He told Sir Joshua that Lord 5 Ib. i. 305.

Bute said to him expressly, "It is 6 'So slowly did this excellent not given you for anything you are work, of which twelve editions have to do, but for what you have done." now issued from the press, gain upon

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