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 54 Anecdotes by

��imagination, and told him the story of his selling his library for the support of the poor z. He seemed much affected by it, and then fell a rowling and muttering to himself, and I could hear him plainly say after several minutes pause from con versation, ' Skelton is a great good man.' He then said, ' I purpose reading his Ophiomachis, for I have never seen anything of his, but some allegoric pieces which I thought very well of.' He told me he had seen Delany when he was in every sense gravis annis^ l but he was [an] able man,' says he, * his " Reve lation examined with candour" was well received, and I have seen an introductory preface to a second edition of one of his books, which was the finest thing I ever read in the declamatory way 2 .' He asked me whether Clayton was an English or Irish man. ' He endeavoured to raise a hissy 3 among you,' says he, ' but without effect I believe.' I told him one effect in the case of the parish clerks. His indignation was prodigious. 'Aye/ says he, ' these are the effects of heretical notions upon vulgar minds.'

JUNE nth. 1781. I went to see Dr. Johnson, found him alone, Barretti came soon after. Barretti (after some pause in conver sation) asked me, if the disturbances were over in Ireland. I told him I had not heard of any disturbances there. ' What,' says he, ' have you not been up in arms?' ' Yes, and a great number of men continue so to be.' ' And dont you call that disturb ance?' returned Barretti. 'No,' said I, 'the Irish volunteers have demeaned themselves very peaceably, and instead of disturbing the peace of the country, have contributed much to its preservation 4 .' The Doctor, who had been long silent,

1 Rev. Philip Skelton, born near came to London to publish his Reve- Lisburne, 1707; died in 1787. In lation examined with Candour. He 1750 he obtained the living of Pel- died at Bath in 1768. Ib. p. 155. tigo, in Donegal. Here, in a time of Johnson praised his Observations on scarcity, he even sold his library to Swift. Life, iii. 249.

supply his indigent parishioners with 3 This word is not in Johnson's

bread. His works are in 7 vols. 8vo. Dictionary.

Universal Biography, quoted by the 4 Horace Walpole thus describes

editor of Campbell's Diary, p. 154. public affairs in February, 1779:

2 Patrick Delany, friend of Dr. 'The navy disgusted, insurrections Swift, born about 1686. In 1731 he in Scotland, Wales mutinous, a re turned

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