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greatest divergence from the speeches as actually delivered. Sir

John Hawkins reports Dr. Johnson as saying that he never en tered the House of Commons and Arthur Murphy says that he was there but once, - the difference is immaterial. The secret of

the authorship of the debates was divulged by Dr. Johnson at a

dinner given by Samuel Foote where he stated that he had himself written them

in a garret in Exeter Street. 13 The result of the

disclosure was that “ the company was struck with astonish ment” and bestowed lavish encomiums on him ; one, in particular,

praised his impartiality ; observing, that he dealt out reason and

eloquence with an equal hand to both parties. “ That is not quite true,” said Johnson ; “ I saved appearances tolerably well; but I took care that the Whig dogs should not have the best of it.” One of his biographersmuch extols these reports of Dr. Johnson since he

“ had the art to give different colours to the several speeches , so that some appear to be declamatory and energetic, resembling 13 The dinner is fully described by A. Murphy, Essay on the Life and Genius of Dr. Johnson, pp. 43 -45. The author says in part: “ That Johnson was the author of the debates during that period was not generally known ;

but the secret transpired several years afterwards, and was avowed by himself on the following occasion : Mr. Wedderburne (now Lord Lough borough ), Dr. Johnson , Dr. Francis, (the translator of Horace) , the present

writer, and others, dined with the late Mr. Foote. An important debate

towards the end of Sir Robert Walpole 's administration being mentioned , Dr. Francis observed that 'Mr. Pitt 's speech, on that occasion , was the best he had ever read .' He added, “ That he had employed eight years of

his life in the study of Demosthenes, and finished a translation of that celebrated orator, with all the decorations of style and language, within the

reach of his capacity ; but he had met with nothing equal to the speech above mentioned.

Many of the company remembered the debate ; and some

passages were cited, with the approbation and applause of all present. During the ardour of conversation Johnson remained silent. As soon as the warmth of praise subsided, he opened with these words: “ That speech I wrote in a garret in Exeter -street.' The company was struck with aston ishment. After staring at each other in silent amaze, Dr. Francis asked , ‘ How that speech could be written by him ? ' ' Sir,' said Johnson, ' I wrote

it in Exeter -street. I never had been in the gallery of the House of Com mons but once. Cave had interest with the door-keepers. He, and the per sons employed under him, gained admittance ; they brought away the sub

ject of discussion, the names of the speakers, the side they took , and the order in which they rose, together with notes of the arguments advanced

in the course of the debate. The whole was afterwards communicated to me, and I composed the speeches in the form which they now have in the

Parliamentary Debates .' To this discovery Dr. Francis made answer : “ Then, Sir, you have exceeded Demosthenes himself ; for to say that you have exceeded Francis's Demosthenes, would be saying