I DR. JOHNSON AND HIS CIRCLE § 1 T is curious rather than obvious that we should at this day refer so naturally to the mid-eighteenth century period of our literature as the Age of Johnson. For Dr. Johnson cannot, except in a special sense, or without explanation be called the greatest English literary man of his time. He had none of Burke's splendour of genius, none of Goldsmith's excellent lightness of touch and "legal tender" of humour; he was inferior to Gibbon in learning and staying-power; Sheridan's rapier wit and easy invention were quite beyond him; his poetry cannot be compared with Gray's, nor was his prose half so English and transparent as Wesley's. Yet such were his personality and influence that we involuntarily give his name to this period. Samuel Johnson was born on September 18, 1709, at Lichfield. He was the son of Michael Johnson, a bookseller of that small cathedral city. He was trained under his father to be himself a bookseller, and he could bind a book with his own hands. Probably he never attempted such a thing after he left Lichfield. In after life he preferred the risk of chemical experiments, and did not consider too narrowly whether the risk was his own or other people's. But later in his life, when visiting Lichfield, he called at the bookshop of Mr. Major Morgan, who had in some degree succeeded to old Michael Johnson's business. Taking up one of the books, he "recollected the binding to be the work of his own hands." Otherwise, Johnson was of little service to his Tis curious rather than obvious that we should at this day refer so naturally to the mid-eighteenth century period of our literature as the Age of Johnson. For Dr. Johnson cannot, except in a special sense, or without explanation be called the greatest English Iterary man of his time. He had none of Buke's splendour of genius, none of Goldsmith's excellent lightness of touch and legal tender" of humour; he was inferior te Gilton in learning and staying power; Sheridan's rapier wit and es invention were quite beyond him; his poetry cannot be compared with Gray's, nor was his prose half so English and transparent as Wesley's. Yet such were his personality and infree that we involuntarily give his name to this period. Samuel Johnson was born on September 18, 1709, at Lichfield. He was the son of Michael Johnson, a bookseller of that small athedral city. He was trained under his father to be himself bookseller, and he could bind a book with his own hands. Prilly he never attempted such a thing after he left Lichfield. In her life he preferred the risk of chemical experiments, and did not consider too narrowly whether the risk was his other people's. But later in his life, when visiting Li who afterwards helped with the Lives of the Poets; Mr. Stewart, a son of an Edinburgh bookseller; a Mr. Maitland; and a Mr. Peyton. Johnson's payments of twenty-three shillings a week to each of these assistants reduced his agreed remuneration of £1,575 to an inconsiderable residue, and the work made the heaviest demands on his time and strength. Dr. Birkbeck Hill thinks that he had in view his own experience of big literary undertakings when, referring to Pope's slow progress in translating the "Iliad," he wrote: "Indolence, interruption, business, and pleasure all take their turns of retardation; and every long work is lengthened by a thousand causes that can, and ten thousand that cannot, be recounted." But the work went on. Johnson began as the makers of our own New English Dictionary began-by collecting quotations. Against each, in the margin, he wrote the first letter of the word under which it was to occur. His clerks transcribed all these sentences on separate slips. With these in hand he dictated his definitions, and supplied the etymologies from whatever sources were available. He had hoped to be done in three years. But the three years became seven, and we have the well-known story of Andrew Millar, the actual publisher, saying, when he received the last sheet, "Thank God, I have done with him," and Johnson's smiling comment, "I am glad that he thanks God for anything." A fairly long list could be made of words to which, in sport or petulance, Johnson attached indefensible meanings. But some of the humours of the Dictionary were not of this class, being unconscious. Thus he defined "pastern" as "the knee of a horse." Asked by a lady how he came to do this, he replied with admirable frankness, "Ignorance, Madam, pure ignorance." Similar frankness, on another occasion, was more injurious to his interviewer. Soon after the Dictionary appeared Garrick, being asked by Johnson what people said of it, replied that among other things it was objected that he had quoted authors whose |