there were many of in those days, who possessing, perhaps, one or two hundred pounds a year in land, lived on the profits, and fought not to increase their income : she was therefore inclined to

think higher of herself than of her hufband, whose conduct in money matters being but indifferent, she had a trick of teizing him about it, and was, by her son's account, very importunate with regard to her fears of spending more than they could afford, though the never arrived at knowing how much that was; a fault common, as he said, to most women who pride themselves on their economy. They did not however, as I could understand, live ill together on the whole: "my father (fays he) could always take his horse and ride away for orders when things went badly." The lady's maiden name was Ford; and the parson who fits next to the punch-bowl in Hogarth's Modern Midnight Converfation was her brother's fon. This Ford was a man who chose to be eminent only for vice, with talents that might have made him confpicuous in literature, and respectable in any profession he could have chosen: his cousin has mentioned him in the lives of Fenton and of Broome; and when he spoke of him to me it was always with tenderness, praifing his acquaintance with life and manners, and recollecting one piece of advice that no man surely ever followed more exactly: "Obtain (fays Ford) some general principles of every science; he who can talk only on one subject, or act only in one department, is seldom wanted, and perhaps never wished for; while the man of general knowledge can often benefit, and always please." He used to relate, however, another story less to the credit of his cousin's penetration, how Ford on fome occasion said to him, " You will make your way the more easily in the world, I fee, as you are contented to dispute no man's claim

to conversation excellence, they will, therefore, more willingly allow your pretenfions as a writer." Can one, on fuch an occafion, forbear recollecting the predictions of Boileau's father, when stroak-. ing the head of the young fatirift, Ce petit bon homme (says he) n'à point trop d'esprit, mais il ne dira jamais mal de personne. Such are the prognostics formed by men of wit and sense, as these two certainly were, concerning the future character and conduct of those for whose welfare they were honestly and deeply concerned; and so late do those features of peculiarity come to their growth, which mark a character to all fucceeding generations.

Dr. Johnson first learned to read of his mother and her old maid Catharine, in whose lap he well remembered fitting while she explained to him the story of St. George and the Dragon. I know not whether this is the proper place to

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add, that such was his tenderness, and such his gratitude, that he took a journey to Litchfield fifty-seven years afterwards to support and comfort her in her last illness; he had enquired for his nurse, and she was dead. The recollection of such reading as had delighted him in his infancy, made him always persist in fancying that it was the only reading which could please an infant; and he used to condemn me for putting Newbery's books into their hands as too trifling to engage their attention. "Babies do not want (faid he) to hear about babies; they like to be told of giants and castles, and of fomewhat which can stretch and stimulate their little minds." When in answer I would urge the numerous editions and quick sale of Tommy Prudent or Goody Two Shoes: "Remember always (faid he) that the parents buy the books, and that the children never read them." Mrs. Barbauld however had his best praise, and deserved it; no man was

more struck than Mr. Johnson with voluntary defcent from possible splendour to painful duty.

At eight years old he went to school, for his health would not permit him to be sent sooner; and at the age of ten years his mind was disturbed by scruples of infidelity, which preyed upon his spirits, and made him very uneasy; the more so, as he revealed his uneasiness to no one, being naturally (as he said) "of a sullen temper and referved disposition." He searched, however, diligently but fruitlessly, for evidences of the truth of revelation; and at length recollecting a book he had once seen in his father's shop, intitled, De Veritate Religionis, &c. he began to think himself highly culpable for neglecting such a means of information, and took himself severely to task for this sin, adding many acts of voluntary, and to others unknown, penance. The first opportunity which

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