• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 5135 0

– 5. One small, from Harding, by Trotter, for his Beauties. – 6. One small, from Sir Joshua, by Trotter, for his Lives of the Poets. – 7. One small, from Sir Joshua, by Hall, for The Rambler. – 8. One small, from an original drawing, in the possession of Mr. John Simco, etched by Trotter, for another edition of his Lives of the Poets. – 9. One small, no painter’s name, etched by Taylor, for his Johnsoniana. – 10. One folio whole-length, with his oak-stick, as described in Boswell’s Tour, drawn and etched by Trotter. – 11. One large mezzotinto, from Sir Joshua, by Doughty. – 12. One large Roman head, from Sir Joshua, by Marchi. – 13. One octavo, holding a book to his eye, from Sir Joshua, by Hall, for his Works. – 14. One small, from a drawing from the life, and engraved by Trotter, for his Life published by Kearsley. – 15. One large, from Opie, by Mr. Townley, (brother of Mr. Townley, of the Commons,) an ingenious artist, who resided some time at Berlin, and has the honour of being engraver to his Majesty the King of Prussia. This is one of the finest mezzotintos that ever was executed; and what renders it of extraordinary value, the plate was destroyed after four or five impressions only were taken off. One of them is in the possession of Sir William Scott. Mr. Townley has lately been prevailed with to execute and publish another of the same, that it may be more generally circulated among the admirers of Dr. Johnson. – 16. One large, from Sir Joshua’s first picture of him, by Heath, for this work, in quarto. – 17. One octavo, by Baker, for the octavo edition. – 18. And one for Lavater’s Essay on Physiognomy, in which Johnson’s countenance is analysed upon the principles of that fanciful writer. – There are also several seals with his head cut on them, particularly a very fine one by that eminent artist, Edward Burch, Esq. R.A., in the possession of the younger Dr. Charles Burney.

Let me add, as a proof of the popularity of his character, that there are copper pieces struck at Birmingham, with his head impressed on them, which pass current as half-pence there, and in the neighbouring parts of the country.

a It is not yet published. – In a letter to me, Mr. Agutter says, ‘My sermon before the University was more engaged with Dr. Johnson’s moral than his intellectual character. It particularly examined his fear of death, and suggested several reasons for the apprehension of the good, and the indifference of the infidel in their last hours; this was illustrated by contrasting the death of Dr. Johnson and Mr. Hume: the text was Job xxi. 22–26.’

a The Reverend Dr. Parr, on being requested to undertake it, thus expressed himself in a letter to William Seward, Esq.:

‘I leave this mighty task to some hardier and some abler writer. The variety and splendour of Johnson’s attainments, the peculiarities of his character, his private virtues, and his literary publications, fill me with confusion and dismay, when I reflect upon the confined and difficult species of composition, in which alone they can be expressed, with propriety, upon his monument.’

But I understand that this great scholar, and warm admirer of Johnson, has yielded to repeated solicitations, and executed the very difficult undertaking. [Dr. Johnson’s Monument, consisting of a colossal figure leaning against a column, has since the death of our authour been placed in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Epitaph was written by the Rev. Dr. Parr, and is as follows:

A

SAMVELI · JOHNSON

GRAMMATICO · ET · CRITICO

SCRIPTORVM · ANGLICORVM · LITTERATE · PERITO

POETAE · LVMINIBVS · SENTENTIARVM

ET · PONDERIBVS · VERBORVM · ADMIRABILI

MAGISTRO · VIRTVTIS · GRAVISSIMO

HOMINI · OPTIMO · ET · SINGVLARIS · EXEMPLI

QVI · VIXIT · ANN · lxxv · MENS · iI. · DIEB · xiiiI

DECESSIT · IDIB · DECEMBR · ANN · CHRIST · cI· · Icc · lxxxiiiI

SEPVLT · IN · AED · SANCT · PETR · WEST MONASTERIENS ·

xiiI · KAL · IANVAR · ANN · CHRIST · cI· · bcc · lxxxv

AMICI · ET · SODALES · LITTERARII

PECVNIA · CONLATA

H · M · FACIVND · CVRAVER.1291

On a scroll in his hand are the following words: