though they exhibit learning and judgment, are not in every instance entitled to unqualified praise: the definitions exhibit astonishing proofs of acuteness of intellect and precision of language-His introducing his own opinions, and even prejudices, under general definitions of words, as Tory, Whig, Pension, Excise, &c. must be placed to the account of capricious and humorous indulgence.

Mr. Murphy, who has given a fair and candid estimate of the literary character of Johnson, remarks that, 'the Dictionary, though in some instances abuse has been loud, and in others malice has endeavoured to undermine its fame, still remains the Mount Atlas of English literature.

Though storms and tempests thunder on its brow,
And oceans break their billows at its feet;

It stands unmoved, and glories in its height.'

As a biographer, his merit is certainly great: his narrative is in general vigorous, connected, and perspicuous; and his reflections numerous, apposite and moral; but it must be owned, that he neither dwells with pleasure nor success, upon those minuter anecdotes of his life, which oftener show the genuine man, than actions of greater importance-sometimes also, his colouring receives a tinge from prejudice, and his judgment is insensibly warped by the particularity of his private opinion.

His character as a poetical biographer, has been given by his townsman Dr. Newton in his

posthumous works, if not with his power, with his decision and severity of censure.

'Dr. Johnson's Lives of the Poets afford much amusement, but candour was hurt and offended at the malevolence that preponderated in every part: never was any biographer more sparing of his praises, or more abundant in his censures: he delights more in exposing blemishes, than in recommending beauties; slightly passes over excellencies, enlarges upon imperfections; and, not content with his own severe reflections, revives old scandal and produces large quotations from the long forgotten works of former criticks.'

As a critick, he is entitled to the praise of be. ing the greatest that our nation has producedThis praise he has merited by his Preface to Shakespeare, and the detached pieces of criticism which appear among his works: but his critical powers shine with more concentrated radiance in the Lives of the Poets: of many passages in these compositions it is not hyperbolical to affirm, that they are executed with all the skill and penetration of Aristotle, and animated and embellished with all the fire of Longinus. The Paradise Lost,' is a poem which the mind of Milton only could have produced;-and the criticism upon it is such, as perhaps, the pen of Johnson only could have written: his estimate of Dryden and Pope, challenges Quintilian's remarks upon Demosthenes and Cicero, and rivals the finest specimens of elegant composition and critical acuteness in the English language. But though Johnson is

entitled to this high eulogium, yet in many instances it is evident, that an affectation of singularity, or some other principle, not immediately visible, frequently betrays him into a dogmatical spirit of contradiction to received opinion-Of this there needs no further proof, than his almost uniform attempt to depreciate the writers of blank verse, and his degrading estimate of the admirable compositions of Prior, Hammond, Collins, Gray, Shenstone, and Akenside-In his judgment of these poets, he may be justly accused of being warped by prejudice; and resolutely blind to merit.

Miss Seward, the poetess of Lichfield, who has delineated his literary character observes, that "when his attention was called to modern writings, particularly if they were celebrated and not written by any of his 'little Senate,' he generally listened with angry impatience; 'No Sir, I shall not read the book,' was his common reply:-He turned from the compositions of rising genius with visible horror, which too plainly proved that envy was the bosom serpent of this literary despot, whose life had been unpolluted by licentious crimes, and who had some great and noble qualities, accompanying a stupendous reach of understanding."

As a moralist, his periodical papers are distinguished from those of other writers, who derived celebrity from similar publications: he has neither the wit nor the graceful ease of Addison, nor has he the humour and classick suavity of

Goldsmith: his powers are of a more grave, energetick, and distinguished kind than any of his competitors, and if he entertains us less, he instructs us more-He shows himself master of all the recesses of the human mind, able to detect vice when disguised in its most specious forms, and equally possessed of a corrosive to eradicate, or a lenitive to assuage the follies and sorrows of the heart: but his genius was only formed to chastise graver faults, which require to be touched with an heavier hand. His Rambler furnishes such an assemblage of discourses on practical religion and moral duty, of critical investigation, and allegorical and oriental talents; that no mind can be thought very deficient, that has by constant study and meditation, assimilated to itself all that may be found there. Every page of the Rambler, shows a mind teeming with classical allusion and poetical imagery: illustrations from other writers are upon all occasions so ready, and mingle so easily with the periods, that the whole appears of one uniform vivid texture.

Mrs. Piozzi in her Anecdotes, speaking of this production, has these words; that piety which dictated the Rambler, will be for ever remembered for ever I think revered. That ample repository of religious truth, moral wisdom, and accurate criticism-breathes indeed the genuine emanatious of its great authors's mind, expressed too in a style so natural to him, and so much like his common mode of conversing, that I was myself but little astonished when he told me, that

he had scarcely read over one of those inimitable essays before they went to the press.'

Mr. Murphy observes, that the Rambler may be considered as Johnson's great work-It was the basis of that high reputation, which went on increasing to the end of his days. In this collection, Johnson is the great moral teacher of his countrymen: his essays form a body of ethicks: the observations on life and manners are acute and instructive; and the papers professedly critical, serve to promote the cause of literature. It must however be acknowledged, that a settled gloom hangs over the author's mind, and all the essays, except eight or ten, coming from the same fountain head, no wonder that they have the raciness of the soil from which they sprung: Of this uniformity Johnson was sensible; he used to say, that if he had joined a friend or two who would have been able to intermix papers of a sprightly turn, the collection would have been more miscellaneous, and, by consequence, more agreeable to the generality of readers.

The serious papers in his Idler, though inferiour to those in the Rambler in sublimity and splendour, are distinguished by the same dignified morality and solemn philosophy, and lead to the same great end of diffusing wisdom, virtue, and happiness: the humorous papers are light and lively, and more in the manner of Addison.

Of the Idler Mr. Murphy observes, that 'in order to be consistent with the assumed character, it is written with abated vigour, in a style