Star.
London, England, 1831-08-05 00:00:00

lATERATtritr.

Croker's Edition of Boswell's Johnson.

Little credit as we give Mr. Croke? as a politician, we
give him praise far his edition of a vrotk which we advise all
men to read once every three years, though the anonymous
villains, who write criticisms for bread, 'tote Boswell out
of comfort, and shortened his life by their vituperations.
Air. Croker has gleaned some original matter, of which we
give some specimens. _ _

BOSW ELL'S LITERARY CII AR A CTER.SUCh
imperfect though interesting sketches as " Ben
Johnson's visit to Drummond," Selden's Table
Talk," " Swifts Journal," and " Spence's Anec-
dotes," ouly tantalize our curiosity. and excite our
regret that there was no Boswell to preserve the
conversation and illustrate the life and times of
Addison, of Swift himself, of Milton, and, above
all, of Shakspeare ! We can hardly refrain from
indulging ourselves with the imagination of works
so instructive and delightful; but that were idle,
except as it may tend to increase our obligation to
the faithful and fortunate biographer of Dr.
Johnson.

Mr. Boswell's birth and education familiarized
him with the highest of his acquaintance, and his
good natu-e and conviviality with the lowest. He
describes society of all chases with the happiest
discrimination. Even his foibles assisted his cu-
riosity ; he was sometimes laughed at, but always
well received ; he excited no envy, he imposed no
estraint. It was well known that he made notes
of every conversation, yet no timidity was alarmed,
no delicacy demurred ; and we are perhaps indebted
to the lighter part of his character for the patient
indulgence with which every body submitted to sit
foe their pictures.
Nor were his talents inconsiderable. Ho had
looked a good deal into books, and more Into the
world. The narrative portion of his works is written
with good sense, in an easy and perspicuous style,
and wit} out (which seems odd enough)any palpable
imitation of Johnson. But in recording conver-
siitions he is unrivalled ; that he was eminently ac-
curate in substance, we have the evidence of all his
contemporaries; but he is also in a high degree
Characteristic—dramatic. The incidental observa-

Liens with which he explains or enlivens the dia-
logue, aro terse, appropriate, and picturesque—we
not merely bear his company, we see them !
Yet his father was, we are told, by no means sa-
tisfied with the life he led, nor his eldest son with
the kind of reputation he attained ; neither liked to
Lear of his connection even with Paoli or Johnson,
and both would have been better ',leased if he had
contented himself with a domestic life of sober res-
Fretability.
The public, however, the dispenser of fame, has
judged differently, and considers the biographer of
Johnson as oho most eminent branch of the family
yedigree. With less activity, less indiscretion,
less curiosity, leas enthusiasm, he might, perhaps,
have been what the old lord would, no doubt, have
thought more respectable ; and have been pictured
en the walls of Auchinleck (the very name of which
we never should have heard) by some stiff provin-
cial painter in a lawyer's wig, or a squire's hunting
cap : but his portrait, by Reynolds, would not have
been ten times engraved—his name could never
have become, as it is likely to be, as far spread and
es lasting as the English language; and " the
world had wanted" a work to which it refers as a
manual of amusement, a repository of wit, wisdom,
and morals, and a lively and faithful history of
the manners and literature of England, during a
period hardly seconded in brilliancy, and superior in
importance, even to the Augustan age of Anne.
GOLDSMITH AND BURK E.—One afternoon, as
Colonel O'Moore and Mr. Burke were going to dine
with Sir Joshua Reynolds, they observed Gold'
smith (also on his way to Sir Joshua's) standing
near a crowd of people, who were standing and
shoutinc.,o• at some foreign women in the windows of
et of the houses in Leicester-square. Observe
Cyldsmith,' said Mr. Burke to O'Moore,' and
mark what passes between him and me by-and-by
at Sir Joshua's.' They passed on, and arrived be-
fore Goldsmith, who came soon after, and Mr. Burke
affected to receive him very coolly. This seemed to
vex poor Goldsmith, who begged Mr. B. would tell
Lim how he had had the misfortune to offend him.
Burke appeared very reluctant to speak, but after a
!good deal of refacing, said, that he was really
ashamed to keep up an intimacy with a man who
cc,uld be guilty of such monstrous indiscretion:, as
Goldsmith had just exhibited in the square.' Gold-
s:Lab, with great earnestness, protested ho was un-
c9itsciotts of what was meant: Why,' said Burke,
• Did you not exclaim, as you were looking up at
those women, What stupid beasts the crowd must
be for staring with such admiration at those painted
Jerabels, while a man of your talents passed by
unnoticed ?' Goldsmith was horror-struck, and
said, ' Surely, surely, my dear friend, I did not
say so ?" Nay,' replied Burke, if you had not
said so, how should I hare known it ?" That's
true, answered Goldsmith, with great humility :
lam very sorry—it was very foolish :I do
recollect that something of the kind passed
through my mind, but I did not think that I had
uttered it. 1"

DR. JOIIDiSON AND Tint LADIES.—He par-
ticularly piqued himself upon his nice observance
of ceremonious punctilios towards ladies. A re-
markable instance of this was his never suffering
4ny lady to walk from his house to her carriage,
throuxli Bolt-court, unattended by himself, to hand
her into it (at least, I have reason to suppose it to
his general custom, from his constant perform-
i,i.ce of it to those with whom he was most inti-
mately
acquainted); and if any obstacle prevented
it from driving• off, there he would stand by the
door of it, and gather a mob around him ; indeed,
they ‘vould begin to gather the moment he appeared
handing the lady down the steps into Fleet-street
But to describe his appearance—his important air
—that, indeed, cannot be described ; and his morn-'
ing habiliments would excite the utmost astonish-
ment in any reader, that a man in his senses could
think of stepping outside his door in them, or even
to be seen at home! Sometimes 1:e exhibited
himself at the distance of eight or ten doors from
80lt-court, to get at the carriage, to the no small
diversion of the populace. And lam certain, to
to.-;e who love laughing, a description of his dress
firm bead to foot would be highly acceptable, and
in general, I believe, be thought the most curious
pal t et my book ; but I forbear, out of respect to,
his to .mory, to give more than this slight intimation
of it ; for, having. written a minute description of
his figure, from his wig to his slippers, a thought
culled that it might probably ecsite some person
to delineate it, and I might have the more morti6-