List of Items in M 155,
<u>Life.</u> Materials. Anecdotes and Memoranda.

| In Life | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| I.300, 218 n.1 | (1) | Johnson. Attacked by Wilkes, Thornton, Reed |
| I.260-1 | (2) | Johnson attacked in poem on the opera <u>Flames of Newgate</u>; the genuine copy of the letter to Chesterfield by Baretti |
| I.268 | (3) | The first time Mr. Murphy saw Dr. Johnson" Bolingbroke's Philosophy |
| I.418 n.1<br>(and L431)<br>II.100 etc | (4) | "Johnsoniana". On Dr. John Campbell; Duke of Marlboro and Lord Cadogan' Adventure |
| III.21 n.1 | (5) | Goldsmith borrows from Colley Cibber; Mrs. Barbauld's rhyme on Garrick's shoe buckles, etc |
| | (6) | Note on Jack Ellis (3 leaves) |
| III.247 | (7) | List of Johnson's writings from Davies's <u>Miscellaneous and Fugitive Pieces</u>; questions to ask Dr. Johnson; "For Genl Og's Life", etc. (Felluccin 1378) |
| III.337 | (8) | "Johnsoniana". Mr. Pierrepont; Lord Bolingbroke; Mrs. Salusbury. |
| IV.19<br>IV.6-7 | (9) | Anecdotes of Barré, Johnson, Langton, and JB; Johnson on Dr. Lort; Huggins and Warton dispute about Ariosto |
| IV.15 | (10) | Remarks on Johnson's character; Langtoniana on foreigners (ref.) (See C 1913). |
| IV.112 | (11) | Note on cui bono man |
| IV.168 n.1 | (12) | Rose's anecdote about Lord Bute not true; Johnson's translation of Euripides in Burney's <u>History of Music</u> |
| IV.320,189-190 | (13) | "Dr. Warton". <u>Rehearsal</u>; Hurd |
| IV.319 also<br>IV.20 | (14) | "Of an authour of most anxious and restless vanity" (⑩) |
| IV.406 n.1 | (15) | Sir John Hawkins and Johnson's Diaries (ref) (See M326 p:21) |
| IV.425 | (16) | "Johnsoniana". Johnson a comet; <u>His morbid constitution</u>; <u>his walking gait and horsemanship</u> |
| | (17) | "Dr. Brocklesby" |
| | (18) | "Dr. Johns." Nun's vows renewable |
| | (19) | "Johnson's Poems". |
| | (20) | "For my Life of Johnson"; References to Shakespeare; idea as "notum" |
| | (21) | "Johnson" Poems in <u>Cent. Mag.</u> not by Johnson |
| | (22) | "Imitators of Johnson"; Johnson censures a passage in Prior |
| | (23) | "A strange variation on Johnson's Verses" (Life III.159) F1599 |
| | (24) | "Similar to Dr. Johnson's Frank" |
| | (25) | Note on word "condescended" (ref) (M312) |
| | (26) | Opening sentences for a Life of Johnson |

(24) "Similar to Dr. Johnson's Frank"

(25) Note on word "condescended" (ref) (M 312)

(26) Opening sentences for a Life of Johnson

M 155:3

From JB's docket "Johnsons various places of residence &c.&c." this leaf appears to have been used as a wrapper for various papers; for the rough notes cont. SJ's residences (taken down Oct 1779) see J 67.1

The address, Genl Paoli's, Upper Seymour St: JB first stayed with Paoli here, May-June 1784, and later in 1785 and spring 1786 (after 25 Sept 1786 JB had his own house). Previous to this he had stayed with Paoli in South Audley st., 1778, 1779, 1781, and 1783.

"Dedication" -- the Hypochondriacks on this subject appeared Sept and Oct 1782; JB was revising the series for publication early in 1784, even more intensively ix later in 1784, and continued to collect notes for them in later years. "Sir John Pethus" -- (DNB) Sir John Pettus (1613-1690), deputy governor of the royal mints; in later life imprisoned for debt several times. The book was Fleta Minor... Lond. 1683; I believe Brocklesby called the dedication to JB's attention; see two other refs. to this dedication, with the added note: "Dr. Brocklesby has the Book" -- M 119.1:1 p.56 and p.75.

(continued)

M 155:3

Card 2

"The first time Mr. Murphy saw Dr. Johnson". Rough note for *Life* i.268. The story is told in Murphy's Johnson (1792) p.79 and in Piozzi's *Anecdotes* p.235.

JB's version of the story sounds as though it was taken down from hearing Murphy tell it personally ("Pause wt his gesticulations --"). JB dined at Brocklesby's with Murphy on 27 June 1786 (Journal).

Note: SJ's saying about Bolingbroke was inserted in the *proofs* (see Paper Apart, "B" printed page 145). Murphy is not mentioned. JB inserted his note on SJ's residences at *Life*, i,11405. Does it not look as if, when he looked up the list of residences (then wrapped in this paper), he noticed Murphy's story. By that time he was well past the point where it should come in, and so inserted it in the proofs?

"Bolingbroke's Philosophy": I think JB was using the word, not as a title, but as a general way of thinking -- in his Paper Apart "B" JB writes it "Philosophy" (in quotes). I have examined Mallet's ed. of Bolingbroke's *Works*, 1754,5 vols. and find no part of it has a section under the title "Philosophy". Vol.1 has an essay on Human (see over)

M 155:4 and L 431

Dating: Compare the Journal for 19 Jan 1790. This paper was almost certainly written about the Literary Club meeting that day (subjects: Campbell, Marlborough among those discussed; Jos Warton and Ld Macartney, both ment. were present). Also the date may be confirmed by Dilly's account with JB (A 24) under 21 Jan 1790 -- "6 Courtney Review of Johnson." I believe the note, which for some reason was not delivered to Dilly, was used to record some of the conversation at the Club.

"Johnsoniana". "Dr. Campbell... grazed". *Life* i.418n.1: it appears in the 1st ed.I.226,n.1 -- the whole note is written on the p. opp. p. 231 of the MS. Perhaps added later. Praise of Ld Macartney also appears in this note.

"Duke of Marl & Cadog": This anecdote appears in the Advertisement to the 2d ed. The note in upper corner "Ask Ld Mcart" suggests that the story was from Ld Macartney. In Hill-Powell it comes in, i.12.

"Adventure[r] all T's ..." This remark must have been from Jos. Warton. See *Life* i.252, in which JB does not mention Thornton. On 27 Mar 1790 JB wrote to Warton asking about Coleman's contributions; Warton's reply (C3064) generally follows the brief note in M 155:4.

(continued)

M 155:4

Card 2

"Adventurer". Mr. Powell says (letter 29 Sept 1960): "I think it records Boswell's first knowledge of Johnson's part in the Adventurer story. It certainly shows that he had not read the essays at the time he made it. The confusion of Philargyrus with its opposite, Misargyrus, is most amusing ... but it is very odd that Boswell should have mixed up Philargyrus with the rarer Misargyrus. I propose to quote the memo & content myself with saying that his blunder shows that he had not met the correct name in print at that early stage. There is other evidence that he had not read the essays when he described them, as I think I told you, but this is inconclusive. 'On Signs' isn't easily explained. No.9 is on signs but it is an A = Thornton paper, but why Boswell or Warton makes special mention of it, I can't think. Anyway it doesn't strike me as vitally important."

M 155:11

"Cui bono man". The problem here is the handwriting of the answer. It looks quite familiar, but I cannot identify it. It was Daines Barrington who told this to JB in the first place (Life iv.112). This paper has the appearance of being written and folded into a small note and passed to some one in the company where JB was. It could well have been passed to Barrington at the Essex Head Club, or in Westminster Hall, JB having forgotten Shaw's name. But the handwriting does not resemble Barrington's. At one time I thought it was in the same hand as the footnote to Fitzgerald's poem, P 29, but I do not still think so. The "Oxford" suggests Malone; it is not T.Warton's; I think it sounds like an Isaac Reed-type of information -- the "Oxford" is not too unlike his, but there are really too many points in which the writing is dissimilar to his hand. I have an impression there are bits of this hand in the MS. of the Life or Papers Apart (for instance Paper Apart, p.82).

M 155:13

Everything seems to point to a date of early 1791: The list of addres-
es dated "twelfth Janry", which I take to be a list JB took perhaps to
Courtenay for having franks written; in the case of Robert Boswell,
this can be checked exactly as Robert Boswell acknowledges a letter
from JB dated 12 Jan 1791. A letter to Andrew Gibb dated Jan 11, 1791
is printed in *Letters*. Early 1791 would be a logical date for a letter
to Lady Mary Lindsay, although none is ment.

"Thursday 13 at eleven Dr. Warton" (it looks like "18" but JB first wrote "11" and changed it to "13"). I take this to be an appointment with Jos. Warton to get material about SJ. The material headed "Dr. Warton" is apparently *all* notes taken on "Thursday 13" at the interview with Warton.

There are certain discrepancies to note:

(1) Article on "Rehearsal": it appears in Papers Apart, "Varia" (in an interpolated page) at MS.p.966. No note of the source is given. It appears in 1st ed II.517). As other items of the "Varia" were received late, after the *Life* was in print up to this point (see Petition for Dr. Dodd from City of London) a date of early 1791 is possible.

(2) "Talking of Dr. Hurd at Cambridge". I do not find this in the *Life*.
Warton perhaps had this at second hand. *Life* i.155 quoting a letter
*(continued)*

M 155:13

card 2

from R. Farmer to Percy, 25 Feb 1765, Cambridge, about SJ at Cambridge says, "Hurd for instance comes off badly".

(3) "At another time he observed, Hurd..." (iv.189) and "He however told him..." (iv.189-90). "These appeared first in the Additions to Dr. Johnson's *Life* at the beginning of vol.I of the second edition" (if,189n2) This material was received or recollected after the 2d ed. was in print. According to the *Life* SJ addressed both these remarks to the same "friend". This paper seems to indicate that the friend was Langton, not Warton. Perhaps Langton was present at this conversation as well as JB and Warton.

M 155:14

The two items marked "moi".

"Of an Authour of most anxious ... vanity". JB would have qualified
in SJ's lifetime on account of his *Corsica*, etc.

"That Gentleman having published a volume of Poems". JB had published
two poems separately (*Lit.Car*. Nos.3 and 4), also the *Cub at Newmarket*
(No.6); he had several poems in *Original Poems by Scotch Gentlemen*,
Vol.II, but no volume such as is described, although he had projected
a collection of his poems (Douce MS.: Bodleian).

This leaf originally followed Papers Apart, M 145 p.702-3, "Langtoniana No. 18". It cannot have been conjugate with it however. But p.703 has the catch-word "said" and the rest of the sentence, "he I never made such an effort as that to attain Greek" is found, crossed out, at the top of M 155 (14). In preparing the paper for a Paper Apart, JB completed the sentence by writing it in, in the space at the bottom of p. 703 of the Papers Apart.