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other person." For whom? For what? indignantly answered miss Biddy upon one occasion. Why," very coolly drawled out the Exquisite, viewing her through his glass, "for a d-d pretty girl; but I am sure I beg your pardon, I never was in a greater error in my life." This, it must be owned was insupportable.

Miss Biddy flew from this contagious abode to Manchester Street, Here she enjoyed only three days' repose, when an Accoucheur called on her landlady, to make some inquiries, which greatly offended Biddy's delicacy, for she said that she could not bear the sight of the

man.

One day, a letter being left at the Doctor's, whose name is Matthew Jones, directed thus

"M. Jones, Manchester Street,

to be delivered immediately" and being very closely folded, the Doctor looked only at the address, and,con

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sidering it as a mere hasty mandate to exert his skill, never opened it. The M. Jones he took for Mrs. Jones; the last line spoke for itself; he therefore concluded that my Cousin needed his professional aid, and although late in the evening, proceeded immediately to attend her. This was worse than all the rest; and my poor cousin Biddy was fairly driven out of town. She asserted, on her arrival in the country, that London was not a fit place for any modest woman's residence; and that it was impossible, for her life, her credit, or her reputation, to be in salety there one week. She therefore discharged her male servant, and put herself as a parlour boarder at a boardingschool in the country, for the sake of protection ;-where that she is at present in the very highest possible state of purity and of preservation, will be vouched to any one whom it may concern, by THE HERMIT IN LONDON.

To the Editor-Sir,

FTER almost despairing for some time of being able to send you a narrative of Johnson's journey to Cambridge, worthy of your acceptance, I now hope, through the assistance of a dear and very old friend, to transmit you something not derogatory to its illustrious subject. The gentleman here alluded to is the Rev. J. Lettice, then Fellow of Sidney College, (since rector of Peasmarsh, Sussex,) of whose merits, as a writer, the public is already well apprized, and whom in the following narrative, I shall always mention as my friend.

My first introduction to Dr. Johnson was owing to the following circumstance. My friend and I had agreed upon attempting a new translation of Plutarch's Lives; but previously, as I was just then going to town, my friend wished me to consult Johnson about it, with whom he himself was well acquainted. In consequence, when in town, I procured an interview with

Levett, who willingly next morning

of Hull, and in early life became a waiter in a coffee-house at Paris. The surgeons who frequented it, finding him attentive to their conversation, raised a subscription for him among themselves, and gave him some instructions in anatomy. He also obtained by the same means admission to the lectures on medicine, and thus was enabled to set up for himself; but whether he ever took any degree is uncertain. The rest of his life also is unknown, till he became acquainted with Johnson, who made him hi domestic physician, gave him apartments in his house, and treated him with great kindness. After breakfasting with the Doctor, he usually went round among his patients, then attended Hunter's lectures, and returned at night.“ All his physical knowledge," said Johnson, “and it is not inconsiderable, was obtained through the ear. Though he buys books, he seldom looks into them, or discovers any power by which he can be supposed to judge of an au thor's merit." Before he became an inmate of the Doctor's he married a common strumpet, who passed herself off upon him as an heiress, while he did the same upon her as a physician of great practice. They were separated by the intervention of Johnson, with whom Levelt resided above twenty years, and died at his house,

* Dr. Levett, as he was called, was a native

January, 1782. His memory was honoured by his old patron, with a poetical tribute of uffection."

EDITOR.

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introduced me to breakfast with the great man. His residence was then in some old-fashioned rooms called, I think, Inner Temple lane, No. 1. At the top of a few steps the door opened into a dark and dingy looking old wainscoted anti-room, through which was the study, and into which a little before noon, came rolling, as if just roused from his cabin, the truly uncouth figure of our literary Colossus, in a strange black wig, too little for him by half, but which, before our next interview, was exchanged for that very respectable brown one in which his friend, Sir Joshua,so faithfully depicted him. I am glad, however, I saw the queer black bob, as his biographers have noticed it, and as it proved that the lustre of native genius can break through the most disfiguring habiliments. He seemed pleased to see a young Cantab in his rooms, and on my acquainting him with the business on which I had taken the liberty of consulting him, he rather encouraged our undertaking than otherwise, though after working at it for a few months we found the work too tedious and incompatible with other pursuits, and were obliged to relinquish it. After this, the great man question ed me about Cambridge, and whatever regarded literature, and attended to my answers with great complacency. I repeatedly afterwards visited him, both in Johnson's-court and Bolt-court.

Though I meant at first to confine myself solely to his Cambridge excursion, yet, that we may not lose, as Garrick says, 66 one drop of this immortal man," permit me to say a few words respecting these different calls. When alone he sometimes asked me to take tea with him; and I can truly say, that I never found him morose or overbear ing, though I freely contradicted him, with which he seemed pleased, and in order to lead a young man into controversy or discussion, he would now and then advance what he did not think. He has been aptly compared to a ghost, as he would seldom speak first, but would sit librating in his chair till a question was asked, upon which he would promptly and fluently dilate.

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The reason for this seems, as a firstrate genius, who feels himself equally prepared to discuss whatever subject may be started, must deem it more to his own honour that he should not chuse the topic himself. When I saw the Doctor again, after we had given up Plutarch, I told him that my friend and professor Martyn had undertaken to give an edition in English, with the plates, of the Herculaneum Antiquities. Johnson- They don't know what they have undertaken the engravers will drive them mad, sir." And this perhaps, with other reasons, might prevent their executing more than one volume. At another time, he said, "that Mr. Farmer, of your college, is a very clever man, indeed, sir." And on my asking him whether he knew the fact with respect to the learning of Shakspeare, before that gentleman's publication? Johnson--" Why, yes, sir, I knew in general that the fact was as he represents it; but I did not know it, as Mr. Farmer has now taught it me, by detail, sir." I was several times the bearer of messages between them; and my suggesting and expressing a hope that we should some time or other have the pleasure of seeing him at Cambridge, when I should be most happy to introduce them to each other, might somewhat conduce to his taking the journey I am about to describe.

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The last time I called upon him was long after the Cambridge visit, and I found with him Mr. Strahan, his son, the Vicar of Islington, and two or three other gentlemen, one of whom was upon his legs taking leave, and saying, Well, Doctor, as you know I shall set off to-morrow, what shall I say for you to Mrs. Thrale, when I see her?" Johnson-" Why, sir, you may tell her how I am : but noa, sir, noa, she knows that already; and so when you see Mrs. Thrale, you will say to her what it is predestined that you are to say to her, sir." Amidst the general laugh occasioned by this sally the gentleman retired; and the Doctor joining in the merriment, proceeded," for you know, sir, when a person has said or done any thing, it was plainly predesti

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mer, on whose account principally the journey was undertaken.

During our conviviality nothing occurred that was at all like an indignant contradiction, though the Doctor was himself sometimes purposely contradicted to elicit the sparks of his genius by collision. There was, however, no lack of noble sentiments; and on any subject being started, he would instantly give a sort of treatise upon it in miniature. Long before 12 o'clock our hero began to be very great; for on bis entering the room, having a pain in his face he bent it down to the fire, archly observing, with a smile, "This minority cheek of mine is warring against the general constitution.""Nay, Doctor," said Beauclerk, who well knew how to manage him, "you musn't talk against the minority, for they tell you, you know, that they are your friends, and wish to support your liberties, and save you from oppression." Johnson...." Why yes, sir, just as wisely, and just as necessarily as if they were to build up the interstices of the cloisters at the bottom of this court, for fear the library should fall upon our heads, sir."

Kit Smart happening to be mentioned, and that he had broken out of a house of confinement: "He was a fool for that," said Beauclerk; "for within two days they meant to have released him." Johnson..." Whenever poor Kit could make his escape, sir, it would always have been within two days of his intended liberation." He then proceed ed to speak highly of the parts and scholarship of poor Kit; and to our great surprise, recited a number of lines out of one of Smart's Latin Triposes; and added, "Kit Smart was mad, sir.' Beauclerk..." What do you mean by mad, Doctor?" Johuson..." Why, sir, he could not walk the streets without the boys running after him." Soon after this, on Johnson's leaving the room, Beauclerk said to us-"What he says of Smart is true of himself;" which well agrees with my observations during the walk I took with him that very morning. Beauclerk also took the same opportunity to tell us of that most

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astonishing, and scarcely credible effort of genius, his writing Rasselas in two days and a night, and then travelling down with the price to support his sick mother! But Boswell says this was done after her decease, to pay her debts and funeral expenses. In either case, what parts !-what piety!

On the Doctor's return, Beauclerk said to him, "Doctor, why do you keep that blind woman in your house?" Johnson..." Why, sir, she was a friend to my poor wife, and was in the house with her when she died. And so, sir, as I could not find in my heart to desire her to quit my house, poor thing! she has remained in it ever since, sir." It appears, however, that the friendship and conversation of the intelligent Anna Williams, proved in general highly gratifying to him, and he feelingly lamented her loss, in 1783.

A question was then asked him respecting Sterne. Johnson...." In a company where I lately was, Tristram Shandy introduced himself; and Tristram Shandy had scarcely sat down, when he informed us that he had been writing a Dedication to Lord Spencer : and sponte suâ he pulled it out of his pocket; and sponte suâ, for nobody desired him, he began to read it; and before he had read half a dozen lines, sponte meâ, sir, I told him it was not English, sir." This trifle is prefixed to vol. v. and may be fairly said to justify the censure of the critic, even supposing it contained no other error previously to the giving of the above broad hint. It will scarcely be regarded as a forced digression, if I here relate what Farmer observed to me a year or two before this period, respecting the ill-judging Sterne. "My good friend," said he one day in the parlour at Emmanuel, “ you young men seem very fond of this Tristram Shandy; but mark my words, and remember what I say to you; however much it may be talked about at present, yet, depend upon it, in the course of twenty years, should any one wish to refer to the book in question, he will be obliged to go to an antiquary to inquire for it." This has proved truly prophetic; and