Boswelf’s intention to attend on Johnson in his illness, and to publish ‘Praises’ of him.

(Vol. iv, p. 265.)

’JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ., TO BISHOP PERCY.

’Edinburgh, 8 March, 1784.

“...I intend to be in London about the end of this month, chiefly to attend upon Dr. Johnson with respectful affection.  He has for some time been very ill...I wish to publish as a regale [ante, iii. 308, n. 2; v. 347, n. 1] to him a neat little volume, The Praises of Dr. Johnson, by contemporary Writers. ...Will your Lordship take the trouble to send me a note of the writers you recollect having praised our much respected friend?...An edition of my pamphlet [ante, iv. 258] has been published in London."’ —­Nichols’s Literary History, vii. 302.

The reported Russian version of the ’Rambler’.

(Vol. iv, p. 277, n. 1.)

I am informed by my friend, Mr. W. R. Morfill, M.A., of Oriel College, Oxford, who has, I suppose, no rival in this country in his knowledge of the Slavonic tongues, that no Russian translation of the Rambler has been published.  He has given me the following title of the Russian version of Rasselas, which he has obtained for me through the kindness of Professor Grote, of the University of Warsaw:—­

’Rasselas, printz Abissinskii, Vostochnaya Poviest Sochinenie Doktora Dzhonsona Perevod s’angliiskago. 3 chasti, Moskva. 1795.

’Rasselas, prince of Abyssinia, An Eastern Tale, by Doctor Johnson.  Translated from the English. 2 parts, Moscow, 1795.’

‘It has not wit enough to keep it sweet.’

(Vol. iv, p. 320.)

’Heylyn, in the Epistle to his Letter-Combate, addressing Baxter, and speaking of such “unsavoury pieces of wit and mischief” as “the Church-historian” asks, “Would you not have me rub them with a little salt to keep them sweet?” This passage was surely present in the mind of Dr. Johnson when he said concerning The Rehearsal that “it had not wit enough to keep it sweet."’ —­J.  E. Bailey’s Life of Thomas Fuller, p. 640.

Pictures of Johnson.

(Vol. iv, p. 421, n. 2.)

In the Common Room of Trinity College, Oxford, there is an interesting portrait of Johnson, said to be by Romney.  I cannot, however, find any mention of it in the Life of that artist.  It was presented to the College by Canon Duckworth.

The Gregory Family.

(Vol. v, p. 48, n. 3.)

Mr. P. J. Anderson (in Notes and Queries, 7th S. iii. 147) casts some doubt on Chalmers’ statement.  He gives a genealogical table of the Gregory family, which includes thirteen professors; but two of these cannot, from their dates, be reckoned among Chalmers’ sixteen.

The University of St. Andrews in 1778.

(Vol. v, p. 63, n. 2.)