About this time he made one other effort to emancipate himself from the drudgery of authourship.  He applied to Dr. Adams, to consult Dr. Smalbroke of the Commons, whether a person might be permitted to practice as an advocate there, without a doctor’s degree in Civil Law.  ’I am (said he) a total stranger to these studies; but whatever is a profession, and maintains numbers, must be within the reach of common abilities, and some degree of industry.’  Dr. Adams was much pleased with Johnson’s design to employ his talents in that manner, being confident he would have attained to great eminence.

As Mr. Pope’s note concerning Johnson, alluded to in a former page, refers both to his London, and his Marmor Norfolciense, I have deferred inserting it till now.  I am indebted for it to Dr. Percy, the Bishop of Dromore, who permitted me to copy it from the original in his possession.  It was presented to his Lordship by Sir Joshua Reynolds, to whom it was given by the son of Mr. Richardson the painter, the person to whom it is addressed.  I have transcribed it with minute exactness, that the peculiar mode of writing, and imperfect spelling of that celebrated poet, may be exhibited to the curious in literature.  It justifies Swift’s epithet of ‘Paper-sparing Pope,’ for it is written on a slip no larger than a common message-card, and was sent to Mr. Richardson, along with the Imitation of Juvenal.

’This is imitated by one Johnson who put in for a Publick-school in Shropshire, but was disappointed.  He has an infirmity of the convulsive kind, that attacks him sometimes, so as to make him a sad Spectacle.  Mr. P. from the Merit of this Work which was all the knowledge he had of him endeavour’d to serve him without his own application; & wrote to my Ld gore, but he did not succeed.  Mr. Johnson published afterwds another Poem in Latin with Notes the whole very Humerous call’d the Norfolk Prophecy.  P.’

Johnson had been told of this note; and Sir Joshua Reynolds informed him of the compliment which it contained, but, from delicacy, avoided shewing him the paper itself.  When Sir Joshua observed to Johnson that he seemed very desirous to see Pope’s note, he answered, ’Who would not be proud to have such a man as Pope so solicitous in inquiring about him?’

The infirmity to which Mr. Pope alludes, appeared to me also, as I have elsewhere observed, to be of the convulsive kind, and of the nature of that distemper called St. Vitus’s dance; and in this opinion I am confirmed by the description which Sydenham gives of that disease.  ’This disorder is a kind of convulsion.  It manifests itself by halting or unsteadiness of one of the legs, which the patient draws after him like an ideot.  If the hand of the same side be applied to the breast, or any other part of the body, he cannot keep it a moment in the same posture, but it will be drawn into a different one by a convulsion, notwithstanding all his efforts to the contrary.’  Sir Joshua Reynolds, however, was of a different opinion, and favoured me with the following paper.