’Few consequences of my endeavours to please or to benefit mankind have delighted me more than your friendship thus voluntarily offered, which now I have it I hope to keep, because I hope to continue to deserve it.

’I have no Dictionaries to dispose of for myself, but shall be glad to have you direct your friends to Mr. Dodsley, because it was by his recommendation that I was employed in the work.

’When you have leisure to think again upon me, let me be favoured with another letter; and another yet, when you have looked into my Dictionary.  If you find faults, I shall endeavour to mend them; if you find none, I shall think you blinded by kind partiality:  but to have made you partial in his favour, will very much gratify the ambition of, Sir, your most obliged and most humble servant,

‘Sam.  Johnson.’

‘Gough-square, Fleet-street, April 8,1755.’

The Dictionary, with a Grammar and History of the English Language, being now at length published, in two volumes folio, the world contemplated with wonder so stupendous a work achieved by one man, while other countries had thought such undertakings fit only for whole academies.  Vast as his powers were, I cannot but think that his imagination deceived him, when he supposed that by constant application he might have performed the task in three years.

The extensive reading which was absolutely necessary for the accumulation of authorities, and which alone may account for Johnson’s retentive mind being enriched with a very large and various store of knowledge and imagery, must have occupied several years.  The Preface furnishes an eminent instance of a double talent, of which Johnson was fully conscious.  Sir Joshua Reynolds heard him say, ’There are two things which I am confident I can do very well:  one is an introduction to any literary work, stating what it is to contain, and how it should be executed in the most perfect manner; the other is a conclusion, shewing from various causes why the execution has not been equal to what the authour promised to himself and to the publick.’

A few of his definitions must be admitted to be erroneous.  Thus, Windward and Leeward, though directly of opposite meaning, are defined identically the same way; as to which inconsiderable specks it is enough to observe, that his Preface announces that he was aware there might be many such in so immense a work; nor was he at all disconcerted when an instance was pointed out to him.  A lady once asked him how he came to define Pastern the knee of a horse:  instead of making an elaborate defence, as she expected, he at once answered, ’Ignorance, madam, pure ignorance.’  His definition of Network* has been often quoted with sportive malignity, as obscuring a thing in itself very plain.  But to these frivolous censures no other answer is necessary than that with which we are furnished by his own Preface.

     * Any thing reticulated or decussated, at equal distances,
     with interstices between the intersections.’—­Ed.