his own country, and to expend an hundred thousand pounds in poisoning the principles of mankind by printing the works of Voltaire."

Mrs. Baskerville died in March 1788.

MR. JOSEPH JOHNSON,

a respectable Bookseller in St. Paul's Church-yard, was born at Liverpool in November 1738, of parents who were Dissenters of the Baptist persuasion. He was sent to London at the age of fourteen; and after some time was apprenticed with Mr. George Keith of Gracechurch-street. He began business for himself in a shop on Fish-streethill, a situation he chose as being in the track of the

to be made use of for the purpose of propagating the English language in this country." Letter from Paris, Aug. 8, 1780.

"A complete edition of the Works of Voltaire, printed by subscription, with the types of Baskerville. This work, the most extensive and magnificent that ever was printed, is now in the press at Fort Khel, near Strasburgh, a free place, subject to no restraint or imprimatur, and will be published towards the close of the present year. It will never be on sale. Subscribers only can have copies. Each set is to be numbered, and a particular number appropriated to each subscriber at the time of subscribing. As the sets to be worked off are limited to a fixed and small number, considering the demand of all Europe, those who wish to be possessed of so valuable a work must be early in their applications, lest they be shut out by the subscriptions being previously filled. Voltaire's Manuscripts and Port Folios, besides his Works already published, cost twelve thousand guineas. This and the other expences attending the publication will lay the Editors under an advance of 100,000l. sterling. The Publick may from thence form a judgement of the extraordinary care that will be taken to make this edition a lasting monument of typographical elegance and grandeur. Subscriptions are taken. in at the following Banking-houses, London, Sir Robert Herries and Co.; Edinburgh, Sir William Forbes, J. Hunter and Co. Dublin, Messrs. Blacke and Murray. Proposals and particulars may be had, and subscriptions taken in, at Mr. Elmsly's, book seller, in the Strand; Mr. Woodmason's, Leadenhall-street; Mr. Farquharson's, agent to the undertaking, and at John Hen derson's, esq. Milk-street, Cheapside." June 4, 1782.

Medical

Medical Students resorting to the Hospitals in the Borough, and which probably was the foundation of his connexions with many eminent members of that profession. From that place he removed to Paternoster-row, where he lived some years in partnership first with Mr. Davenport, and then with Mr. John Payne. His house and stock were entirely destroyed by fire in 1770; after which misfortune he removed to the shop in St. Paul's Church-yard, in which he thenceforth carried on business without a partner to the time of his death, Dec. 20, 1809; an event greatly regretted by his numerous friends; and had been for some years past considered as the Father of the Trade.

The character of Mr. Johnson, established by his integrity, good sense, and honourable principles of dealing, soon raised him to eminence as a PubI'sher; and many of the most distinguished names in Science and Literature during the last half century appear in works which he ushered to the world. Of a temper the reverse of sanguine, with a manner somewhat cold and indifferent, and with a decided aversion to all arts of puffing and parade, the confidence and attachment he inspired were entirely the result of his solid judgment, his unaffected sincerity, and the friendly benevolence with which he entered into the interests of all who were conne 1 with him. Although he was not remarkable for the encouragement he held out to Authors-the consequence of his being neither sanguine nor pushiget it was his invariable rule, when the success

work surpassed his expectations, to make the iter a partaker in the emolument, though he lay ler no other obligation to do so than his own notions of justice and generosity. The kindness of his heart was equally conspicuous in all the relations of life. His house and purse were always open to the calls of friendship, kindred, or misfortune; and perhaps few men of his means and condition have done more substantial services to persons whose me

rits and necessities recommended them to his notice. It is well known that Mr. Johnson's literary connexions have lain in great part amung the free Enquirers both on religious and political topics. He was himself, on conviction, a friend to such large and liberal discussion as is not inconsistent with the peace and welfare of Society, and the preservation of due decorum towards things really respectable. But these were limits within which, both by temper and principle, he wished to see such discussion confined; for turbulence and sedition were utterly abhorrent from his nature. When, therefore, for the unconscious offence of selling a few copies of a pamphlet of which he was not the publisher, and which was a reply to one of which he had sold a much larger number, the opportunity was taken of involving him in a prosecution that brought upon him the infliction of fine and imprisonment, it was 1 by many considered as the ungenerous indulgence of a long-hoarded spleen against him on account of publications not liable to legal censure, though displeasing to Authority. It is gratifying, however, to relate, that during the height of party animosity, so little was he regarded personally as a party-man, that he continued to number among his intimate friends, several worthy persons of opposite sentiments and connexions, who, with himself, were capable of considering a man's performance of t duties of life apart from his speculative opinio

Although the majority of his publications were of the theological and political class, yet the num1 of those in science and egant literature was by. means inconsiderable. Besides all the scientific!! writings of Dr. Priestley, he published many im portant works in Medicine and Anatomy; and others in different branches of knowledge. Two Poets of great modern celebrity were by him first introduced to the publick-Cowper and Darwin. The former of these, with the diffidence, and perhaps the despondency, of his character, had actually, by means

of

of a friend, made over to him his two volumes of Poems on no other condition than that of securing him from expence; but when the Publick, which neglected the first volume, had discovered the rich mine opened in "The Task," and assigned the Author his merited place among the first-rate English Poets, Mr. Johnson would not avail himself of his advantage, but displayed a liberality which has been warmly acknowledged by that admirable though unfortunate person.

It is proper to mention that his true regard for the interests of Literature rendered him an enemy to that typographical luxury which, joined to the necessary increase of expence in printing, has so much enhanced the price of new books as to be a material obstacle to the indulgence of a laudable and reasonable curiosity by the reading Publick. On this principle he usually consulted cheapness rather than appearance in his own publications; and if Authors were sometimes mortified by this preference, the purpose of extensive circulation was better served.

Mr. Johnson was of a weak and delicate frame of body, and was much afflicted with asthmatic complaints, which visibly gained ground upon him as he advanced in years. The immediate cause of his dissolution was a pleuritic attack, under which he quietly sunk after three days of patient suffering. His remains were deposited in the church-yard of Fulham, in which parish he had a country house. He was never married. J. AIKIN.

MR. HENRY HUGHS,

whose Father I have mentioned in vol. V. p. 35, with a wish towards himself which I flattered myself would not have displeased him, was living when that page was printed; but died at Brighton, Sept. 5, 1810. He was a good scholar; and a worthy unassuming man.

MR.

MR. LEWIS, of Chelsea,

who died in 1783, used to bind books for, and enjoy the company and conversation of, the first literary men of his day; and was generally supposed to have been the original character of Strap, in "Roderick Random." Mrs. Lewis often assured the writer of this article, that her husband denied the assertions of many people, as often as it was mentioned to him; but there is every reason to suppose him to have been the person that Smollett had in view, as they came out of Scotland together, and, when Smollett lived at Chelsea, Mr. Lewis used to dine every Sunday with him. Mrs. Lewis died January 20, 1797; and left two sons.

MR. GRIFFITH JONES

was born in 1722, and served his apprenticeship with Mr. Bowyer. Of this ingenious man, slighter notice has been taken by the Biographers of the time than his virtues and talents certainly merited. He was many years Editor of the London Chronicle, the Daily Advertiser, and the Public Ledger. In the Literary Magazine with Johnson, and in the British Magazine with Smollett and Goldsmith, his anonymous labours were also associated. The native goodness of his heart endeared him to a numerous and respectable literary acquaintance, among whom he reckoned the philanthropic Mr. John Newbery, Mr. Woty the ingenious Poet, Dr. Oliver Goldsmith, and the pious and learned Dr. Samuel Johnson; to the latter of whom he was for several years a near neighbour in Bolt-court, Fleet-street. His modesty shrunk from public attention, but his labours were frequently directed to the improvement of the younger and more untutored classes of mankind. His translations from the French were very numerous; but as he rarely, if ever, put his name to the productions of his pen, they cannot now be traced. VOL. III.

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