undertaking, and to be near his printer and friend Mr. Strahan, he ventured to take a house in Gough-square, Fleet-street x . He was told that the Earl of Chesterfield was a friend to his undertaking ; and, in consequence of that intelligence, he pub lished, in 1747, The Plan of a Dictionary of the English Language., addressed to the Right Honourable Philip Dormer, Earl of Chesterfield, one of his Majesty s principal Secretaries of State 2 . Mr. Whitehead, afterwards Poet Laureat, undertook to convey the manuscript to his Lordship : the consequence was an invitation from Lord Chesterfield to the author 3 . A stronger contrast of characters could not be brought together ; the Nobleman, celebrated for his wit, and all the graces of polite behaviour; the Author, conscious of his own merit, towering in idea above all competition, versed in scholastic logic, but a stranger to the arts of polite conversation, uncouth, vehement, and vociferous. The coalition was too unnatural 4 . Johnson expected a Maecenas, and was disappointed 5 . No patronage, no assistance followed. Visits were repeated ; but the reception was not cordial. Johnson one day was left a full hour, waiting in an anti-chamber, till a gentleman should retire, and leave his Lordship at leisure. This was the famous Colley Cibber. Johnson saw him go, and, fired with indignation, rushed out of the house 6 . What Lord Chesterfield thought of his visitor
1 Life, i. 1 88. Strahan lived at who carried it to Lord Chesterfield.'
No. 10, Little New Street, Shoe Id. i. 184.
Lane. Napier's Boswell, iii. 560. 4 ' In a short time the moral, pious
3 For the 'casual excuse for lazi- Johnson and the gay, dissipated
ness ' which led Johnson to address Beauclerk were companions. "What
his Plan to the Earl of Chesterfield, a coalition ! " said Garrick when he
see Life, i. 183. heard of this.' Ib. i. 249.
3 ' Dr. Taylor told me, that John- * Of Andrew Millar, the printer, son sent his Plan to him in manu- Johnson said 'he is the Maecenas of script, for his perusal ; and that when the age.' Ib. i. 287, n. 3. it was lying upon his table, Mr. 6 Hawkins (p. 189) tells the same William Whitehead happened to pay story, which had long been current, him a visit, and being shewn it, was 'But,' writes Boswell, 'Johnson him- highly pleased with such parts of it self assured me, that there was not as he had time to read, and begged the least foundation for it. He told to take it home with him, which he me, that there never was any par- was allowed to do ; that from him ticular incident which produced a it got into the hands of a noble Lord, quarrel between Lord Chesterfield
may
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