422 Essay on
��table, sit down, write a letter, and perform a variety of other actions with such dexterity, that though Nature s journeymen made the men, they imitated humanity to the astonishment of the spectator 1 . The entertainment being over, the three friends retired to a tavern. Johnson and Sir Joshua talked with pleasure of what they had seen ; and says Johnson, in a tone of admira tion, ' How the little fellow brandished his spontoon 2 ! ' ' There is nothing in it,' replied Goldsmith, starting up with impatience ; ' give me a spontoon ; I can do it as well myself V
Enjoying his amusements at his weekly club 4 , and happy in a state of independence, Johnson gained in the year 1765 another resource, which contributed more than any thing else to exempt him from the solicitudes of life. He was introduced to the late Mr. Thrale and his family. Mrs. Piozzi has related the fact, and it is therefore needless to repeat it in this place 5 . The author of this narrative looks back to the share he had in that business with self-congratulation, since he knows the tenderness which from that time soothed Johnson's cares at Streatham, and pro longed a valuable life 6 . The subscribers to Shakspeare began to despair of ever seeing the promised edition 7 . To acquit him self of this obligation, he went to work unwillingly, but pro ceeded with vigour. In the month of October 1765, Shakspeare was published 8 ; and, in a short time after, the University of
1 ' I have thought some of Nature's selection of it, and was so constant journeymen had made men and not at our meetings as never to absent made them well, they imitated hu- himself. It is true he came late, but inanity so abominably.' Hamlet, Act then he stayed late.' Hawkins, p. iii. sc. 2. 1. 37. 424. He was in later years irregular
2 Spontoon is not in Johnson's in his attendance. Ante, p. 229, n. 4. Dictionary. 5 Ante, p. 232.
3 According to Boswell ' Goldsmith 6 In his last letter to her Johnson went home with Mr. Burke to supper ; speaks of 'that kindness which and broke his shin by attempting to soothed twenty years of a life radi- exhibit to the company how much cally wretched.' Letters, ii. 407. better he could jump over a stick 7 For Churchill's taunt on the than the puppets.' Life, i. 414, n. 4. delay, see Life, i. 319.
4 * The hours which Johnson spent 8 Life, i. 496. For the first edition in this society seemed to be the he received ^375, and for the second, happiest of his life; he would often ^100. Gentleman's Magazine, 1787, applaud his own sagacity in the p. 76.
Dublin
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