things were said. Accordingly, the librarian at Buckingham- house invited Johnson to see that elegant collection of books, at the same time giving a hint of what was intended '. His Majesty entered the room ; and, among other things, asked the author, ' If he meant to give the world any more of his compositions ? ' Johnson answered, 'That he thought he had written enough.' ' And I should think so too/ replied his Majesty, ' if you had not written so well V
Though Johnson thought he had written enough, his genius, we find him entering the lists as a political writer. The flame of discord that blazed throughout the nation on the expulsion of Mr. Wilkes, and the final determination of the House of Commons, that Mr. Luttrell was duly elected by 206 3 votes against 1143, spread a general spirit of discontent. To allay the tumult, Dr. Johnson published The False Alarm. Mrs. Piozzi informs us, ' That this pamphlet was written at her house, be tween eight o'clock on Wednesday night and twelve on Thursday night 4 .' This celerity has appeared wonderful to many, and some have doubted the truth 5 . It may, however, be placed within the bounds of probability. Johnson has observed that there are different methods of composition. Virgil was used to pour out a great number of verses in the morning, and pass the day in retrenching the exuberances, and correcting inaccuracies ; and it was Pope's custom to write his first thoughts in his first words, and gradually to amplify, decorate, rectify, and refine them 6 . Others employ at once memory and invention, and,
1 Johnson had been in the habit of 2 Life, ii. 35.
reading in the Library. Life, ii. 33. 3 296 votes. Ib. ii. ill, n. 2.
Gibbon, writing in 1779, says: 4 Ante, p. 173.
'The greatest city in the world is 5 Speaking of his Debates he said:
still destitute of a public library ; and * Three columns of the Magazine in
the writer, who has undertaken to an hour was no uncommon effort,
treat any large historical subject, is which was faster than most persons
reduced to the necessity of purchasing could have transcribed that quantity.'
for his private use a numerous and Life, iv. 409.
valuable collection of the books which 6 The whole paragraph is borrowed
must form the basis of his work.' with alterations from Johnson's Life
Misc. Works, iv. 591. of Pope. Works, viii. 321.
with
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