'I'd sooner ballads write, and grubstreet lays.' Gay."
—Johnson's Dictionary, edition of 1773.
14 23. Warburton. Bishop Warburton thus praised Johnson in the Preface to his own edition of Shakspere, and Johnson showed his appreciation by saying to Boswell, "He praised me at a time when praise was of value to me." On another occasion, when asked whether he considered Warburton a superior critic to Theobald, he replied, "He'd make two-and-fifty Theobalds, cut into slices!" Johnson's sketch of him, in the Life of Pope, Boswell calls "the tribute due to him when he was no longer in 'high place,' but numbered with the dead."
14 28–31. He employed six amanuenses, not a large number of assistants for a task of such magnitude. Nor was the sum of fifteen hundred guineas a generous one from which to pay these assistants.
14 33. Chesterfield. Every young man should read an abridged edition of Chesterfield's Letters to his Son; for example, the volume in the Knickerbocker Nugget Series. It contains much that is worth remembering, and the style is entertaining.
15 17. It is hard to realize what a stupendous task Johnson undertook when he began his Dictionary. Other dictionaries, notably Bailey's, were in existence, but they were mere beginnings of what he had in mind. As lists of words, with explanations of the meanings, they were useful, but none of them could reasonably be considered a standard. A standard Johnson's certainly was. Although no etymologist, in general he not only gave full and clear definitions, but he chose remarkably happy illustrations of the meanings of words. By taking care, also, to select passages which were interesting and profitable reading as well as elegant English, he succeeded in making probably the most readable dictionary that has ever appeared.
15 23. For the Vanity of Human Wishes, see Hales's Longer English Poems or Syle's From Milton to Tennyson. As in the case of London, the student will wish to compare Dryden's translation.
16 8–9. And this was eleven years after the London had appeared; as Boswell says, his fame was already established.
16 13. Goodman's Fields. Garrick made this theater successful.
16 15. Drury Lane Theatre. Near Drury Lane. (See note to 8 34.) Other prominent actors in this famous old theatre were Kean, the Kembles, and Mrs. Siddons.