'The pretensions of Princes with their Alliances, Relations and
Genealogies.
'The customs of Nations with regard to Trade, and receptions of strangers, their domestic Customs, as Rites of Marriage and Burial. Their particular Laws. Their habits, recreations and amusements.
'The religious Opinions of all Nations.
'These and many other heads of observation will be collected, not merely from the Dictionaries now extant in many Languages, but from the best Surveys, Local Histories, Voyages, and particular accounts[1], among which care will be taken to select those of the best authority, as the basis of the Work, and to extract from them such observations as may best promote Knowledge and gratify Enquiry, so that it is to be hoped, there will be few remarkable places in the known World, of which the Politician, the Merchant, the Sailor, or the Man of Curiosity may not find a useful and pleasing account, of the credit of which the Reader may always judge, as the Authors from whom it is taken will be regularly quoted, a caution which if some, who have attempted such general works, had observed, their labours would have deserved, and found more favour from the Publick.'
[Footnote 1: That this is done will appear from the authours' names exactly quoted.]
This letter must have been written about the year 1753, for Bathurst is described as a physician of about eight years' standing. He took his degree as Bachelor of Medicine at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in 1745, and did not, it should seem, proceed to the higher degree. In 1757 he was at the Havannah, where he died (ante, i. 242, n. i). He was Johnson's beloved friend, of whom 'he hardly ever spoke without tears in his eyes' (ante, i. 190, n. 2). The Proposal, I have no doubt, was either written, or at all events revised, by Johnson. It is quite in his style. It may be assumed that it is in Bathurst's handwriting.
II.
An apologetical letter about some work that was passing through the press; undated, but probably written about the years 1753-5.[In the possession of Mr. Frederick Barker.]
'DEAR SIR,
'What you tell me I am ashamed never to have thought on—I wish I had known it sooner—Send me back the last sheet; and the last copy for correction. If you will promise me henceforward to print a sheet a day, I will promise you to endeavour that you shall have every day a sheet to print, beginning next Tuesday.