'My compliments to Mrs. Strahan.
To Mr. Strahan.'
Miss Williams came to live with Johnson after his wife's death in 1752 (ante, i. 232). The fact that Strahan is asked to supply her with money after speaking to Mr. Millar seems to show that this letter was written some time before the publication of the Dictionary in April 1755. Millar 'took the principal charge of conducting its publication,' and Johnson 'had received all the copy-money, by different drafts, a considerable time before he had finished his task' (ante, i. 287).
His 'journey' may have been his visit to Oxford in the summer of 1754. He went there, because, 'I cannot,' he said, 'finish my book [the Dictionary] to my mind without visiting the libraries' (ante, i. 270). According to Thomas Warton 'he collected nothing in the libraries for his Dictionary' (ib n. 5). It is perhaps to this failure that the latter part of the letter refers, Johnson's visit, however, was one of five weeks, while the first line of the letter shews that he intended to be away from London but a short time.
VI.
A letter about 'Rasselas,' dated Jan. 20, 1759.[In the possession of Mr. Frederick Barker.]
'When I was with you last night I told you of a story which I was preparing for the press. The title will be
"The Choice of Life
or
The History of … Prince of Abissinia."