Johnson’spartialityforSavagemadehimentertainnodoubtofhisstory，howeverextraordinaryandimprobable。ItneveroccurredtohimtoquestionhisbeingthesonoftheCountessofMacclesfield，ofwhoseunrelentingbarbarityhesoloudlycomplained，andtheparticularsofwhicharerelatedinsostrongandaffectingamannerinJohnson’slifeofhim。Johnsonwascertainlywellwarrantedinpublishinghisnarrative，howeveroffensiveitmightbetotheladyandherrelations，becauseheralledgedunnaturalandcruelconducttoherson，andshamefulavowalofguilt，werestatedinaLifeofSavagenowlyingbeforeme，whichcameoutsoearlyas1727，andnoattempthadbeenmadetoconfuteit，ortopunishtheauthourorprinterasalibeller：butforthehonourofhumannature，weshouldbegladtofindtheshockingtalenottrue；
and，fromarespectablegentlemanconnectedwiththelady’sfamily，Ihavereceivedsuchinformationandremarks，asjoinedtomyowninquiries，will，Ithink，renderitatleastsomewhatdoubtful，especiallywhenweconsiderthatitmusthaveoriginatedfromthepersonhimselfwhowentbythenameofRichardSavage。
1746：AETAT。37。]——Itissomewhatcurious，thathisliterarycareerappearstohavebeenalmosttotallysuspendedintheyears1745and1746，thoseyearswhichweremarkedbyacivilwarinGreat-
Britain，whenarashattemptwasmadetorestoretheHouseofStuarttothethrone。ThathehadatendernessforthatunfortunateHouse，iswellknown；andsomemayfancifullyimagine，thatasympathetickanxietyimpededtheexertionofhisintellectualpowers：butIaminclinedtothink，thathewas，duringthistime，sketchingtheoutlinesofhisgreatphilologicalwork。
1747：AETAT。38。]——Thisyearhisoldpupilandfriend，DavidGarrick，havingbecomejointpatenteeandmanagerofDrury-lanetheatre，JohnsonhonouredhisopeningofitwithaPrologue，whichforjustandmanlydramatickcriticism，onthewholerangeoftheEnglishstage，aswellasforpoeticalexcellence，isunrivalled。
LikethecelebratedEpiloguetotheDistressedMother，itwas，duringtheseason，oftencalledforbytheaudience。
Buttheyear1747isdistinguishedastheepoch，whenJohnson’sarduousandimportantwork，hisDICTIONARYOFTHEENGLISHLANGUAGE，wasannouncedtotheworld，bythepublicationofitsPlanorProspectus。
Howlongthisimmenseundertakinghadbeentheobjectofhiscontemplation，Idonotknow。Ionceaskedhimbywhatmeanshehadattainedtothatastonishingknowledgeofourlanguage，bywhichhewasenabledtorealiseadesignofsuchextent，andaccumulateddifficulty。Hetoldme，that’itwasnottheeffectofparticularstudy；butthatithadgrownupinhismindinsensibly。’
IhavebeeninformedbyMr。JamesDodsley，thatseveralyearsbeforethisperiod，whenJohnsonwasonedaysittinginhisbrotherRobert’sshop，heheardhisbrothersuggesttohim，thataDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguagewouldbeaworkthatwouldbewellreceivedbythepublick；thatJohnsonseemedatfirsttocatchattheproposition，but，afterapause，said，inhisabruptdecisivemanner，’IbelieveIshallnotundertakeit。’Thathe，however，hadbestowedmuchthoughtuponthesubject，beforehepublishedhisPlan，isevidentfromtheenlarged，clear，andaccurateviewswhichitexhibits；andwefindhimmentioninginthattract，thatmanyofthewriterswhosetestimoniesweretobeproducedasauthorities，wereselectedbyPope；whichprovesthathehadbeenfurnished，probablybyMr。RobertDodsley，withwhateverhintsthateminentpoethadcontributedtowardsagreatliteraryproject，thathadbeenthesubjectofimportantconsiderationinaformerreign。
ThebooksellerswhocontractedwithJohnson，singleandunaided，fortheexecutionofawork，whichinothercountrieshasnotbeeneffectedbutbytheco-operatingexertionsofmany，wereMr。RobertDodsley，Mr。CharlesHitch，Mr。AndrewMillar，thetwoMessieursLongman，andthetwoMessieursKnapton。Thepricestipulatedwasfifteenhundredandseventy-fivepounds。
ThePlan，wasaddressedtoPhilipDormer，EarlofChesterfield，thenoneofhisMajesty’sPrincipalSecretariesofState；anoblemanwhowasveryambitiousofliterarydistinction，andwho，uponbeinginformedofthedesign，hadexpressedhimselfintermsveryfavourabletoitssuccess。Thereis，perhapsineverythingofanyconsequence，asecrethistorywhichitwouldbeamusingtoknow，couldwehaveitauthenticallycommunicated。Johnsontoldme，’Sir，thewayinwhichthePlanofmyDictionarycametobeinscribedtoLordChesterfield，wasthis：Ihadneglectedtowriteitbythetimeappointed。DodsleysuggestedadesiretohaveitaddressedtoLordChesterfield。Ilaidholdofthisasapretextfordelay，thatitmightbebetterdone，andletDodsleyhavehisdesire。Isaidtomyfriend，Dr。Bathurst，“NowifanygoodcomesofmyaddressingtoLordChesterfield，itwillbeascribedtodeeppolicy，when，infact，itwasonlyacasualexcuseforlaziness。“’
Dr。AdamsfoundhimonedaybusyathisDictionary，whenthefollowingdialogueensued。’ADAMS。Thisisagreatwork，Sir。
Howareyoutogetalltheetymologies？JOHNSON。Why，Sir，hereisashelfwithJunius，andSkinner，andothers；andthereisaWelchgentlemanwhohaspublishedacollectionofWelchproverbs，whowillhelpmewiththeWelch。ADAMS。But，Sir，howcanyoudothisinthreeyears？JOHNSON。Sir，IhavenodoubtthatIcandoitinthreeyears。ADAMS。ButtheFrenchAcademy，whichconsistsoffortymembers，tookfortyyearstocompiletheirDictionary。
JOHNSON。Sir，thusitis。Thisistheproportion。Letmesee；
fortytimesfortyissixteenhundred。Asthreetosixteenhundred，soistheproportionofanEnglishmantoaFrenchman。’Withsomucheaseandpleasantrycouldhetalkofthatprodigiouslabourwhichhehadundertakentoexecute。
Forthemechanicalpartheemployed，ashetoldme，sixamanuenses；
andletitberememberedbythenativesofNorth-Britain，towhomheissupposedtohavebeensohostile，thatfiveofthemwereofthatcountry。ThereweretwoMessieursMacbean；Mr。Shiels，whoweshallhereafterseepartlywrotetheLivesofthePoetstowhichthenameofCibberisaffixed；Mr。Stewart，sonofMr。GeorgeStewart，bookselleratEdinburgh；andaMr。Maitland。ThesixthofthesehumbleassistantswasMr。Peyton，who，Ibelieve，taughtFrench，andpublishedsomeelementarytracts。
Toallthesepainfullabourers，Johnsonshewedanever-ceasingkindness，sofarastheystoodinneedofit。TheelderMr。
MacbeanhadafterwardsthehonourofbeingLibrariantoArchibald，DukeofArgyle，formanyyears，butwasleftwithoutashilling。
JohnsonwroteforhimaPrefacetoASystemofAncientGeography；
and，bythefavourofLordThurlow，gothimadmittedapoorbrotheroftheCharterhouse。ForShiels，whodiedofaconsumption，hehadmuchtenderness；andithasbeenthoughtthatsomechoicesentencesintheLivesofthePoetsweresuppliedbyhim。Peyton，whenreducedtopenury，hadfrequentaidfromthebountyofJohnson，whoatlastwasattheexpenseofburyingbothhimandhiswife。
WhiletheDictionarywasgoingforward，JohnsonlivedpartofthetimeinHolborn，partinGough-square，Fleet-street；andhehadanupperroomfitteduplikeacounting-houseforthepurpose，inwhichhegavetothecopyiststheirseveraltasks。Thewords，partlytakenfromotherdictionaries，andpartlysuppliedbyhimself，havingbeenfirstwrittendownwithspacesleftbetweenthem，hedeliveredinwritingtheiretymologies，definitions，andvarioussignifications。Theauthoritieswerecopiedfromthebooksthemselves，inwhichhehadmarkedthepassageswithablack-leadpencil，thetracesofwhichcouldeasilybeeffaced。Ihaveseenseveralofthem，inwhichthattroublehadnotbeentaken；sothattheywerejustaswhenusedbythecopyists。Itisremarkable，thathewassoattentiveinthechoiceofthepassagesinwhichwordswereauthorised，thatonemayreadpageafterpageofhisDictionarywithimprovementandpleasure；anditshouldnotpassunobserved，thathehasquotednoauthourwhosewritingshadatendencytohurtsoundreligionandmorality。
Thenecessaryexpenseofpreparingaworkofsuchmagnitudeforthepress，musthavebeenaconsiderabledeductionfromthepricestipulatedtobepaidforthecopy-right。Iunderstandthatnothingwasallowedbythebooksellersonthataccount；andI
rememberhistellingme，thatalargeportionofithavingbymistakebeenwrittenuponbothsidesofthepaper，soastobeinconvenientforthecompositor，itcosthimtwentypoundstohaveittranscribedupononesideonly。
Heisnowtobeconsideredas’tuggingathisoar，’asengagedinasteadycontinuedcourseofoccupation，sufficienttoemployallhistimeforsomeyears；andwhichwasthebestpreventiveofthatconstitutionalmelancholywhichwaseverlurkingabouthim，readytotroublehisquiet。Buthisenlargedandlivelymindcouldnotbesatisfiedwithoutmorediversityofemployment，andthepleasureofanimatedrelaxation。HethereforenotonlyexertedhistalentsinoccasionalcompositionverydifferentfromLexicography，butformedaclubinIvy-lane，Paternoster-row，withaviewtoenjoyliterarydiscussion，andamusehiseveninghours。ThemembersassociatedwithhiminthislittlesocietywerehisbelovedfriendDr。RichardBathurst，Mr。Hawkesworth，afterwardswellknownbyhiswritings，Mr。JohnHawkins，anattorney，andafewothersofdifferentprofessions。
1749：AETAT。40。]——InJanuary，1749，hepublishedtheVanityofhumanWishes，beingtheTenthSatireofJuvenalimitated。He，I
believe，composedittheprecedingyear。Mrs。Johnson，forthesakeofcountryair，hadlodgingsatHampstead，towhichheresortedoccasionally，andtherethegreatestpart，ifnotthewhole，ofthisImitationwaswritten。Thefervidrapiditywithwhichitwasproduced，isscarcelycredible。Ihaveheardhimsay，thathecomposedseventylinesofitinoneday，withoutputtingoneofthemuponpapertilltheywerefinished。IrememberwhenI
onceregrettedtohimthathehadnotgivenusmoreofJuvenal’sSatires，hesaidheprobablyshouldgivemore，forhehadthemallinhishead；bywhichIunderstoodthathehadtheoriginalsandcorrespondentallusionsfloatinginhismind，whichhecould，whenhepleased，embodyandrenderpermanentwithoutmuchlabour。Someofthem，however，heobservedweretoogrossforimitation。
Theprofitsofasinglepoem，howeverexcellent，appeartohavebeenverysmallinthelastreign，comparedwithwhatapublicationofthesamesizehassincebeenknowntoyield。Ihavementioned，uponJohnson’sownauthority，thatforhisLondonhehadonlytenguineas；andnow，afterhisfamewasestablished，hegotforhisVanityofHumanWishesbutfiveguineasmore，asisprovedbyanauthentickdocumentinmypossession。
HisVanityofHumanWisheshaslessofcommonlife，butmoreofaphilosophickdignitythanhisLondon。Morereaders，therefore，willbedelightedwiththepointedspiritofLondon，thanwiththeprofoundreflectionofTheVanityofHumanWishes。Garrick，forinstance，observedinhissprightlymanner，withmorevivacitythanregardtojustdiscrimination，asisusualwithwits：’WhenJohnsonlivedmuchwiththeHerveys，andsawagooddealofwhatwaspassinginlife，hewrotehisLondon，whichislivelyandeasy。
Whenhebecamemoreretired，hegaveushisVanityofHumanWishes，whichisashardasGreek。Hadhegoneontoimitateanothersatire，itwouldhavebeenashardasHebrew。’