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.

'I am Sir, Your most, &c.

'SAM. JOHNSON.'

'To Mr. Strahan.'

In all likelihood Johnson is writing about the Dictionary. The absence
of a date, as I have already said, is strong evidence that the letter
was written comparatively early. As the first edition of the Dictionary
was in folio a sheet consisted of four pages. Johnson writing on April
3, 1753 says, 'I began the second vol. of my Dictionary, room being left
in the first for Preface, Grammar, and History, none of them yet begun'
(_ante_, i. 255). As the book was published on April 15, 1755 (_ante_,
i. 290, n. 1), the printing must have gone on very rapidly, when a
start was once made. By _copy_ he means his _manuscript for printing_.

III, IV.

_Two undated letters about printing the Dictio