is
shown by a letter from him in Mrs. Piozzi's _Collection_ (vol. i. p.
212), dated 'University College, Oxford, March 3, 1775.' Writing to her,
evidently from Bolt Court, on February 3, he had said: 'My pamphlet has
not gone on at all' (ib. i. 211). Mrs. Aston (or rather Miss Aston) is
mentioned _ante_, ii. 466.

XI

_A letter about 'copy' and a book by Professor Watson, dated Oct. 14,
1776'_.[In the possession of Mr. H. Fawcett, of 14, King Street, Covent
Garden.]

'SIR,

'I wrote to you about ten days ago, and sent you some copy. You have
not written again, that is a sorry trick.

'I am told that you are printing a Book for Mr. Professor Watson of
Saint Andrews, if upon any occasion, I can give any help, or be of any
use, as formerly in Dr. Robertson's publication, I hope you will make
no scruple to call upon me, for I shall be glad of an opportunity to
show that my reception at Saint Andrews has not been forgotten.

'I am Sir, Your humble Servant,
'SAM. JOHNSON.'

'Oct. 14, 1776.'

The' copy' or MS. that Johnson sent is, I conjecture, _Proposals for
the Rev. Mr. Shaw's Analysis of the Scotch Celtick Language_ (_ante_,
iii. 107). This is the only acknowledged piece of writing of his during
1776. The book printing for Professor Watson was _History of the Reign
of Philip II_, which was published by Strahan and Cadell in 1777. This
letter is of unusual interest, as showing that Johnson had been of some
service as regards one of Robertson's books. It is possible that he
read some of the proof-sheets, and helped to get rid of the Scotticisms.
'Strahan,' according to Beattie, 'had corrected (as he told me himself)
the phraseology of both Mr. Hume and Dr. Robertson' (_ante_, v. 92,
n. 3). He is not unlikely, in Robertson's case, to have sought and
obtained Johnson's help.

XII.

_The following letter is published in Mr. Alfred Morrison's 'Collection
of Autographs', vol. ii. p. 343._

'To Dr. TAYLOR. Dated London, April 20, 1778.'

'The quantity of blood taken from you appears to me not sufficient.
Thrale was almost lost by the scrupulosity of his physicians, who never
bled him copiously till they bled him in despair; he then bled till he
fainted, and the stricture or obstruction immediately gave way and from
that instant he grew better.

'I can now give you no advice but to keep yourself totally quiet and
amused with some gentle exercise of the mind. If a suspected letter
comes, throw it aside