r this reason, writers and artists should, among their recreations, be
forming a constant acquaintance with the history of their departed
kindred. In literary biography a man of genius always finds something
which relates to himself. The studies of artists have a great
uniformity, and their habits of life are monotonous. They have all the
same difficulties to encounter, although they do not all meet with the
same glory. How many secrets may the man of genius learn from literary
anecdotes! important secrets, which his friends will not convey to him.
He traces the effects of similar studies; warned sometimes by failures,
and often animated by watching the incipient and shadowy attempts which
closed in a great work. From one he learns in what manner he planned and
corrected; from another he may overcome those obstacles which, perhaps,
at that very moment make him rise in despair from his own unfinished
labour. What perhaps he had in vain desired to know for half his life is
revealed to him by a literary anecdote; and thus the amusements of
indolent hours may impart the vigour of study; as we find sometimes in
the fruit we have taken for pleasure the medicine which restores our
health. How superficial is that cry of some impertinent pretended
geniuses of these times who affect to exclaim, "Give me no anecdotes of
an author, but give me his works!" I have often found the anecdotes more
interesting than the works.

Dr. Johnson devoted one of his periodical papers to a defence of
anecdotes, and expresses himself thus on certain collectors of
anecdotes: "They are not always so happy as to select the most
important. I know not well what advantage posterity can receive from the
only circumstance by which Tickell has distinguished _Addison_ from the
rest of mankind,--the _irregularity of his pulse_; nor can I think
myself overpaid for the time spent in reading the life of _Malherbe_, by
being enabled to relate, after the learned biographer, that Malherbe had
two predominant opinions; one, that the looseness of a single woman
might destroy all her boast of ancient descent; the other, that French
beggars made use, very improperly and barbarously, of the phrase _noble
gentlemen_, because either word included the sense of both."

These just observations may, perhaps, be further illustrated by the
following notices. Dr. J. Warton has informed the world that _many of
our poets have been handsome_. This, certainly, neither concerns the