,
in the character of a BOOKSELLER, a few volumes--probably of
black-letter celebrity. Mr. Boswell relates that 'During the
last visit which the Doctor made to Litchfield, the friends,
with whom he was staying missed him one morning at the
breakfast table. On inquiring after him of the servants,
they understood that he had set off from Litchfield at a
very early hour, without mentioning to any of the family
whither he was going. The day passed without the return of
the illustrious guest, and the party began to be very uneasy
on his account, when, just before the supper hour, the door
opened, and the Doctor stalked into the room. A solemn
silence of a few minutes ensued; nobody daring to enquire
the cause of his absence, which was at length relieved by
Johnson addressing the lady of the house as follows: "Madam,
I beg your pardon for the abruptness of my departure this
morning, but I was constrained to it by my _conscience_.
Fifty years ago, Madam, on this day, I committed a breach of
filial piety, which has ever since lain heavy on my mind,
and has not until this day been expiated. My father, you
recollect, was a bookseller, and had long been in the habit
of attending _Walsall Market_; and opening a stall for the
sale of his books during that day. Confined to his bed by
indisposition, he requested of me, this time fifty years
ago, to visit the market, and attend the stall in his place.
But, Madam, my pride prevented me from doing my duty, and I
gave my father a refusal. To do away the sin of this
disobedience, I this day went in a post-chaise to Walsall,
and going into the market at the time of high business,
uncovered my head, and stood with it bare an hour before the
stall which my father had formerly used, exposed to the
sneers of the by-standers, and the inclemency of the
weather: a penance, by which I have propitiated Heaven for
this only instance, I believe, of contumacy towards my
father."'--Is it not probable that Dr. Johnson himself might
have sold for SIXPENCE, a _Tusser_, which now would have
brought a 'GOLDEN GUINEA?']

A perusal of these prices may probably not impress the reader with any
lofty notions of the superiority of the black-letter; but this symptom
of the Bibliomania is, nevertheless, not to be considered as
incurabl