JOHNSON. 15 







passed, more especially the earlier ones, after he lived in 

 London. He dined at a boarding-house or ordinary for 

 eight pence, including a penny which he allowed the 

 servant. The tone of his correspondence with Cave ever 

 and anon lets his wants appear. One letter subscribed 

 with his name, has the significant, it is to be feared the 

 literary word, impransus, prefixed to the signature. 

 Another in 1742, while the Fra Paolo was going on, 

 mentions his having "received money on this work, 

 13/. 2s. 6d., reckoning the half guinea of last Saturday." 

 In the postscript he adds, "If you could spare me 

 another guinea I should take it very kindly, but if not I 

 shall not think it an injury." All the little valuables, 

 including a small silver cup and spoon given him by his 

 mother when he was brought up to be touched for the 

 evil, were offered for sale, to buy necessaries in the press- 

 ing wants of himself and his wife, and the spoon only 

 was kept. Nay, an affecting anecdote is furnished by 

 Mr. Harte, author of Gustavus Adolphus's Life, that 

 having dined with Cave and commended one of Johnson's 

 writings, Cave afterwards told him how happy it had 

 made the author to hear him thus express himself. 

 " How can that be," said Harte, " when there were only 

 our two selves present 1" " Yes," said Cave, " but you 

 might observe a plate with victuals sent from the table. 

 Johnson was behind the screen, where he ate it, being too 

 meanly dressed to appear." It is truly afflicting to 

 think that the work thus praised was his beautiful poem 

 of ' London/ The penury too in which he existed seems 

 to have long survived the obscurity of his earlier life in 

 London. As late as 1759, after he had been two-and- 

 twety years in the world of letters, and had attained great 



