44 JOHNSON. 



side varying his London residence by frequent visits to 

 the Thrales' villa, at the distance beyond which his fixed 

 preference of London to all other abodes, would not 

 easily let him move, he occasionally made excursions, 

 though short ones, to more remote haunts, especially to 

 Oxford, endeared to him both by the severely orthodox 

 genius of the place, (severa religio loci,) by early associa- 

 tions, and by surviving friendships. Some efforts he con- 

 tinued to make in literature and in politics, in perfect 

 freedom of labour, rather as relaxation than as work, and 

 he made them with his wonted success. The pamphlet 

 on the ' American Dispute' was written with great force 

 and effect, and is the best of these pieces. It appeared 

 in 1775. That on the 'Falkland Islands/ distinguished 

 by the eloquent defence of peace, and the powerful 

 description of the evils of war, was published in 1771. 



In both these tracts he was avowedly the champion of 

 the Government ; but he was also employed by them, or at 

 least acted in concert with them ; for he received his mate- 

 rials from the Ministers, and conducted the argument by 

 their instructions, altering whatever they deemed improper 

 or inexpedient, and admitting his agency, by the defence 

 he made for leaving out one notable passage, " It was their 

 business : if an architect says, I will build finer stones, 

 and the man who employs him says, I will have only 

 these, the employer is to decide/' His other pamphlets 

 were, the 'False Alarm/ in 1770, on Wilkes's question, 

 espousing the side of the Ministers, and probably in un- 

 willing connexion with them, and the 'Patriot/ in 17 72; 

 on the general election, a short address, written to assist 

 his friend Thrale, then a candidate for the Borough. 



o 



There can be no doubt that in writing all but the last of 



