70 



particularly of his intended " Natural History of Strawber- 



GEORGE MASON. The best edition of his " Essay on De- 

 sign in Gardening," appears to have been that of 1795, in 

 8vo. Two Appendixes were published in 1798, which are 

 said to have been written by Mr. U. Price. In Mr. Nichols's 

 fourth volume of Illustrations of the Literary History of the 

 Eighteenth Century, are some particulars of Mr. Mason. 

 He published Hoccleve's Poems, with a Glossary ; an Answer 

 to Thomas Paine; the Life of Lord Howe; a Supplement to 

 Johnson's Dictionary: in the ill-tempered preface to which, 

 he thus strangely speaks of that Dictionary: "this muddi- 

 ness of intellect sadly besmears and defaces almost every page 

 of the composition," This is only a small instance of his 

 virulence against Johnson in this preface. One would have 

 thought that Mr. Mason's sarcasms would have been softened, 

 or even subdued, by its glowing and eloquent preface, which 

 informs us that this great work was composed '< without one 

 act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of 

 favour." I am sorry to say, that Mr. Mason, even in the 

 above Essay, discovers, in three instances, his animosity to 

 our " Dictionary writer,'' for so he calls Dr. Johnson. Mr. 

 Boswell, speaking of Johnson's preface, says, " We cannot 

 contemplate without wonder, the vigorous and splendid 

 thoughts which so highly distinguish that performance;" 



of which are, at this time, in a healthy and thriving condition." It is im- 

 possible, on this subject, to avoid paying a grateful respect to the memory 

 of that bright ornament of our church, and literature, the late Dr. Watson, 

 Bishop of Llandaff, whose extensive plantations, near Ambleside, have long 

 since enriched that part. The late Richard Crawshay (surpassed by no being 

 during the whole course of his very long life, for either integrity or genero- 

 sity) assured the present writer, that during an early period of Dr. Watson's 

 planting, he offered him, on the security of his note of hand only, and to 

 be repaid at his own entire convenience, ten thousand pounds, and that he 

 (with grateful thanks to Mr. ,Crawshay) refused it. 



