632 Account of the late Mr. Joséph Johnson; Bookseller. fan. ts 
ral and léarned.branch of the protestant dis- 
senters in England. He published in 1772, 
the Poems of Anna Letitia Aikin; afterwards 
Mrs. Barbauld; and nearly at the same time, 
was placed in the same relatiun of publisher 
to Dr. Priestley, whose numerous writings 
were brought out by Mr. Jolinsen from. that 
time forward. It scarcely ever happened, 
that Mr. Johnson stood in the place of pub- 
Ysher to persons of literary merit and moral 
worth, without being at the same time re- 
garded by them/as a confidential friend’; and, 
a proposal having been made to Dr. Priestley 
in 1773, who was at that time advantageously 
settled at Leeds, to take up his residence in 
the house of Lord Shelburne, (afterwards 
Marquis of Lansdown, ) Mr.. Johnson wrote to 
him a warm expostulatory letter on the sub- 
ject ; the remonstrance probably reached -the 
doztor’s hands too late. One of Mr. John- 
son’s early connections, was Samuel Paterson, 
the auctioneer and author; and, though 
Paterson was a man of talents and -honour- 
able intention, the friendship of Mr- Johnson 
saved him from the effects of many impru- 
dencies. , 1 
Lindsey came to London, having given up a 
living of 4001. per annum and rich expectan- 
cies, because he could not reconcile his con- 
science to the articles of the church of Eng- 
land, he immediately formed a strict intimacy 
with Mr. Johnson. 
stances became greatly straitened by the sa- 
erifice he had made; and Mr. Johnson pro- 
cured, and caused to be fitted up fer him, as 
a chapel, the Great Roon: in the house of Mr. 
Paterson, ia Essex Street in the Strand, and 
was extremely active in procuring subscrip- 
tions, and forming a regular religious esta- 
blishment in that place, which he constantly 
attended, as long as Mr. Lindsey continued to 
officiate there. Mr. Johnson was so fortu- 
nate, (and this is one of the greatest honours 
that can fall to a bookseller) as to have been 
publisher to many of the most eminent au- 
thors of his time; among whom we may 
name Mr. Horne Tooke, Mr. Williara Cow- 
per, Dr. Darwin, Dr. Priestley, Dr. Aikin, Dr. 
Enfield, Mr. Fuseli, Mr. Bonnycastle, Mr. Ni- 
cholson, Mr. Howard, Mrs.. Barbauld, Mrs, 
Wollstonecraft, and Miss Edgeworth. in May 
4788, he began a periodical publication, called 
the Analytical Review, which was continued 
to the end of the year 1798, and was regarded 
in those times, 25 a principal repository of 
sentiments most favourable to rational liberty, 
both in politics and religion. On this ac- 
count, in the period of persecution, which 
under the auspices of Mr. Pitt. in this coun- 
try succeeded the French revolution, Mr. 
Johnson was marked out as a proper victim. 
for the vengeance of government. ‘The oc- 
Casion that was taken, was from a very inju- 
dicious political pamphlet, written by the late 
Gilbert Wakefield. It was proved that a 
copy of this pamphlet had been bought in 
Mr. Johnson’s shop; and while,Mr. Cuthell, 
- Superior to mercenary views. 
In 1774, when Mr. ‘Theophilus 
Mr. Lindsey's circum- : 
another bookseller, was sentenced, for the 
same offence, to a fortnizht’s imprisonment 7 
Mr. Johnson was committed to the King’s’ 
Bench Prison for nine monthsy and amerced. 
in a fine of 501,: this passed in the year 
1798. Mr. Johnson was 2 man remarkably. 
He often pro-) 
posed and entered into the reprint of books 
which he considered as conducive to the best? 
interests of his species; without the possibi-: 
lity of being reimbursed but ina very long 
time, and probably notat all. He oftén pur- 
chased the manuscripts of worthy persons in’ 
distress, when he had no intention ever to 
send them to the press, His benavolent ac- 
tions are much too numerous to be related in 
such an article as this} nor would it, in many 
instances, be delicate to the feelings of the. 
parties to relate them. His mind was of so 
admirable a temper, as almost never to be> 
worn out with imporiunity; and¥he was not 
to be turned aside by the ingratitude of those’ 
he benefited from doing that which he judged 
to be right. In his latter years, Mr. John-— 
son was uncommonly reduced by a series of | 
infirmities; he walked with dithiculty ; his: 
frame was worn to a shadow; and, having 
Mentioned on some occasion, that it was his 
desire to be borne to his grave by four poor: 
men; he added, that in realicy two would do, 
for «* they would have nothing to carry.” 
Yet his faculties and his powers of conver- 
sation rermained; and he scarcely remitted 
his attention to business, and not at all his 
disposition to be serviceable to others, We 
will conclude this article with an extract of a. 
paragraph which appeared in the Morning: 
Chronicle the day atter Mr. Johnson’s death: 
—** His undersianding was of the best and 
Soundest nature; and, though he was the 
very reverse of every thing assuming and) 
ostentatious, yet those who knew him best, 
and were most able to estimate his talents, 
will readily bear testimony, that they never - 
heard him say a weak or a foolish thing, or 
indeed any thing that would have discredited. 
the lips of the wisest of his contemporaries. 
Accordingly his table was frequented, through 
successive years, by a succession of persons of 
the greatest talents, learning, and genius; 
and the writer of thise lines. can cheerrully 
bear witness, that all were delighted when 
he took his share in the conversation, and 
only regretted, that the gentleness and mo-. 
desty of his natare led him to do it so rarely, 
He was always found an advocate on the side’ 
of human nature and human virtue, recome- 
mending that line of conduct which springs 
from disinterestedness and a liberal feeling, - 
and maintaining its practicability.” 
At Walthamstow, aged 78, . Ebenezer 
Radcliffe, esg. If mental powers and endow- _ 
ments, contessedly of the first order, have 
any Claim to remembrance, certainly the sub=— 
ject of this Memoir will not speedily descend 
into oblivion. It is but a very slight sketch 
which can here be offered, but such as it isy - 
at 
