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Aetat. 41.]
Milton's grand-daughter.
263

with a new edition of Ralegh's[1] miscellaneous pieces, I have taken the liberty to send you a Manuscript, which fell by chance within my notice. I perceive no proofs of forgery in my examination of it; and the owner tells me, that he[2] has heard, the handwriting is Sir Walter's. If you should find reason to conclude it genuine, it will be a kindness to the owner, a blind person[3] to recommend it to the booksellers. I am, Sir,

'Your most humble servant,

'Sam. Johnson.'

His just abhorrence of Milton's political notions was ever strong. But this did not prevent his warm admiration of Milton's great poetical merit, to which he has done illustrious justice, beyond all who have written upon the subject. And this year he not only wrote a Prologue, which was spoken by Mr. Garrick before the acting of Comus at Drury-lane theatre, for the benefit of Milton's grand-daughter, but took a very zealous interest in the success of the charity[4]. On the day preceding the performance, he published the following letter in the General Advertiser, addressed to the printer of that paper :

'Sir,

'That a certain degree of reputation is acquired merely by approving the works of genius, and testifying a regard to the

  1. ↑ 'In the original Raleigh's.
  2. ↑ The italics are Boswell's.
  3. ↑ Mrs. Williams is probably the person meant. Boswell.
  4. ↑ 'In 1750, April 5, Comus was played for her benefit. She had so little acquaintance with diversion or gaiety, that she did not know what was intended when a benefit was offered her. The profits of the night were only £130, though Dr. Newton brought a large contribution; and £10 were given by Tonson, a man who is to be praised as often as he is named. . . . This was the greatest benefaction that Paradise Lost ever procured the author's descendants; and to this he who has now attempted to relate his life had the honour of contributing a Prologue.' Johnson's Works, vii. 118. In the Gent. Mag. (XX. 152) we read that, as on 'April 4, the night first appointed, many inconvenient circumstances happened to disappoint the hopes of success, the managers generously quitted the profits of another night, in which the theatre was expected to be fuller. Mr. Samuel Johnson's prologue was afterwards printed for Mrs, Foster's benefit.'
memory
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