Life of Johnson, Volume 6 | Page 7

Bearings, depth of water, danger from Sands or Rocks, firmness or uncertainty of Anchorage, and degree of safety from particular Winds.
'An exact account of the Commodities of each Country, both natural and artificial.
'A description of the remarkable Animals in every Country, whether Beasts, Birds or Fishes.
'An account of the Buildings, whether ancient or modern, and of Ruins or other remains of Antiquity.
'Remarks upon the soil, air, and waters of particular Places, their several qualities and effects, the accidents to which every Region is exposed, as Earthquakes and Hurricanes, and the diseases peculiar to the Inhabitants or incident to strangers at their arrival.
'The political State of the World, the Government of Countries, and the Magistracy of Cities, with their particular Laws, or Privileges.
'The most probable and authentic Calculations of the number of Inhabitants of each place.
'The military state of Countries, their Forces, manner of making War, Weapons, and naval Power.
'The Commercial State, extent of their Trade, Number and strength of their Colonies, quantity of Shipping.
'The pretensions of Princes with their Alliances, Relations and Genealogies.
'The customs of Nations with regard to Trade, and receptions of strangers, their domestic Customs, as Rites of Marriage and Burial. Their particular Laws. Their habits, recreations and amusements.
'The religious Opinions of all Nations.
'These and many other heads of observation will be collected, not merely from the Dictionaries now extant in many Languages, but from the best Surveys, Local Histories, Voyages, and particular accounts[1], among which care will be taken to select those of the best authority, as the basis of the Work, and to extract from them such observations as may best promote Knowledge and gratify Enquiry, so that it is to be hoped, there will be few remarkable places in the known World, of which the Politician, the Merchant, the Sailor, or the Man of Curiosity may not find a useful and pleasing account, of the credit of which the Reader may always judge, as the Authors from whom it is taken will be regularly quoted, a caution which if some, who have attempted such general works, had observed, their labours would have deserved, and found more favour from the Publick.'
[Footnote 1: That this is done will appear from the authours' names exactly quoted.]
This letter must have been written about the year 1753, for Bathurst is described as a physician of about eight years' standing. He took his degree as Bachelor of Medicine at Peterhouse, Cambridge, in 1745, and did not, it should seem, proceed to the higher degree. In 1757 he was at the Havannah, where he died (ante, i. 242, n. i). He was Johnson's beloved friend, of whom 'he hardly ever spoke without tears in his eyes' (ante, i. 190, n. 2). The Proposal, I have no doubt, was either written, or at all events revised, by Johnson. It is quite in his style. It may be assumed that it is in Bathurst's handwriting.
II.
_An apologetical letter about some work that was passing through the press; undated, but probably written about the years 1753-5_.[In the possession of Mr. Frederick Barker.]
'DEAR SIR,
'What you tell me I am ashamed never to have thought on--I wish I had known it sooner--Send me back the last sheet; and the last copy for correction. If you will promise me henceforward to print a sheet a day, I will promise you to endeavour that you shall have every day a sheet to print, beginning next Tuesday.
'I am Sir, Your most, &c.
'SAM. JOHNSON.'
'To Mr. Strahan.'
In all likelihood Johnson is writing about the Dictionary. The absence of a date, as I have already said, is strong evidence that the letter was written comparatively early. As the first edition of the Dictionary was in folio a sheet consisted of four pages. Johnson writing on April 3, 1753 says, 'I began the second vol. of my Dictionary, room being left in the first for Preface, Grammar, and History, none of them yet begun' (ante, i. 255). As the book was published on April 15, 1755 (ante, i. 290, n. 1), the printing must have gone on very rapidly, when a start was once made. By copy he means his manuscript for printing.
III, IV.
Two undated letters about printing the Dictionary.[In the possession of Mr. John Waller, 2, Artesian Road, Westbourne Grove.]
'DEAR SIR,
'I must desire you to add to your other civilities this one, to go to Mr. Millar and represent to him the manner of going on, and inform him that I know not how to manage. I pay three and twenty shillings a week to my assistants, in each instance having much assistance from them, but they tell me they shall be able to pull better in method, as indeed I intend they shall. The Point is to get two Guineas.
'Sir, Your humble Servant, 'SAM. JOHNSON.' (Address on back.) 'To Mr. Strahan.'
'SIR,
'I have often