The Works of Samuel Johnson in Nine Volumes | Page 4

on our childhood." Occasions for more violent and perturbed
grief may occur to us in our passage through life, but the gentle, quiet
death of a mother speaks to us with "still small voice" of our wasting
years, and breaks completely and, at once, our earliest and most
cherished associations. This tenderness of spirit seems ever to have
actuated Johnson, and he is surely greatest when he breathes it forth
over the sorrows and miseries of man. Even in his humorous papers, he
never wounds feeling for the sake of raising a laugh, nor sports with
folly, but in the hope of reclaiming the vicious and with the design of
warning the young of the delusion and danger of an example, which
can only be imitated by the forfeiture of virtue and the practice of vice.
"In whatever he undertook, it was his determined purpose to rectify the
heart, to purify the passions, to give ardour to virtue and confidence to
truth[14]."
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The Genius was published by Colman in the St. James's Chronicle,
1761, 1762. The Gentleman, by the same author, came out in the
London-Packet, 1775. The Grumbler was the production of the
Antiquary Grose, and appeared in the English Chronicle, 1791.
[2] Owen Feltham.
[3] Preface to Shakespeare.
[4] Country Spectator, No. 1.
[5] Idler, No. 6.
[6] The World was published in 1753.
[7] The Connoisseur appeared in 1754.
[8] See Dr. Drake's Essays, II.
[9] Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides.
[10] See life of Sir Joshua Reynolds, prefixed to his Works by Malone,
i. 28, &c.
[11] See Idler, No. 65 and Mr. Chalmers' Preface to vol. 33 of the
British Essayists.
[12] See Gentleman's Magazine 1706. p. 272.
[13] Idler, No. 41.
[14] See Pursuits of Literature, Dialogue I. note.

CONTENTS OF THE FOURTH VOLUME.
THE ADVENTURER.
34. Folly of extravagance. The story of Misargyrus
39. On sleep
41. Sequel of the story of Misargyrus
45. The difficulty of forming confederacies
50. On lying
53. Misargyrus' account of his companions in the Fleet
58. Presumption of modern criticism censured. Ancient poetry
necessarily obscure. Examples from Horace
62. Misargyrus' account of his companions concluded
67. On the trades of London
69. Idle hope
74. Apology for neglecting officious advice
81. Incitement to enterprise and emulation. Some account of the
admirable Crichton
84. Folly of false pretences to importance. A journey in a stagecoach
85. Study, composition, and converse equally necessary to intellectual
accomplishment
92. Criticism on the Pastorals of Virgil
95. Apology for apparent plagiarism. Sources of literary variety
99. Projectors injudiciously censured and applauded
102. Infelicities of retirement to men of business
107. Different opinions equally plausible
108. On the uncertainty of human things
111. The pleasures and advantages of industry
115. The itch of writing universal
119. The folly of creating artificial wants
120. The miseries of life
126. Solitude not eligible
128. Men differently employed unjustly censured by each other
131. Singularities censured
137. Writers not a useless generation
138. Their happiness and infelicity

THE IDLER.
1. The Idler's character.

2. Invitation to correspondents.
3. Idler's reason for writing.
4. Charities and hospitals.
5. Proposal for a female army.
6. Lady's performance on horseback.
7. Scheme for news-writers.
8. Plan of military discipline.
9. Progress of idleness.
10. Political credulity.
11. Discourses on the weather.
12. Marriages, why advertised.
13. The imaginary housewife.
14. Robbery of time.
15. Treacle's complaint of his wife.
16. Drugget's retirement.
17. Expedients of idlers.
18. Drugget vindicated.
19. Whirler's character.
20. Capture of Louisbourg.
21. Linger's history of listlessness.
22. Imprisonment of debtors.
23. Uncertainty of friendship.
24. Man does not always think.
25. New actors on the stage.
26. Betty Broom's history.
27. Power of habits.
28. Wedding-day. Grocer's wife. Chairman.
29. Betty Broom's history continued.
30. Corruption of news-writers.
31. Disguises of idleness. Sober's character.
32. On Sleep.
33. Journal of a fellow of a college.
34. Punch and conversation compared.
35. Auction-hunter described and ridiculed.
36. The terrific diction ridiculed.
37. Useful things easy of attainment.
38. Cruelty shown to debtors in prison.

39. The various uses of the bracelet.
40. The art of advertising exemplified.
41. Serious reflections on the death of a friend.
42. Perdita's complaint of her father.
43. Monitions on the flight of time.
44. The use of memory considered.
45. On painting. Portraits defended.
46. Molly Quick's complaint of her mistress.
47. Deborah Ginger's account of city-wits.
48. The bustle of idleness described and ridiculed.
49. Marvel's journey narrated.
50. Marvel's journey paralleled.
51. Domestick greatness unattainable.
52. Self-denial necessary.
53. Mischiefs of good company.
54. Mrs. Savecharges' complaint.
55. Authors' mortifications.
56. Virtuosos whimsical.
57. Character of Sophron.
58. Expectations of pleasure frustrated.
59. Books fall into neglect.
60. Minim the critic.
61. Minim the critic.