gh the master was often provoked by the monkey-like
impertinence of the pupil, and the pupil by the bearish rudeness of the
master, they remained friends till they were parted by death. Garrick
now brought Irene out, with alterations sufficient to displease the
author, yet not sufficient to make the piece pleasing to the audience.
The public, however, listened with little emotion, but with much
civility, to five acts of monotonous declamation. After nine
representations the play was withdrawn. It is, indeed, altogether
unsuited to the stage, and, even when perused in the closet, will be
found hardly worthy of the author. He had not the slightest notion of
what blank verse should be. A change in the last syllable of every other
line would make the versification of the Vanity of Human Wishes closely
resemble the versification of Irene. The poet, however, cleared, by his
benefit nights, and by the sale of the copyright of his tragedy, about
three hundred pounds, then a great sum in his estimation.

About a year after the representation of Irene, he began to publish a
series of short essays on morals, manners, and literature. This species
of composition had been brought into fashion by the success of the
Tatler, and by the still more brilliant success of the Spectator. A
crowd of small writers had vainly attempted to rival Addison. The Lay
Monastery, the Censor, the Freethinker, the Plain Dealer, the Champion,
and other works of the same kind, had had their short day. None of them
had obtained a permanent place in our literature; and they are now to be
found only in the libraries of the curious. At length Johnson undertook
the adventure in which so many aspirants had failed. In the thirty-sixth
year after the appearance of the last number of the Spectator appeared
the first number of the Rambler. From March 1750 to March 1752 this
paper continued to come out every Tuesday and Saturday.

From the first the Rambler was enthusiastically admired by a few eminent
men. Richardson, when only five numbers had appeared, pronounced it
equal, if not superior, to the Spectator. Young and Hartley expressed
their approbation not less warmly. Bubb Doddington, among whose many
faults indifference to the claims of genius and learning cannot be
reckoned, solicited the acquaintance of the writer. In consequence
probably of the good offices of Doddington, who was then the
confidential adviser of Prince Frederic, two of his Royal Highness's
ge