es. He
seemingly delights more in exposing blemishes, than in recommending
beauties; slightly passes over excellencies, enlarges upon
imperfections, and not content with his own severe reflections, revives
old scandal, and produces large quotations from the forgotten works of
former criticks. His reputation was so high in the republick of letters,
that it wanted not to be raised upon the ruins of others. But these
_Essays_, instead of raising a higher idea than was before entertained
of his understanding, have certainly given the world a worse opinion of
his temper.--The Bishop was therefore the more surprized and concerned
for his townsman, for _he respected him not only for his genius and
learning, but valued him much more for the more amiable part of his
character, his humanity and charity, his morality and religion.'_ The
last sentence we may consider as the general and permanent opinion of
Bishop Newton; the remarks which precede it must, by all who have read
Johnson's admirable work, be imputed to the disgust and peevishness of
old age. I wish they had not appeared, and that Dr. Johnson had not been
provoked by them to express himself, not in respectful terms, of a
Prelate, whose labours were certainly of considerable advantage both to
literature and religion. BOSWELL.

[882] Newton was born Jan. 1, 1704, and was made Bishop in 1761. In his
_Account of his own Life_ (p. 65) he says:--'He was no great gainer by
his preferment; for he was obliged to give up the prebend of
Westminster, the precentorship of York, the lecturership of St.
George's, Hanover Square, and the _genteel office of sub-almoner_.' He
died in 1781. His _Works_ were published in 1782. Gibbon, defending
himself against an attack by Newton, says (_Misc. Works_, l. 24l):--'The
old man should not have indulged his zeal in a false and feeble charge
against the historian, who,' &c.

[883] _Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides,_ 3rd ed. p. 371 [Oct. 25].
BOSWELL. See _ante_, ii. 216.

[884] The Rev. Mr. Agutter [_post,_ under Dec. 20] has favoured me with
a note of a dialogue between Mr. John Henderson [_post,_ June 12] and
Dr. Johnson on this topick, as related by Mr. Henderson, and it is
evidently so authentick that I shall here insert it:--HENDERSON. 'What
do you think, Sir, of William Law?' JOHNSON. 'William Law, Sir, wrote
the best piece of Parenetick Divinity; but William Law was no reasoner.'
HENDERSON. 'Jeremy Collier, Sir?' JOHNSON. 'Jeremy Coll