299. See ante, ii. 450.

[68] Miss Hawkins (_Memoirs_, i. 279, 288) says that Langton told her
father that he meant to give his six daughters such a knowledge of
Greek, 'that while five of them employed themselves in feminine works,
the sixth should read a Greek author for the general amusement.' She
describes how 'he would get into the most fluent recitation of half a
page of Greek, breaking off for fear of wearying, by saying, "and so it
goes on," accompanying his words with a gentle wave of his hand.'

[69] See post, p. 42.

[70] See ante, i. 326.

[71] This assertion concerning Johnson's insensibility to the pathetick
powers of Otway, is too _round_. I once asked him, whether he did not
think Otway frequently tender: when he answered, 'Sir, he is all
tenderness.' BURNEY. He describes Otway as 'one of the first names in
the English drama.' _Works_, vii. 173.

[72] See ante, April 16, 1779.

[73] Johnson; it seems, took up this study. In July, 1773, he recorded
that between Easter and Whitsuntide, he attempted to learn the Low Dutch
language. 'My application,' he continues, 'was very slight, and my
memory very fallacious, though whether more than in my earlier years, I
am not very certain.' _Pr. and Med._ p. 129, and ante, ii. 263. On his
death-bed, he said to Mr. Hoole:--'About two years since I feared that I
had neglected God, and that then I had not a _mind_ to give him; on
which I set about to read _Thomas a Kempis_ in Low Dutch, which I
accomplished, and thence I judged that my mind was not impaired, Low
Dutch having no affinity with any of the languages which I knew.'
Croker's _Boswell_, p. 844. See ante, iii. 235.

[74] See post, under July 5, 1783.

[75] See ante, ii. 409, and iii. 197.

[76] One of Goldsmith's friends 'remembered his relating [about the year
1756] a strange Quixotic scheme he had in contemplation of going to
decipher the inscriptions on the _written mountains_, though he was
altogether ignorant of Arabic, or the language in which they might be
supposed to be written.' Goldsmith's _Misc. Works_, ed. 1801, i. 40.
Percy says that Goldsmith applied to the prime minister, Lord Bute, for
a salary to enable him to execute 'the visionary project' mentioned in
the text. 'To prepare the way, he drew up that ingenious essay on this
subject which was first printed in the _Ledger_, and afterwards in his
_Citizen of the World_ [No. 107].' _Ib_. p. 65. Percy adds that the Earl
of Northumberland,