eaden crown devolved to thee,
Great poet of the hollow tree.'

Mr. Nichols, in a note on this, says that Grimston 'wrote the play when
a boy, to be acted by his schoolfellows.' Swift's _Works_ (1803), xi.
297. Two editions were published apparently by Grimston himself, one
bearing his name but no date, and the other the date of 1705 but no
name. By 1705 Grimston was 22 years old--no longer a boy. The former
edition was published by Bernard Lintott at the Cross Keys,
Fleet-street, and the latter by the same bookseller at the Middle Temple
Gate. The grossness of a young man of birth at this period is shewn by
the Preface. The third edition with the elephant on the tight-rope was
published in 1736. There is another illustration in which an ass is
represented bearing a coronet. Grimston's name is not given here, but
there is a dedication 'To the Right Sensible the Lord Flame.' Three or
four notes are added, one of which is very gross. The election was for
St. Alban's, for which borough he was thrice returned.

[265] Dr. T. Campbell records (_Diary_, p. 69) that 'Boswell asked
Johnson if he had never been under the hands of a dancing master. "Aye,
and a dancing mistress too," says the Doctor; "but I own to you I never
took a lesson but one or two; my blind eyes showed me I could never make
a proficiency."'

[266] See vol. ii. p.286. BOSWELL.

[267] Miss Burney writes of him in Feb. 1779:--'He is a professed
minority man, and very active and zealous in the opposition. Men of such
different principles as Dr. Johnson and Sir Philip cannot have much
cordiality in their political debates; however, the very superior
abilities of the former, and the remarkable good breeding of the latter
have kept both upon good terms.' She describes a hot argument between
them, and continues:--'Dr. Johnson pursued him with unabating vigour and
dexterity, and at length, though he could not convince, he so entirely
baffled him, that Sir Philip was self-compelled to be quiet--which, with
a very good grace, he confessed. Dr. Johnson then recollecting himself,
and thinking, as he owned afterwards, that the dispute grew too serious,
with a skill all his own, suddenly and unexpectedly turned it to
burlesque.' D'Arblay's _Diary_, i. 192.

[268] See _post_, Jan. 20, 1782.

[269] See _ante_, ii.355.

[270] Here Johnson condescended to play upon the words _Long_ and
_short_. But little did he know that, owing to Mr. Long's reserve in his
presen