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CHAP. XII.] XEWS FOR THE CLUB.

new commercial and agricultural magazine in which the busy 1765.
publisher had engaged. It was certainly not an idle year with aufr.
him; though what remains in proof of his employment may
be scant and indifferent enough. Johnson's blind pensioner,
Miss Williams, had for several months been getting together
a subscription volume of Miscellanies, to which Goldsmith
had promised a poem; and she complains that she found him
always too busy to redeem his promise, and was continually
put off with a " Leave it to me." Nor was Johnson, who
had made lite promises, much better. " Well, we'll think
" about it," was his form, of excuse.* With Johnson, in truth,
a year of most unusual exertion had succeeded his year of
visitings, and he had at last completed, nine years later than
he promised it, his edition of Shakspeare. It came out in
October, in eight octavo volumes; and was bitterly assailed
(nor, it may be admitted, without a certain coarse smartness)
by Kenrick, who, in one of the notes to his attack, coupling
" learned doctors of Dublin," with " doctorial dignities of
" Elieims and Louvain," may have meant a sarcasm at
Goldsmith. I have indicated the latter place as the pro-
bable source of his medical degree; and, three months before,
Dublin University had conferred a doetorship on Johnson,
though not until ten years later, when Oxford did him similar
honour, did he consent to acknowledge the title.f He had
now, I may add, left his Temple chambers, and become

* The poor old lady was more nervous about having received and spent her
subscription halfcrowns than Johnson felt about his subscription guineas (ante, 219);
"but," she said to Lady Knight, "what can I do ? the Doctor [Johnson] always
" puts me off with ' Well, we'll think about it;' and Goldsmith says, ' Leave it
" ' to me.' "Hoswell, iii. 9.

^ He never, himself, actually assumed it. It was in recognition of the comple-
tion of his Shdkspea/re that Dublin University did itself the honour to send him the
doctor's diploma, which Oxford (his own University) had not the grace to do till
ten years later, on the nomination of Lord North. It is certain, however, and not
a little curious, remembering how world-famous this dignity became in his person,
that he never called himself anything but " Mr. Johnson" to the close of his life.



	CHAP. XII.] XEWS FOR THE CLUB. new commercial and agricultural magazine in which the busy 1765. publisher had engaged. It was certainly not an idle year with aufr. him; though what remains in proof of his employment may be scant and indifferent enough. Johnson's blind pensioner, Miss Williams, had for several months been getting together a subscription volume of Miscellanies, to which Goldsmith had promised a poem; and she complains that she found him always too busy to redeem his promise, and was continually put off with a " Leave it to me." Nor was Johnson, who had made lite promises, much better. " Well, we'll think " about it," was his form, of excuse.* With Johnson, in truth, a year of most unusual exertion had succeeded his year of visitings, and he had at last completed, nine years later than he promised it, his edition of Shakspeare. It came out in October, in eight octavo volumes; and was bitterly assailed (nor, it may be admitted, without a certain coarse smartness) by Kenrick, who, in one of the notes to his attack, coupling " learned doctors of Dublin," with " doctorial dignities of " Elieims and Louvain," may have meant a sarcasm at Goldsmith. I have indicated the latter place as the pro- bable source of his medical degree; and, three months before, Dublin University had conferred a doetorship on Johnson, though not until ten years later, when Oxford did him similar honour, did he consent to acknowledge the title.f He had now, I may add, left his Temple chambers, and become * The poor old lady was more nervous about having received and spent her subscription halfcrowns than Johnson felt about his subscription guineas (ante, 219); "but," she said to Lady Knight, "what can I do ? the Doctor [Johnson] always " puts me off with ' Well, we'll think about it;' and Goldsmith says, ' Leave it " ' to me.' "Hoswell, iii. 9. ^ He never, himself, actually assumed it. It was in recognition of the comple- tion of his Shdkspea/re that Dublin University did itself the honour to send him the doctor's diploma, which Oxford (his own University) had not the grace to do till ten years later, on the nomination of Lord North. It is certain, however, and not a little curious, remembering how world-famous this dignity became in his person, that he never called himself anything but " Mr. Johnson" to the close of his life.