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A N

ACCOUNT

OF THE

LIFE AND WRITINGS

O F

JOHN SCOTT, Efq.

By Mr. HOOLE.

EFORE I enter upon an account

BEF

of the worthy and ingenious author of the following Effays, the reader will permit me to exprefs the most sensible regret, that the friends of Mr. Scott are disappointed in the hope of seeing justice done to his memory, by the fame mafterly pen, that has lately enriched our national stock of criticism and biography.

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After Mr. Scott's decease, the present volume being nearly ready for publication, it was thought advisable to prefix fome narrative of the author, which, as it would be highly acceptable to his friends in particular, might not be altogether unwelcome to the public in general, who, it has been often obferved, will always take an intereft in those persons, from whose labours they have derived profit or delight.

Mr. David Barclay,* from his acquaintance with the late Dr. Johnson, thinking with equal truth and kindness, that he might be able to pay a most esfential mark of attention to the name of Mr. Scott, refolved to apply to the Doctor to become his biographer. Dr. Johnson was then at Ashbourn, in Derbyshire, to which place he was gone for the benefit of his health, which had been, for some time, in a very declining state.

* Grandfon of the great Apologift.

Mr.

Mr. Barclay, by letter, fignified to him, that knowing he respected our late friend, and judging that fome anecdotes of fo deferving a character ought to be handed down to pofterity, he wished that an account, after the manner of the lives of the poets, might be prefixed to a posthumous volume then in the press, entitled Critical Effays; and that if the Doctor would undertake the arrangement, he would endeavour to furnish materials. To this application the Doctor, ever ready to pay attention to the calls of friendship, returned the following answer.

"SIR,

"As I have made fome advances to"wards recovery, and loved Mr. Scott, "I am willing to do justice to his me

mory. You will be pleased to get "what account you can of his life, with "dates, where they can be had, and "when

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In November following the Doctor came to town, when Mr. Barclay waited on him with the Critical Effays, and fome anecdotes. He found that excellent man in his chamber, much indifpofed; and indeed, by this time, the fears of his friends began to be very general, and their distress to increase almost daily, at the nearer prospect of such an irreparable lofs. Mr. Barclay entered into a conversation with the Doctor, on the fubject of the account to be given of Mr. Scott, and produced fome mate

rials which had been collected by several of his friends. He then spoke of the volume of Effays, to which it was defigned to prefix the account, but expreffed some doubts respecting the propriety and delicacy of his application to Dr. Johnfon to write a life and criticifm to be placed before the Effays of an author, who had, he observed, in thofe very Effays, controverted the Doctor's opinion in feveral inftances; and he went fo far as to fay, that had he before perused his friend's work, he believed he should not have ventured to folicit the Doctor on the occafion he added, that he thought it might be as well to relinquish the defign of publishing the book, as the writer was not living to defend his own criticisms. Upon this the Doctor defired that fome of the paffages alluded to might be pointed out to him, which defire Mr. Barclay immediately complied with, and read a few pages, chufing those parts wherein Mr. Scott had diffented

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