Johnson in Litchfield.'
The City and County of Lichfield.
(Vol. i, p. 36, n. 4.)
'The City of Litchfield is a County of itself, with a jurisdiction extending 10 or 12 miles round, which circuit the Sheriff rides every year on Sept. 8.'--A Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain, ed. 1769, ii. 419.
Balliol College has a copy of this work containing David Garrick's book-plate, with Shakespeare's head at the top of it, and the following quotation from Menagiana at the foot:--
'La premiere chose qu'on doit faire quand on a emprunte un livre, c'est de le lire, afin de pouvoir le rendre plutot' (sic).
Felixmarte of Hircania.
(Vol. i, p. 49.)
'"He that follows is Florismarte of Hyrcania" said the barber. "What! is Signor Florismarte there?" replied the priest; "in good faith he shall share the same fate, notwithstanding his strange birth and chimerical adventures; for his harsh and dry style will admit of no excuse. To the yard with him, therefore." "With all my heart, dear Sir," answered the housekeeper; "and with joyful alacrity she executed the command.'" --Don Quixote, ed. 1820, i. 48.
Boswell speaks of Felixmarte as the old Spanish romance. In the Bibliografia dei Romanzi e Poeini Cavallereschi Italiani (2nd ed., Milan, 1838), p. 351, it is stated that in the Spanish edition it is called a translation from the Italian, and in the Italian edition a translation from the Spanish. The Italian title is Historia di Don Florismante d'Ircania, tradotta dallo Spagnuolo. Cervantes, in an edition of Don Quixote, published in 1605, which I have looked at, calls the book Florismarte de Hircania (not Florismante). It should seem that he made his hero read the Italian version.
Palmerin of England and Don Belianis.
(Vol. i, p. 49, n. 2; and vol. iii, p. 2.)
'"Let Palmerin of England be preserved," said the licentiate, "and kept as a jewel; and let such another casket be made for it as that which Alexander found among the spoils of Darius appropriated to preserve the works of the poet Homer....Therefore, master Nicholas, saving your better judgment let this and Amadis de Gaul be exempted from the flames, and let all the rest perish without any farther inquiry." "Not so neighbour," replied the barber, "for behold here the renowned Don Belianis." The priest replied, "This with the second, third, and fourth parts, wants a little rhubarb to purge away its excessive choler; there should be removed too all that relates to the castle of Fame, and other impertinencies of still greater consequence; let them have the benefit, therefore, of transportation, and as they show signs of amendment they shall hereafter be treated with mercy or justice; in the meantime, friend, give them room in your house; but let nobody read them."' --Don Quixote, ed. 1820, i. 50.
Mr. Taylor, a Birmingham manufacturer.
(Vol. i, p. 86.)
'John Taylor, Esq. may justly be deemed the Shakspear or Newton of Birmingham. He rose from minute beginnings to shine in the commercial hemisphere, as they in the poetical or philosophical. To this uncommon genius we owe the gilt button, the japanned and gilt snuff-box, with the numerous race of enamels; also the painted snuff-box. ... He died in 1775 at the age of 64, after acquiring a fortune of L200,000. His son was a considerable sufferer at the time of the riots in 1791.' --A Brief History of Birmingham, 1797, p. 9.
Olivia Lloyd.
(Vol. i, p. 92.)
I am, no doubt, right in identifying Olivia Lloyd, the young quaker, with whom Johnson was much enamoured when at Stourbridge School, with Olive Lloyd, the daughter of the first Sampson Lloyd, of Birmingham, and aunt of the Sampson Lloyd with whom he had an altercation (ante, ii. 458 and post, p. liii). 'A fine likeness of her is preserved by Thomas Lloyd, The Priory, Warwick,' as I learn from an interesting little work called Farm and its Inhabitants, with some Account of the Lloyds of Dolobran, by Rachel J. Lowe. Privately printed, 1883, p. 24. Her elder brother married a Miss Careless; ib. p. 23. Johnson's 'first love,' Hector's sister, married a Mr. Careless (ante, ii. 459).
Henry Porter, of Edgbaston.
(Vol. i, p. 94, n. 3.)
In St. Mary's Church, Warwick, is a monument to--
'Anna Norton, Henrici Porter Filia Nuper de Edgberston in Com. Warw. Generosi; Vidua Thomae Norton.... Haec annis et pietate matura vitam deposuit. Maii 14, 1698.'
A Brief Description of the Collegiate Church of St. Mary in Warwick, published by Grafton and Reddell, Birmingham; no date.
Mrs. Williams's account of Mrs. Johnson and her sons by her former marriage. (Vol. i, p. 95.)
The following note by Malone I failed to quote in the right place. It is copied from a paper, written by Lady Knight.
'Mrs. Williams's account of Mrs. Johnson was, that she had a good understanding and great sensibility, but inclined to be satirical. Her first husband died insolvent [this is a mistake, see ante, i. 95, n. 3]; her sons were much disgusted with her for her second marriage; ...