1827, i. 131.
Johnson's use of the word 'big'.
(Vol. v, p. 425.)
On volume i, page 471, Johnson says: 'Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.'
Atlas, the Duke of Devonshire's race-horse.
(Vol. v, p. 429.)
Johnson, in his Diary of a Journey into North Wales, records on July 12, 1774:--
'At Chatsworth..., Atlas, fifteen hands inch and half.'
Mr. Duppa in a note on this, says: 'A race-horse, which attracted so much of Dr. Johnson's attention, that he said, "of all the Duke's possessions I like Atlas best."'
Thomas Holcroft, who in childhood wandered far and wide with his father, a pedlar, was at Nottingham during the race-week of the year 1756 or 1757, and saw in its youth the horse which Johnson so much admired in its old age. He says: 'The great and glorious part which Nottingham held in the annals of racing this year, arose from the prize of the King's plate, which was to be contended for by the two horses which everybody I heard speak considered as undoubtedly the best in England, and perhaps equal to any that had ever been known, Childers alone excepted. Their names were Careless and Atlas.....There was a story in circulation that Atlas, on account of his size and clumsiness, had been banished to the cart-breed; till by some accident, either of playfulness or fright, several of them started together; and his vast advantage in speed happening to be noticed, he was restored to his blood companions.....Alas for the men of Nottingham, Careless was conquered. I forget whether it was at two or three heats, but there was many an empty purse on that night, and many a sorrowful heart.' --Memoirs of Thomas Holcroft, i. 70.
Sir Richard Clough.
(Vol. v, p. 436.)
There is an interesting note on Sir Richard Clough, the founder of Bach y Graig, in Professor Rhys's edition of Pennant's Tours in Wales (vol. ii, p. 137). The Professor writes to me:--
'Sir Richard Clough's wealth was so great that it became a saying of the people in North Wales that a man who grew very wealthy was or had become a Clough. This has long been forgotten; but it is still said in Welsh, in North Wales, that a very rich man is a regular clwch, which is pronounced with the guttural spirant, which was then (in the 16th century) sounded in English, just as the English word draught (of drink) is in Welsh dracht pronounced nearly as if it were German.'
Evan Evans.
(Vol. v, p. 443.)
Evan Evans, who is described as being 'incorrigibly addicted to strong drink,' was Curate of Llanvair Talyhaern, in Denbighshire, and author of Some Specimens of the Poetry of Antient Welsh Bards translated into English. London, R. & J. Dodsley, 1764. My friend Mr. Morfill informs me that he remembers to have seen it stated in a manuscript note in a book in the Bodleian, that 'Evan Evans would have written much more if he had not been so much given up to the bottle.'
Gray thus mentions Evan Evans in a letter to Dr. Wharton, written in July, 1760:--
'The Welsh Poets are also coming to light. I have seen a discourse in MS. about them (by one Mr. Evans, a clergyman) with specimens of their writings. This is in Latin; and though it don't approach the other [Macpherson], there are fine scraps among it.' --The Works of Thomas Gray, ed. by the Rev. John Mitford. London, 1858, vol. iii, p. 250.
INDEX TO THE ADDENDA.
ABERCROMBIE, James, lxii, lxvi. ADDENBROKE, Dean, xxxiv. ATLAS, the race-horse, lxix, lxx.
BARCLAY'S Answer to Kenrick's Review of Johnson's Shakespeare, xlviii. BARETTI, Joseph, lvii. BASKETT, Mr., xxxii. BATHURST, Dr., Proposal for a Geographical Dictionary, xxi. BAXTER, Richard, on toleration, xlix; his doubt, liv; rule of preaching, lx; on the possible salvation of a suicide, lx; on the portion of babies who die unbaptized, lxi. BERKELEY, Dr., xlix. BERKELEY, George Monck, lxv. Big, lxix. BOSWELL, James, Bishop Percy's Communications, lvii; Johnson in his last illness, and to publish 'praises' of him, lxiii; Lurgan Clanbrassil, li; projected works, lxvii; Remarks on the profession of a player, lxi; visit to Rousseau and Voltaire, xlvi. BROWNE, Sir Thomas, lviii. BROWNING, Mr. Robert, lii. BURKE, Edmund, lxii.
CAMDEN, Lord, xlix. CAMPBELL, Archibald, lxix. 'CAUTION' money, xxxii. CLARENDON, Edward, Earl of, l. CLARENDON PRESS, xxxii. CLOUGH, Sir Richard, lxx. COCOA TREE CLUB, lxix. CROUSAZ, Jean Pierre de, lxvi.
DAVENPORT, William, xxxv. DAVIES, Rev. J. Hamilton, xlix, liv, lx, lxi. DODSLEY, Robert, xxvi. Don Belianis, xli.
ENGLAND barren in good historians, xlix. ENGLISH pulpit eloquence, lvii. EVANS, Evan, lxxi. EYRE, Mr., xxxii.
Farm and its Inhabitants, xlii, liii. Felixmarte of Hircania, xli. FLOYER, Sir John, lxii. FOUNDLING HOSPITAL, l. FRANKING LETTERS, xxxvii. FREDERICK II. OF PRUSSIA, xlvi.
FRENCH WRITERS, their superficiality, xlvii. FULLER, Thomas, Life, lxiv.
GARRICK, David, xli, xlv, lxi. GIBBON, Edward, xlvii, lvii, lxvi, lxviii, lxix. GOUGH, Richard, xxxiv. GRAY, Thomas, lxxi. GREGORY FAMILY, lxiv.