for, 'Dr. Heberden,' replied he, 'ultimum Romanorum' 1 ^ the last of the learned physicians.' Ib. p. 601.
[The three following anecdotes attributed to Seward in Croker's Boswell, ix. 255, I have failed to trace.]
Another admonition of his was, never to go out without some little book or other in their pocket. 'Much time/ added he
- is lost by waiting, by travelling, &c., and this may be prevented,
by making use of every possible opportunity for improvement 2 .'
' The knowledge of various languages,' said he, * may be kept up by occasionally using bibles and prayer-books in them at church.'
Sir Joshua Reynolds in his picture of the Infant Hercules, painted for the Empress of Russia, in the person of Tiresias the soothsayer, gave an adumbration of Johnson's manner 3 .
1 'Thou last of all the Romans, after looking earnestly in his face,
fare thee well.' said : " I must give more colour to
Julius Caesar, Act v. sc. 3, 1. 99. my Infant Hercules." ' Leslie and
See Letters, ii. 95 n. ; ante, ii. 1 54 n. Taylor's Reynolds, ii. 483.
2 On his way to Harwich ' he had ' Reynolds himself, on taking leave in his pocket Pomponius Mela de of it, previous to its departure for Situ Orbis, which he read occa- Russia, said : " there were ten pic- sionally.' Life, i. 465. tures under it, some better, some
3 ' The subject he had chosen in worse." ' Northcote's Reynolds, ii. allusion to the power of Russia, then 219.
in its infancy 1 have heard Mr. ' Mr. Walpole suggested to Sir
Rogers say that Reynolds, who was Joshua [for his picture for the Em- always thinking of his art, was one press] the scene Deptford, and the day walking near Beaconsfield, when time when the Czar Peter was re- he met a fine rosy little peasant ceiving a ship-carpenter's dress, in boy a son of Burke's bailiff. Rey- exchange for his own, to work in the nolds patted him on the head, and, dock.' H. More's Memoirs, ii. 21.
�� �
