342 A Biographical Sketch of Dr. Johnson
poem had a great sale, was applauded by the public, and praised by Mr. Pope, who, not being able to discover the author, said
- he will soon be deterr^' In 1738 he luckily fell into the hands
of his other early patron, Cave. His speeches for the Senate of Lilliput were begun in 1740, and continued for several sessions. They passed for original with many till very lately. But Johnson, who detested all injurious imposition, took a great deal of pains to acknowledge the innocent deception. He gave Smollett notice of their unoriginality, while he was going over his historical ground, and to be upon his guard in quoting from the Lilliput Debates 2 . It is within recollection, that an animated speech he put into the mouth of Pitt, in answer to the Parliamentary veteran, Horace Walpole 3 , was much talked of, and considered as genuine 4 . Members of parliament acknowledge, that they reckon themselves much obliged for the printed accounts of debates of both Houses, because they are made to speak better than they do in the Senate. Within these few years, a gentle man in a high employment under government was at breakfast in Gray's-Inn, where Johnson was present, and was commending the excellent preservation of the speeches of both houses, in the Lilliput Debates 5 . He declared, he knew how to appropriate every speech without a signature ; for that every person spoke in character, and was as certainly and as easily known as a speaker in Homer or in Shakspeare. * Very likely, Sir/ said
1 Ante, i. 373. ignorant in spite of experience.'
2 Smollett quoted them as if they Works, x. 355.
were genuine. History of England, Horace Walpole, Sir Robert Wal-
iii. 73. See Life, i. 505. pole's son, complained that the
3 Horace Walpole, first Baron published report of his own first Walpole, brother of Sir Robert. speech ' did not contain one sentence
4 It is the speech which begins : of the true one.' Walpole's Letters, ' Sir, the atrocious crime of being a i. 147. Forty-nine years later he young man, which the honourable wrote: 'I never knew Johnson wrote gentleman has with such spirit the speeches in the Gentleman's and decency charged upon me, I Magazine till he died.' Ib. ix. shall neither attempt to palliate nor 319.
deny, but content myself with wish- 5 Wedderburne, I think, is meant,
ing that I may be one of those whose He was one of the party a dinner
follies may cease with their youth, party given by Foote. Life, i. 504 ;
and not of that number who are ante, i. 378.
Johnson
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