hour. I have known him after a long vacation, in which we were rather severely tasked *, return to school an hour earlier in the morning, and begin one of his exercises, in which he purposely left some faults, in order to gain time to finish the rest.
I never knew him corrected at school, unless it was for talking ./ and diverting other boys from their business, by which, perhaps, he might hope to keep his ascendancy. He was uncommonly inquisitive, and his memory so tenacious, that whatever he read or heard he never forgot. I remember rehearsing to him eighteen verses, which after a little pause he repeated verbatim, except one epithet, which improved the line.
After a long absence from Lichfield, when he returned I was apprehensive of something wrong in his constitution 2 , which might either impair his intellect or endanger his life, but, thanks to Almighty God, my fears have proved false.' (Page 6.)
[When Johnson was at Pembroke College 3 ] the want of that assistance, which scholars in general derive from their parents, relations, and friends, soon became visible in his garb and appear ance, which, though in some degree concealed by a scholar's gown, and that we know is never deemed the less honourable for being old, was so apparent as to excite pity in some that saw and noticed him. He had scarce any change of raiment, and, in a short time after Corbet 4 left him, but one pair of / shoes, and those so old, that his feet were seen through them : ^ a gentleman of his college, the father of an eminent clergyman now living, directed a servitor one morning to place a new pair
1 Ante, i. 161. 2 Life, i. 63. ' Quo die comparuit coram me
3 Johnson matriculated on Oct. 31, Joshua Ellis e Coll Pembr generosi
1728, and no doubt received from fil et subscripsit Articulis Fidei, et
the Vice-Chancellor a document Religionis ; et juramentum suscepit
similar to the following, which is deagnoscendasupremaRegiseMajes-
pasted in at the end of a copy of tads potestate ; et de observandis
Parecbolcs sive Excerpta e corpore Statutis, Privilegiis et Consuetudini-
Statutorzim Universitatis Oxoniensis. bus hujus Universitatis.
It was shown me by Mr. Viner * Jo. Mather, Vice-Can.'
Ellis, a descendant of Johnson's con- wmiam pkt entered
temporary at Pembroke to whom it lege on Jan f
had been given. Magazine, 1784, p. 5.
' Oxonias. Dec. 14. Anno Domini
Life, i. 58 ; ante, i. 362.
at
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