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kPutnam.


Never were two stranger creatures linked to-
gether than oHNsoN and BoswELL-Ihe Ursa Ma
Tor and Cainis Minor whose names always occur to
the memory in connection and who seem to be as
inseparable, and yet as distinct, in their immortal
ity as they were in their daily walk and conyersa'
ton. JOHNSON was man of gigantic intellect, a
column rough and unhewn but still majestic and
imposng,-a character made up of the nob!est
elements-bound up in the strangest manner with
obstinacy dogmatism, conceit, and every thing
else that seemed unlovely and repulsive In con-
versaton he is represented to have surpassed any
man of his day, and the celebrity which MS writ
ings and sayings have acquired is of itself sutt-
cient proof that they were worthy to be remem-
bered There is no man who has been dead so
many years about whom the present generation
have so perfect and so correcta knowledge all his
habits his appearance and every thing that he did
or said. and his manner of doing and saying IT,
,re matters of familiar knowledge TO the student
of the present day. And this be owes to his con-
slant attendant. the unapproachabie bozzy-whs
has probably been abused more than any other
equally innocent ilsiu IAiS ''oANS1 -
precisely those qualities which were never vouch
safed TO any other under the sum- and yet no man
who knows and regards JOHNSON would tor trlt'e
consent that his wonderful biographer had never
existed. CARLYLE and MAcAULAy have eech
written upon Boswell, and the estimate they place
upon him, the points of view from which they look
at him, are perfectly characteristic OF themselves
and indicate the great mental disparity between
them. Carlyle magnifes, through ais Germanlc
ont;cs Boswell into hero of the first water: Ma
csulay. with scorpion lash, drives HIM to MS
le,nel There is truth in both and yet neither Is
.,ne. But we have not time, though our d4sposi-
RON ;s not ayerse, to write about es-ar Boswell or
b;s reviewers. Those who have read his Lie OF
Johnson win be apt to imagine that there is very
little more to be learned concerning The literary
giant: but they will nevertheless find much that
has interest and value in this fine volume. which IS
reprinted from the superb London edition pub
ished in the style of gift-boo' some years since
1t is edited by CROKER, the editor of Boswell; aud
this is sufficient pledge for its. worth. We open
it a. random and extract tn. following passages: