of our best writers have approached very near to him; and, from the
influence which he has had upon our composition, scarcely any thing
is written now that is not better expressed than was usual before he
appeared to lead the national taste.

Though The Rambler was not concluded till the year 1752, I shall,
under this year, say all that I have to observe upon it. Some of
the translations of the mottos by himself are admirably done. He
acknowledges to have received 'elegant translations' of many of them
from Mr. James Elphinston; and some are very happily translated by a Mr.
F. Lewis, of whom I never heard more, except that Johnson thus described
him to Mr. Malone: 'Sir, he lived in London, and hung loose upon
society.'

His just abhorrence of Milton's political notions was ever strong. But
this did not prevent his warm admiration of Milton's great poetical
merit, to which he has done illustrious justice, beyond all who have
written upon the subject. And this year he not only wrote a Prologue,
which was spoken by Mr. Garrick before the acting of Comus at Drury-lane
theatre, for the benefit of Milton's grand-daughter, but took a very
zealous interest in the success of the charity.

1751: AETAT. 42.]--In 1751 we are to consider him as carrying on both
his Dictionary and Rambler.

Though Johnson's circumstances were at this time far from being easy,
his humane and charitable disposition was constantly exerting itself.
Mrs. Anna Williams, daughter of a very ingenious Welsh physician, and
a woman of more than ordinary talents and literature, having come to
London in hopes of being cured of a cataract in both her eyes, which