sometimes also his body, shook with a kind of motion like the effect
of a palsy: he appeared to be frequently disturbed by cramps, or
convulsive contractions, [Footnote: Such they appeared to me: but
since the first edition, Sir Joshua Reynolds has observed to me, 'that
Dr Johnson's extraordinary gestures were only habits, in which he
indulged himself at certain times. When in company, where he was not
free, or when engaged earnestly in conversation, he never gave way to
such habits, which proves that they were not involuntary', I still
however think, that these gestures were involuntary; for surely had
not that been the case, he would have restrained them in the publick
streets.] of the nature of that distemper called St Vitus's dance. He
wore a full suit of plain brown clothes, with twisted-hair buttons of
the same colour, a large bushy greyish wig, a plain shirt, black
worsted stockings, and silver buckles. Upon this tour, when
journeying, he wore boots, and a very wide brown cloth great coat,
with pockets which might have almost held the two volumes of his folio
dictionary; and he carried in his hand a large English oak stick. Let
me not be censured for mentioning such minute particulars. Every thing
relative to so great a man is worth observing. I remember Dr Adam
Smith, in his rhetorical lectures at Glasgow, told us he was glad to
know that Milton wore latchets in his shoes, instead of buckles. When
I mention the oak stick, it is but letting Hercules have his club;
and, by-and-by, my readers will find this stick will bud, and produce
a good joke.

This imperfect sketch of 'the combination and the form' of that
Wonderful Man, whom I venerated and loved while in this world, and
after whom I gaze with humble hope, now that it has pleased Almighty
God to call him to a better world, will serve to introduce to the
fancy of my readers the capital object of the following journal, in