The gentleman whom he thus characterises, is (as he told Mr. Seward) Mr.
Lock[157], of Norbury Park, in Surrey, whose knowledge and taste in the
fine arts is universally celebrated; with whose elegance of manners the
writer of the present work has felt himself much impressed, and to whose
virtues a common friend, who has known him long, and is not much
addicted to flattery, gives the highest testimony.
_Various Readings in the Life of_ MILTON.
'I cannot find any meaning but this which [his most bigotted advocates]
_even kindness and reverence_ can give.
'[Perhaps no] _scarcely any_ man ever wrote so much, and praised so few.
'A certain [rescue] _perservative_ from oblivion.
'Let me not be censured for this digression, as [contracted] _pedantick_
or paradoxical.
'Socrates rather was of opinion, that what we had to learn was how to
[obtain and communicate happiness] _do good and avoid evil_.
'Its elegance [who can exhibit?] _is less attainable._'
I could, with pleasure, expatiate upon the masterly execution of the
Life of DRYDEN, which we have seen[158] was one of Johnson's literary
projects at an early period, and which it is remarkable, that after
desisting from it, from a supposed scantiness of materials, he should,
at an advanced age, have exhibited so amply.
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