Life of Johnson Volume VI Part 18

_Johnson's use of the word 'big'_.

(Vol. v, p. 425.)

On volume i, page 471, Johnson says: 'Don't, Sir, accustom yourself to use big words for little matters.'

_Atlas, the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re's race-horse._

(Vol. v, p. 429.)

Johnson, in his _Diary of a Journey into North Wales_, records on July 12, 1774:--

'At Chatsworth..., Atlas, fifteen hands inch and half.'

Mr. Duppa in a note on this, says: 'A race-horse, which attracted so much of Dr. Johnson's attention, that he said, "of all the Duke's possessions I like Atlas best."'

Thomas Holcroft, who in childhood wandered far and wide with his father, a pedlar, was at Nottingham during the race-week of the year 1756 or 1757, and saw in its youth the horse which Johnson so much admired in its old age. He says: 'The great and glorious part which Nottingham held in the annals of racing this year, arose from the prize of the King's plate, which was to be contended for by the two horses which everybody I heard speak considered as undoubtedly the best in England, and perhaps equal to any that had ever been known, Childers alone excepted. Their names were Careless and Atlas.....There was a story in circulation that Atlas, on account of his size and clumsiness, had been banished to the cart-breed; till by some accident, either of playfulness or fright, several of them started together; and his vast advantage in speed happening to be noticed, he was restored to his blood companions.....Alas for the men of Nottingham, Careless was conquered. I forget whether it was at two or three heats, but there was many an empty purse on that night, and many a sorrowful heart.'

--_Memoirs of Thomas Holcroft_, i. 70.

Sir Richard Clough.

(Vol. v, p. 436.)

There is an interesting note on Sir Richard Clough, the founder of Bach y Graig, in Professor Rhys's edition of Pennant's _Tours in Wales_ (vol. ii, p. 137). The Professor writes to me:--

'Sir Richard Clough's wealth was so great that it became a saying of the people in North Wales that a man who grew very wealthy was or had become a Clough. This has long been forgotten; but it is still said in Welsh, in North Wales, that a very rich man is a regular _clwch_, which is p.r.o.nounced with the guttural spirant, which was then (in the 16th century) sounded in English, just as the English word _draught_ (of drink) is in Welsh _dracht_ p.r.o.nounced nearly as if it were German.'

_Evan Evans._

(Vol. v, p. 443.)

Evan Evans, who is described as being 'incorrigibly addicted to strong drink,' was Curate of Llanvair Talyhaern, in Denbighs.h.i.+re, and author of _Some Specimens of the Poetry of Antient Welsh Bards translated into English_. London, R. & J. Dodsley, 1764. My friend Mr. Morfill informs me that he remembers to have seen it stated in a ma.n.u.script note in a book in the Bodleian, that 'Evan Evans would have written much more if he had not been so much given up to the bottle.'

Gray thus mentions Evan Evans in a letter to Dr. Wharton, written in July, 1760:--

'The Welsh Poets are also coming to light. I have seen a discourse in MS. about them (by one Mr. Evans, a clergyman) with specimens of their writings. This is in Latin; and though it don't approach the other [Macpherson], there are fine sc.r.a.ps among it.'

--_The Works of Thomas Gray_, ed. by the Rev. John Mitford. London, 1858, vol. iii, p. 250.