a hurry, to cry NOW, NOW, as the quickest expression, I suppose, for urging another to immediate haste. "AT PRESENT we cannot come to you" is a common phrase He was here THIS INSTANT, means, 't is not an instant scarcely since he was here: but it does certainly mean time past; for one says to a person who, looking round, misses the individual sought for, she is here, Now, cannot you see her?" 66 Why, "I thought we were to begin upon the subject NOW," says a man impatient of decision. "We will begin THIS INSTANT," replies his cooler friend (meaning a future time, though near); AT PRESENT it would not be so proper." These things are difficult to foreigners; nor can I guess why both time past, and time to come, should be hourly and commonly exprest by THIS INSTANT, which at first view appears improper enough. TO NULLIFY, TO ANNULL, TO DISANNULL, TO MAKE NULL AND VOID. These verbs stand in conversation chiefly in the place of the verb to annihilate, or rather between that and the softer phrase of, to render ineffectual. Horatio's arguments, say we, were rendered NULL and VOID, at least in my opinion, by what our friend Cleomenes urged against them: but no man better knows than he how to NULLIFY the discourse of his competitor without annihilating the speaker either in his own eyes, or those of the auditors; as a good legislator will see the way to ANNULL a statute no longer useful or necessary, without taking away by direct annihilation all trace or remembrance of its former utility. The third verb is a favorite among the vulgar here in England, who misapply it comically enough. I asked the late Lord Halifax's gardener for a walk and summer-house I used to see at Horton: "There was such a walk once," replies the man, "but my Lord DISANNULLED it." In 1815, Mrs. Piozzi sent a copy of "British Synonymy" to Sir James Fellowes with the following note and verses, which will appropriately conclude this compilation: 5 Nov., 1815. Accept, dear Sir, this second-hand copy of your poor little friend's favorite work, now completely out of print. That it should bear the name of Samuel Johnson on the title page, is so curious, that I would not erase it. Ten years at fewest must have elapsed since the author of the "Rambler" had breathed his last, when this book saw the light : and he to whom I have now the honor of presenting it, was struggling between the perils of fire and water in the midst of the Atlantic Ocean. Awful Retrospect! Yet a lightly volant pen traces the following lines, only to say that In this Synonymy you'll find Johnson's epigram on her, 28. Atmospheric stones, 311. Baretti, passages in Dr. Johnson's letters his papers in the "European Mag- his death, 115. his rupture with Dr. Johnson, 116. the comedy of the "Sentimental lines on his portrait, 256. Barnard, Dr., Provost of Eton, John- 155. Bassi's verses, 266 translation of, 266. Bath, riots in, 458. Bayntun, Admiral Sir H., 474, note. Bearcroft, Mr., anecdotes of, 137. Autobiographical Memoirs of Mrs. Pi- Beloe, his "Sexagenarian," 399. ozzi, 161 et seq. Bâch y Graig, Dr. Johnson's description "Bæviad and Mæviad," origin of the, 90. Bagot, Mrs., 298. Barclay, Mr., the Quaker, purchases accompanies Dr. Johnson and the his trial for murder, 55. his introduction to the Thrales, 56. 57. his dislike of Boswell, 58. Bentley, Dr. Richard, his verses on his fables, 277. Blue-Stocking Clubs, origin of the, 14. Bolingbroke, Lord, anecdote of Johnson Bolingbroke, Lady, 276. Bonaparte, intelligence of his meditated his expedition to Egypt, 296. the Apocalyptic beast, 319. Boswell, James, his character as a bi- | Byron, Lord, his estimate of life at thirty- ographer, 2. his "Letters to Temple," and his account of Johnson's introduc- his jealousy of Mrs. Thrale, 6. his conversations at Streatham, 27. his proposed poetical epistle to his dislike of Baretti, 58. Peter Pindar's satire on, quoted, 99. Bowles, Mr., shooting his nephew, 421. Boyce, Johnson's description of, 221. his verses to Cave, 221. Bramah and his air-balloon, 327. five quoted, 20. his estimate of Italian singers, 71. Caroline of Naples, story of, 84. Cathcart, Lady, in "Castle Rackrent," Catherine, Empress of Russia, verses Catholic question, 417, 429. Bristow, Caroline (afterwards Mrs. Lyt- Cator, Mr., 196, 197, 201. telton), 52. British Museum, 422. Broadhead, Mrs., 384. Dr. Johnson's remark on, 104. Cervantes, 329. Chalmers "Modern Astronomy," 356. Chambers, Sir Robert, 211. lines on his portrait, 255. Charles Edward, the young Pretender, Charlotte, the Princess, her marriage, her death, 401. Chesterfield, Philip Dormer, Earl of, 120. Club, the Literary, formation of the, 18. 14. Clwyd, the river, 49. Cobbett, William, 327, 372, 467. Collier, Dr., 171. educates Miss Hester Lynch Sal- Mrs. Piozzi's account of, 209. 52. Condé, Prince of, anecdote of the, 128, 124. Congreve, W., his "Way of the World" Conway, Mr. Shipley, 50, note. notice of him, 143. D'Arblay, Madame, her description of her" Wanderer," 308. Della Crusca verses, 270. his letter to Mrs. Piozzi's execu- Dido, verses on, 276. Corsini, Prince, 81. Corsini, Cardinal, 81. Cotton, Mrs., her cascade, 50. Cotton, George (afterwards Dean of Cotton, Sir Lynch, Johnson's visit and Cotton, Sir Robert Salusbury, 166. Cowper, William, quoted, 361. Coxe's "Life of the Duke of Marlbor- Crewe, Mrs., 233, 236, 428. his translation of Johnson's epi- Custom House, fire at the, 308. epigrams, 275. Divorces, conversation at Streatham Dixie, Sir Woolston, and Queen Caro- Dobson, Dr., 189. Doddridge's epigram on his own motto Dodington, Bub (Lord Melcombe), his 66 Doukin, General, 349, 354. Dr. Johnson's observations on fe- his ugliness, 239. Duppa, R., Esq., edits Johnson's "Jour- Edward, Prince, brother of George III., 232. Eglintoun, Lady, 294. English, John, his epitaph, 304. Exmouth, liberation of slaves, 399. Faber's prophecy for 1866, 404. Ferrier, Miss, the novelist, 426. Fielding, Henry, his disregard of the Sally, sister of the novelist, 178. |