Hired to Depress: A Digital Scholarly Edition of William Blake's Annotations to Sir Joshua Reynolds' Discourses

Some Account xxv

 approprhted and characteristick, that the many illustrious persons whom he has deli- neated* will be almost as well known to posterity, as if they had seen and conversed with them. Very soon after his return from Italy, his acquaintance with Dr. Johnson commenced ; and their intimacy continued uninterrupted to the time of Johnson’s death. Happening to meet with the Life of Savage in Devon- shire, which, though published some years before, was then new to him, he began to 3*ead it (as Mr. Boswell has informed us) 6< while he was standing with his arm lean- ing against a chimney-piece. It seized his attention so strongly, that not being able to lay down the book till he had finished it, when he attempted to move, he found his arm totally benumbed. ” 18 Being then unac- quainted with the author, he must naturally have had a strong desire to see and converse 18 Life of Dr. Samuel Johnson, i. 144. I

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