Croker's Boswell, and Boswell : Studies in the Life of
Johnson. By Percy Fitzgerald, M.A. (Chapman and Hall.)—Mr. Fitzgerald has expended, we will not say wasted, a vast amount of labour and in. genuity on his subject. The result is a book which will be judged to be interesting or uninteresting, according to the taste of its readers. The trouble of dipping into it hero and there will certainly be repaid. The subject is often interesting, and Mr. Fitzgerald has illustrated it with a variety of curious information. But to read the book through would task a patience of more Ulan average endurance. Looking into it somewhat vaguely and cursorily, we have noted one thing in which Mr. Fitzgerald's argument seems to fail. It concerns the matter of who was Dr. Johnson's tutor. The question is when Adams took Jordan's place as tutor of Pembroke. He was appointed to a living in March, 1729, and his fellowship was filled up in December in 1730. "If he did not vacate his fellowship till December, 1730, we may fairly assume that he continued to perform the duties." But is this assumption fair ? What would be the course of things now, if a tutor accepted a living in March ? He would hold his tutorship, there is no doubt, until the Long Vacation, but would then cease to reside. But his fellowship would continue for what is called the "year of grace," a period allowed for this, among other reasons, that the holder may have a locus poenitentiae, if he finds that the living does not suit him as well as the college. The fellowship would be vacant in the following March, and would be filled up at the next yearly-time, Donius, we presume, meanwhile receiving its emoluments. But it would be unusual to keep tho tutorship for a year and nine months after accepting the living. Commonly, how- ever, Mr. Fitzgerald seems to make his points good.
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