of friends and admirers. His abandonment of wine seems
to have improved his health and diminished the intensity
of his melancholy fits. His literary activity, however,
nearly ceased. He wrote a few political pamphlets in
defence of Government, and after a long period of indolence
managed to complete his last conspicuous work -- the Lives
of the Poets, which was published in 1779 and 1781. One
other book of some interest appeared in 1775. It was an
account of the journey made with Boswell to the Hebrides
in 1773. This journey was in fact the chief interruption
to the even tenour of his life. He made a tour to Wales
with the Thrales in 1774; and spent a month with them
in Paris in 1775. For the rest of the period he lived
chiefly in London or at Streatham, making occasional trips
to Lichfield and Oxford, or paying visits to Taylor, Lang-
ton, and one or two other friends. It was, however, in
the London which he loved so ardently ("a man," he said
once, "who is tired of London is tired of life"), that he was
chiefly conspicuous. There he talked and drank tea
illimitably at his friends' houses, or argued and laid
down the law to his disciples collected in a tavern instead
of Academic groves. Especially he was in all his glory
at the Club, which began its meetings in February, 1764,
and was afterwards known as the Literary Club. This Club
was founded by Sir Joshua Reynolds, "our Romulus," as
Johnson called him. The original members were Reynolds,
Johnson, Burke, Nugent, Beauclerk, Langton, Goldsmith,
Chamier, and Hawkins. They met weekly at the Turk's
Head, in Gerard Street, Soho, at seven o'clock, and the
talk generally continued till a late hour. The Club was
afterwards increased in numbers, and the weekly supper
changed to a fortnightly dinner. It continued to thrive,
and election to it came to be as great an honour in certain

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