RAMBLER, The, Though no longer read with the enthusiastic admiration formerly ac corded it, Johnson's 'Rambler> has at least re tained the respect of the thoughtful student of the history of English literature. The essays were distinctly of their day and, like all John son's writings, distinctly of their author. They followed the fashion of the periodical litera ture established by Addison and Steele in ranging over as wide a field of social and moral conduct as the fancy or ingenuity of the author led him. Temperamentally Johnson was not so well fitted to write the familiar essay as he was for more serious discourse. 'The Rambler' consequently suffers in comparison with the essays of Addison and Steele. A cer tain dramatic element in characterization ap pears in 'The Spectator> which is very little present in 'The Rambler." Johnson created no such personages as Sir Roger de Coverley or Beau Tibbs. The essays are lacking also in variety. One
minds one of the obvious teaching of the
mon, a characteristic which led some one to pro pose, facetiously, the influence of Dr. Johnson's