Thepublic，however，listenedwithlittleemotion，butwithmuchcivility，tofiveactsofmonotonousdeclamation。Afterninerepresentationstheplaywaswithdrawn。Itis，indeed，altogetherunsuitedtothestage，and，evenwhenperusedinthecloset，willbefoundhardlyworthyoftheauthor。Hehadnottheslightestnotionofwhatblankverseshouldbe。AchangeinthelastsyllableofeveryotherlinewouldmaketheversificationoftheVanityofHumanWishescloselyresembletheversificationofIrene。Thepoet，however，cleared，byhisbenefitnights，andbythesaleofthecopyrightofhistragedy，aboutthreehundredpounds，thenagreatsuminhisestimation。
AboutayearaftertherepresentationofIrene，hebegantopublishaseriesofshortessaysonmorals，manners，andliterature。ThisspeciesofcompositionhadbeenbroughtintofashionbythesuccessoftheTatler，andbythestillmorebrilliantsuccessoftheSpectator。AcrowdofsmallwritershadvainlyattemptedtorivalAddison。TheLayMonastery，theCensor，theFreethinker，thePlainDealer，theChampion，andotherworksofthesamekind，hadhadtheirshortday。Noneofthemhadobtainedapermanentplaceinourliterature;andtheyarenowtobefoundonlyinthelibrariesofthecurious。AtlengthJohnsonundertooktheadventureinwhichsomanyaspirantshadfailed。Inthethirty—sixthyearaftertheappearanceofthelastnumberoftheSpectatorappearedthefirstnumberoftheRambler。FromMarch1750toMarch1752thispapercontinuedtocomeouteveryTuesdayandSaturday。
FromthefirsttheRamblerwasenthusiasticallyadmiredbyafeweminentmen。Richardson，whenonlyfivenumbershadappeared，pronounceditequal，ifnotsuperior，totheSpectator。YoungandHartleyexpressedtheirapprobationnotlesswarmly。BubbDoddington，amongwhosemanyfaultsindifferencetotheclaimsofgeniusandlearningcannotbereckoned，solicitedtheacquaintanceofthewriter。InconsequenceprobablyofthegoodofficesofDoddington，whowasthentheconfidentialadviserofPrinceFrederic，twoofhisRoyalHighness’sgentlemencarriedagraciousmessagetotheprintingoffice，andorderedsevencopiesforLeicesterHouse。Buttheseoverturesseemtohavebeenverycoldlyreceived。Johnsonhadhadenoughofthepatronageofthegreattolasthimallhislife，andwasnotdisposedtohauntanyotherdoorashehadhauntedthedoorofChesterfield。
BythepublictheRamblerwasatfirstverycoldlyreceived。
Thoughthepriceofanumberwasonlytwopence，thesaledidnotamounttofivehundred。Theprofitswerethereforeverysmall。