约翰逊4-6-8

We talked of Letter-writing. JOHNSON. 'It is now become so much thefashion to publish letters, that in order to avoid it, I put as littleinto mine as I can.[331]' BOSWELL. 'Do what you will, Sir, you cannotavoid it. Should you even write as ill as you can, your letters would bepublished as curiosities:"Behold a miracle! instead of wit,See two dull lines with Stanhope's pencil writ[332]."'He gave us an entertaining account of _Bet Flint_[333], a woman of thetown, who, with some eccentrick talents and much effrontery, forcedherself upon his acquaintance. 'Bet (said he) wrote her own Life inverse[334], which she brought to me, wishing that I would furnish herwith a Preface to it. (Laughing.) I used to say of her that she wasgenerally slut and drunkard; occasionally, whore and thief. She had,however, genteel lodgings, a spinnet on which she played, and a boy thatwalked before her chair. Poor Bet was taken up on a charge of stealing acounterpane, and tried at the Old Bailey. Chief Justice ------[335], wholoved a wench, summed up favourably, and she was acquitted. After whichBet said, with a gay and satisfied air, 'Now that the counterpane is _myown_, I shall make a petticoat of it.'Talking of oratory, Mr. Wilkes described it as accompanied with all thecharms of poetical expression. JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; oratory is the powerof beating down your adversary's arguments, and putting better in theirplace.' WlLKES. 'But this does not move the passions.' JOHNSON. 'He mustbe a weak man, who is to be so moved.' WlLKES. (naming a celebratedorator) 'Amidst all the brilliancy of ----'s[336] imagination, and theexuberance of his wit, there is a strange want of _taste_. It wasobserved of Apelles's Venus[337], that her flesh seemed as if she hadbeen nourished by roses: his oratory would sometimes make one suspectthat he eats potatoes and drinks whisky.'Mr. Wilkes observed, how tenacious we are of forms in this country, andgave as an instance, the vote of the House of Commons for remittingmoney to pay the army in America _in Portugal pieces_[338], when, inreality, the remittance is made not in Portugal money, but in our ownspecie. JOHNSON. 'Is there not a law, Sir, against exporting the currentcoin of the realm?' WlLKES. 'Yes, Sir: but might not the House ofCommons, in case of real evident necessity, order our own current cointo be sent into our own colonies?' Here Johnson, with that quickness ofrecollection which distinguished him so eminently, gave the _MiddlesexPatriot_ an admirable retort upon his own ground. 'Sure, Sir, _you_don't think a _resolution of the House of Commons_ equal to _the law ofthe land_[339].' WlLKES. (at once perceiving the application) 'GODforbid, Sir.' To hear what had been treated with such violence in _TheFalse Alarm_, now turned into pleasant repartee, was extremelyagreeable. Johnson went on;--'Locke observes well, that a prohibitionto export the current coin is impolitick; for when the balance of tradehappens to be against a state, the current coin must be exported[340].'Mr. Beauclerk's great library[341] was this season sold in London byauction. Mr. Wilkes said, he wondered to find in it such a numerouscollection of sermons; seeming to think it strange that a gentleman ofMr. Beauclerk's character in the gay world should have chosen to havemany compositions of that kind. JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, you are to consider,that sermons make a considerable branch of English literature[342]; sothat a library must be very imperfect if it has not a numerouscollection of sermons[343]: and in all collections, Sir, the desire ofaugmenting it grows stronger in proportion to the advance inacquisition; as motion is accelerated by the continuance of the_impetus_. Besides, Sir, (looking at Mr. Wilkes with a placid butsignificant smile) a man may collect sermons with intention of makinghimself better by them. I hope Mr. Beauclerk intended, that some time orother that should be the case with him.'Mr. Wilkes said to me, loud enough for Dr. Johnson to hear, 'Dr. Johnsonshould make me a present of his _Lives of the Poets_, as I am a poorpatriot, who cannot afford to buy them.' Johnson seemed to take nonotice of this hint; but in a little while, he called to Mr. Dilly,'Pray, Sir, be so good as to send a set of my _Lives_ to Mr. Wilkes,with my compliments.' This was accordingly done; and Mr. Wilkes paid Dr.Johnson a visit, was courteously received, and sat with him a long time.The company gradually dropped away. Mr. Dilly himself was called downstairs upon business; I left the room for some time; when I returned, Iwas struck with observing Dr. Samuel Johnson and John Wilkes, Esq.,literally _tete-a-tete_; for they were reclined upon their chairs, withtheir heads leaning almost close to each other, and talking earnestly,in a kind of confidential whisper, of the personal quarrel betweenGeorge the Second and the King of Prussia[344]. Such a scene ofperfectly easy sociality between two such opponents in the war ofpolitical controversy, as that which I now beheld, would have been anexcellent subject for a picture. It presented to my mind the happy dayswhich are foretold in Scripture, when the lion shall lie down with thekid[345].After this day there was another pretty long interval, during which Dr.Johnson and I did not meet. When I mentioned it to him with regret, hewas pleased to say, 'Then, Sir, let us live double.'About this time it was much the fashion for several ladies to haveevening assemblies, where the fair sex might participate in conversationwith literary and ingenious men, animated by a desire to please. Thesesocieties were denominated _Blue-stocking Clubs_, the origin of whichtitle being little known, it may be worth while to relate it. One of themost eminent members of those societies, when they first commenced, wasMr. Stillingfleet[346], whose dress was remarkably grave, and inparticular it was observed, that he wore blue stockings[347]. Such wasthe excellence of his conversation, that his absence was felt as sogreat a loss, that it used to be said, 'We can do nothing without the_blue stockings_;' and thus by degrees the title was established. MissHannah More has admirably described a _Blue-stocking Club_, in her _BasBleu_[348], a poem in which many of the persons who were mostconspicuous there are mentioned.Johnson was prevailed with to come sometimes into these circles, and didnot think himself too grave even for the lively Miss Monckton[349] (nowCountess of Corke), who used to have the finest _bit of blue_ at thehouse of her mother, Lady Galway. Her vivacity enchanted the Sage, andthey used to talk together with all imaginable ease. A singular instancehappened one evening, when she insisted that some of Sterne's writingswere very pathetick. Johnson bluntly denied it. 'I am sure (said she)they have affected _me_.' 'Why (said Johnson, smiling, and rollinghimself about,) that is, because, dearest, you're a dunce[350].' Whenshe some time afterwards mentioned this to him, he said with equal truthand politeness; 'Madam, if I had thought so, I certainly should nothave said it.'Another evening Johnson's kind indulgence towards me had a prettydifficult trial. I had dined at the Duke of Montrose's with a veryagreeable party, and his Grace, according to his usual custom, hadcirculated the bottle very freely. Lord Graham[351] and I went togetherto Miss Monckton's, where I certainly was in extraordinary spirits, andabove all fear or awe. In the midst of a great number of persons of thefirst rank, amongst whom I recollect with confusion, a noble lady of themost stately decorum, I placed myself next to Johnson, and thinkingmyself now fully his match, talked to him in a loud and boisterousmanner, desirous to let the company know how I could contend with_Ajax_. I particularly remember pressing him upon the value of thepleasures of the imagination, and as an illustration of my argument,asking him, 'What, Sir, supposing I were to fancy that the--(naming themost charming Duchess in his Majesty's dominions) were in love with me,should I not be very happy?' My friend with much address evaded myinterrogatories, and kept me as quiet as possible; but it may easily beconceived how he must have felt[352]. However, when a few daysafterwards I waited upon him and made an apology, he behaved with themost friendly gentleness[353].While I remained in London this year[354], Johnson and I dined togetherat several places. I recollect a placid day at Dr. Butter's[355], whohad now removed from Derby to Lower Grosvenor-street, London; but of hisconversation on that and other occasions during this period, I neglectedto keep any regular record[356], and shall therefore insert here somemiscellaneous articles which I find in my Johnsonian notes.His disorderly habits, when 'making provision for the day that waspassing over him[357],' appear from the following anecdote, communicatedto me by Mr. John Nichols:--'In the year 1763, a young bookseller, whowas an apprentice to Mr. Whiston, waited on him with a subscription tohis _Shakspeare_: and observing that the Doctor made no entry in anybook of the subscriber's name, ventured diffidently to ask, whether hewould please to have the gentleman's address, that it might be properlyinserted in the printed list of subscribers. '_I shall print no list ofsubscribers_;' said Johnson, with great abruptness: but almostimmediately recollecting himself, added, very complacently, 'Sir, I havetwo very cogent reasons for not printing any list of subscribers;--one,that I have lost all the names,--the other, that I have spent allthe money.'Johnson could not brook appearing to be worsted in argument, even whenhe had taken the wrong side, to shew the force and dexterity of histalents. When, therefore, he perceived that his opponent gained ground,he had recourse to some sudden mode of robust sophistry. Once when I waspressing upon him with visible advantage, he stopped me thus:--'My dearBoswell, let's have no more of this; you'll make nothing of it. I'drather have you whistle a Scotch tune.'Care, however, must be taken to distinguish between Johnson when he'talked for victory[358],' and Johnson when he had no desire but toinform and illustrate. 'One of Johnson's principal talents (says aneminent friend of his)[359] was shewn in maintaining the wrong side ofan argument, and in a splendid perversion of the truth. If you couldcontrive to have his fair opinion on a subject, and without any biasfrom personal prejudice, or from a wish to be victorious in argument, itwas wisdom itself, not only convincing, but overpowering.'He had, however, all his life habituated himself to considerconversation as a trial of intellectual vigour and skill[360]; and tothis, I think, we may venture to ascribe that unexampled richness andbrilliancy which appeared in his own. As a proof at once of hiseagerness for colloquial distinction, and his high notion of thiseminent friend, he once addressed him thus:-'----, we now have beenseveral hours together; and you have said but one thing for which Ienvied you.'He disliked much all speculative desponding considerations, which tendedto discourage men from diligence and exertion. He was in this like Dr.Shaw, the great traveller[361], who Mr. Daines Barrington[362] told me,used to say, 'I hate a _cui bono_ man.' Upon being asked by afriend[363] what he should think of a man who was apt to say _non esttanti_;-'That he's a stupid fellow, Sir; (answered Johnson): What wouldthese _tanti_ men be doing the while?' When I in a low-spirited fit, wastalking to him with indifference of the pursuits which generally engageus in a course of action, and inquiring a _reason_ for taking so muchtrouble; 'Sir (said he, in an animated tone) it is driving on thesystem of life.'He told me, that he was glad that I had, by General Oglethorpe's means,become acquainted with Dr. Shebbeare. Indeed that gentleman, whateverobjections were made to him, had knowledge and abilities much above theclass of ordinary writers, and deserves to be remembered as arespectable name in literature, were it only for his admirable _Letterson the English Nation_, under the name of 'Battista Angeloni, aJesuit[364].'Johnson and Shebbeare[365] were frequently named together, as having informer reigns had no predilection for the family of Hanover. The authourof the celebrated _Heroick Epistle to Sir William Chambers_, introducesthem in one line, in a list of those 'who tasted the sweets of hispresent Majesty's reign[366].' Such was Johnson's candid relish of themerit of that satire, that he allowed Dr. Goldsmith, as he told me, toread it to him from beginning to end, and did not refuse his praise toits execution[367].Goldsmith could sometimes take adventurous liberties with him, andescape unpunished. Beauclerk told me that when Goldsmith talked of aproject for having a third Theatre in London, solely for the exhibitionof new plays, in order to deliver authours from the supposed tyranny ofmanagers, Johnson treated it slightingly; upon which Goldsmith said,'Ay, ay, this may be nothing to you, who can now shelter yourself behindthe corner of a pension;' and that Johnson bore this with good-humour.Johnson praised the Earl of Carlisle's Poems[368], which his Lordshiphad published with his name, as not disdaining to be a candidate forliterary fame. My friend was of opinion, that when a man of rankappeared in that character, he deserved to have his merit handsomelyallowed[369]. In this I think he was more liberal than Mr. WilliamWhitehead[370], in his _Elegy to Lord Villiers_, in which under thepretext of 'superiour toils, demanding all their care,' he discovers ajealousy of the great paying their court to the Muses:--'------to the chosen fewWho dare excel, thy fost'ring aid afford,Their arts, their magick powers, with honours dueExalt;--but be thyself what they record[371].'Johnson had called twice on the Bishop of Killaloe[372] before hisLordship set out for Ireland, having missed him the first time. He said,'It would have hung heavy on my heart if I had not seen him. No man everpaid more attention to another than he has done to me[373]; and I haveneglected him, not wilfully, but from being otherwise occupied. Always,Sir, set a high value on spontaneous kindness. He whose inclinationprompts him to cultivate your friendship of his own accord, will loveyou more than one whom you have been at pains to attach to you.'Johnson told me, that he was once much pleased to find that acarpenter, who lived near him, was very ready to shew him some things inhis business which he wished to see: 'It was paying (said he) respect toliterature.'I asked him if he was not dissatisfied with having so small a share ofwealth, and none of those distinctions in the state which are theobjects of ambition. He had only a pension of three hundred a year. Whywas he not in such circumstances as to keep his coach? Why had he notsome considerable office? JOHNSON, 'Sir, I have never complained of theworld[374]; nor do I think that I have reason to complain. It is ratherto be wondered at that I have so much. My pension is more out of theusual course of things than any instance that I have known. Here, Sir,was a man avowedly no friend to Government at the time, who got apension without asking for it. I never courted the great; they sent forme; but I think they now give me up. They are satisfied; they have seenenough of me.' Upon my observing that I could not believe this, for theymust certainly be highly pleased by his conversation; conscious of hisown superiority, he answered, 'No, Sir; great lords and great ladiesdon't love to have their mouths stopped[375].' This was very expressiveof the effect which the force of his understanding and brilliancy of hisfancy could not but produce; and, to be sure, they must have foundthemselves strangely diminished in his company. When I warmly declaredhow happy I was at all times to hear him;--'Yes, Sir, (said he); but ifyou were Lord Chancellor, it would not be so: you would then consideryour own dignity.'There was much truth and knowledge of human nature in this remark. Butcertainly one should think, that in whatever elevated state of life aman who _knew_ the value of the conversation of Johnson might be placed,though he might prudently avoid a situation in which he might appearlessened by comparison; yet he would frequently gratify himself inprivate with the participation of the rich intellectual entertainmentwhich Johnson could furnish. Strange, however, it is, to consider howfew of the great sought his society[376]; so that if one were disposedto take occasion for satire on that account, very conspicuous objectspresent themselves. His noble friend, Lord Elibank, well observed, thatif a great man procured an interview with Johnson, and did not wish tosee him more, it shewed a mere idle curiosity, and a wretched want ofrelish for extraordinary powers of mind[377]. Mrs. Thrale justly andwittily accounted for such conduct by saying, that Johnson'sconversation was by much too strong for a person accustomed toobsequiousness and flattery; it was _mustard in a young child's mouth!_One day, when I told him that I was a zealous Tory, but not enough'according to knowledge[378],' and should be obliged to him for 'areason[379],' he was so candid, and expressed himself so well, that Ibegged of him to repeat what he had said, and I wrote down as follows:--OF TORY AND WHIG.'A wise Tory and a wise Whig, I believe, will agree[380]. Theirprinciples are the same, though their modes of thinking are different. Ahigh Tory makes government unintelligible: it is lost in the clouds. Aviolent Whig makes it impracticable: he is for allowing so much libertyto every man, that there is not power enough to govern any man. Theprejudice of the Tory is for establishment; the prejudice of the Whig isfor innovation. A Tory does not wish to give more real power toGovernment; but that Government should have more reverence. Then theydiffer as to the Church. The Tory is not for giving more legal power tothe Clergy, but wishes they should have a considerable influence,founded on the opinion of mankind; the Whig is for limiting and watchingthem with a narrow jealousy.'To MR. PERKINS.'SIR,However often I have seen you, I have hitherto forgotten the note, but Ihave now sent it: with my good wishes for the prosperity of you and yourpartner[381], of whom, from our short conversation, I could not judgeotherwise than favourably.I am, Sir,Your most humble servant,SAM. JOHNSON.June 2, 1781.'On Saturday, June 2, I set out for Scotland, and had promised to pay avisit in my way, as I sometimes did, at Southill, in Bedfordshire, atthe hospitable mansion of 'Squire Dilly, the elder brother of my worthyfriends, the booksellers, in the Poultry. Dr. Johnson agreed to be ofthe party this year, with Mr. Charles Dilly and me, and to go and seeLord Bute's seat at Luton Hoe. He talked little to us in the carriage,being chiefly occupied in reading Dr. Watson's[382] second volume of_Chemical Essays_[383], which he liked very well, and his own _Princeof Abyssinia_, on which he seemed to be intensely fixed; having told us,that he had not looked at it since it was first published. I happened totake it out of my pocket this day, and he seized upon it with avidity.He pointed out to me the following remarkable passage[384]:--'By what means (said the prince) are the Europeans thus powerful; orwhy, since they can so easily visit Asia and Africa for trade orconquest, cannot the Asiaticks and Africans invade their coasts, plantcolonies in their ports, and give laws to their natural princes? Thesame wind that carries them back would bring us thither.' 'They are morepowerful, Sir, than we, (answered Imlac,) because they are wiser.Knowledge will always predominate over ignorance, as man governs theother animals. But why their knowledge is more than ours, I know notwhat reason can be given, but the unsearchable will of theSupreme Being.'He said, 'This, Sir, no man can explain otherwise.'We stopped at Welwyn, where I wished much to see, in company with Dr.Johnson, the residence of the authour of _Night Thoughts_, which wasthen possessed by his son, Mr. Young. Here some address was requisite,for I was not acquainted with Mr. Young, and had I proposed to Dr.Johnson that we should send to him, he would have checked my wish, andperhaps been offended. I therefore concerted with Mr. Dilly, that Ishould steal away from Dr. Johnson and him, and try what reception Icould procure from Mr. Young; if unfavourable, nothing was to be said;but if agreeable, I should return and notify it to them. I hastened toMr. Young's, found he was at home, sent in word that a gentleman desiredto wait upon him, and was shewn into a parlour, where he and a younglady, his daughter, were sitting. He appeared to be a plain, civil,country gentleman; and when I begged pardon for presuming to troublehim, but that I wished much to see his place, if he would give me leave;he behaved very courteously, and answered, 'By all means, Sir; we arejust going to drink tea; will you sit down?' I thanked him, but said,that Dr. Johnson had come with me from London, and I must return to theinn and drink tea with him; that my name was Boswell, I had travelledwith him in the Hebrides. 'Sir, (said he) I should think it a greathonour to see Dr. Johnson here. Will you allow me to send for him?'Availing myself of this opening, I said that 'I would go myself andbring him, when he had drunk tea; he knew nothing of my calling here.'Having been thus successful, I hastened back to the inn, and informedDr. Johnson that 'Mr. Young, son of Dr. Young, the authour of _NightThoughts_, whom I had just left, desired to have the honour of seeinghim at the house where his father lived.' Dr. Johnson luckily made noinquiry how this invitation had arisen, but agreed to go, and when weentered Mr. Young's parlour, he addressed him with a very polite bow,'Sir, I had a curiosity to come and see this place. I had the honour toknow that great man[385], your father.' We went into the garden, wherewe found a gravel walk, on each side of which was a row of trees,planted by Dr. Young, which formed a handsome Gothick arch; Dr. Johnsoncalled it a fine grove. I beheld it with reverence.We sat some time in the summer-house, on the outside wall of which wasinscribed, _'Ambulantes in horto audiebant vocem Dei_[386];' and inreference to a brook by which it is situated, _'Vivendi recte quiprorogat horam_[387],' &c. I said to Mr. Young, that I had been told hisfather was cheerful[388]. 'Sir, (said he) he was too well-bred a man notto be cheerful in company; but he was gloomy when alone. He never wascheerful after my mother's death, and he had met with manydisappointments.' Dr. Johnson observed to me afterwards, 'That this wasno favourable account of Dr. Young; for it is not becoming in a man tohave so little acquiescence in the ways of Providence, as to be gloomybecause he has not obtained as much preferment as he expected[389]; norto continue gloomy for the loss of his wife. Grief has its time[390].'