had returned.[798] He received many acts of kindness from outside friends. On Dec. 31he wrote:--'I have now in the house pheasant, venison, turkey, and ham,all unbought. Attention and respect give pleasure, however late orhowever useless. But they are not useless when they are late; it isreasonable to rejoice, as the day declines, to find that it has beenspent with the approbation of mankind.' _Piozzi Letters_, ii. 343.[799] 'Dec. 16, 1783. I spent the afternoon with Dr. Johnson, who indeedis very ill, and whom I could hardly tell how to leave. He was very,very kind. Oh! what a cruel, heavy loss will he be! Dec. 30. I went toDr. Johnson, and spent the evening with him. He was very indifferentindeed. There were some very disagreeable people with him; and he onceaffected me very much by turning suddenly to me, and grasping my handand saying:--"The blister I have tried for my breath has betrayed somevery bad tokens; but I will not terrify myself by talking of them. Ah!_priez Dieu pour moi_."' Mme. D'Arblay's _Diary_, ii. 293, 5. 'Isnatch,' he wrote a few weeks later, 'every lucid interval, and animatemyself with such amusements as the time offers.' _Piozzi Letters_,ii. 349.[800] He had written to her on Nov. 10. See Croker's _Boswell_, p. 742.[801] Hawkins (_Life_, 562) says that this November Johnson said tohim:--'What a man am I, who have got the better of three diseases, thepalsy, the gout, and the asthma, and can now enjoy the conversation ofmy friends, without the interruptions of weakness or pain.'[802] 'The street [on London Bridge], which, before the houses fell todecay, consisted of handsome lofty edifices, pretty regularly built, was20 feet broad, and the houses on each side generally 26-1/2 feet deep.'After 1746 no more leases were granted, and the houses were allowed torun to ruin. In 1756-7 they were all taken down. Dodsley's _London andits Environs_, ed. 1761, iv. 136-143.[803] In Lowndes's _Bibl. Man_. i. 328 is given a list of nearly fiftyof these books. Some of them were reprinted by Stace in 1810-13 in 6vols. quarto. Dr. Franklin, writing of the books that he bought in hisboyhood says:--'My first acquisition was Bunyan's works in separatelittle volumes. I afterwards sold them to enable me to buy R. Burton's_Historical Collections_; they were small chapmen's books, and cheap.Forty volumes in all.' Franklin's _Memoirs_, i. 17.[804] He wrote to Mrs. Thrale this same day:--'Alas, I had no sleep lastnight, and sit now panting over my paper. _Dabit Deus his quoque finem.'['This too the Gods shall end.' MORRIS, Virgil, _Aeneids_, 1.199.]_Piozzi Letters_, ii. 347.[805] Boswell's purpose in this _Letter_ was to recommend the Scotch toaddress the King to express their satisfaction that the East IndiaCompany Bill had been rejected by the House of Lords. _Ib_. p. 39. 'Letus,' he writes, 'upon this awful occasion think only of _property_ and_constitution_;' p. 42. 'Let me add,' he says in concluding, 'that adismission of the Portland Administration will probably disappoint anobject which I have most ardently at heart;' p. 42. He was thinking nodoubt of his 'expectations from the interest of an eminent person thenin power' (ante, p. 223.)[806] On p. 4 Boswell condemns the claim of Parliament to tax theAmerican colonies as 'unjust and inexpedient.' 'This claim,' he says,'was almost universally approved of in Scotland, where due considerationwas had of the advantage of raising regiments.' He continues:--'Whenpleading at the bar of the House of Commons in a question concerningtaxation, I avowed that opinion, declaring that the man in the world forwhom I have the highest respect (Dr. Johnson) had not been able toconvince me that _Taxation was no Tyranny_.'[807] Boswell wrote to Reynolds on Feb. 6:--'I intend to be in Londonnext month, chiefly to attend upon Dr. Johnson with respectfulaffection.' Croker's _Boswell_, p. 748.[808] 'I have really hope from spring,' he wrote on Jan. 21, 'and amready, like Almanzor, to bid the sun _fly swiftly_, and _leave weeks andmonths behind him_. The sun has looked for six thousand years upon theworld to little purpose, if he does not know that a sick man is almostas impatient as a lover.' _Piozzi Letters_, ii. 347. Almanzor's speechis at the end of Dryden's _Conquest of Granada_:--'Move swiftly, Sun, and fly a lover's pace;Leave weeks and months behind thee in thy race.'See _ante_, i. 332, where Johnson said, 'This distinction of seasons isproduced only by imagination operating on luxury. To temperance everyday is bright,' and _post_, Aug. 2, 1784.[809] He died in the following August at Dover, on his way home.Walpole's _Letters_, viii. 494. See _ante_, iii. 250, 336, and _post_,Aug. 19, 1784.[810] On the last day of the old year he wrote:--'To any man who extendshis thoughts to national consideration, the times are dismal and gloomy.But to a sick man, what is the publick?' _Piozzi Letters_, ii. 344.The original of the following note is in the admirable collection ofautographs belonging to my friend, Mr. M. M. Holloway:--'TO THE REV. DR. TAYLOR,'in Ashbourne,'Derbyshire.'DEAR SIR,'I am still confined to the house, and one of my amusements is to writeletters to my friends, though they, being busy in the common scenes oflife, are not equally diligent in writing to me. Dr. Heberden was withme two or three days ago, and told me that nothing ailed me, which I wasglad to hear, though I knew it not to be true. My nights are restless,my breath is difficult, and my lower parts continue tumid.'The struggle, you see, still continues between the two sets ofministers: those that are _out_ and _in_ one can scarce call them, forwho is _out_ or _in_ is perhaps four times a day a new question. Thetumult in government is, I believe, excessive, and the efforts of eachparty outrageously violent, with very little thought on any nationalinterest, at a time when we have all the world for our enemies, when theKing and parliament have lost even the titular dominion of America, andthe real power of Government every where else. Thus Empires are brokendown when the profits of administration are so great, that ambition issatisfied with obtaining them, and he that aspires to greatness needs donothing more than talk himself into importance. He has then all thepower which danger and conquest used formerly to give; he can raise afamily and reward his followers.'Mr. Burke has just sent me his Speech upon the affairs of India, avolume of above a hundred pages closely printed. I will look into it;but my thoughts seldom now travel to great distances.'I would gladly know when you think to come hither, and whether thisyear you will come or no. If my life be continued, I know not well how Ishall bestow myself.'I am, Sir,'Your affectionate &c.,'SAM. JOHNSON.''London, Jan. 24, 1784.'[811] See _post_, v. 48.[812] See _post_, p. 271.[813] I sent it to Mr. Pitt, with a letter, in which I thus expressedmyself:--'My principles may appear to you too monarchical: but I knowand am persuaded, they are not inconsistent with the true principles ofliberty. Be this as it may, you, Sir, are now the Prime Minister, calledby the Sovereign to maintain the rights of the Crown, as well as thoseof the people, against a violent faction. As such, you are entitled tothe warmest support of every good subject in every department.' Heanswered:--'I am extremely obliged to you for the sentiments you do methe honour to express, and have observed with great pleasure the_zealous and able support_ given to the CAUSE OF THE PUBLICK in the workyou were so good to transmit to me.' BOSWELL. Five years later, and twoyears before _The Life of Johnson_ was published, Boswell wrote toTemple:--'As to Pitt, he is an insolent fellow, but so able, that uponthe whole I must support him against the _Coalition_; but I will _work_him, for he has behaved very ill to me. Can he wonder at my wishing forpreferment, when men of the first family and fortune in England strugglefor it?' _Letters of Boswell_, p. 295. Warburton said of Helvetius, whomhe disliked, that, if he had met him, 'he would have _worked_ him.'Walpole's _Letters_, iv. 217.[814] Out of this offer, and one of a like nature made in 1779 (_ante_,iii. 418), Mr. Croker weaves a vast web of ridiculous suspicions.[815] From his garden at Prestonfield, where he cultivated that plantwith such success, that he was presented with a gold medal by theSociety of London for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, andCommerce. BOSWELL.[816] In the original _effusion_. Johnson's _Works_, vii. 402.[817] Who had written him a very kind letter. BOSWELL.[818] On Jan. 12 the Ministry had been in a minority of 39 in a House of425; on March 8 the minority was reduced to one in a House of 381.Parliament was dissolved on the 25th. In the first division in the newParliament the Ministry were in a majority of 97 in a House of 369._Parl. Hist._ xxiv. 299, 744, 829.[819] See _ante_, p. 241.[820] 'In old Aberdeen stands the King's College, of which the firstpresident was Hector Boece, or Boethius, who may be justly reverenced asone of the revivers of elegant learning.' Johnson's _Works_, ix. 11.[821] See _ante_, iii. 104.[822] In his dining-room, no doubt, among 'the very respectable people'whose portraits hung there. _Ante_, p. 203, note.[823] Horace Walpole (_Letters_, viii. 466) wrote on March 30:--'Thenation is intoxicated, and has poured in Addresses of Thanks to theCrown for exerting the prerogative _against_ the palladium ofthe people.'[824] The election lasted from April 1 to May 16. Fox was returnedsecond on the poll. _Ann. Reg._ xxvii. 190.[825] He was returned also for Kirkwall, for which place he sat fornearly a year, while the scrutiny of the Westminster election wasdragging on. _Parl. Hist_. xxiv. 799.[826] Hannah More wrote on March 8 (_Memoirs_, i. 310):--'I am sure youwill honour Mr. Langton, when I tell you he is come on purpose to staywith Dr. Johnson, and that during his illness. He has taken a littlelodging in Fleet-street in order to be near, to devote himself to him.He has as much goodness as learning, and that is saying a bold thing ofone of the first Greek scholars we have.'[827] Floyer was the Lichfield physician on whose advice Johnson was'_touched_' by Queen Anne. _Ante_, i. 42, 91, and _post_, July 20, 1784.[828] To which Johnson returned this answer:--'TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE EARL OF PORTMORE.'Dr. Johnson acknowledges with great respect the honour of LordPortmore's notice. He is better than he was; and will, as his Lordshipdirects, write to Mr. Langton.'Bolt-court, Fleet-street,April 13, 1784.'BOSWELL. Johnson here assumes his title of Doctor, which Boswell says(_ante_, ii. 332, note 1), so far as he knew, he never did. Perhaps theletter has been wrongly copied, or perhaps Johnson thought that, inwriting to a man of title, he ought to assume such title as hehimself had.[829] The eminent painter, representative of the ancient family ofHomfrey (now Humphry) in the west of England; who, as appears from theirarms which they have invariably used, have been, (as I have seenauthenticated by the best authority,) one of those among the Knights andEsquires of honour who are represented by Holinshed as having issuedfrom the Tower of London on coursers apparelled for the justes,accompanied by ladies of honour, leading every one a Knight, with achain of gold, passing through the streets of London into Smithfield, onSunday, at three o'clock in the afternoon, being the first Sunday afterMichaelmas, in the fourteenth year of King Richard the Second. Thisfamily once enjoyed large possessions, but, like others, have lost themin the progress of ages. Their blood, however, remains to them wellascertained; and they may hope in the revolution of events, to recoverthat rank in society for which, in modern times, fortune seems to be anindispensable requisite. BOSWELL.[830] Son of Mr. Samuel Paterson. BOSWELL. In the first two editionsafter 'Paterson' is added 'eminent for his knowledge of books.' See_ante_, iii. 90.[831] Humphry, on his first coming to London, poor and unfriended, washelped by Reynolds. Northcote's _Reynolds_, ii. 174.[832] On April 21 he wrote:--'After a confinement of 129 days, more thanthe third part of a year, and no inconsiderable part of human life, Ithis day returned thanks to God in St. Clement's Church for myrecovery.' _Piozzi Letters_, ii. 365.[833] On April 26 he wrote:--'On Saturday I showed myself again to theliving world at the Exhibition; much and splendid was the company, butlike the Doge of Genoa at Paris [Versailles, Voltaire, _Siecle de LouisXIV_, chap, xiv.], I admired nothing but myself. I went up the stairs tothe pictures without stopping to rest or to breathe,"In all the madness of superfluous health."[Pope's _Essay on Man_, iii. 3.] The Prince of Wales had promised to bethere; but when we had waited an hour and a half, sent us word that hecould not come.' _Piozzi Letters_, ii. 367. 'The first Gentleman inEurope' was twenty-one years old when he treated men like Johnson andReynolds with this insolence. Mr. Forster (_Life of Goldsmith_, ii. 244)says that it was at this very dinner that 'Johnson left his seat bydesire of the Prince of Wales, and went to the head of the table to beintroduced.' He does not give his authority for the statement.[834] Mr. Croker wrote in 1847 that he had 'seen it very lately framedand glazed, in possession of the lady to whom it was addressed.'Croker's _Boswell_, p. 753.[835] Shortly before he begged one of Mrs. Thrale's daughters 'never tothink that she had arithmetic enough.' _Ante_, p. 171, note 3. See_ante_, iii. 207, note 3.[836] Cowper wrote on May 10 to the Rev. John Newton:--'We rejoice inthe account you give us of Dr. Johnson. His conversion will indeed be asingular proof of the omnipotence of Grace; and the more singular, themore decided.' Southey's _Cowper_, xv. 150. Johnson, in a prayer that hewrote on April 11, said:--'Enable me, O Lord, to glorify Thee for thatknowledge of my corruption, and that sense of Thy wrath, which mydisease and weakness and danger awakened in my mind.' _Pr. and Med._p. 217.[837] Mr. Croker suggests _immediate_.[838] 'The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.'_St. James_, v. 16.[839] Upon this subject there is a very fair and judicious remark in thelife of Dr. Abernethy, in the first edition of the _BiographiaBritannica_, which I should have been glad to see in his life which hasbeen written for the second edition of that valuable work. 'To deny theexercise of a particular providence in the Deity's government of theworld is certainly impious: yet nothing serves the cause of the scornermore than an incautious forward zeal in determining the particularinstances of it.'In confirmation of my sentiments, I am also happy to quote that sensibleand elegant writer Mr. _Melmoth_ [see _ante_, iii. 422], in Letter VIII.of his collection, published under the name of _Fitzosborne_. 'We maysafely assert, that the belief of a particular Providence is foundedupon such probable reasons as may well justify our assent. It wouldscarce, therefore, be wise to renounce an opinion which affords so firma support to the soul, in those seasons wherein she stands in most needof assistance, merely because it is not possible, in questions of thiskind, to solve every difficulty which attends them.' BOSWELL.[840] I was sorry to observe Lord Monboddo avoid any communication withDr. Johnson. I flattered myself that I had made them very good friends(see _Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides_, third edit. p. 67, _post_, v.80), but unhappily his Lordship had resumed and cherished a violentprejudice against my illustrious friend, to whom I must do the justiceto say, there was on his part not the least anger, but a good-humouredsportiveness. Nay, though he knew of his Lordship's indispositiontowards him, he was even kindly; as appeared from his inquiring of meafter him, by an abbreviation of his name, 'Well, how does _Monny_?'BOSWELL. Boswell (_Hebrides, post_, v. 74) says:--'I knew Lord Monboddoand Dr. Johnson did not love each other; yet I was unwilling not tovisit his lordship, and was also curious to see them together.'Accordingly, he brought about a meeting. Four years later, in 1777(_ante_, iii. 102), Monboddo received from Johnson a copy of his Journeyto the Hebrides. They met again in London in 1780 (Piozzi Letters, ii.III), and perhaps then quarrelled afresh. Dr. Seattle wrote on Feb. 28,1785:-'Lord Monboddo's hatred of Johnson was singular; he would notallow him to know anything but Latin grammar, "and that," says he, "Iknow as well as he does." I never heard Johnson say anything severe ofhim, though when he mentioned his name, he generally "grinned horribly aghastly smile,"' ['Grinned horrible,' &c. _Paradise Lost_, ii. 846.]Forbes's _Beattie_, p. 333. The use of the abbreviation _Monny_ onJohnson's part scarcely seems a proof of kindliness. See _ante_, i. 453,where he said:--'Why, Sir, _Sherry_ is dull, naturally dull,' &c.; andiii. 84, note 2, where he said:--'I should have thought _Mund_ Burkewould have had more sense;' see also Rogers's _Boswelliana_, p. 216,where he said:--'_Derry_ [Derrick] may do very well while he can outrunhis character; but the moment that his character gets up with him heis gone.'[841] On May 13 he wrote:--' Now I am broken loose, my friends seemwilling enough to see me. ... But I do not now drive the world about;the world drives or draws me. I am very weak.' _Piozzi Letters_,ii. 369.[842] See _ante,_ iii, 443.[843] See _ante,_ p. 197.[844] Boswell himself, likely enough.[845] Verses on the death of Mr. Levett. BOSWELL. _Ante,_ p. 138[846] If it was Boswell to whom this advice was given, it is notunlikely that he needed it. The meagreness of his record of Johnson'stalk at this season may have been due, as seems to have happened before,to too much drinking. _Ante,_ p.88, note 1.[847] _Ante,_ ii. 100.[848] George Steevens. See _ante,_ iii. 281.[849] Forty-six years earlier Johnson wrote of this lady:-'I havecomposed a Greek epigram to Eliza, and think she ought to be celebratedin as many different languages as Lewis le Grand.' _Ante_, i. 122. MissBurney described her in 1780 as 'really a noble-looking woman; I neversaw age so graceful in the female sex yet; her whole face seems to beamwith goodness, piety, and philanthropy.' Mme. D'Arblay's _Diary_,i. 373.[850] 'Mrs. Thrale says that though Mrs. Lennox's books are generallyapproved, nobody likes her.' _Ib._ p. 91. See _ante_, i. 255, andiv. 10.[851] 'Sept. 1778. MRS. THRALE. "Mrs. Montagu is the first woman forliterary knowledge in England, and if in England, I hope I may say inthe world." DR. JOHNSON. "I believe you may, Madam. She diffuses moreknowledge in her conversation than any woman I know, or, indeed, almostany man." MRS. THRALE. "I declare I know no man equal to her, take awayyourself and Burke, for that art."' Mme. D'Arblay's _Diary_, i. 118. Itis curious that Mrs. Thrale and Boswell should both thus instance Burke.Miss Burney writes of her in much more moderate terms:--'Allowing alittle for parade and ostentation, which her power in wealth and rank inliterature offer some excuse for, her conversation is very agreeable;she is always reasonable and sensible, and sometimes instructive andentertaining.' _Ib._ p. 325. See _ante_, ii. 88, note 3. These fiveladies all lived to a great age. Mrs. Montagu was 80 when she died; Mrs.Lennox, 83; Miss Burney (Mme. D'Arblay), 87; Miss More and Mrs. (Miss)Carter, 88. Their hostess, Mrs. Garrick, was 97 or 98.
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