约翰逊4-6-48

other great benefactions to the University of Oxford, 'L600 yearly totwo persons, when they are Masters of Arts and entered on thephysic-line, for their maintenance for the space of ten years; the halfof which time at least they are to travel in parts beyond sea for theirbetter improvement.' _Radcliffe's Life and Will_, p. 123. Pope mentionsthem in his _Imitations of Horace, Epistles_, ii. i. 183:--'E'en Radcliffe's doctors travel first to France,Nor dare to practise till they've learned to dance.'[901] What risks were run even by inoculation is shewn in two of Dr.Warton's letters. He wrote to his brother:--'This moment the dearchildren have all been inoculated, never persons behaved better, nowhimpering at all, I hope in God for success, but cannot avoid being inmuch anxiety.' A few days later he wrote:--'You may imagine I neverpassed such a day as this in my life! grieved to death myself for theloss of so sweet a child, but forced to stifle my feelings as much aspossible for the sake of my poor wife. She does not, however, hit on, ordwell on, that most cutting circumstance of all, poor Nanny's dying, asit were by our own means, tho' well intended indeed.' Wooll's _Warton_,i. 289. Dr. Franklin (_Memoirs_, i. 155), on the other hand, bitterlyregretted that he had not had a child inoculated, whom he lost bysmall-pox.[902] See _post_, before Nov. 17, and under Dec. 9, 1784.[903] 'I am the vilest of sinners and the worst of men.' Taylor's_Works_ (ed. 1864), iii. 31. 'The best men deserve not eternal life, andI who am the worst may have it given me.' _Ib_. p. 431--'He that hathlived worst, even I.' _Ib_. vii. 241. 'Behold me the meanest of thycreatures.' _Ib_. p. 296.[904] 'You may fairly look upon yourself to be the greatest sinner thatyou know in the world. First, because you know more of the folly of yourown heart than you do of other people's; and can charge yourself withvarious sins that you only know of yourself, and cannot be sure thatother people are guilty of them.' Law's _Serious Call_, chap. 23.[905] 1 _Timothy_, i. 15.[906] See _post_, v. 68, note 4.[907] 'Be careful thou dost not speak a lie in thy prayers, which thoughnot observed is frequently practised by careless persons, especially inthe forms of confession, affirming things which they have not thought,professing sorrow which is not, making a vow they mean not.' Taylor's_Works_, ed. 1865, vii. 622.[908] Reynolds wrote:--'As in Johnson's writings not a line can be foundwhich a saint would wish to blot, so in his life he would never sufferthe least immorality or indecency of conversation, [or anything]contrary to virtue or piety to proceed without a severe check, which noelevation of rank exempted them from.' Taylor's _Reynolds_, ii. 458. See_ante_, iii. 41.[909] No doubt Mr. Langton.[910] Dr. Sheridan tells how Swift overheard a Captain Hamilton say to agentleman at whose house he had arrived 'that he was very sorry he hadchosen that time for his visit. "Why so?" "Because I hear Dean Swift iswith you. He is a great scholar, a wit; a plain country squire will havebut a bad time of it in his company, and I don't like to be laughed at."Swift then stepped up and said, "Pray, Captain Hamilton, do you know howto say _yes_ or _no_ properly?" "Yes, I think I have understandingenough for that." "Then give me your hand--depend upon it, you and Iwill agree very well."' 'The Captain told me,' continues Sheridan, 'thathe never passed two months so pleasantly in his life.' Swift's _Works_,ed. 1803, ii. 104.[911] Gibbon wrote on Feb. 21, 1772 (_Misc. Works_, ii. 78):--'To daythe House of Commons was employed in a very odd way. Tommy Townshendmoved that the sermon of Dr. Nowell, who preached before the House onthe 30th of January (_id est_, before the Speaker and four members),should be burnt by the common hangman, as containing arbitrary, Tory,high-flown doctrines. The House was nearly agreeing to the motion, tillthey recollected that they had already thanked the preacher for hisexcellent discourse, and ordered it to be printed.'[912]'Although it be not _shined_ upon.'_Hudibras_, iii. 2, 175.[913] According to Mr. Croker, this was the Rev. Henry Bate, of the_Morning Post_, who in 1784 took the name of Dudley, was created abaronet in 1815, and died in 1824. Horace Walpole wrote on Nov. 13, 1776(_Letters_, vi. 39l):--'Yesterday I heard drums and trumpets inPiccadilly: I looked out of the window and saw a procession withstreamers flying. At first I thought it a press-gang, but seeing thecorps so well-drest, like Hussars, in yellow with blue waistcoats andbreeches, and high caps, I concluded it was some new body of our allies,or a regiment newly raised, and with new regimentals for distinction. Iwas not totally mistaken, for the Colonel is _a new ally_. In short,this was a procession set forth by Mr. Bate, Lord Lyttelton's chaplain,and author of the old _Morning Post_, and meant as an appeal to the townagainst his antagonist, the new one.' In June, 1781, Bate was sentencedto a year's imprisonment 'for an atrocious libel on the Duke ofRichmond. He was the worst of all the scandalous libellers that hadappeared both on private persons as well as public. His life wasdissolute, and he had fought more than one duel. Yet Lord Sandwich hadprocured for him a good Crown living, and he was believed to bepensioned by the Court.' Walpole's _Journal of the Reign of GeorgeIII_, ii. 464.[914] See _ante_, ii. 339, and iii. 265.[915] Three days earlier, in the debate on the Westminster Scrutiny, Foxaccused 'a person of great rank in this House'--Pitt I believe--'ofadding pertness and personal contumely to every species of rash andinconsiderate violence.' _Parl. Hist_. xxiv. 924. Pitt, in reply,classed Fox among 'political apostates,' _ib_. p. 929. Burke, the sameevening, 'sat down saying, "he little minded the ill-treatment of aparcel of boys."' When he was called to order, he said:--'When he usedthe term "a parcel of boys," he meant to apply it to the ministry, who,he conceived, were insulting him with their triumph; a triumph whichgrey hairs ought to be allowed the privilege of expressing displeasureat, when it was founded on the rash exultation of mere boys.' _Ib_. p.939. Pitt, Prime-Minister though he was, in the spring of the same year,was called to order by the Speaker, for charging a member with using'language the most false, the most malicious, and the most slanderous.'_Ib_. p. 763.[916] _Epistles to Mr. Pope_, ii. 165.[917] See an account of him, in a sermon by the Reverend Mr. Agutter.BOSWELL. This sermon was published in 1788. In Hannah More's _Memoirs_(i. 217), Henderson is described as 'a mixture of great sense, whichdiscovered uncommon parts and learning, with a tincture of nonsense ofthe most extravagant kind. He believes in witches and apparitions, aswell as in judicial astronomy.' Mrs. Kennicott writes (_ib_. p.220):--'I think if Dr. Johnson had the shaking him about, he would shakeout his nonsense, and set his sense a-working. 'He never got out into theworld, says Dr. Hall, the Master of Pembroke College, having died inCollege in 1788.[918] This was the second Lord Lyttelton, commonly known as 'the wickedLord Lyttelton.' Fox described him to Rogers as 'a very badman--downright wicked.' Rogers's _Table Talk_, p. 95. He died Nov. 27,1779. Horace Walpole (_Letters_, vii. 292) wrote to Mason on Dec. 11of that year:--'If you can send us any stories of ghosts out of theNorth, they will be very welcome. Lord Lyttelton's vision has revivedthe taste; though it seems a little odd that an apparition shoulddespair of being able to get access to his Lordship's bed in the shapeof a young woman, without being forced to use the disguise of arobin-red-breast.' In the _Gent. Mag._ 1815, i. 597, and 1816, ii. 421,accounts are given of this vision. In the latter account it is said that'he saw a bird fluttering, and afterwards a woman appeared in whiteapparel, and said, "Prepare to die; you will not exist three days."'Mrs. Piozzi also wrote a full account of it. Hayward's _Piozzi_, i. 332.[919] See _ante_, ii. 150, and iii. 298, note 1.[920] See _ante_, p. 278.[921] 'If he who considers himself as suspended over the abyss ofeternal perdition only by the thread of life, which must soon part byits own weakness, and which the wing of every minute may divide, cancast his eyes round him without shuddering with horror, or panting forsecurity; what can he judge of himself, but that he is not yet awakenedto sufficient conviction? &c.' _The Rambler_, No. 110. In a blank leafin the book in which Johnson kept his diary of his journey in Wales iswritten in his own hand, 'Faith in some proportion to Fear.' Duppa'sJohnson's _Diary of a Journey &c_., p. 157. See _ante_, iii. 199.[922] He wrote to Mrs. Thrale on March 20:--'Write to me no more about_dying with a grace_; when you feel what I have felt in approachingeternity--in fear of soon hearing the sentence of which there is norevocation, you will know the folly.' _Piozzi Letters_, ii. 354. Of himit might have been said in Cowper's words:--'Scripture is still a trumpet to his fears.'_The Task: The Winter Morning Walk_, 1. 611. See _ante_, iii. 294.[923] The Reverend Mr. Ralph Churton, Fellow of Brazen-Nose College,Oxford, has favoured me with the following remarks on my Work, which heis pleased to say, 'I have hitherto extolled, and cordially approve.''The chief part of what I have to observe is contained in the followingtranscript from a letter to a friend, which, with his concurrence, Icopied for this purpose; and, whatever may be the merit or justness ofthe remarks, you may be sure that being written to a most intimatefriend, without any intention that they ever should go further, they arethe genuine and undisguised sentiments of the writer:--'Jan. 6, 1792.'Last week, I was reading the second volume of Boswell's _Johnson_, withincreasing esteem for the worthy authour, and increasing veneration ofthe wonderful and excellent man who is the subject of it. The writerthrows in, now and then, very properly some serious religiousreflections; but there is one remark, in my mind an obvious and justone, which I think he has not made, that Johnson's "morbid melancholy,"and constitutional infirmities, were intended by Providence, like St.Paul's thorn in the flesh, to check intellectual conceit and arrogance;which the consciousness of his extraordinary talents, awake as he was tothe voice of praise, might otherwise have generated in a very culpabledegree. Another observation strikes me, that in consequence of the samenatural indisposition, and habitual sickliness, (for he says he scarcelypassed one day without pain after his twentieth year,) he considered andrepresented human life, as a scene of much greater misery than isgenerally experienced. There may be persons bowed down with afflictionall their days; and there are those, no doubt, whose iniquities rob themof rest; but neither calamities nor crimes, I hope and believe, do somuch and so generally abound, as to justify the dark picture of lifewhich Johnson's imagination designed, and his strong pencil delineated.This I am sure, the colouring is far too gloomy for what I haveexperienced, though as far as I can remember, I have had more sickness(I do not say more severe, but only more in quantity,) than falls to thelot of most people. But then daily debility and occasional sickness werefar overbalanced by intervenient days, and, perhaps, weeks void of pain,and overflowing with comfort. So that in short, to return to thesubject, human life, as far as I can perceive from experience orobservation, is not that state of constant wretchedness which Johnsonalways insisted it was; which misrepresentation, (for such it surelyis,) his Biographer has not corrected, I suppose, because, unhappily, hehas himself a large portion of melancholy in his constitution, andfancied the portrait a faithful copy of life.'The learned writer then proceeds thus in his letter to me:--'I have conversed with some sensible men on this subject, who all seemto entertain the same sentiments respecting life with those which areexpressed or implied in the foregoing paragraph. It might be added thatas the representation here spoken of, appears not consistent with factand experience, so neither does it seem to be countenanced by Scripture.There is, perhaps, no part of the sacred volume which at first sightpromises so much to lend its sanction to these dark and despondingnotions as the book of _Ecclesiastes_, which so often, and soemphatically, proclaims the vanity of things sublunary. But the designof this whole book, (as it has been justly observed,) is not to put usout of conceit with life, but to cure our vain expectations of acompleat and perfect happiness in this world; to convince us, that thereis no such thing to be found in mere external enjoyments;--and to teachus to seek for happiness in the practice of virtue, in the knowledge andlove of God, and in the hopes of a better life. For this is theapplication of all; _Let us hear_, &c. xii. 13. Not only his duty, buthis happiness too; _For_ GOD, &c. ver. 14.--See _Sherlock onProvidence_, p. 299.'The New Testament tells us, indeed, and most truly, that "sufficientunto the day is the evil thereof;" and, therefore, wisely forbids us toincrease our burden by forebodings of sorrows; but I think it no wheresays that even our ordinary afflictions are not consistent with a veryconsiderable degree of positive comfort and satisfaction. And,accordingly, one whose sufferings as well as merits were conspicuous,assures us, that in proportion "as the sufferings of Christ abounded inthem, so their consolation also abounded by Christ." 2 _Cor_. i. 5. Itis needless to cite, as indeed it would be endless even to refer to, themultitude of passages in both Testaments holding out, in the strongestlanguage, promises of blessings, even in this world, to the faithfulservants of GOD. I will only refer to _St. Luke_, xviii. 29, 30, and 1_Tim_. iv. 8.'Upon the whole, setting aside instances of great and lasting bodilypain, of minds peculiarly oppressed by melancholy, and of severetemporal calamities, from which extraordinary cases we surely should notform our estimate of the general tenour and complexion of life;excluding these from the account, I am convinced that as well thegracious constitution of things which Providence has ordained, as thedeclarations of Scripture and the actual experience of individuals,authorize the sincere Christian to hope that his humble and constantendeavours to perform his duty, checquered as the best life is with manyfailings, will be crowned with a greater degree of present peace,serenity, and comfort, than he could reasonably permit himself toexpect, if he measured his views and judged of life from the opinion ofDr. Johnson, often and energetically expressed in the Memoirs of him,without any animadversion or censure by his ingenious Biographer. If hehimself, upon reviewing the subject, shall see the matter in this light,he will, in an octavo edition, which is eagerly expected, make suchadditional remarks or correction as he shall judge fit; lest theimpressions which these discouraging passages may leave on the reader'smind, should in any degree hinder what otherwise the whole spirit andenergy of the work tends, and, I hope, successfully, to promote,--puremorality and true religion.'Though I have, in some degree, obviated any reflections against myillustrious friend's dark views of life, when considering, in the courseof this Work, his _Rambler_ [_ante_, i. 213] and his _Rasselas_ [_ante_,i. 343], I am obliged to Mr. Churton for complying with my request ofhis permission to insert his Remarks, being conscious of the weight ofwhat he judiciously suggests as to the melancholy in my ownconstitution. His more pleasing views of life, I hope, are just._Valeant quantum valere possunt_.Mr. Churton concludes his letter to me in these words:--'Once, and onlyonce, I had the satisfaction of seeing your illustrious friend; and as Ifeel a particular regard for all whom he distinguished with his esteemand friendship, so I derive much pleasure from reflecting that I oncebeheld, though but transiently near our College gate, one whose workswill for ever delight and improve the world, who was a sincere andzealous son of the Church of England, an honour to his country, and anornament to human nature.'His letter was accompanied with a present from himself of his _Sermonsat the Bampton Lecture_, and from his friend, Dr. Townson, the venerableRector of Malpas, in Cheshire, of his _Discourses on the Gospels_,together with the following extract of a letter from that excellentperson, who is now gone to receive the reward of his labours:--'Mr.Boswell is not only very entertaining in his works, but they are soreplete with moral and religious sentiments, without an instance, as faras I know, of a contrary tendency, that I cannot help having a greatesteem for him; and if you think such a trifle as a copy of the_Discourses, ex dono authoris_, would be acceptable to him, I should behappy to give him this small testimony of my regard.'Such spontaneous testimonies of approbation from such men, without anypersonal acquaintance with me, are truly valuable and encouraging.BOSWELL.[924]'Tout se plaint, tout gemit en cherchant le bien-etre;Nul ne voudrait mourir, nul ne voudrait renaitre.'Voltaire, _Le desastre de Lisbonne. Works_, ed. 1819, x. 124. 'Johnsonsaid that, for his part, he never passed that week in his life which hewould wish to repeat, were an angel to make the proposal to him.'_Ante_, ii. 125. Yet Dr. Franklin, whose life overlapped Johnson's atboth ends, said:-'I should have no objection to go over the same lifefrom its beginning to the end, requesting only the advantage authorshave of correcting in a second edition the faults of its first. So wouldI also wish to change some incidents of it for others more favourableNotwithstanding, if this condition was denied, I should still accept theoffer of re-commencing the same life.' Franklin's _Memoirs_, i. 2.[925] Mackintosh thus sums up this question:--'The truth is, thatendless fallacies must arise from the attempt to appreciate byretrospect human life, of which the enjoyments depend on hope.' _Life ofMackintosh_, ii. 160. See _ante_, ii. 350.[926] In the lines on Levett. _Ante_, p. 137.[927] AURENGZEBE, act iv. sc. 1. BOSWELL. According to Dr. Maxwell(_ante_, ii. 124), Johnson frequently quoted the fourth couplet of theselines. Boswell does not give the last--'I'm tired with waiting for this chemic goldWhich fools us young, and beggars us when old.'[928] Johnson, speaking of the companions of his college days, said:--'It was bitterness which they mistook for frolick.' _Ante_, i. 73.[929]'--to thee I callBut with no friendly voice, and add thy nameO Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams.'Milton's _Paradise Lost_, iv. 35.[930] Yet there is no doubt that a man may appear very gay in companywho is sad at heart. His merriment is like the sound of drums andtrumpets in a battle, to drown the groans of the wounded anddying. BOSWELL.[931] Mme. D'Arblay (_Memoirs of Dr. Burney_, ii. 103) tells how Johnsonwas one day invited to her father's house at the request of Mr.Greville, 'the finest gentleman about town,' as she earlier describedhim (_ib_. i. 25), who desired to make his acquaintance. This 'superb'gentleman was afraid to begin to speak. 'Assuming his most superciliousair of distant superiority he planted himself, immovable as a noblestatue, upon the hearth, as if a stranger to the whole set.' Johnson,who 'never spoke till he was spoken to' (_ante_, in. 307)--this habitthe Burneys did not as yet know--'became completely absorbed in silentrumination; very unexpectedly, however, he shewed himself alive to whatsurrounded him, by one of those singular starts of vision, that made himseem at times, though purblind to things in common, gifted with an eyeof instinct for espying any action that he thought merited reprehension;for all at once, looking fixedly on Mr. Greville, who without muchself-denial, the night being very cold, kept his station before thechimney-piece, he exclaimed:--"If it were not for depriving the ladiesof the fire, I should like to stand upon the hearth myself." A smilegleamed upon every face at this pointed speech. Mr. Greville tried tosmile himself, though faintly and scoffingly. He tried also to hold hispost; and though for two or three minutes he disdained to move, theawkwardness of a general pause impelled him ere long to glide back tohis chair; but he rang the bell with force as he passed it to order hiscarriage.'[932] Page 139. BOSWELL.[933] On this same day Miss Adams wrote to a friend:--'Dr. Johnson, tho'not in good health, is in general very talkative and infinitelyagreeable and entertaining.' _Pemb. Coll. MSS_.[934] Johnson said 'Milton was a _Phidias_, &c.' _Ante_, p. 99, note 1.In his _Life of Milton_ (_Works, vii. 119) he writes:--'Milton neverlearnt the art of doing little things with grace; he overlooked themilder excellence of suavity and softness; he was a _Lion_ that had noskill _in dandling the kid_.'['Sporting the lion ramped, and in his pawDandled the kid.'_Paradise Lost_, iv. 343.][935] Cardinal Newman (_History of my Religious Opinions_, ed. 1865, p.361) remarks on this:--'As to Johnson's case of a murderer asking youwhich way a man had gone, I should have anticipated that, had such a