1763.

Æt. 35.

His claim to enter it would two years he will be elected seem to have been somewhat chairman of the sessions; after canvassed, at first, by at least seven years more, will be made one of the members. "As he aknight; and, in four years "wrote for the booksellers," after that, will deliver says Hawkins, "we at the club himself of five quarto "looked on him as a mere volumes of a history of music, in "literary drudge, equal to the the slow and laborious concep"task of compiling and translat- tion of which he is already pain"ing, but little capable of original fully engaged.* Altogether, his "and still less of poetical com- existence was a kind of pompous, "position: he had, nevertheless, parsimonious, insignificant drawl, "unknown to us 994 ... I need cleverly ridiculed by one of the not anticipate what it was that wits in an absurd epitaph: "Here so startled Hawkins with its un-"lies Sir John Hawkins, Without known progress: the reader has "his shoes and stauckins." To already intimation of it. It is, him belonged the original merit, however, more than probable, in that age of penal barbarity whatever may have been thought and perpetual executions, of of Goldsmith's drudgery, that lamenting that in no less than this extremely low estimate of fourteen cases it was still poshis capacity was limited to Mr. sible to cheat the gallows. AnHawkins, whose opinions were other of his favourite themes seldom popular with the other was the improvidence of what he members of the club. Early as- called sentimental writers, at the sociations clung hard to John- head of whom he placed the son, and, for the sake of these, author of Tom Jones; a book Hawkins was borne with to the which he charged with having last; but, in the newly-formed "corrupted the rising generasociety, even Johnson admitted "tion," and sapped "the foundahim to be out of place. Neither "tion of that morality which it is in habits nor opinions did he harmonise with the rest. He Gent. Mag. LIX. 473. A lucky pun had been an attorney for many years' labour to long obscurity and years, affecting literary tastes, oblivion. Some wag in the interest of and dabbling in music at the Dr. Burney's rival publication wrote the following catch, which Dr. Callcott set to Madrigal-club; but, four years music: before the present, so large a fortune had fallen to him in right of his wife, that he withdrew from the law, and lived and judged with severe propriety as a Middlesex magistrate. Within *Life of Johnson, 420.

condemned Sir John Hawkins's sixteen

"Have you read Sir John Hawkins's "History?

"Some folks think it quite a mystery; "Both I have, and I aver

"That Burney's History I prefer." Burn his History was straightway in every one's mouth; and the bookseller practically took the advice by "wasting" the greater part of the edition.

"the duty of parents and all "cused?" asked Doctor Burney, "public instructors to inculcate when Johnson told him of the "in the minds of young people."* incident many years after. "Oh

1763.

Æt. 35.

This was his common style "yes, sir," was the reply; "and of talk. He would speak "very readily. No man is angry contemptuously of Ho- "at another for being inferior to garth as a man who knew no-"himself. We all admitted his thing out of Covent-garden. "plea publicly, for the gratificaRichardson, Fielding, Smollett, "tion of scorning him privately. and Sterne, he looked upon as "Sir John, sir, is a very unclub"stuff;" and for the last three, "bable man. Yet I really beas men "whose necessities and "lieve him," pursued Johnson on "abilities were nearly commen- the same occasion, very charac"surate," he had a special con- teristically, "to be an honest tempt. As chairman of quarter-"man at the bottom; though sessions, what other judgment "to be sure he is rather penucould he be expected to have of "rious, and he is somewhat them? Being men of loose prin- "mean, and it must be owned he ciples, he would say, bad econo-"has some degree of brutality, mists, and living without fore-"and is not without a tendency sight, "it is their endeavour to "to savageness that cannot well "commute for their failings by "be defended."* It was this "professions of greater love to latter tendency which caused his "mankind, more tender affec-early secession from the club. "tions and finer feelings than He was not a member for more 'they will allow men of more than two or three years. His "regular lives, whom they deem own account is that he withdrew "formalists, to possess."** With because its late hours were ina man of such regular life, de- consistent with his domestic arnouncing woe to loose characters rangements:** but the fact was, that should endeavour to com- *Madame d'Arblay is the authority mute for their failings, poor for this, which she relates with but slight Goldsmith had naturally little variation both in her Memoirs of her chance; and it fared as ill with father (II. 164), and in her own Diary. See also Boswell, 11. 273, and Ix. 287-8. the rest of the club when ques- **"We seldom got together till nine; tions of "economy" or "fore- "the enquiry into the contents of the "larder, and preparing supper, took up "sight" came up. Mr. Hawkins, "till ten; and by the time that the table after the first four meetings, 66 was cleared, it was near eleven, at begged to be excused his share "which hour my servants were ordered of the reckoning, on the ground enjoy the pleasure of these meetings that he did not partake of the "without disturbing the economy of my supper. "And was he ex-"family, I chose to forego it." Life of Johnson, 425. Their evening toast, he tells us in the same passage, was the motto of Padre Paolo, "Esto perpetua,"

*Life of Johnson, 214, 215.

** Ibid, 218.

"to come for me; and, as I could not

66

never came again.

He 35.

says Boswell, that he one even-year he had derived his principal ing attacked Mr. Burke in so help from the booksellers, for rude a manner, *that all the whom he had some time written, company testified their displea- and continued still to write, 1763. sure; and at their next meeting the historical portion of Et. his reception was such that he the Annual Register. had been but a few months in Letitia Matilda Hawkins her- enjoyment of Hamilton's pension, self, proposing to defend her and was already extremely unfather, corroborates this state- easy as to the conditions on ment. "The Burkes," she says, which he began to suspect it had describing the impressions of been granted, his patron not her childhood, "as the men of seeming to have relished his "that family were called, were not proposed return to London "then what they were afterwards society. "I know your business "considered, nor what the head "ought on all occasions to have "of them deserved to be con- "the preference," wrote Burke "sidered for his splendid talents: in deprecation; "to be the first, "they were, as my father termed "and the last, and indeed in all "them, Irish Adventurers; and "respects the main concern. All came into this country with no "I contend for is, that I may not "good auguries, nor any very "time I should say who my friend is. "decided principles of action. "His name is Edmond Burke. "They had to talk their way in "literary man he may possibly be not "the world that was to furnish" of a piece which imposed on the world "quite unknown to you. He is the author "their means of living."** "as Lord Bolingbroke's, called the AdAn Irish adventurer who had "vantages of Natural Society, and of a very to talk his way in the world is "called a Treatise on the Sublime and the ingenious book published last year, much what Burke was considered "Beautiful. I must farther say of him, by the great as well as little "that his chief application has been to vulgar, for several more years... "the knowledge of public business, and to come. He was now thirtythree, and yet had not achieved his great want, “ground to stand "upon." Until the present

66

" ***

* Life, 11. 273. See also the Percy Memoir, 72. Burke was attacked in good company, let me subjoin; for on the same authority Lord Chatham was "a "pertinacious yelper," and (for a comparison quite original) Lord Chesterfield a bear.

** Memoirs, 1. 98-101.

As a

our commercial interests; that he 66 seems to have a most extensive know"ledge, with extraordinary talents for "business, and to want nothing but "ground to stand upon to do his country "very important services." Chatham Correspondence, I. 432. Burke's first piece was the Vindication (not the Advantages) of Natural Society, which up to 1763 Johnson seems to have thought a serious and "imprudent" assertion of the opinions of Bolingbroke. It was not till two years later (1765) that the irony was explicitly laid aside in a preface to the edition then published, and meanwhile both Bishop Warburton and Lord Chesterfield are said to have been deceived.

*** Doctor Markham thus introduces him to the famous Duchess of Queensberry, as a candidate for office: "It is post, Book, IV. Chap. XI.

And see

"be considered as absolutely ex- their strength, consolidated their "cluded from all other thoughts, influence, and been rewarded by "in their proper time and due insignificant office and uniform

"subordination.” * The exclusion from the cabinet, he 1763. whole truth was not made had to reflect that every step in Æt. 35 obvious to him till two his life had thus been obstructed, years later. He then found, and and that in the very teeth of on finding it flung up the pen- prejudice and dislike he had sion, that Hamilton had thought forced every inch of his way. him placed by it in "a sort of "The narrowness of his for"domestic situation." It was the "tune," says Walpole, "kept him consideration of a bargain for "down."* At every turnpike he sale of independence. It was a met, he had been called to show claim for absolute servitude. his passport; otherwise no ad"Not to value myself as a gen- mission, no toleration for him. "tleman,” remonstrated Burke, Improved by this, his manners "a freeman, a man of education, could hardly be; the more other "and one pretending to litera- spheres of consideration were "ture, is there any situation in closed to him, the more he would "life so low, or even so criminal, be driven to dominate in his "that can subject a man to the own; and I have little doubt that 'possibility of such an engage- he somewhat painfully at times, "ment? Would you dare at- in the first few years of the club, tempt to bind your footman to impressed others as well "such terms?" ** Mr. Hawkins, Hawkins with a sense of his preit is clear, would have thought dominance. He had to "talk his the terms suitable enough to the "way in the world that was to situation in life of an Irish ad- "furnish his means of living," venturer; and the incident may and this was the only theatre illustrate his vulgar and insolent open to him yet. Here only phrase. could he as yet pour forth, to an

66

as

Let it always be remembered, audience worth exciting, the in connection with Burke's vehe- stores of argument and elomence of will and sharp im- quence he was thirsting to empetuosity of temper. These were ploy upon a wider stage; the less his natural defects than his variety of knowledge and its painful sense of what he wanted practical application, the fund of in the eyes of others. When, in astonishing imagery, the ease of later years, he proudly reviewed philosophic illustration, the overthe exertions that had been the powering copiousness of words, soul of the then revived whig in which he has never had a party, which had re-established rival. A civil guest, says Her*Correspondence, 1, 49-50. bert, will no more talk all, than ** Ibid, 1. 73. *Memoirs of George III. xx. 273-4.

eat all, the feast; and perhaps "ordinary man. *Now, you may this might be forgotten now and "be long enough with me withthen. "In my own mind I am "out finding anything extraor"convinced," says Miss Hawkins, "dinary."** 1763.

"however he might persuade This was modest in John- Æt. "himself, that my father was son, but there was more 35. 'disgusted with the overpower-truth than he perhaps intended "ing deportment of Burke and in it. In general, Burke's views "his monopoly of the conversa- were certainly the subtler and "tion, which made all the other more able. He penetrated deeper "members, excepting his an- into the principles of things, be"tagonist Johnson, merely his low common life and what is "auditors." Something of the called good sense, than Johnsame sort was said by that son could. "Is he like Burke," antagonist ten years after the asked Goldsmith, when Boswell present date, though in a more seemed to exalt Johnson's talk generous way. "What I most too highly, "who winds into a envy Burke for," said John-"subject like a serpent?” *** son, after admitting the astonish- A faculty of sudden and striking ing range of his resources but illustration, too, often highly denying him the faculty of wit, imaginative, he eminently pos"is, his being constantly the sessed; and of this, which must 66 same. He is never what we have given such a power as well "call hum-drum; never unwilling as charm to his familiar conver"to begin to talk, nor in haste

66

this illustration. BOSWELL: "Mr. Burke

"he would say, This is an extraordinary "man! If Burke should go into a stable to see his horse dressed, the ostler

"Burke under a shed, to shun a shower,

66

"to leave off. Take up what- *Over and over again Johnson repeated "ever topic you please, he is "has a constant stream of conversation." "ready to meet you. His JOHNSON: "Yes, sir; if a man were to "stream of mind is perpetual. "go by chance at the same time with "I cannot say he is good at "listening. So desirous is he to "talk, that if one is speaking "at this end of the table, he'll "would say, We have had an extraordinary man here!" Life, IV. 301. He "speak to somebody at the goes on to say, "When Burke does not "other end. Burke, sir, is such descend to be merry, his conversation "a man, that if you met him "is very superior indeed. There is no "proportion between the powers which "for the first time in the street, "he shows in serious talk and in jocu"where you were stopped by a "larity. When he lets himself down to "drove of oxen, and you and he Piozzi's Anecdotes, 209.) Not quite; as "that, he is in the kennel." (Mrs. "stepped aside to take shelter the reader perhaps will also think, who "but for five minutes, he'd reads a note which he will find in "talk to you in such a manner, Book IV. Chap. VI.

**Boswell, Life, VIII. 273, and sce

"that, when you parted, you IV. 23, VII. 366-7, VIII. 155. "would say, This is an extra

*** Boswell, III. 304.