66

66

period of his life, when his reputation was established and he had descended into the vale of years, and consequently when his person would be less attended to," that his appearance was rendered strange and somewhat uncouth by convulsive cramps, by the scars of that distemper, which it was once imagined the royal touch could cure, "and by a slovenly mode of dress. He had the use only of one eye; yet so much does mind govern, and even supply the deficiency of or"gans, that his visual perceptions, as far as they "extended, were uncommonly quick and accuSo morbid was his temperament, that he never knew the natural joy of a free and vigor"ous use of his limbs. When he walked, it was "like the struggling gait of one in fetters; when "he rode, he had no command or direction of his "horse, but was carried as if in a balloon."

❝rate.

Johnson was considered by some of his friends as affected with the distemper called St Vitus's dance; but Sir Joshua Reynolds was of a different •pinion, and gave the following account of the matter in a letter to Mr Boswell: "Those motions or "tricks of Dr Johnson are improperly called con"vulsions. He could sit motionless when he was "told so to do, as well as any other man. My "opinion is, that it proceeded from a habit which "he had indulged himself in, of accompanying "his thoughts with certain untoward actions, and "those actions always appeared to me as if they "were meant to reprobate some part of his past "conduct. Whenever he was not engaged in "conversation, such thoughts were sure to rush

VOL. I.

"into his mind; and for this reason any company, "any employment whatever, he preferred to being "alone. The great business of his life (he said)

was to escape from himself: this disposition he "considered as the disease of his mind, which

"nothing cured but company. One instance "of his absence, and particularly as it is charac"teristic of the man, may be worth relating. "When he and I took a journey together into the 66 west, we visited the late Mr Banks of Dorset"shire. The conversation turning upon pictures, "which Johnson could not well see, he retired to a corner of the room, stretching out his right leg as far as he could reach before him; then "bringing up his left leg, and stretching his right "still farther on. The old gentleman observing "him, went up to him, and in a very courteous <6 manner assured him, that though it was a new "house, the flooring was perfectly safe. The "Doctor started from his reverie, like a person "waked out of his sleep, but spoke not a word."

66

When it is considered how much mankind are influenced by appearances or personal address, and that Johnson had been educated to no profession whereby he might render himself necessary to the interests of individuals, it will not appear surprising that he remained long in obscurity, or rather, perhaps, it may seem wonderful that any energy of talents could enable him ultimately to emerge into public view. How he employed himself at his first entrance into London is not known. He was noticed, however, by the Hon. Henry Hervey, who had been previously quartered at Lichfield as an officer of the army. Johnson was so

grateful for the attention which he received at this period, when he most wanted it, that not long before his death, he thus described his early friend : "Henry Hervey was a vicious man, but very "kind to me. If you call a dog Hervey, I shall

" love him."

At this time Johnson once more addressed himself to Mr Cave, the proprietor and editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, offering his assistance towards conducting it; and his proposals appear to have been accepted. In 1737, the 28th year of his age, he returned to Lichfield to bring his wife to London; and while residing there for three months, he completed his tragedy of Irene, which had not been previously finished. On his return to London he solicited Mr Fleetwood, the patentee of Drury-Lane theatre, to have it acted at his house, but without success. He was engaged, however, by Mr Cave, as an assistant in conducting the Gentleman's Magazine, and for many years this was his only regular fund of subsistence. The first performance in the Gentleman's Magazine which be ever acknowledged, is a Latin ode to the editor, who assumed the name of Mr URBAN.

While acting as a subordinate writer in the Gentleman's Magazine, Johnson formed an acquaintance with Savage the poet. Both of them were in extreme distress, and both of them were men of talents, two circumstances sufficient to account for the extraordinary friendship which very speedily united them. In other respects, they were men of very different characters. Savage was a handsome man, of a very polished external appearance,

but not scrupulous in his morals. Johnson was in every respect the reverse of all this. Still, however, the points of resemblance in their talents and calamities were sufficient to unite them, more especially as Savage, who had associated with the first wits and statesmen of his time, could gratify the curiosity of Johnson by explaining the characters and conduct of a race of men whom he had never seen, but whose distinguished situation in the world necessarily rendered them objects of curiosity. Sir John Hawkins says, that during their intimacy a short separation took place between Johnson and his wife. Savage and Johnson were sometimes in such extreme indigence, that they wandered whole nights in the streets, because they could not pay for a lodging. In one of these nocturnal rambles, when their distress was almost incredible, so far were they from being depressed by their situation, that, in high spirits, and brimful of patriotism, they traversed St James's-Square for several hours, inveighed against the minister; and, as Johnson said in ridicule of himself and his companion, "resolved that they would stand by their "country."

In May 1738, Johnson published his London, a poem, written in imitation of the third Satire of Juvenal. It has been generally said that he offered it to several booksellers, none of whom would purchase it. Mr Cave at last communicated it to Dodsley, who had taste enough to perceive its uncommon merit, and thought it "credit"able to be concerned with it." Dodsley gave him ten pounds for the copy. It is remarkable that it came out in the same morning with Pope's

Satire, entitled "1738" One of its warmest patrons was General Oglethorpe. Pope also was so struck with its merit, that he sought to discover the author, and prophesied his future fame. "He will," said he, "soon be deterré:" This poem procured reputation to Johnson; but as it did not improve his situation, he offered himself a candidate for the mastership of the school at Appleby, in Leicestershire. The statutes of the school required, that the person elected should be a Master of Arts. Johnson had been under the necessity of leaving the university without a degree. To remove this objection, Lord Gower, at the request of Mr Pope, (who knew nothing of Johnson but from his poem) applied to a friend of Dean Swift, requesting the interference of the latter to procure for Johnson that degree from the university of Dublin; but Dr Swift appears to have declined to interfere in the matter, and thus the project failed. Johnson was therefore compelled to persevere in the only course of life which remained open to him, that of writing for bread in the service of the booksellers. He published various small pieces; but his employment as a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine was that upon which he chiefly depended. One of his small pieces was called the "Marmor Norfolciense; or an Essay "on an Ancient Prophetical Inscription, in "monkish rhyme, lately discovered near Lynne, "in Norfolk, by Probus Britannicus." In this performance he, in a feigned inscription supposed to have been found in Norfolk, the county of Sir Robert Walpole, then the obnoxious prime minister of this country, inveighs against the Bruns