Etat. 29. 1738. ingenious and candid man; but having the inclofed in my poem hands to dispose of for the benefit of the authour, (of whofe abilities I fhall fay nothing, fince I fend you his performance,) I believed I could not procure more advantageous terms from any person than from you, who have fo much diftinguished yourself by your generous encouragement of poetry; and whofe judgment of that art nothing but your commendation of my trifle can give me any occafion to call in question. I do not doubt but you will look over this poem with another eye, and reward it in a different manner, from a mercenary bookfeller, who counts the lines he is to purchase, and confiders nothing but the bulk. I cannot help taking notice, that, besides what the authour may hope for on account of his abilities, he has likewise another claim to your regard, as he lies at prefent under very disadvantageous circumstances of fortune. I beg, therefore, that you will favour me with a letter tomorrow, that I may know what you can afford to allow him, that he may either part with it to you, or find out (which I do not expect) fome other way more to his fatisfaction. "I have only to add, that as I am fenfible I have transcribed it very coarfely, which, after having altered it, I was obliged to do, I will, if you please to tranfmit the fheets from the prefs, correct it for you; and take the trouble of altering any ftroke of fatire which you may dislike. His Ode" Ad Urbanum" probably. N. "By "By exerting on this occafion your ufual generofity, you will not only encourage learning, and relieve distress, but (though it be in comparison of the other motives of very fmall account) oblige fenfible manner, Sir, in a very "Your very humble fervant, 1738. Etat. 29. "SAM. JOHNSON." "SIR, To Mr. CAVE. Monday, No. 6, Castle-street. "I AM to return you thanks for the prefent you were so kind as to fend by me, and to intreat that you will be pleased to inform me by the penny-poft, whether you refolve to print the poem. If you please to send it me by the post, with a note to Dodsley, I will go and read the lines to him, that we may have his consent to put his name in the title-page. As to the printing, if it can be set immediately about, I will be so much the authour's friend, as not to content myself with mere folicitations in his favour. I propose, if my calculation be near the truth, to engage for the reimbursement of all that you shall lose by an impreffion of 500, provided, as you very generously propose, that the profit, if any, be fet afide for the authour's use, excepting the present you made, which, if he be a gainer, it is fit he should repay. I beg that you will let one of your fervants write an exact account of the expense of fuch an impreffion, and fend it with the poem, that I may know what I engage for. I am very sensible, from your generofity on this occafion, of your H 2 regard 1738. Etat. 29. gard to learning, even in its unhappiest state; and cannot but think fuch a temper deferving of the gratitude of those who fuffer so often from a contrary difpofition. I am, Sir, "SIR, "Your most humble fervant, "SAM. JOHNSON." To Mr. CAVE. [No date.] "I WAITED on you to take the copy to Dodfley's: as I remember the number of lines which it contains, it will be no longer than Eugenio, with the quotations, which must be fubjoined at the bottom of the page, part of the beauty of the performance (if any beauty be allowed it) confifting in adapting Juvenal's fentiments to modern facts and perfons. It will, with thofe additions, very conveniently make five fheets. And fince the expence will be no more, I fhall contentedly in- fure it, as I mentioned in my laft. If it be not ⚫ therefore gone to Dodfley's, I beg it may be fent me by the penny-poft, that I may have it in the evening. I have compofed a Greek Epigram to - Eliza', and think the ought to be celebrated in as many different languages as Lewis le Grand. Pray send me word when you will begin upon the poem, for it is a long way to walk. I would leave my Epigram, but have not day-light to transcribe I am, Sir, it. "SIR, To Mr. CAVE. [No date.] "I am extremely obliged by your kind letter, and will not fail to attend you to-morrow with IRENE, who looks upon you as one of her best friends. "I was to day with Mr. Dodfley, who declares very warmly in favour of the paper you fent him, which he defires to have a fhare in, it being, as he fays, a creditable thing to be concerned in. I knew not what answer to make till I had confulted you, nor what to demand on the authour's part, but am very willing that, if you please, he should have a part in it, as he will undoubtedly be more diligent to disperse and promote it. If you can fend me word to-morrow what I fhall fay to him, I will settle matters, and bring the poem with me for the prefs, which as the town empties, we cannot be too quick with. I am, Sir, "Your's, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON." To us who have long known the manly force, bold spirit, and masterly verfification of this poem, it is a matter of curiofity to observe the diffidence with which its authour brought it forward into publick notice, while he is fo cautious as not to avow it to be his own production; and with what humility he offers to allow the printer to "alter any stroke of satire which he might dislike." That any fuch alteration was made, we do not know. If we did, we could not but feel an indignant regret; but how painful it is to fee that a writer of H 3 fuch 1738. Atat. 29. 1738. Etat. 29. fuch vigorous powers of mind was actually in fuch distress, that the small profit which so short a poem, however excellent, could yield, was courted as a "relief." It has been generally faid, I know not with what truth, that Johnson offered his "LONDON" to feveral booksellers, none of whom would purchase it. To this circumftance Mr. Derrick alludes in the following lines of his "FORTUNE, A RHAPSODY:" "Will no kind patron JOHNSON OWN? "Shall JOHNSON friendless range the town? "The offspring of his happy Mufe ?” But we have seen that the worthy, modeft, and ingenious Mr. Robert Dodsley had tafte enough to perceive its uncommon merit, and thought it creditable to have a fhare in it. The fact is, that, at a future conference, he bargained for the whole property of it, for which he gave Johnfon ten guineas, who told me, "I might, perhaps, have accepted of lefs; but that Paul Whitehead had a little before got ten guineas for a poem; and I would not take lefs than Paul Whitehead." I may here observe, that Johnson appeared to me to undervalue Paul Whitehead upon every occafion when he was mentioned, and, in my opinion, did not do him juftice; but when it is confidered that Paul Whitehead was a member of a riotous and profane club, we may account for Johnson's having a prejudice against him. Paul Whitehead was, indeed, unfortunate in being not only flighted |