out on the same morning with Pope's satire, entitled" 1738;" so that England had at once its Juvenal and Horace as poetical monitors. The Reverend Dr. Douglas 1, now Bishop of Salisbury, to whom I am indebted for some obliging communications, was then a student at Oxford, and remembers well the effect which "London" produced. Every body was delighted with it; and there being no name to it, the first it was the departure of Savage, the event was not antedated but foreseen; for "London" was published in May, 1738, and Savage did not set out for Wales till July, 1739. However well Johnson could defend the credibility of second sight, he did not pretend that he himself was possessed of that faculty.-BOSWELL. buzz of the literary circles was, "Here is an unknown poet, greater even than Pope." And it is recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine of that year (p. 269), that it "got to the second edition in the course of a week." One of the warmest patrons of this poem on its first appearance was General Öglethorpe 2, whose "strong benevolence of [James Edward Oglethorpe, born in 1698, admitted of C. C. C. Oxford in 1714; but he soon after entered the army, and served under Prince Eugene against the Turks. Dr. Warton, (who calls Oglethorpe "a great hero and a great legislator,") informs us that "neither he (Oglethorpe!) nor Prince Eugene loved Marlborough;" and that Oglethorpe related that Eugene said, sneeringly, of his illustrious colleague, there is a great differ[Notwithstanding Mr. Boswell's proofs, and ence between making war en maitre or en avoDr. Johnson's own assertions, the identity of Sav-cat." The fame of the Duke of Marlborough will age and Thales has been repeated by all the bi- not be much impaired by wanting the love of ographers, and has obtained general vogue. It Oglethorpe, who did not leave school till after that may, therefore, be worth while to add, that John- great man had terminated his public career; and son's residence at Greenwich (which as it was even Oglethorpe's authority would not induce us to the scene of his fancied parting from Thales, is believe that Prince Eugene (supposing him to have currently taken to have been that of his real sep-wished to depreciate Marlborough) would have aration from Savage) occurred two years before the latter event; and at that time it does not appear that Johnson was so much as acquainted with Savage, or even with Cave, at whose house he first met Savage:-again; Johnson distinctly tells in his Life of Savage, that the latter took his departure for Wales, not by embarking at Greenwich, but by the Bristol stage coach: and, finally and decisively, Johnson, if Thales had been Savage, could never have admitted into his poem two lines which seem to point so forcibly at the drunken fray when Savage stabbed a Mr. Sinclair, for which he was convicted of murder. us, talked such absurd nonsense as that above quoted. "One, driven by strong benevolence of soul, In 1745, Oglethorpe was promoted to the rank "Some frolic drunkard, reeling from a feast, Provokes a broil, and stabs you in a jest." There is, certainly, a curious coincidence between some points of the characters of Thales and Savage; but it seems equally certain that the coinci-hour, and the exhaustion of the troops, rendered dence was fortuitous. Mr. Murphy endeavours to it inexpedient to attack that night; and Oglethorpe reconcile the difficulties by supposing that Savage's therefore marched off to a neighbouring village to retirement was in contemplation eighteen months forage and refresh. Meanwhile the Duke of before it was carried into effect; but even if this Cumberland pressed on; and next morning when were true (which may well be doubted), it would he came to Shap, found that it had been abannot alter the facts, that London was written be-doned by the rebels, but H. R. H. was surprised fore Johnson knew Savage; and that one of the by seeing, on his right towards the rear, an unexseverest strokes in the satire touched Savage's sor-pected body of troops; it turned out to be Ogleest point.-ED.] 1 [He was a Scotchman by birth, but educated at St. Mary Hall and Balliol College, Oxford, (M. A. 1743, D. D. 1758), and owed his first promotions to Lord Bath (to whose son he had been tutor), and his literary reputation to his detection of Lauder. He wrote several political and party pamphlets, and prepared Captain Cook's third journal for publication. But his most valuable work is The Criterion, a refutation of the objections of Hume and others to the miracles recorded in the New Testament. He was made Bishop of Carlisle in 1788, and translated to Salisbury in 1791, in which see he died in 1807.ED.] thorpe's corps, which, from being the van guard of his army, had thus unaccountably become the rear. The duke caused Oglethorpe to be brought to a court martial (from the original minutes of which the foregoing particulars are taken), and though acquitted, he was never again employed. It is by no means surprising that this " 'neglect" should have mortified a man of Oglethorpe's sensibility; and it is to be inferred from Mr. Boswell's expressions, that late in life he had in vain solicited for some "mark of distinction" to heal his wounded feelings. General Oglethorpe sat in five or six parliaments, and was in general politics a tory, and even suspected of being a jacobite: to this may, perhaps be referred most of the then in that ferment against the court and the ministry, which some years after ended in the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole; and as it has been said, that tories are whigs when out of place; and whigs tories when in place; so, as a whig administration ruled with what force it could, a tory opposition had all the animation and all the eloquence of resistance to power, aided by the common topics of patriotism, liberty, and independence! Accordingly, we find in Johnson's "London" the most spirited invectives against tyranny and oppression, the warmes predilection for his own country, and the purest love and virtue; interspers soul" was unabated during the course of a very long life; though it is painful to think, that he had but too much reason to become cold and callous, and discontented with the world, from the neglect which he experienced of his publick and private worth, by those in whose power it was to gratify so gallant a veteran with marks of distinction. This extraordinary person was as remarkable for his learning and taste, as for his other eminent qualities; and no man was more prompt, active, and generous, in encouraging merit. I have heard Johnson gratefully acknowledge, in his presence, the kind and effectual support which he gave to his "London," though unacquainted with traits of his own particular characed with its authour. Pope, who then filled the poetical throne without a rival, it may reasonably be presumed, must have been particularly struck by the sudden appearance of such a poet; and, to his credit, let it be remembered, that his feelings and conduct on the occasion were candid and liberal. He requested Mr. Richardson 1, son of the painter, to endeavour to find out who this new authour was. Mr. Richardson, after some inquiry, having informed him that he had discovered only that his name was Johnson, and that he was some obscure man, Pope We said, "He will soon be deterré 2." shall presently see, from a note written by Pope, that he was himself afterwards more successful in his inquiries than his friend. ter and situation, not omitting his prejudices as a "true-born Englishman 3," not only against foreign countries, but against Ireland and Scotland. On some of these topicks I shall quote a few passages: "The cheated nation's happy fav'rites see; Mark whom the great caress, who frown on "Has heaven reserv'd, in pity to the poor, That in this justly celebrated poem may be found a few rhymes which the critical precision of English prosody at this day would disallow, cannot be denied; but with We may easily conceive with what feelthis small imperfection, which in the general ing a great mind like his, cramped and gallblaze of its excellence is not perceived, tilled by narrow circumstances, uttered this the mind has subsided into cool attention, it is, undoubtedly, one of the noblest productions in our language both for sentiment and expression. The nation was particulars of his history-his dislike of the Duke of Marlborough-the praises of Pope-his partiality towards Johnson's political poetry-the suspicion of not having done his best against the rebels-and the "neglect" of the court. He died 30th June, 1785.-ED.] [There were three Richardsons known at this period in the literary world: 1st. Jonathan Richardson the elder, usually called the Painter, though he was an author as well as a painter; he died in 1745, aged 80. 2d. Jonathan the younger, who is the person mentioned in the text, who also painted, though not as a profession, and who published several works; he died in 1771, aged 77. 3d. Samuel Richardson, the author of the celebrated novels. He was by trade a printer, and had the good sense to continue, during the height of his fame, his attention to his business. He died in 1761, aged 72.—ED.] 2 Sir Joshua Reynolds, from the information of the younger Richardson.-BosWELL. VOL. 1. 7 last line, which he marked by capitals. The whole of the poem is eminently excellent, and there are in it such proofs of a knowledge of the world, and of a mature acquaintance with life 4, as cannot be con 3 It is, however, remarkable, that he uses the epithet, which undoubtedly, since the union between England and Scotland, ought to denominate the natives of both parts of our island. "Was early taught a BRITON's rights to prize."— BOSWELL. [This is not quite correct. The union of the crowns gave the whole island the title of Great Britain, but the term Briton had been always used in contradistinction to Caledonian.-ED.] 4 [What follows will show that Boswell himself was of opinion that London was dictated rather by youthful feeling, inflamed by the political frenzy of the times, than by any "knowledge of the world," or any "mature acquaintance with life." Nor is it the least remarkable of the inconsistencies between Johnson's early precepts and subsequent practice, that he, who was in all his latter age the most constant and enthusiastic admirer of London, should have begun life with this templated without wonder, when we consider that he was then only in his twentyninth year, and had yet been so little in the "busy haunts of men." Yet while we admire the poetical excellence of this poem, candour obliges us to allow, that the flame of patriotism and zeal for popular resistance with which it is fraught had no just cause. There was, in truth, no oppression;" the "nation" was not "cheated." Sir Robert Walpole was a wise and a benevolent minister, who thought that the happiness and prosperity of a commercial country like ours would be best promoted by peace, which he accordingly maintained with credit, during a very long period. Johnson himself afterwards acknowledged the merit of Walpole, whom he called "a fixed star;" while he characterised his opponent, Pitt, as a "meteor." But Johnson's juvenile poem was naturally impregnated with the fire of opposition, and upon every account was universally ad mired. Though thus elevated into fame, and conscious of uncommon powers, he had not that bustling confidence, or I may rather say, that animated ambition, which one might have supposed would have urged him to endeavour at rising in life. But such was his inflexible dignity of character, that he could not stoop to court the great; without which, hardly any man has made his way to a high station. He could not expect to produce many such works as his "London," and he felt the hardships of writing for bread; he was therefore willing to resume the office of a schoolmaster, so as to have a sure, though moderate income for his life; and an offer being made to him of the mastership of a school? [at vigorous and bitter invective against it. The truth is, he was now writing for bread, cared comparatively little about the real merits or defects of the minister or the metropolis, and only thought how best to make his poem sell.-ED.] 1 [This seems to be an erroneous and mischievous assertion. If Mr. Boswell, by stooping to court the great, means base flatteries and unworthy compliances, then it may be safely asserted that such arts, (whatever small successes they may have had), are not those by which men have risen to high stations. Look at the instances of elevation to be found in Mr. Boswell's own work-Lord Chatham, Lord Mansfield, Mr. Burke, Mr. Hamilton, Lord Loughborough, Lord Thurlow, Lord Stowell, and so many dignitaries of the law and the church, in whose society Dr. Johnson passed his latter days-with what can they be charged which would have disgraced Johnson? Boswell, it may be suspected, wrote this under some little personal disappointment in his own courtship of the great, which he more than once hints at. Johnson's opinions on this point will be found under Feb. 1766, and Sept. 1777.-ED.] 2 [Mr. Boswell had here inserted a long note to Hawk p. 62. Appleby, in Leicestershire,] provided he could obtain the degree of Master of Arts, Dr. Adams was applied to, by a common friend, to know whether that could be granted him as a favour from the university of Oxford. But though he had made such a figure in the literary world, it was then thought too great a favour to be asked. Pope, without any knowledge of him but from his "London," recommended 3 him to Earl Gower, who endeavoured to procure for him a degree from Dublin, by the following letter to a friend of Dean Swift: "SIR, Mr. Samuel Johnson (authour of LONDON, a satire, and some other poetical pieces) is a native of this country, and much respected by some worthy gentlemen in this neighbourhood, who are trustees of a charity-school now vacant; the certain salary is sixty pounds a year, of which they are desirous to make him master; but, unfortunately he is not capable of receiving their bounty, which would make him happy for life, by not being a master of arts; which, by the statutes of this school, the master of it must be. "Now these gentlemen do me the honour to think that I have interest enough in you, to prevail upon you to write to Dean Swift, to persuade the university of Dublin to send a diploma to me, constituting this poor man master of arts in their university. They highly extol the man's learning and probity; and will not be persuaded, that the university will make any difficulty of conferring such a favour upon a stranger, if he is recommended by the dean. They say, he is not afraid of the strictest prove, first, that the school in question was Newport in Shropshire; and secondly, on the evidence of a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine (May, 1793), that it was Appleby in Leicestershire, though Mr. Pope, by mistake, had said Shropshire; but as Sir J. Hawkins had already stated Appleby to be the school in question, Mr. Boswell took a great deal of unnecessary trouble, and his note is therefore omitted.-ED.] 3 [It seems not easy to reconcile Lord Gower's and Pope's letters, and Mr. Boswell's account of this transaction. Lord Gower's letter says that it is written at the request of some Staffordshire neighbours. Nothing more natural. He does not even allude to Pope; and certainly it would have been most extraordinary that Pope, the dearest friend of Swift, should solicit Lord Gower to ask a favour of the Dean. Pope says (see post, p. 56.) that he wrote unsolicited to Lord Gower in Johnson's favour; but did not succeed. He makes no allusion to Swift, or the master's degree. Perhaps Pope's application to Lord Gower related, as his letter says, to a school in Shropshire, and, failing there, the school of Appleby was thought of afterwards. This supposition would remove all difficulties.-ED.] examination, though he is of so long a jour-whether a person might be permitted to ney; and will venture it, if the dean thinks practise as an advocate there, without a it necessary; choosing rather to die upon doctor's degree in civil law. "I am (said the road, than be starved to death in trans- he) a total stranger to these studies; but lating for booksellers; which has been his whatever is a profession, and maintains only subsistence for some time past. numbers, must be within the reach of common abilities, and some degree of industry." Dr. Adams was much pleased with Johnson's design to employ his talents in that manner, being confident he would have attained to great eminence. And, indeed, I cannot conceive a man better qualified to make a distinguished figure as a lawyer; for he would have brought to his profession a rich store of various knowledge, an uncommon acuteness, and a command of language, in which few could have equalled, and none have surpassed him. He who could display eloquence and wit in defence of the decision of the House of Commons upon Mr. Wilkes's election for Middlesex, and of the unconstitutional taxation of our fellow-subjects in America, must have been a powerful advocate in any cause. But here, also, the want of a degree was an insurmountable bar. I fear there is more difficulty in this affair than those good-natured gentlemen apprehend; especially as their election cannot be delayed longer than the 11th of next month. If you see this matter in the same light that it appears to me, I hope you will burn this, and pardon me for giving you so much trouble about an impracticable thing; but, if you think there is a probability of obtaining the favour asked, I am sure your humanity and propensity to relieve merit in distress will incline you to serve the poor man, without my adding any more to the trouble I have already given you, than assuring you that I am, with great truth, sir, your faithful servant, "Trentham, Aug. 1, 1739.” "GOWER. It was, perhaps, no small disappointment 1 to Johnson that this respectable application He was, therefore, under the necessity of had not the desired effect; yet how much persevering in that course into which he reason has there been, both for himself and had been forced; and we find that his prohis country, to rejoice that it did not suc-posal from Greenwich to Mr. Cave, for a ceed, as he might probably have wasted in translation of Father Paul Sarpi's History, obscurity those hours in which he after- was accepted 3. wards produced his incomparable works. About this time he made one other effort to emancipate himself from the drudgery of authorship. He applied to Dr. Adams, to consult Dr. Smalbroke 2 of the Commons, [We shall hereafter see strong instances of Some sheets of this translation were printed off, but the design was dropt; for it happened, oddly enough, that another person of the name of Samuel Johnson, librarian of St. Martin's in the Fields, and curate of that parish, engaged in the same undertak ing, and was patronised by the clergy, par 3 In the Weekly Miscellany, October 21, 1788, there appeared the following advertisement: " Just Johnson's dislike both of Lord Gower and Dean Swift; and, considering how Johnson was influenced by personal prejudices, it seems not unreasona-published, Proposals for printing the History of ble to suppose, that this disappointment had soured him against both Swift and Lord Gower. It does not appear that Johnson ever saw his lordship's letter; nor, if he had, would he be much pleased at the terms in which he is mentioned. As to Swift, his mind was certainly, at this time, in no condition to exert itself on any remote object; and if his friends ventured to mention the subject to him, it is likely the Dean gave a peevish answer, particularly as he happened to be at this period on very bad terms with the heads of the university. Johnson probably knew no more than that an unsuccessful application on his behalf had been made both to Lord Gower and to Dean Swift, and resented the failure without being very scrupulous in apportioning the blame.-ED.] the Council of Trent, translated from the Italian of Father Paul Sarpi; with the Authour's Life, and Notes theological, historical, and critical, from the French edition of Dr. Le Courayer. To which are added, Observations on the History, and Notes and Illustrations from various Authours, both print ed and manuscript. By S. Johnson. 1. The work will consist of two hundred sheets, and be two volumes in quarto, printed on good paper and letter. 2. The price will be 18s. each volume, to be paid, half a guinea at the delivery of the first volume, and the rest at the delivery of the second volume in sheets. 3. Twopence to be abated for every sheet less than two hundred. It may be had on a large paper, in three volumes, at the price of three guineas; one to be paid at the time 2 [Richard Smalbroke, LL. D., second son of of subscribing, another at the delivery of the first, Bishop Smalbroke, succeeded his brother Thomas and the rest at the delivery of the other volumes. as chancellor of the diocese of Lichfield in 1778, The work is now in the press, and will be diligentand died the senior member of the College of Ad-ly prosecuted. Subscriptions are taken in by Mr. vocates. The long connexion of the Smalbroke family with Lichfield, probable pointed him out to Johnson as a person able and willing to advise him. -ED.] Dodsley in Pall-Mall, Mr. Rivington in St. Paul's Church-yard, by E. Cave at St. John's Gate, and the Translator, at No. 6, in Castle-street, by Cavendish-square."-BOSWELL. ticularly by Dr. Pearce, afterwards Bishop "The Chinese Stories 3 may be had foldof Rochester. Several light skirmishes pass-ed down when you please to send, in which ed between the rival translators, in the news- I do not recollect that you desired any alpapers of the day; and the consequence was terations to be made. that they destroyed each other, for neither of them went on with the work. It is much to be regretted, that the able performance of that celebrated genius FRA PAOLO lost the advantage of being incorporated into British literature by the masterly hand of Johnson. I have in my possession, by the favour of Mr. John Nichols, a paper in Johnson's hand-writing, entitled "Account between Mr. Edward Cave and Sam. Johnson, in relation to a version of Father Paul, &c. begun August the 2d, 1738;" by which it appears, that from that day to the 21st of April, 1739, Johnson received for this work 491. 7s. in sums of one, two, three, and sometimes four guineas at a time, most frequently two. And it is curious to observe the minute and scrupulous accuracy with which Johnson had pasted upon it a slip of paper, which he has entitled "Small account," and which contains one article, "Sept. 9th, Mr. Cave laid down 2s. 6d. There is subjoined to this account, a list of some subscribers to the work, partly in Johnson's hand-writing, partly in that of another person; and there follows a leaf or two on which are written a number of characters which have the appearance of a short hand, which, perhaps, Johnson was then trying to learn. 66 'TO MR. CAVE. "Wednesday, [August or Sept. 1738.] "SIR,-I did not care to detain your servant while I wrote an answer to your letter, in which you seem to insinuate that I had promised more than I am ready to perform. If I have raised your expectations by any thing that may have escaped my memory, I am sorry; and if you remind me of it, shall thank you for the favour. If I made fewer alterations than usual in the debates, it was only because there appeared, and still appears to be, less need of alteration. The verses to Lady Firebrace 2 may be had when you please, for you know that such a subject neither deserves much thought, nor requires it. [Probably a tavern reckoning.-Ed.] [They afterwards appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine (for Sept. 1738), with this title: "Verses to lady F- -, at Bury Assizes." It seems quite unintelligible how these six silly lines (at best, only excusable if written impromptu on the occasion) should be the production of Johnson, and made to the order (to use the tradesman's phrase) of Cave. These considerations, and some stupid lines in praise of Suffolk beauties in the same volume, lead to a conjecture that "An answer to another query I am very willing to write, and had consulted with you about it last night, if there had been time; for I think it the most proper way of inviting such a correspondence as may be an advantage to the paper, not a load upon it. "As to the Prize Verses, a backwardness to determine their degrees of merit is not peculiar to me. You may, if you please, still have what I can say; but I shall engage with little spirit in an affair, which I shall hardly end to my own satisfaction, and certainly not to the satisfaction of the parties concerned. "As to Father Paul, I have not yet been just to my proposal, but have met with impediments, which, I hope, are now at an end; and if you find the progress hereafter not such as you have a right to expect, you can easily stimulate a negligent translator. "If any or all of these have contributed to your discontent, I will endeavour to remove it; and desire you to propose the question to which you wish for an answer. "I am, sir, your humble servant, SAM. JOHNSON." "TO MR. CAVE. [Sept. 1738.] "SIR,-I am pretty much of your opinion, that the Commentary cannot be prosecuted with any appearance of success; for as the names of the authours concerned are of more weight in the performance than its own intrisick merit, the publick will be soon satisfied with it. And I think the Examen should be pushed forward with the utmost expedition. Thus, This day, &c. An Examen of Mr. Pope's Essay, &c. containing a succinct Account of the Philosophy of Mr. Leibnitz on the System of the Fatalists, with a Confutation of their Opinions, and an Illustration of the Doctrine of Free-will;' (with what else you think proper). Cave may have sent some verses of another correspondent, on Lady Firebrace, to Johnson to correct or curtail. It is next to impossible that they could be originally Johnson's own; and it may also be observed, that Boswell does not afterwards mention them in his list of Johnson's contributions to the magazine.-ED.] 3 Du Halde's Description of China was then publishing by Mr. Cave in weekly numbers, whence Johnson was to select pieces for the embellishment of the magazine.-NICHOLS. 4 A premium of forty pounds proposed for the best poem on the divine attributes is here alluded to.-NICHOLS. [See note p. 33, as to a similar premium.-ED.] |