"He, I am afraid, had no settled system of any sort, so that his conduct must not be strictly scrutinized; but his affections were social and generous, and when he had money he gave it away very liberally. His desire of imaginary consequence predominated over his attention to truth. When he began to rise into notice, he said he had a brother who was dean of Durham; a fiction so easily detected, that it is wonderful how he should have been so inconsiderate as to hazard it. He boasted to me at this time of the power of his pen in commanding money, which I believe was true in a certain degree, though in the instance he gave he was by no means correct. He told me that he had sold a novel for four hundred pounds. "This was his Vicar of Wakefield.' But Johnson informed me, that he had made the bargain for Goldsmith, and the price was sixty pounds. And sir, (said he) a sufficient price too, when it was sold; for then the fame of Goldsmith had not been elevated, as, it afterwards was, by his "Traveller;" and the bookseller had such faint hopes of profit by his bargain, that he kept the manuscript by him a long time, and did not publish it till after The Traveller had appeared. Then, to be sure, it was accidently worth more money.' "Mrs. Piozzi and sir John Hawkins + have strangely mis-stated the history of Goldsmith's situation and Johnson's friendly interference, when this novel was sold. I shall give it authentically from John son's own exact narration: "I received one morning a message from poor Goldsmith, that he was in great distress, and, as it was not in his power to come to me, begging that I would come to him as soon as possible. I sent him a guinea, and promised to come to him directly. I accordingly went as soon as I was drest, and found that his landlady had arrested him for his rent, at which he was in a violent passion. I perceived that he had already changed my guinea, and had got a bottle of Madeira and a glass before him. I put the cork into the bottle, desired he would be calm, and began to talk to him of the means by which he might be extricated. He then told me, that he had a novel ready for the press, which he produced to me. I looked into it, and saw its merit; told the landlady I should soon return, and having gone to a bookseller, sold it for sixty pounds. I brought Goldsmith the money, and he discharged his rent, not without rating his landlady in a high tone for having used him so ill' " + Life of Johnson, p. 420. "To Anecdotes of Johnson. p. 119. It may not be improper to annex here Mrs. Piozzi's account of this transaction, in her own words, as a specimen of the extreme inaccuracy with which all her anecdotes of Dr. Johnson are related, or rather discoloured and distorted. "I have forgotten the year, but it could scarcely, I think, be later than 1765 or 1766, that he was called abruptly from our house after dinner, and returning in about three hours, said he had been with an enraged author, whose landlady pressed him for payment within doors, while the bailiffs beset him without; that he was drinking himself drunk with Madeira, to drown care, and fretting over a novel, which, when finished, was to be his whole fortune, but he could not get it done for distraction, nor could he step out of doors to offer it for sale. Mr. Johnson, therefore, sent away the bottle, and went to the bookseller, recommending the performance, and desiring some immediate relief, which, when he brought back to the writer, he called the woman of the house directly to partake of punch, und pass their time in merriment," Anecdotes of Johnson, p. 119. To select the most prominent and striking features in the life of Dr. Johnson, such as should exhibit not only the character of the author, but the disposition of the man, has been our first object; and we have in this course, proceeded to the beginning of the year 1767, when this extraordinary genius had attained the age of fifty-seven years; at which period there happened one of the most remarkable instances of his life; an incident, says his biographer, which gratified his monarchial enthusiasm, and which he loved to relate, with allits circumstances, when requested by his friends. This was, his being honoured by a private conversation with his majesty in the library at the queen's house. The circumstances of this interview are thus related by Mr. Boswell:-"It seems that Johnson had frequented the library, by means of the friendship of Mr. Barnard, the librarian, who took care that he should have every ease and convenience while indulging his literary taste in that place; and his majesty having been informed of his occasional visits, was pleased to signify a desire that he should be told when Dr. Johnson came next to the library. Accordingly, the next time that Johnson did come, as soon as he was fairly engaged with a book, on which, while he sat by the fire, he seemed quite intent, Mr. Barnard stole round to the apartment where the king was, and, in obedience to his majesty's commands mentioned that Dr. Johnson was then in the library. His majesty said he was at leisure, and would go to him; upon which Mr. Barnard took one of the candles that stood on the king's table, and lighted his majesty through a suite of rooms, till they came to a private door into the li brary, of which his majesty had the key. Being entered, Mr. Barnard stepped forward hastily to Dr. Johnson, who was still in a profound study, and whispered him, sir, here is the king.' Johnson started up and stood still. His majesty approached him, and at once was courteously easy. "His majesty began by observing, that he understood he came sometimes to the library; and then, mentioning his having heard that the doctor had been lately at Oxford, asked him, if he was not fond of going thither. To which Johnson answered, that he was indeed fond of going to Oxford sometimes, but was likewise glad to come back again. The king then asked him what they were doing at Oxford. Johnson answered, he could not much commend their diligence, but that in some respects they were mended, for they had put their press under better regulations, and were at that time printing Polybius. He was then asked whether there were better libraries at Oxford or Cambridge. He answered, he believed the Bodleian was larger than any they had at Cambridge; at the same time adding, I hope, whether we have more books or not than they have at Cambridge, we shall make as good use of them as they do.' Being asked whether All-Souls or Christ-Church Library was the largest, he answered, All-Souls Library is the largest we have, except the Bodleian.' Aye (said the king), that is the public library.' "His majesty enquired if he was then writing any thing. He answered, he was not, for he had pretty well told the world what he knew, and must now read to acquire more knowledge. The king, as as it should seem with a view to urge him to rely on his own stores as an original writer, and to continue his labours, then said, "I do not think you borrow much from any body." Johnson said, he thought he had already done his part as a writer. "I should have thought so too (said the king), if you had not written so well."-Johnson observed to me, upon this, that no man could have paid a handsomer compliment; and it was fit for a king to pay. It was decisive. When asked by another friend, at sir Joshua Reynolds's, whether he made any reply to this high compliment, he answered, "No, sir, when the king had said it, it was to be so. It was not for me to bandy civilities with my sovereign." Perhaps no man, who had spent his whole life in courts, could have shewn a more nice and dignified sense of true politeness, than Johnson did in this instance. His majesty having observed to him that he supposed he must have read a great deal; Johnson answered, that he thought more than he read; that he had read a great deal in the early part of his life, but having fallen into ill health, he had not been able to read much, compared with others: for instance, he said, he had not read much compared with Dr. Warburton. Upon which the king said, that he heard Dr. Warburton was a man of such general knowledge, that you could scarce talk with him on any subject on which he was not qualified to speak; and that his learning resembled Garrick's acting, in its universality. His majesty then talked of the controversy between Warburton and Lowth, which he seemed to have read, and asked Johnson what he thought of it. Johnson answered, "Warburton has most VOL. XXXIII. general, most scholastic learning; Lowth is the more correct scholar. I do not know which of them calls names best." The king was, pleased to say, he was of the same opinion; adding, "You do not think then, Dr. Johnson, that there was much argument in the case." Johnson said he did not think there was. "Why truly (said the king), when once it comes to calling names, argument is pretty well at an end." His majesty then asked him, what he thought of lord Lyttleton's History, which was then just pub. lished. Johnson said, he thought his style pretty good, but that he had blamed Henry the Second rather too much. "Why (said the king), they seldom do these things. by halves." "No, sir (answered Johnson), not to kings." But fearing to be misunderstood, he proceeded to explain himself; and immediately subjoined, "that for those who spoke worse of kings than they deserved he could find no excuse, but that he could more easily conceive how some might speak better of them than they deserved, without any ill intention; for as kings had much in their power to give, those who were favoured by them would frequently, from gratitude, exaggerate their praises; and as this proceeded from a good motive, it was certainly excuseable, as far as error could be excuseable." "The king then asked him, what he thought of Dr. Hill. Johnson answered, that he was an ingenious man, but had no veracity; and immediately mentioned, as an instance of it, an assertion of that writer, that he had seen objects magnified to a much greater degree, by using three or four microscopes at a time, than by using one. "Now (added Johnson), every one acquainted with G g microscopes microscopes knows, that the more of them he looks through, the less the objects will appear." Why (replied the king), this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumsily; for, if that be the case, every one who can look through a microscope will be able to detect him." "I now (said Johnson to his friends, when relating what had passed) began to consider that I was depreciating this man in the estimation of his sovereign, and thought it was time for me to say something that might be more favourable." He added, therefore, that Dr. Hill was, notwithstanding, a very curious observer; and if he would have been contented to tell the world no more than he knew, he might have been a very considerable man, and need ed not to have recourse to such mean expedients to raise his reputation. The king then talked of literary journals, mentioned particularly the Journal des Sçavans, and asked Johnson if it was well done; Johnson said it was formerly very well done, and gave some account of the persons who began it and carried it on for some years; enlarging at the same time on the nature and use of such works. The king asked him if it was well Johnson answered he had no reason to think that it was. The king then asked him, if there were any other literary journals published in this kingdom, except the Monthly and Critical Reviews; and on being answered there were no other, his Majesty done now. asked which of them was the best: Johnson answered, that the Monthly Review was done with the most care, the Critical upon the best principles; adding, that the authors of the Monthly Review were enemies to the Church. This the king said he was sorry to hear. The conversation next turned on the Philosophical Transactions, when Johnson observed, that they had now a better method of arranging their materials than formerly. "Aye (said the king), they are obliged to Dr. Johnson for that;" for his majesty had heard and remembered the circumstance, which Johnson himself had forgot. His majesty expressed a desire to have the literary biography of this country ably executed, and proposed to Dr. Johnson to undertake it. Johnson signified his readiness to comply with his majesty's wishes, During the whole of this interview, Johnson talked to his majesty with profound respect, but still in his firm manly manner, with a sonorous voice, and never in that subdued tone which is commonly used at the levee and in the drawingroom. After the king withdrew, Johnson shewed himself highly pleased with his majesty's conversation and gracious behaviour. He said to Mr. Barnard, "sir, they may talk of the king as they will; but he is the finest gentleman I have ever seen." And he afterwards observed to Mr. Langton, "sir, his manners are those of as fine a gentleman as we may suppose Lewis the Fourteenth or Charles the Second."* From "The particulars of this conversation I have been at great pains to collect with the utmost authenticity, from Dr. Johnson's own detail to myself; from Mr. Langton, who was present when he gave an account of it to Dr. Joseph Warton, and several other friends, at sir Joshua Reynolds'; from Mr. Barnard; from the copy of a letter written by the late Mr. Strahan, the printer, to Bishop Warburton; and from a minute, the original of which is among the papers of the late sir James Caldwell, and a copy of " From this period Johnson seems to have employed himself in the company and conversation of his private friends, until the year 1771, when he published the celebrated political pamphlet intituled "Falkland's Islands," and again resigned himself to the pleasures of private life. During these enjoyments I dined with him," says Mr. Boswell, "on Monday, 6th April, 1772, at sir Alexander Macdonald's where was a young officer in the regimentals of the Scots Royal, who talked with a vivacity, fluency, and precision' so uncommon, that he attracted particular attention. He proved to be the honourable Thomas Erskine, youngest brother to the earl of Buchan, who has since risen into such brilliant reputation at the bar in Westminster-hall. After a detail of some conversation respecting the comparative merits of Fieldding and Richardson, and the vice of gaming, sacred history appears to have been mentioned. Mr. Erskine seemed to object to the passage in Scripture where we are told, that the angel of the Lord smote in one night forty thousand Assyrians. Sir,' said Johnson you should recollect that there was a supernatural interposition; they were destroyed by pestilence. You are not to suppose that the angel of the Lord went about and stabbed each of them with a dagger, or knocked them on the head man by man." During the three successive years of his life, Dr. Johnson made an excursion into Wales, a tour to the Hebrides, and a journey to Paris, and on his return paid a visit, in the beginning of the year 1776, to the university of Oxford, all of which Mr. Boswell has detailed with an extraortinary degree of ingenuity; but of these and a still more lively relation of the interview and conversation which passed between Dr. Johnson and Mr. Wilkes, we can only lament that the limits of our account prevent us from extracting them. The scene of pleasure, however, was at length interrupted by the anxieties he felt from the situation into which unthinking extravagance had plunged his unfortunate friend Dr. Dodd, whose speech to the Recorder of London, when sentence of death was about to be pronounced upon him, and, "The Convict's Address to his unhappy Brethren," a sermon delivered in Newgate, and also a supplicatory letter to the king, imploring the royal clemency, he wrote. The melancholy ideas with which the sad catastrophe of this unhappy man's life filled the mind of Johnson, were in some degree relieved by a visit which he made in the year 1777 to Dr. Taylor, of Ashbourn, in Derbyshire, which was most obligingly obtained for me from his son sir John Caldwell, by sir Francis Lumm. To all these gentlemen I beg leave to make my grateful acknowledgments, and particularly to sir Francis Lumm, who was pleased to take a great deal of trouble, and even had the minute laid before the king by lord Caermarthen, now duke of Leeds, one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, who announced to sir Francis the royal pleasure concerning it by letter, in these words: "I have the king's commands to assure you, sir, how sensible his majesty is of your attention in communicating the minute of the conversation previous to its publication. As there appears no objection to your complying with Mr. Boswell's wishes on the subject, you are at full liberty to deliver it to that gentleman, to make such use of in his Life of Dr. Johnson, as he may think proper." |