Life of Johnson Volume I Part 52

[75] In his _Letter to the People of Scotland, p. 92, he wrote:--'Allow me, my friends and countrymen, while I with honest zeal maintain _your_ cause--allow me to indulge a little more my _own egotism_ and _vanity_.

They are the indigenous plants of my mind; they distinguish it. I may prune their luxuriancy; but I must not entirely clear it of them; for then I should be no longer "as I am;" and perhaps there might be something not so good.'

[76] See _post_, April 17, 1778, note.

[77] Lord Macartney was the first English amba.s.sador to the Court of Pekin. He left England in 1792 and returned in 1794.

[78] Boswell writing to Temple ten days earlier had said:--'Behold my _hand_! the robbery is only of a few s.h.i.+llings; but the cut on my head and bruises on my arms were sad things, and confined me to bed, in pain, and fever, and helplessness, as a child, many days.... This shall be a crisis in my life: I trust I shall henceforth be a sober regular man.

Indeed, my indulgence in wine has, of late years especially, been excessive.' _Letters of Boswell_, p. 346.

[79] On this day his brother wrote to Mr. Temple: 'I have now the painful task of informing you that my dear brother expired this morning at two o'clock; we have both lost a kind, affectionate friend, and I shall never have such another.' _Letters of Boswell_, p. 357. What was probably Boswell's last letter is as follows:--

'My Dear Temple,

'I would fain write to you in my own hand, but really cannot. [These words, which are hardly legible, and probably the last poor Boswell ever wrote, afford the clearest evidence of his utter physical prostration.]

Alas, my friend, what a state is this! My son James is to write for me what remains of this letter, and I am to dictate. The pain which continued for so many weeks was very severe indeed, and when it went off I thought myself quite well; but I soon felt a conviction that I was by no means as I should be--so exceedingly weak, as my miserable attempt to write to you afforded a full proof. All then that can be said is, that I must wait with patience. But, O my friend! how strange is it that, at this very time of my illness, you and Miss Temple should have been in such a dangerous state. Much occasion for thankfulness is there that it has not been worse with you. Pray write, or make somebody write frequently. I feel myself a good deal stronger to-day, not withstanding the scrawl. G.o.d bless you, my dear Temple! I ever am your old and affectionate friend, here and I trust hereafter,

'JAMES BOSWELL.' _Ib_. p. 353.

[80] Malone died on May 25, 1812.

[81] I do not here include his Poetical Works; for, excepting his Latin Translation of Pope's _Messiah_, his _London_, and his _Vanity of Human Wishes_ imitated from _Juvenal_; his Prologue on the opening of Drury-Lane Theatre by Mr. Garrick, and his _Irene_, a Tragedy, they are very numerous, and in general short; and I have promised a complete edition of them, in which I shall with the utmost care ascertain their authenticity, and ill.u.s.trate them with notes and various readings.

BOSWELL. Boswell's meaning, though not well expressed, is clear enough.

Mr. Croker needlessly suggests that he wrote 'they are _not_ very numerous.' Boswell a second time (_post_, under Aug. 12, 1784, note) mentions his intention to edit Johnson's poems. He died without doing it. See also _post_, 1750, Boswell's note on Addison's style.

[82] The _Female Quixote_ was published in 1752. See _post_, 1762, note.

[83] The first four volumes of the _Lives_ were published in 1779, the last six in 1781.

[84] See Dr. Johnson's letter to Mrs. Thrale, dated Ostick in Skie, September 30, 1773:--'Boswell writes a regular Journal of our travels, which I think contains as much of what I say and do, as of all other occurrences together; "_for such a faithful chronicler_ is _Griffith_."'

BOSWELL. See _Piozzi Letters_, i. 159, where however we read '_as_ Griffith.'

[85] _Idler_, No. 84. BOSWELL.--In this paper he says: 'Those relations are commonly of most value in which the writer tells his own story. He that recounts the life of another ... lessens the familiarity of his tale to increase its dignity ... and endeavours to hide the man that he may produce a hero.'

[86] 'It very seldom happens to man that his business is his pleasure.

What is done from necessity is so often to be done when against the present inclination, and so often fills the mind with anxiety, that an habitual dislike steals upon us, and we shrink involuntarily from the remembrance of our task.... From this unwillingness to perform more than is required of that which is commonly performed with reluctance it proceeds that few authors write their own lives.' _Idler_, No. 102. See also _post_, May 1, 1783.

[87] Mrs. Piozzi records the following conversation with Johnson, which, she says, took place on July 18, 1773. 'And who will be my biographer,'

said he, 'do you think?' 'Goldsmith, no doubt,' replied I; 'and he will do it the best among us.' 'The dog would write it best to be sure,'

replied he; 'but his particular malice towards me, and general disregard for truth, would make the book useless to all, and injurious to my character.' 'Oh! as to that,' said I, 'we should all fasten upon him, and force him to do you justice; but the worst is, the Doctor does not _know_ your life; nor can I tell indeed who does, except Dr. Taylor of Ashbourne.' 'Why Taylor,' said he, 'is better acquainted with my _heart_ than any man or woman now alive; and the history of my Oxford exploits lies all between him and Adams; but Dr. James knows my very early days better than he. After my coming to London to drive the world about a little, you must all go to Jack Hawkesworth for anecdotes: I lived in great familiarity with him (though I think there was not much affection) from the year 1753 till the time Mr. Thrale and you took me up. I intend, however, to disappoint the rogues, and either make you write the life, with Taylor's intelligence; or, which is better, do it myself after outliving you all. I am now,' added he, 'keeping a diary, in hopes of using it for that purpose sometime.' Piozzi's _Anec_. p. 31. How much of this is true cannot be known. Boswell some time before this conversation had told Johnson that he intended to write his Life, and Johnson had given him many particulars (see _post_, March 31, 1772, and April 11, 1773). He read moreover in ma.n.u.script most of Boswell's _Tour to the Hebrides_, and from it learnt of his intention. 'It is no small satisfaction to me to reflect,' Boswell wrote, 'that Dr. Johnson, after being apprised of my intentions, communicated to me, at subsequent periods, many particulars of his life.' Boswell's _Hebrides_, Oct.

14, 1773.

[88] 'It may be said the death of Dr. Johnson kept the public mind in agitation beyond all former example. No literary character ever excited so much attention.' Murphy's _Johnson_, p. 3.

[89] The greatest part of this book was written while Sir John Hawkins was alive; and I avow, that one object of my strictures was to make him feel some compunction for his illiberal treatment of Dr. Johnson. Since his decease, I have suppressed several of my remarks upon his work. But though I would not 'war with the dead' _offensively_, I think it necessary to be strenuous in _defence_ of my ill.u.s.trious friend, which I cannot be without strong animadversions upon a writer who has greatly injured him. Let me add, that though I doubt I should not have been very prompt to gratify Sir John Hawkins with any compliment in his life-time, I do now frankly acknowledge, that, in my opinion, his volume, however inadequate and improper as a life of Dr. Johnson, and however discredited by unpardonable inaccuracies in other respects, contains a collection of curious anecdotes and observations, which few men but its author could have brought together. BOSWELL.

[90] 'The next name that was started was that of Sir John Hawkins; and Mrs. Thrale said, "Why now, Dr. Johnson, he is another of those whom you suffer n.o.body to abuse but yourself: Garrick is one too; for, if any other person speaks against him, you brow-beat him in a minute." "Why madam," answered he, "they don't know when to abuse him, and when to praise him; I will allow no man to speak ill of David that he does not deserve; and as to Sir John, why really I believe him to be an honest man at the bottom; but to be sure he is penurious, and he is mean, and it must be owned he has a degree of brutality, and a tendency to savageness, that cannot easily be defended.... He said that Sir John and he once belonged to the same club, but that as he eat no supper, after, the first night of his admission he desired to be excused paying his share." "And was he excused?" "O yes; for no man is angry at another for being inferior to himself. We all scorned him, and admitted his plea.

For my part, I was such a fool as to pay my share for wine, though I never tasted any. But Sir John was a most _unclubable man_."' Madame D'Arblay's _Diary_, i. 65.

[91] 'In censuring Mr. [_sic_] J. Hawkins's book I say: "There is throughout the whole of it a dark, uncharitable cast, which puts the most unfavourable construction on my ill.u.s.trious friend's conduct."

Malone maintains _cast_ will not do; he will have "malignancy." Is that not too strong? How would "disposition" do?... Hawkins is no doubt very malevolent. _Observe how he talks of me as quite unknown.' Letters of Boswell_, p. 281. Malone wrote of Hawkins as follows: 'The bishop [Bishop Percy of Dromore] concurred with every other person I have heard speak of Hawkins, in saying that he was a most detestable fellow. He was the son of a carpenter, and set out in life in the very lowest line of the law. Dyer knew him well at one time, and the Bishop heard him give a character of Hawkins once that painted him in the blackest colours; though Dyer was by no means apt to deal in such portraits. Dyer said he was a man of the most mischievous, uncharitable, and malignant disposition. Sir Joshua Reynolds observed to me that Hawkins, though he a.s.sumed great outward sanct.i.ty, was not only mean and grovelling in dispostion, but absolutely dishonest. He never lived in any real intimacy with Dr. Johnson, who never opened his heart to him, or had in fact any accurate knowledge of his character.' Prior's _Malone_, pp.

425-7. See _post_, Feb. 1764, note.

[92] Mrs. Piozzi. See _post_, under June 30, 1784.

[93] Voltaire in his account of Bayle says: 'Des Maizeaux a ecrit sa vie en un gros volume; elle ne devait pas contenir six pages.' Voltaire's _Works_, edition of 1819, xvii. 47.

[94] Brit. Mus. 4320, Ayscough's Catal., Sloane MSS. BOSWELL.--Horace Walpole describes Birch as 'a worthy, good-natured soul, full of industry and activity, and running about like a young setting-dog in quest of anything, new or old, and with no parts, taste, or judgment.'

Walpole's _Letters_, vii. 326. See _post_, Sept. 1743.

[95] 'You have fixed the method of biography, and whoever will write a life well must imitate you.' Horace Walpole to Mason; Walpole's _Letters_, vi. 211.

[96] 'I am absolutely certain that my mode of biography, which gives not only a _History_ of Johnson's _visible_ progress through the world, and of his publications, but a _view_ of his mind in his letters and conversations, is the most perfect that can be conceived, and will be more of a Life than any work that has ever yet appeared.' _Letters of Boswell_, p. 265.

[97] Pope's Prologue to Addison's _Cato_, 1. 4.

[98] 'Boswell is the first of biographers. He has distanced all his compet.i.tors so decidedly that it is not worth while to place them.

Eclipse is first, and the rest nowhere.' Macaulay's _Essays_, i. 374.

[99] See _post_, Sept. 17, 1777, and Malone's note of March 15, 1781, and Boswell's _Hebrides_, Sept. 22, 1773. Hannah More met Boswell when he was carrying through the press his _Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides_. 'Boswell tells me,' she writes, 'he is printing anecdotes of Johnson, not his _Life_, but, as he has the vanity to call it, his _pyramid_. I besought his tenderness for our virtuous and most revered departed friend, and begged he would mitigate some of his asperities. He said roughly: "He would not cut off his claws, nor make a tiger a cat, to please anybody." It will, I doubt not, be a very amusing book, but, I hope, not an indiscreet one; he has great enthusiasm and some fire.' H.

More's _Memoirs_, i. 403.

[100] Rambler, No. 60. BOSWELL.

[101] In the _Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides_.

[102] 'Mason's _Life of Gray_ is excellent, because it is interspersed with letters which show us the _man_. His _Life of Whitehead_ is not a life at all, for there is neither a letter nor a saying from first to last.' _Letters of Boswell_, p. 265.

[103] The Earl and Countess of Jersey, WRIGHT.

[104] Plutarch's _Life of Alexander_, Langhorne's Translation. BOSWELL.

[105] In the original, _revolving something_.

[106] In the original, _and so little regard the manners_.

[107] In the original, _and are rarely transmitted_.

[108] _Rambler_, No. 60. BOSWELL.

[109] Bacon's _Advancement of Learning_, Book I. BOSWELL.

[110] Johnson's G.o.dfather, Dr. Samuel Swinfen, according to the author of _Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Dr. Johnson_, 1785, p. 10, was at the time of his birth lodging with Michael Johnson. Johnson had uncles on the mother's side, named Samuel and Nathanael (see _Notes and Queries_, 5th S. v. 13), after whom he and his brother may have been named. It seems more likely that it was his G.o.dfather who gave him his name.

[111] So early as 1709 _The Tatler_ complains of this 'indiscriminate a.s.sumption.' 'I'll undertake that if you read the superscriptions to all the offices in the kingdom, you will not find three letters directed to any but Esquires.... In a word it is now _Populus Armigerorum_, a people of Esquires, And I don't know but by the late act of naturalisation, foreigners will a.s.sume that t.i.tle as part of the immunity of being Englishmen.' _The Tatler_, No. 19.

[112] 'I can hardly tell who was my grandfather,' said Johnson. See _post_, May 9, 1773.

[113] Michael Johnson was born in 1656. He must have been engaged in the book-trade as early as 1681; for in the _Life of Dryden_ his son says, 'The sale of Absalom and Achitophel was so large, that my father, an old bookseller, told me, he had not known it equalled but by Sacheverell's Trial.' Johnson's _Works_, vii. 276. In the _Life of Sprat_ he is described by his son as 'an old man who had been no careless observer of the pa.s.sages of those times.' Ib. 392.