Dr. Johnson's Works: Life, Poems, and Tales Part 32

[a] This lady was Bridget, third daughter of Philip Bacon, esq. of Ipswich, and relict of Philip Evers, esq. of that town. She became the second wife of sir Cordell Firebrace, the last baronet of that name, to whom she brought a fortune of 25,000 pounds, July 26, 1737.

Being again left a widow, in 1759, she was a third time married, April 7, 1762, to William Campbell, esq. uncle to the late duke of Argyle, and died July 3, 1782.

TO LYCE, AN ELDERLY LADY.

Ye nymphs, whom starry rays invest, By flatt'ring poets given; Who s.h.i.+ne, by lavish lovers drest, In all the pomp of heaven;

Engross not all the beams on high, Which gild a lover's lays; But, as your sister of the sky, Let Lyce share the praise.

Her silver locks display the moon, Her brows a cloudy show, Strip'd rainbows round her eyes are seen, And show'rs from either flow.

Her teeth the night with darkness dies, She's starr'd with pimples o'er; Her tongue, like nimble lightning, plies, And can with thunder roar.

But some Zelinda, while I sing, Denies my Lyce s.h.i.+nes; And all the pens of Cupid's wing Attack my gentle lines.

Yet, spite of fair Zelinda's eye, And all her bards express, My Lyce makes as good a sky, And I but flatter less.

ON THE DEATH OF MR. ROBERT LEVET[a], A PRACTISER IN PHYSICK.

Condemn'd to hope's delusive mine, As on we toil, from day to day, By sudden blasts, or slow decline, Our social comforts drop away.

Well try'd, through many a varying year, See Levet to the grave descend, Officious, innocent, sincere, Of ev'ry friendless name the friend.

Yet still he fills affection's eye, Obscurely wise, and coa.r.s.ely kind; Nor, letter'd arrogance, deny Thy praise to merit unrefined.

When fainting nature call'd for aid, And hov'ring death prepar'd the blow, His vig'rous remedy display'd The pow'r of art, without the show.

In mis'ry's darkest cavern known, His useful care was ever nigh, Where hopeless anguish pour'd his groan, And lonely want retir'd to die.

No summons, mock'd by chill delay, No petty gain, disdain'd by pride; The modest wants of ev'ry day The toil of ev'ry day supply'd.

His virtues walk'd their narrow round, Nor made a pause, nor left a void; And sure the eternal master found The single talent well-employ'd.

The busy day--the peaceful night, Unfelt, uncounted, glided by; His frame was firm--his pow'rs were bright, Though now his eightieth year was nigh.

Then, with no fiery throbbing pain, No cold gradations of decay, Death broke, at once, the vital chain, And freed his soul the nearest way.

[a] These stanzas, to adopt the words of Dr. Drake, "are warm from the heart; and this is the only poem, from the pen of Johnson, that has been bathed with tears." Levet was Johnson's constant and attentive companion, for near forty years; he was a pract.i.tioner in physic, among the lower cla.s.s of people, in London. Humanity, rather than desire of gain, seems to have actuated this single hearted and amiable being; and never were the virtues of charity recorded in more touching strains. "I am acquainted," says Dr. Drake, "with nothing superior to them in the productions of the moral muse." See Drake's Literary Life of Johnson; and Boswell, i. ii. iii. iv.--ED.

EPITAPH ON CLAUDE PHILLIPS, AN ITINERANT MUSICIAN[a].

Phillips! whose touch harmonious could remove The pangs of guilty pow'r, and hapless love, Rest here, distress'd by poverty no more, Find here that calm thou gay'st so oft before; Sleep, undisturb'd, within this peaceful shrine, Till angels wake thee, with a note like thine.

[a] These lines are among Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies: they are, nevertheless, recognised as Johnson's, in a memorandum of his handwriting, and were probably written at her request. This Phillips was a fiddler, who travelled up and down Wales, and was much celebrated for his skill. The above epitaph, according to Mr.

Boswell, won the applause of lord Kames, prejudiced against Johnson as he was. It was published in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies, and was, at first, ascribed to Garrick, from its appearing with the signature G.--Garrick, however, related, that they were composed, almost impromptu, by Johnson, on hearing some lines on the subject, by Dr. Wilkes, which he disapproved. See Boswell, i. 126, where is, likewise, preserved an epigram, by Johnson, on Colley Cibber and George the second, whose illiberal treatment of artists and learned men was a constant theme of his execration. As it has not yet been inserted among Johnson's works, we will present it to the readers of the present edition, in this note.

EPITAPHIUM[a]

IN THOMAM HANMER, BARONETTUM.

Honorabilis admodum THOMAS HANMER, Baronnettus,

Augustus still survives in Maro's strain, And Spenser's verse prolongs Eliza's reign; Great George's acts let tuneful Gibber sing; For nature formed the poet for the king.

Wilhelmi Hanmer armigeri, e Peregrina Henrici North De Mildenhall, in Com. Suffolciae, baronetti sorore et haerede, Filius; Johannis Hanmer de Hanmer baronetti Haeres patruelis Antiquo gentis suae et t.i.tulo et patrimonio successit.

Duas uxores sort.i.tus est; Alteram Isabellam, honore a patre derivato, de Arlington comitissam, Deinde celsissimi principis, ducis de Grafton, viduam dotariam: Alteram Elizabetham, Thomae Foulkes de Barton, in Com. Suff. armigeri Filiam et haeredem.

Inter humanitatis studia feliciter enutritus, Omnes liberalium artium disciplinas avide arripuit, Quas morum suavitate baud leviter ornavit, Postquam excessit ex ephebis, Continuo inter populares suos fama eminens, Et comitatus sui legatus ad parliamentum missus, Ad ardua regni negotia, per annos prope triginta, se accinxit: c.u.mque, apud illos amplissimorum virorum ordines, Solent nihil temere effutire, Sed probe perpensa diserte expromere, Orator gravis et pressus, Non minus integritatis quam eloquentiae laude commendatus, Aeque omnium, utcunque inter se alioqui dissidentium, Aures atque arrimos attraxit.

Annoque demum M.DCC.XIII. regnante Anna, Felicissimae florentissimaeque memoriae regina, Ad prolocutoris cathedram, Communi senatus universi voce, designatus est: Quod munus, c.u.m nullo tempore non difficile, Tum illo certe, negotiis Et variis, et lubricis, et implicatis, difficillimum, c.u.m dignitate sustinuit.

Honores alios, et omnia quae sibi in lucrum cederent munera, Sedulo detrectavit, Ut rei totus inserviret publicae; Justi rectique tenax, Et fide in patriam incorrupta notus.

Ubi omnibus, quae virum civemque bonum decent, officiis satisfecisset, Paulatim se a publicis consiliis in otium recipiens, Inter literarum amoenitates, Inter ante-actae vitae baud insuaves recordationes, Inter amicorum convictus et amplexus, Honorifice consenuit; Et bonis omnibus, quibus charissimus vixit, Desideratissimus obiit.

Hie, juxta cineres avi, suos condi voluit, et curavit Gulielmus Bunbury B'ttus, nepos et haeres.

PARAPHRASE OF THE ABOVE EPITAPH.

BY DR. JOHNSON (b).

Thou, who survey'st these walls with curious eye, Pause at the tomb, where Hanmer's ashes lie; His various worth, through vary'd life, attend, And learn his virtues, while thou mourn'st his end.

His force of genius burn'd, in early youth, With thirst of knowledge, and with love of truth; His learning, join'd with each endearing art, Charm'd ev'ry ear, and gain'd on ev'ry heart.

Thus early wise, th' endanger'd realm to aid, His country call'd him from the studious shade; In life's first bloom his publick toils began, At once commenc'd the senator and man.

In bus'ness dext'rous, weighty in debate, Thrice ten long years he labour'd for the state; In ev'ry speech persuasive wisdom flow'd, In ev'ry act refulgent virtue glow'd: Suspended faction ceas'd from rage and strife, To hear his eloquence, and praise his life.

Resistless merit fix'd the senate's choice, Who hail'd him speaker, with united voice.

Ill.u.s.trious age! how bright thy glories shone, When Hanmer fill'd the chair--and Anne the throne!

Then, when dark arts obscur'd each fierce debate, When mutual frauds perplex'd the maze of state, The moderator firmly mild appear'd-- Beheld with love--with veneration heard.

This task perform'd--he sought no gainful post, Nor wish'd to glitter, at his country's cost: Strict on the right he fix'd his steadfast eye, With temp'rate zeal and wise anxiety; Nor e'er from virtue's paths was lur'd aside, To pluck the flow'rs of pleasure, or of pride.

Her gifts despis'd, corruption blush'd, and fled, And fame pursu'd him, where conviction led.

Age call'd, at length, his active mind to rest, With honour sated, and with cares oppress'd; To letter'd ease retir'd, and honest mirth, To rural grandeur and domestick worth; Delighted still to please mankind, or mend, The patriot's fire yet sparkled in the friend.

Calm conscience, then, his former life survey'd, And recollected toils endear'd the shade, Till nature call'd him to the gen'ral doom, And virtue's sorrow dignified his tomb.

[a] At Hanmer church, in Flints.h.i.+re.

[b] This paraphrase is inserted in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies. The Latin is there said to be written by Dr. Freind. Of the person whose memory it celebrates, a copious account may be seen in the appendix to the supplement to the Biographia Britannica.

TO MISS HICKMAN[a], PLAYING ON THE SPINET.

Bright Stella, form'd for universal reign, Too well you know to keep the slaves you gain; When in your eyes resistless lightnings play, Aw'd into love our conquer'd hearts obey, And yield reluctant to despotick sway: But, when your musick sooths the raging pain, We bid propitious heav'n prolong your reign, We bless the tyrant, and we hug the chain.

When old Timotheus struck the vocal string, Ambition's fury fir'd the Grecian king: Unbounded projects lab'ring in his mind, He pants for room, in one poor world confin'd.

Thus wak'd to rage, by musick's dreadful pow'r, He bids the sword destroy, the flame devour.

Had Stella's gentle touches mov'd the lyre, Soon had the monarch felt a n.o.bler fire; No more delighted with destructive war, Ambitious only now to please the fair, Resign'd his thirst of empire to her charms, And found a thousand worlds in Stella's arms.

[a] These lines, which have been communicated by Dr. Turton, son to Mrs.

Turton, the lady to whom they are addressed by her maiden name of Hickman, must have been written, at least, as early as 1734, as that was the year of her marriage: at how much earlier a period of Dr.

Johnson's life they might have been written, is not known.

PARAPHRASE OF PROVERBS, CHAP. VI.

VERSES 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.