that I mentioned it, and said, somewhat sternly, "he would not have the lustre lighted the next day.' Some ladies, who had been present yesterday when I mentioned his birthday, came to dinner to-day, and plagued him unintentionally by wishing him joy. I know not why he disliked having his birthday mentioned, unless it were that it reminded him of his approaching nearer to death, of which he had a constant dread. I mentioned to him a friend of mine who was formerly gloomy from low spirits, and much distressed by the fear of death, but was now uniformly placid, and contemplated his dissolution without any perturbation. "Sir," said Johnson, "this is only a disordered imagination taking a different turn." We talked of a collection being made of all the English Poets who had published a volume of poems. Johnson told me "that a Mr. Coxeter,"1 whom he knew, had gone the greatest length towards this, having collected, I think, about five hundred volumes of poets whose works were little known; but that upon his death Tom Osborne bought them, and they were dispersed, which he thought a pity, as it was curious to see any series complete; and in every volume of poems something good may be found." He observed, that a gentleman of eminence in literature had got into a bad style of Poetry of late. "He puts," said he, “ a very common thing in a strange dress till he does not know it himself, and thinks other people do not know it. BOSWELL: "That is owing to his being so much versant in old English poetry." JOHNSON: "What is that to the purpose, Sir? If I say a man is drunk, and you tell me it is owing to his taking much drink, the matter is not mended. No, Sir, has taken to an odd mode. For example, he'd write thus: 'Hermit hoar, in solemn cell, Wearing out life's evening gray.' Gray evening is common enough; but evening gray he'd think fine. Stay-we'll make out the stanza : 'Hermit hoar, in solemn cell, Wearing out life's evening gray, Smite thy bosom, sage, and tell, What is bliss, and which the way?"" BOSWELL: "But why smite his bosom, Sir?" JOHNSON: " 'Why to 1 Thomas Coxeter, Esq., who had also made a large collection of old plays, and from whose manuscript notes "The Lives of the English Poets," by Shiels and Cibber, were principally compiled, as should have been mentioned in a former page. See pp. 26-28 of this volume. Mr. Coxeter was bred at Trinity College, Oxford, and died in London, April 17, 1747, in his fifty-ninth year. A particular account of him may be found in "The Gentleman's Magazine " for 1781, p. 173.-MALONE. show he was in earnest" (smiling).-He, at an after period, added the following stanza : "Thus I spoke; and speaking sigh'd, Scarce repressed the starting tear; When the smiling sage replied Come, my lad, and drink some beer."1 I cannot help thinking the first stanza very good solemn poetry, as also the first three lines of the second. Its last line is an excellent burlesque surprise on gloomy sentimental inquirers. And, perhaps, the advice as good as can be given to a low-spirited dissatisfied being:-"Don't trouble your head with sickly thinking: take a cup, and be merry." 1 As some of my readers may be gratified by reading the progress of this little composition, I shall insert it from my notes." When Dr. Johnson and I were sitting tête-à-tête at the Mitre tavern, May 9, 1778, he said 'Where is bliss,' would be better. He then added a ludicrous stanza, but would not repeat it, lest I should take it down. It was somewhat as follows; the last line I am sure I remember: In spring, 1779, when in better humour, he made the second stanza, as in the text. There was only one variation afterwards made on my suggestion, which was changing hoary in the third line to smiling, both to avoid a sameness with the epithet in the first line, and to describe the hermit in his pleasantry. He was then very well pleased that I should preserve it."-BOSWELL. KEDDLESTONE, THE SEAT OF LORD SCARSDALE-DR. MANNINGHAM-BENNET LANGTON-ARRIVAL AT DERBY-DR. BUTTER-DR. NICHOLS-ANECDOTE OF DR. DODD-BLAIR'S SERMONS EARLY RISING AND ITS DIFFICULTIES -SLEEPJOHNSON'S OPINION OF WATER-DRINKING-RUTTY'S "SPIRITUAL DIARY" - AUTOBIOGRAPHERS- - BLAIR'S LECTURES -JOHNSON'S STYLE OF WRITING -"BIOGRAPHIA BRITANNICA "-MELANCHOLY AND MADNESS-LONDON SOCIETY-BOSWELL'S ANCESTOR, LORD DOUGLAS-THE LEGAL PROFESSION-ASHBOURNE CHURCHINTIMACY BETWEEN JOHNSON AND DR. TAYLOR-JOHNSON'S CONVERSATIONAL POWERS - MRS. MACAULAY DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE BURKE'S LETTER ON AMERICA-ILAM-DIFFERENCES AMONG CHRISTIANS-MUNGO CAMPBELL-JOHNSON AND THE DEAD CAT LORD ROCHESTER'S POEMS - PRIOR HYPOCHONDRIAC READING-HOMER AND VIRGIL-LORD BACON-SELF-VINDICATION. FRID RIDAY, September 19, after breakfast, Dr. Johnson and I set out in Dr. Taylor's chaise to go to Derby. The day was fine, and we resolved to go by Keddlestone, the seat of Lord Scarsdale, that I might see his Lordship's fine house. I was struck with the magnificence of the building; and the extensive park, with the finest verdure, covered with deer, and cattle, and sheep, delighted me. The number of old oaks, of an immense size, filled me with a sort of respectful admiration. For one of them £60 was offered. The excellent smooth gravel roads the large piece of water formed by his Lordship from some small brooks, with a handsome barge upon it; the venerable Gothic church, now the 66 One family chapel, just by the house; in short, the grand group of objects agitated and distended my mind in a most agreeable manner. should think," said I, " that the proprietor of all this must be happy.""Nay, Sir," said Johnson, "all this excludes but one evil-poverty."1 Our names were sent up, and a well-dressed elderly housekeeper, a most distinct articulator, showed us the house; which I need not describe, as there is an account of it published in " Adams's Works in Architecture." Dr. Johnson thought better of it to-day than when he saw it before; for he had lately attacked it violently, saying, "It would do excellently for a town-hall. The large room with the pillars," said he, "would do for the judges to sit in at the assizes; the circular room for a jury-chamber; and the room above for prisoners.' Still he thought the large room ill-lighted, and of no use but for dancing in; and the bed-chambers but indifferent rooms; and that the immense sum which it cost was injudiciously laid out. Dr. Taylor had put him in 1 When I mentioned Dr. Johnson's remark to a lady of admirable good sense and quickness of understanding, she observed, "It is true, all this excludes only one evil; but how much good does it let in?"-To this observation much praise has been justly given. Let me then now do myself the honour to mention that the lady who made it was the late Margaret Montgomerie, my very valuable wife, and the very affectionate mother of my children, who, if they inherit her good qualities, will have no reason to complain of their lot. Dos magna parentum virtus.-BOSWELL. mind of his appearing pleased with the house. "But," said he, "that was when Lord Scarsdale was present. Politeness obliges us to appear pleased with a man's works when he is present. No man will be so illbred as to question you. You may therefore pay compliments without saying what is not true. I should say to Lord Scarsdale of his large room, My Lord, this is the most costly room that I ever saw;' which is true." 6 Dr. Manningham, physician in London, who was visiting at Lord Scarsdale's, accompanied us through many of the rooms; and soon afterwards my Lord himself, to whom Dr. Johnson was known, appeared, and did the honours of the house. We talked of Mr. Langton. Johnson, with a warm vehemence of affectionate regard, exclaimed, “The earth does not bear a worthier man than Bennet Langton." We saw a good many fine pictures, which I think are described in one of " Young's Tours. There is a printed catalogue of them, which the housekeeper put into my hand; I should like to view them at leisure. I was much struck with Daniel interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream, by Rembrandt. -We were shown a pretty large library. In his Lordship's dressingroom lay Johnson's small Dictionary: he showed it to me, with some eagerness, saying, "Look'ye! Quæ regio in terris nostri non plena laboris ?" He observed, also, Goldsmith's "Animated Nature; said, “Here's our friend! The poor Doctor would have been happy to hear of this.' 66 and In our way Johnson strongly expressed his love of driving fast in a post-chaise. If," said he, "I had no duties, and no reference to futurity, I would spend my life in driving briskly in a post-chaise with a pretty woman; but she should be one who could understand me, and I observed, that we were would add something to the conversation." 66 this day to stop just where the Highland army did in 1745. JOHNSON: "It was a noble attempt." BOSWELL: “I wish we could have an authentic history of it." JOHNSON : If you were not an idle dog you might write it, by collecting from everybody what they can tell, and BOSWELL: "But I could not have putting down your authorities.' the advantage of it in my lifetime." JOHNSON: "You might have the satisfaction of its fame, by printing it in Holland; and as to profit, consider how long it was before writing came to be considered in a pecuniary view. Baretti says, he is the first man that ever received copymoney in Italy." I said that I would endeavour to do what Dr. Johnson suggested; and I thought that I might write so as to venture to publish my "History of the Civil War in Great Britain in 1745 and 1746," without being obliged to go to a foreign press.1 I am now happy to understand that Mr. John Home (who was himself gallantly in the field for the reigning family in that interesting warfare, but is generous enough to do justice to the other side), is preparing an account of it for the press.-Boswell. Home's History of the Rebellion was published in 4to., 1802.-ED. |