blasted. And, in truth, had not my ardour been uncommonly strong, and my resolution uncommonly persevering, so rough a reception might have deterred me for ever from making any further attempts. For parlour, after having drank tea with him your countrymen cannot help." This and Mrs. Davies, Johnson unexpectedly stroke stunned me a good deal; and when came into the shop 1; and Mr. Davies hav- we had set down, I felt myself not a little ing perceived him through the glass-door embarrassed, and apprehensive of what in the room in which we were sitting, advanc- might come next. He then addressed himing towards us, he announced his awful ap- self to Davies: "What do you think of proach to me somewhat in the manner of an Garrick? He has refused me an order for actor in the part of Horatio, when he ad- the play for Miss Williams, because he dresses Hamlet on the appearance of his fa- knows the house will be full, and that an ther's ghost," Look, my lord, it comes." I order will be worth three shillings." Eafound that I had a very perfect idea of John- ger to take any opening to get into converson's figure, from the portrait of him paint-sation with him, I ventured to say, "O, ed by Sir Joshua Reynolds soon after he sir, I cannot think Mr. Garrick would had published his Dictionary, in the atti- grudge such trifle to you." Sir, (said tude of sitting in his easy chair in deep he, with a stern look), I have known Dameditation; which was the first picture his vid Garrick longer than you have done : friend did for him, which Sir Joshua very and I know no right you have to talk to me kindly presented to me, and from which an on the subject." Perhaps I deserved this engraving has been made for this work. check; for it was rather presumptuous in Mr. Davies mentioned my name, and re- me, an entire stranger, to express any spectfully introduced me to him. I was doubt of the justice of his animadversion much agitated; and recollecting his preju- upon his old acquaintance and pupil. I dice against the Scotch, of which I had now felt myself much mortified, and began heard much, I said to Davies, "Don't tell to think that the hope which I had long inhim where I come from.” "From Scot-dulged of obtaining his acquaintance was land," cried Davies, roguishly. "Mr. Johnson (said I), I do indeed come from Scotland, but I cannot help it." I am willing to flatter myself that I meant this as light pleasantry to soothe and conciliate him, and not as an humiliating abasement at the ex-tunately, however, I remained upon the pense of my country. But however that might be, this speech was somewhat unlucky; for with that quickness of wit for which he was so remarkable, he seized the expression come from Scotland," which I used in the sense of being of that country; and, as if I had said that I had come away from it, or left it, retorted, "That, sir, I find is what a very great many of 1 Mr. Murphy, in his " Essay on the Life and Genius of Dr. Johnson, has given an account of this meeting considerably different from mine, I am persuaded without any consciousness of errour. His memory, at the end of near thirty years, has undoubtedly deceived him, and he supposes himself to have been present at a scene, which he has probably heard inaccurately described by others. In my note taken on the very day, in which I am confident I marked every thing material that passed, no mention is made of this gentleman; and I am sure, that I should not have omitted one so well known in the literary world. It may easily be imagined that this my first interview with Dr. Johnson, with all its circumstances, made a strong impression on my mind, and would be registered with peculiar attention.-BOSWELL. It is remarkable, that in the editions of Murphy's Life of Johnson, published subsequently to the appearance of this note, in 1791, he never corrected the misstatement here mentioned.MALONE. 66 [This is an errour on the part of Mr. Malone. This note was not in Boswell's first edition, published in 1791, and indeed could not be, as Murphy's Life was not published till 1793.-ED.1 field not wholly discomfited; and was soon rewarded by hearing some of his conversation, of which I preserved the following short minute, without marking the questions and observations by which it was produced. "People (he remarked) may be taken in once, who imagine that an authour is greater in private life than other men. Uncommon parts require uncommon opportunities for their exertion. "In barbarous society, superiority of parts is of real consequence. Great strength or great wisdom is of much value to an individual. But in more polished times there are people to do every thing for money; and then there are a number of other supe riorities, such as those of birth and fortune, and rank, that dissipate men's attention, and leave no extraordinary share of respect ? That this was a momentary sally against Garrick there can be no doubt; for at Johnson's desire he had, some years before, given a benefitnight at his theatre to this very person, by which she had got two hundred pounds. Johnson, indeed, upon all other occasions, when I was in his company, praised the very liberal charity of Garrick. I once mentioned to him, "It is observed, sir, that you attack Garrick yourself, but will suffer nobody else to do it." Johnson, (smiling) "Why, sir, that is true."-BOSWELL. [These sallies are of too frequent recurrence to allow us to receive Boswell's apologetical assertion that they were momentary.-ED.] for personal and intellectual superiority. | been enlivened by the witty sallies of MesThis is wisely ordered by Providence, to preserve some equality among mankind.” "Sir, this book (The Elements of Criticism,' which he had taken up), is a pretty essay, and deserves to be held in some estimation, though much of it is chimerical." Speaking of one? who with more than ordinary boldness attacked publick measures and the royal family, he said, "I think he is safe from the law, but he is an abusive scoundrel; and instead of applying to my lord chief justice to punish him, I would send half a dozen footmen and have him well ducked." "The notion of liberty amuses the people of England, and helps to keep off the tædium vitæ. When a butcher tells you that his heart bleeds for his country, he has, in fact, no uneasy feeling." "Sheridan will not succeed at Bath with his oratory. Ridicule has gone down before him, and, I doubt, Derrick is his enemy 3. "Derrick may do very well, as long as he can outrun his character; but the moment his character gets up with him, it is all over." It is, however, but just to record, that some years afterwards, when I reminded him of this sarcasm, he said, "Well, but Derrick has now got a character that he need not run away from." I was highly pleased with the extraordinary vigour of his conversation, and regretted that I was drawn away from it by an engagement at another place. I had for a part of the evening been left alone with him, and had ventured to make an observation now and then, which he received very civilly; so that I was satisfied that though there was a roughness in his manner, there was no ill-nature in his disposition. Davies followed me to the door, and when I complained to him a little of the hard blows which the great man had given me, he kindly took upon him to console me by saying, "Don't be uneasy. I can see he likes you very well." A few days afterwards I called on Davies, and asked him if he thought I might take the liberty of waiting on Mr. Johnson at his chambers in the Temple. He said I certainly might, and that Mr. Johnson would take it as a compliment. So on Tuesday the 24th of May, after having 1 [By Henry Home, Lord Kames.-ED.] 2 [Mr. Wilkes, no doubt. Boswell was a friend and, personally, an admirer of Wilkes, and therefore concealed the name.-ED.] 3 Mr. Sheridan was then reading lectures upon oratory at Bath, where Derrick was master of the ceremonics; or, as the phrase is, king.-Bos WELL. دو sieurs Thornton, Wilkes, Churchill, and He received me very courteously; but, it "Madness frequently discovers itself merely by unnecessary deviation from the He told me, that he generally went abroad usual modes of the world. My poor friend at four in the afternoon, and seldom came Smart showed the disturbance of his mind, home till two in the morning. I took the by falling upon his knees, and saying his liberty to ask if he did not think it wrong to live thus, and not make more use of his prayers in the street, or in any other unusual place. Now although, rationally speak- great talents. He owned it was a bad habing, it is greater madness not to pray at all, it. On reviewing, at the distance of many than to pray as Smart did, I am afraid there years, my journal of this period, I wonder are so many who do not pray, that their un-how, at my first visit, I ventured to talk to derstanding is not called in question.” him so freely, and that he bore it with so much indulgence. NEY. Concerning this unfortunate poet, Christopher Smart, who was confined in a madhouse, he had, at another time, the following conversation with Dr. Burney. BUR"How does poor Smart do, sir; is he likely to recover?" JOHNSON. "It seems as if his mind had ceased to struggle with the disease; for he grows fat upon it." BURNEY. "Perhaps, sir, that may be from want of exercise?" JOHNSON. "No, sir; he has partly as much exercise as he used to have, for he digs in the garden. Indeed, before his confinement, he used for exercise to walk to the alehouse: but he was carried back again. I did not think he ought to be shut up. His infirmities were not noxious to society. He insisted on people praying with him; and I'd as lief pray with Kit Smart as any one else. Another charge was, that he did not love clean linen; and I have no passion for it." Johnson continued. "Mankind have a great aversion to intellectual labour; but even supposing knowledge to be easily attainable, more people would be content to be ignorant than would take even a little trouble to acquire it. "The morality of an action depends on the motive from which we act. If I fling half a a crown to a beggar with intention to break his head, and he picks it up and buys victuals with it, the physical effect is good; but with respect to me, the action is very wrong. So, religious exercises, if not performed with an intention to please God, avail us nothing. As our Saviour says of those who perform them from other motives, Verily they have their reward.' "The Christian religion has very strong evidences. It, indeed, appears in some degree strange to reason; but in history we have undoubted facts, against which, in reasoning à priori, we have more arguments than we have for them; but then, testimony has great weight, and casts the balance. I would recommend to every man whose faith is yet unsettled, Grotius, Dr. Pearson, and Dr. Clarke." Talking of Garrick, he said, "He is the first man in the world for sprightly conversation." When I rose a second time, he again pressed me to stay, which I did. 1 Before we parted, he was so good as to promise to favour me with his company one evening at my lodgings; and, as I took my leave, shook me cordially by the hand. It is almost needless to add, that I felt no little elation at having now so happily established an acquaintance of which I had been so long ambitious. My readers will, I trust, excuse me for being thus minutely circumstantial, when it is considered that the acquaintance of Dr. Johnson was to me a most valuable acquisition, and laid the foundation of whatever instruction and entertainment they may receive from my collections concerning the great subject of the work which they are now perusing. I did not visit him again till Monday, June 13, at which time I recollect no part of his conversation, except that when I told him I had been to see Johnson 2 ride upon three horses, he said, "Such a man, sir, should be encouraged; for his performances show the extent of the human powers in one instance, and thus tend to raise our opinion of the faculties of man. He shows what may be attained by persevering application; so that every man may hope, that by giving as much application, although perhaps he may never ride three horses at a time, or dance upon a wire, yet he may be equally expert in whatever profession he has chosen to pursue." He again shook me by the hand at parting, and asked me why I did not come oftener to him. Trusting that I was now in his good graces, I answered, that he had not given me much encouragement, and reminded him of the check I had received from him at our first interview. "Poh, poh! (said he, with a complacent smile), never mind these things. Come to me as often as you can. I shall be glad to see you." I had learnt that his place of frequent resort was the Mitre tavern in Fleet-street, where he loved to sit up late, and I begged ["In the year 1762 one Johnson, an Irishman, exhibited many feats of activity in horsemanship, and was, it is believed, the first performer in that time in or about London. He was an active clever fellow in his way, and seemed to be patronised by Mr. Burke, then a student in [See post, 30th July, 1763, an opinion some- the Temple.”—Prior's Life of Burke, vol. what different.-ED.] p. 124.-ED.] I might be allowed to pass an evening with him there soon, which he promised I should. A few days afterwards I met him near Temple-bar, about one o'clock in the morning, and asked if he would then go to the Mitre. "Sir (said he), it is too late; they won't let us in. But I'll go with you another night with all my heart." A revolution of some importance in my plan of life had just taken place; for instead of procuring a commission in the footguards, which was my own inclination, I had, in compliance with my father's wishes, agreed to study the law, and was soon to set out for Utrecht, to hear the lectures of an excellent civilian in that university, and then to proceed on my travels. Though very desirous of obtaining Dr. Johnson's advice and instructions on the mode of pursuing my studies, I was at this time so occupied, shall I call it? or so dissipated by the amusements of London, that our next meeting was not till Saturday, June 25, when happening to dine at Clifton's eatinghouse, in Butcher-row, I was surprised to perceive Johnson come in and take his seat at another table. The mode of dining, or rather being fed, at such houses in London, is well known to many to be particularly unsocial, as there is no ordinary, or united company, but each person has his own mess, and is under no obligation to hold any intercourse with any one. A liberal and fullminded man, however, who loves to talk, will break through this churlish and unsocial restraint. Johnson and an Irish gentleman got into a dispute concerning the cause of some part of mankind being black. "Why, sir (said Johnson), it has been accounted for in three ways: either by supposing that they are the posterity of Ham, who was cursed; or that God at first created two kinds of men, one black and another white; or that by the heat of the sun the skin is scorched, and so acquires a sooty hue. This matter has been much canvassed among naturalists, but has never been brought to any certain issue." What the Irishman said is totally obliterated from my mind; but I remember that he became very warm and intemperate in his expressions: upon which Johnson rose, and quietly walkWhen he had retired, his antagonist took his revenge, as he thought, by saying, “He has a most ungainly figure, and an affectation of pomposity unworthy of a man of genius." ed away. Johnson had not observed that I was in the room. I followed him, however, and he agreed to meet me in the evening at the Mitre. I called on him, and we went thither at nine. We had a good supper, and port wine, of which he then sometimes drank a bottle. The orthodox high-church sound of the Mitre, the figure and manner of the celebrated Samuel Johnson, the extraordinary power and precision of his conversation, and the pride arising from finding myself admitted as his companion, produced a variety of sensations, and a pleasing elevation of mind beyond what I had ever before experienced. I find in my Journal the following minute of our conversation, which, though it will give but a very faint notion of what passed, is, in some degree, a valuable record; and it will be curious in this view, as showing how habitual to his mind were some opinions which appear in his works. "Colley Cibber, sir, was by no means a blockhead: but by arrogating to himself too much, he was in danger of losing that degree of estimation to which he was entitled. His friends gave out that he intended his birthday Odes should be bad: but that was not the case, sir; for he kept them many months by him, and a few years before he died he showed me one of them, with great solicitude to render it as perfect as might be, and I made some corrections, to which he was not very willing to submit. I remember the following couplet in allusion to the king himself. Perch'd on the eagle's soaring wing, The lowly linnet loves to sing.' Sir, he had heard something of the fabulous tale of the wren sitting upon the eagle's wing, and he had applied it to a linnet. Cibber's familiar style, however, was better than that which Whitehead has assumed. Grand nonsense is insupportable. Whitehead is but a little man to inscribe verses to players 2." I did not presume to controvert this censure, which was tinctured with his prejudice against players, but I could not help thinking that a dramatick poet might with propriety pay a compliment to an eminent performer, as Whitehead has very happily done in his verses to Mr. Garrick. "Sir, I do not think Gray a first-rate po 1 [Colley Cibber was born in 1671, bore arms in favour of the revolution, and soon after went In 1695 he appeared on the stage as an actor. as a writer of comedies with great and deserved He quitted the stage in 1730, on being success. appointed poet laureate, and died in 1757. His Memoirs of his own Life is not only a very asing collection of theatrical anecdotes, but lineation of character.-ED.] shows considerable power of observation and de [This was a sneer aimed, it is to be feared, more at Garrick (to whom the verses were inscribed) than at Whitehead. William Whitehead, born about 1715, was the fashionable poet of a day, when Horace's exclusion of mediocrity was forgotten. He succeeded Cibber as laureate in 1757. He died in 1785. He must not be confounded with Paul Whitehead, no better poet, and a much less estimable man.-ED.] et. He has not a bold imagination, nor much command of words. The obscurity in which he has involved himself will not persuade us that he is sublime. His Elegy in a churchyard has a happy selection of images1, but I don't like what are called his great things. His ode which begins Ruin seize thee, ruthless king, Confusion on thy banners wait!' has been celebrated for its abruptness, and plunging into the subject all at once. But such arts as these have no merit, unless when they are original. We admire them only once; and this abruptness has nothing new in it. We have had it often before. Nay, we have it in the old song of Johnny Armstrong: Is there ever a man in all Scotland, Finding him in a placid humour, and wishing to avail myself of the opportunity which I fortunately had of consulting a sage, to hear whose wisdom, I conceived, in the ardour of youthful imagination, that men filled with a noble enthusiasm for intellectual improvement would gladly have resorted from distant lands; I opened my mind to him ingenuously, and gave him a little sketch of my life, to which he was pleased to listen with great attention. I acknowledged, that though educated very strictly in the principles of religion, I had for sometime been misled into a certain degree of infidelity; but that I was come now to a better way of thinking, and was fully satisfied of the truth of the Christian revelation, though I was not clear as to every point considered to be orthodox. Being From the highest estate to the lowest degree, &c.' at all times a curious examiner of the hu And then, sir, "Yes, there is a man in Westmoreland, And Johnny Armstrong they do him call.' There, now, you plunge at once into the subject. You have no previous narration to lead you to it.-The two next lines in that ode are, I think, very good: Though fann'd by conquest's crimson wing, They mock the air with idle state?.'" Here let it be observed, that although his opinion of Gray's poetry was widely different from mine, and I believe from that of most men of taste, by whom it is with justice highly admired, there is certainly much absurdity in the clamour which has been raised, as if he had been culpably injurious to the merit of that bard, and had been actuated by envy. Alas! ye little short-sighted criticks, could Johnson be envious of the talents of any of his contemporaries 3? That his opinion on this subject was what in private and in publick he uniformly expressed, regardless of what others might think, we may wonder, and perhaps regret; but it is shallow and unjust to charge him with expressing what he did not think. [And surely a happy selection of expressions. What does it then want? As to the criticism and quotations which follow, they might be pardonable in loose conversation; but Johnson, unluckily for his own reputation, has preserved them in his criticism on Gray, in the Lives of the Poets.-ED.] 2 My friend Mr. Malone, in his valuable comments on Shakspeare, has traced in that great poet the disjecta membra of these lines.-Bos WELL. 3 [Even under the penalty of being called little and short-sighted, it is impossible not to give an affirmative answer to Mr. Boswell's interrogatory. The evidence of the envious disposition of this otherwise great and amiable man seems too frequent and too flagrant to be doubted.-ED.] man mind, and pleased with an undisguised display of what had passed in it, he called to me with warmth, "Give me your hand; I have taken a liking to you.” He then beand the little we could know of final causes; gan to descant upon the force of testimony, so that the objections of, why was it so? or why was it not so? ought not to disturb us: adding, that he himself had at one period been guilty of a temporary neglect of religion, but that it was not the result of argument, but mere absence of thought. After having given credit to reports of his bigotry, I was agreeably surprised when he expressed the following very liberal sentiment, which has the additional value of obviating an objection to our holy religion, tians themselves: "For my part, sir, I think founded upon the discordant tenets of Chrisall Christians, whether papists or protestants, agree in the essential articles, and that their differences are trivial, and rather political than religious." We talked of belief in ghosts. He said, "Sir, I make a distinction between what a man may experience by the mere strength of his imagination, and what imagination cannot possibly produce. Thus, suppose I should think that I saw a form, and heard a voice cry, Johnson, you are a very wicked fellow, and unless you repent you will certainly be punished; my own unworthiness is so deeply impressed upon my mind, that I might imagine I thus saw and heard, and therefore I should not believe that an external communication had been made to me. But if a form should appear, and a voice should tell me that a particular man had died at a particular place, and a particular of, nor any means of knowing, and this fact, hour, a fact which I had no apprehension with all its circumstances, should afterwards be unquestionably proved, I should, in that case, be persuaded that I had supernatural intelligence imparted to me." |