Life of Johnson Volume III Part 66

[784] See _ante_, p. 7.

[785] See _post_, April 15, 1781.

[786] See _ante_, ii. 224.

[787] 'Thus commending myself and my eternal concerns into thy most faithful hands, in firm hope of a happy reception into thy kingdom; Oh! my G.o.d! hear me, while I humbly extend my supplications for others; and pray that thou wouldst bless the King and all his family; that thou wouldst preserve the crown to his house to endless generations.' Dodd's _Last Prayer_, p. 132.

[788] See _ante_, iii. 166.

[789] See _ante_, i. 413.

[790] 'I never knew,' wrote Davies of Johnson, 'any man but one who had the honour and courage to confess that he had a tincture of envy in him. He, indeed, generously owned that he was not a stranger to it; at the same time he declared that he endeavoured to subdue it.' Davies's _Garrick_, ii. 391.

[791] Reynolds said that Johnson, 'after the heat of contest was over, if he had been informed that his antagonist resented his rudeness, was the first to seek after a reconcilation.' Taylor's _Reynolds_, 11.

457. See ante, 11. 109.

[792] _Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides_, edit. 3, p. 221 [Sept. 17].

BOSWELL.

[793] See this accurately stated, and the descent of his family from the Earls of Northumberland clearly deduced in the Reverend Dr. Nash's excellent _History of Worcestershire_, vol. ii. p. 318. The Doctor has subjoined a note, in which he says, 'The Editor hath Seen and carefully examined the proofs of all the particulars above-mentioned, now in the possession of the Reverend Thomas Percy.' The same proofs I have also myself carefully examined, and have seen some additional proofs which have occurred since the Doctor's book was published; and both as a Lawyer accustomed to the consideration of evidence, and as a Genealogist versed in the study of pedigrees, I am fully satisfied. I cannot help observing, as a circ.u.mstance of no small moment, that in tracing the Bishop of Dromore's genealogy, essential aid was given by the late Elizabeth d.u.c.h.ess of Northumberland, Heiress of that ill.u.s.trious House; a lady not only of high dignity of spirit, such as became her n.o.ble blood, but of excellent understanding and lively talents. With a fair pride I can boast of the honour of her Grace's correspondence, specimens of which adorn my archives. BOSWELL.

[794] 'The gardens are trim to the highest degree, and more adapted to a _villa_ near London than the ancient seat of a great Baron. In a word, nothing except the numbers of unindustrious poor that swarm at the gate excites any one idea of its former circ.u.mstances.' Pennant's _Scotland_, p. 31.

[795] Mr. Croker quotes a pa.s.sage from _The Heroic Epistle_, which ends:--

'So when some John his dull invention racks To rival Boodle's dinners, or Almack's, Three uncouth legs of mutton shock our eyes, Three roasted geese, three b.u.t.tered apple pies.'

[796] Johnson saw Alnwick on his way to Scotland. 'We came to Alnwick,'

he wrote, 'where we were treated with great civility by the Duke: I went through the apartments, walked on the wall, and climbed the towers.'

_Piozzi Letters_, i. 108.

[797] 'When Reynolds painted his portrait looking into the slit of his pen and holding it almost close to his eye, as was his custom, he felt displeased, and told me he would not be known by posterity for his _defects_ only, let Sir Joshua do his worst. I said that the picture in the room where we were talking represented Sir Joshua holding his ear in his hand to catch the sound. "He may paint himself as deaf, if he chooses," replied Johnson, "but I will not be _blinking Sam_."' Piozzi's _Anec_. p. 248.

[798] 'You look in vain for the _helmet_ on the tower, the ancient signal of hospitality to the traveller, or for the grey-headed porter to conduct him to the hall of entertainment. Instead of the disinterested usher of the old times, he is attended by a _valet_ to receive the fees of admittance.' Pennant's _Scottland_, p. 32.

[799] It certainly was a custom, as appears from the following pa.s.sage in _Perce-forest_, vol. iii. p. 108:--'Fasoient mettre au plus hault de leur hostel un _heaulme, en signe_ que tous les gentils hommes et gentilles femmes entra.s.sent hardiment en leur hostel comme en leur propre.' KEARNEY.

[800] The t.i.tle of a book translated by Dr. Percy. BOSWELL. It is a translation of the introduction to _l'Histoire de Danemarck_, par M.

Mallet. Lowndes's _Bibl. Man_. ed. 1871, p. 1458.

[801] He was a Welshman.

[802] This is the common cant against faithful Biography. Does the worthy gentleman mean that I, who was taught discrimination of character by Johnson, should have omitted his frailties, and, in short, have _bedawbed_ him as the worthy gentleman has bedawbed Scotland?

BOSWELL.

[803] See Dr. Johnson's _Journey to the Western Islands_, 296 [_Works_, ix. 124];--see his _Dictionary_ article, _oats_:--and my _Voyage to the Hebrides_, first edition. PENNANT.

[804] Mr. Boswell's Journal, p. 286, [third edition, p. 146, Sep. 6.]

PENNANT.

[805] See _ante_, ii. 60.

[806] Percy, it should seem, took offence later on. Cradock (_Memoirs_, i. 206) says:--'Almost the last time I ever saw Johnson [it was in 1784]

he said to me:--"Notwithstanding all the pains that Dr. Farmer and I took to serve Dr. Percy in regard to his _Ancient Ballads_, he has left town for Ireland without taking leave of either of us."' Cradock adds (p. 238) that though 'Percy was a most pleasing companion, yet there was a violence in his temper which could not always be controlled.' 'I was witness,' he writes (p. 206), 'to an entire separation between Percy and Goldsmith about Rowley's [Chatterton's] poems.'

[807] Sunday, April 12, 1778. BOSWELL.

[808] Johnson, writing of the uncertainty of friendship, says: 'A dispute begun in jest upon a subject which, a moment before, was on both sides regarded with careless indifference, is continued by the desire of conquest, till vanity kindles into rage, and opposition rankles into enmity. Against this hasty mischief I know not what security can be obtained; men will be sometimes surprised into quarrels.' _The Idler_, No. 23. See _ante_, ii. 100, note 1.

[809] Though the Bishop of Dromore kindly answered the letters which I wrote to him, relative to Dr. Johnson's early history; yet, in justice to him, I think it proper to add, that the account of the foregoing conversation and the subsequent transaction, as well as some other conversations in which he is mentioned, has been given to the publick without previous communication with his Lordship. BOSWELL. This note is first given in the second edition, being added, no doubt, at the Bishop's request.

[810] See _post_, 1780, in Mr. Langton's _Collection_.

[811] Chap. xlii. is still shorter:--'_Concerning Owls_.

'There are no owls of any kind in the whole island.'

Horrebow says in his _Preface_, p. vii:--'I have followed Mr. Anderson article by article, declaring what is false in each.' A Member of the _Icelandic Literary Society_ in a letter to the _Pall Mall Gazette_, dated May 3, 1883, thus accounts for these chapters:--'In 1746 there was published at Hamburg a small volume ent.i.tled, _Nachrichlen von Island, Gronland und der Stra.s.se Davis_. The Danish Government, conceiving that its intentions were misrepresented by this work, procured a reply to be written by Niels Horrebow, and this was published, in 1752, under the t.i.tle of _Tilforladelige Efterretninger om Island_; in 1758, an English translation appeared in London. The object of the author was to answer all Anderson's charges and imputations. This Horrebow did categorically, and hence come these Chapters, though it must be added that they owe their laconic celebrity to the English translator, the author being rather profuse than otherwise in giving his predecessor a flat denial.'

[812] See _ante_, p. 255.

[813] 'A fugitive from heaven and prayer,

I mocked at all religious fear, Deep scienced in the mazy lore Of mad philosophy: but now Hoist sail, and back my voyage plough To that blest harbour which I left before.'

FRANCIS. Horace, _Odes_, i. 34. 1.

[814] See _ante_, i. 315, and _post_, p. 288.

[815] Ovid, _Meta_. ii. 13.

[816] Johnson says (_Works_, viii. 355):--'The greater part of mankind _have no character at all_, have little that distinguishes them from others equally good or bad.' It would seem to follow that the greater part of mankind have no style at all, for it is in character that style takes its spring.

[817] 'Dodd's wish to be received into our society was conveyed to us only by a whisper, and that being the case all opposition to his admission became unnecessary.' Hawkins's _Johnson_, p. 435.

[818] See note, vol. iii. p. 106. BOSWELL. See _post_, p. 290, for Johnson's violence against the Americans and those who sided with them.

[819] The friend was Mr. Steevens. Garrick says (_Corres_. ii. 361) that Steevens had written things in the newspapers against him that were slanderous, and then had a.s.sured him upon his word and honour that he had not written them; that he had later on bragged that he had written them, and had said, 'that it was fun to vex me.' Garrick adds:--'I was resolved to keep no terms with him, and will always treat him as such a pest of society merits from all men.' 'Steevens, Dr. Parr used to say, had only three friends--himself, Dr. Farmer, and John Reed, so hateful was his character. He was one of the wisest, most learned, but most spiteful of men.' Johnstone's _Parr_, viii. 128. Boswell had felt Steevens's ill-nature. While he was carrying the _Life of Johnson_ through the press, at a time when he was suffering from 'the most woeful return of melancholy,' he wrote to Malone,--'Jan 29, 1791. Steevens _kindly_ tells me that I have over-printed, and that the curiosity about Johnson is _now_ only in our own circle.... Feb. 25. You must know that I am _certainly_ informed that a certain person who delights in mischief has been _depreciating_ my book, so that I fear the sale of it may be very dubious.' Croker's _Boswell_, p. 828. _A certain person_ was, no doubt, Steevens. See _ante_, ii. 375, and _post_, under March 30, 1783, and May 15, 1784.

[820]

'I own th' indulgence--Such I give and take.'

FRANCIS. Horace, _Ars Poet_. 1. II.

[821]

'We grant, altho' he had much wit, H' was very shy of using it, As being loth to wear it out.'