the justice, who was once high-constable of Holborn, and had the best opportunities of knowing the state of the poor, told me, that I under-rated the number, when I computed that twenty a week, that is, above a thousand a year, died of hunger; not absolutely of immediate hunger; but of the wasting and other diseases which are the consequences of hunger. This happens only in so large a place as London, where people are not known. What we are told about the great sums got by begging is not true: the trade is overstocked. And, you may depend upon it, there are many who cannot get work. A particular kind of manufacture fails: those who have been used to work at it can, for some time, work at nothing else. You meet a man begging; you charge him with idleness: he says, 'I am willing to labour. Will you give me work?' - I cannot. Why, then, you havo no right to charge me with idleness.'" Prebendary of Westminster, to dine at old Lord Bathurst's, where we found the late Mr. Mallet, Sir James Porter, who had been ambassador at Constantinople, the late Dr. Macaulay, and two or three more. The conversation turning on Mr. Pope, Lord Bathurst told us, that The Essay on Man' was originally composed by Lord Bolingbroke in prose, and that Mr. Pope did no more than put it into verse: that he had read Lord Bolingbroke's manuscript in his own hand-writing; and remembered well, that he was at a loss whether most to admire the elegance of Lord Bolingbroke's prose, or the beauty of Mr. Pope's verse. When Lord Bathurst told this, Mr. Mallet bade me attend, and remember this remarkable piece of information; as, by the course of Nature, I might survive his lordship, and be a witness of his having said so. The conversation was indeed too remarkable to be forgotten. A few days after, meeting with you, who were then also at London, you will remember that I mentioned to you what had passed on this subject, as I was much struck with this anecdote. But what ascertains my recollection of it, beyond doubt, is, that being accustomed to keep a journal of what passed when I was at Lon We left Mr. Strahan's at seven, as Johnson had said he intended to go to evening prayers. As we walked alone, he complained of a little gout in his toe, and said, "I sha'nt go to prayers to night: I shall go tomorrow: whenever I miss church on a Sunday, I resolve to go another day. But I do not always do it." This was a fair exhibi-don, which I wrote out every evening, I tion of that vibration between pious resolutions and indolence, which many of us have too often experienced. I went home with him, and we had a long quiet conversation. I read him a letter from Dr. Hugh Blair concerning Pope (in writing whose life he was now employed), which I shall insert as a literary curiosity 1. "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "Broughton-park, 21st Sept. 1779. “DEAR SIR,—In the year 1763, being at London, I was carried by Dr. John Blair, 1 The Rev. Dr. Law, Bishop of Carlisle, in the preface to his valuable edition of Archbishop King's "Essay on the Origin of Evil," mentions that the principles maintained in it had been adopted by Pope in his "Essay on Man;" and adds, "The fact, notwithstanding such denial (Bishop Warburton's), might have been strictly verified by an unexceptionable testimony, viz. that of the late Lord Bathurst, who saw the very same system of the To BeλTICV (taken from the archbishop) in Lord Bolingbroke's own hand, lying before Mr. Pope, while he was composing his Essay." This is respectable evidence: but that of Dr. Blair is more direct from the fountain-head, as well as more full. Let me add to it that of Dr. Joseph Warton: "The late Lord Bathurst repeatedly assured me that he had read the whole scheme of the Essay on Man,' in the handwriting of Bolingbroke, and drawn up in a series of propositions, which Pope was to versify and illustrate."-Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope, vol. ii. p. 62.-BOSWELL. VOL. II. 28 find the particulars of the above information, just as I have now given them, distinctly marked; and am thence enabled to fix this conversation to have passed on Friday, the 22d of April, 1763. "I remember also distinctly, (though I have not for this the authority of my journal), that the conversation going on concerning Mr. Pope, I took notice of a report which had been sometimes propagated that he did not understand Greek. Lord Bathurst said to me that he knew that to be false; for that part of the Iliad was translated by Mr. Pope in his house in the country; and that in the morning when they assembled at breakfast, Mr. Pope used frequently to repeat, with great rapture, the Greek lines which he had been translating, and then to give them his version of them, and to compare them together. "If these circumstances can be of any use to Dr. Johnson, you have my full liberty to give them to him. I beg you will, at the same time, present to him my most respectful compliments, with best wishes for his success and fame in all his literary undertakings. I am, with great respect, my dearest sir, your most affectionate, and obliged humble servant, "HUGH BLAIR." JOHNSON. "Depend upon it, sir, this is too strongly stated. Pope may have had from Bolingbroke the philosophick stamina of his Essay; and admitting this to be true, Lord Bathurst did not intentionally falsify. But the thing is not true in the latitude that Blair seems to imagine; we are sure that the poetical imagery, which makes a great part of the poem, was Pope's own. It is amazing, sir, what deviations there are from precise truth, in the account which is given of almost every thing. I told Mrs. Thrale, 'You have so little anxiety about truth, that you never tax your memory with the exact thing. Now what is the use of the memory to truth, if one is careless of exactness? Lord Hailes's 'Annals of Scotland' are very exact; but they contain mere dry particulars. They are to be considered as a Dictionary. You know such things are there; and may be looked at when you please. Robertson paints; but the misfortune is, you are sure he does not know the people whom he paints; so you cannot suppose a likeness. Characters should never be given by an historian, unless he knew the people whom he describes, or copies from those who knew them." BOSWELL. 66 Why, sir, do people play this trick which I observe now, when I look at your grate, putting the shovel against it to make the fire burn?" JOHNSON. "They play the trick, but it does not make the fire burn 1. There is a better (setting the poker perpendicularly up at right angles with the grate). In days of superstition they thought, as it made a cross with the bars, it would drive away the witch." BOSWELL. "By associating with you, sir, I am always getting an accession of wisdom. But perhaps a man, after knowing his own character-the limited strength of his own mind-should not be desirous of having too much wisdom, considering, quid valeant humeri, how little he can carry." JOHNSON. "Sir, be as wise as you can; let a man be aliis lætus, sapiens sibi: "Though pleased to see the dolphins play, the scheme of an English Dictionary; but I had long thought of it." BOSWELL. "You did not know what you were undertaking." JOHNSON. "Yes, sir, I knew very well what I was undertaking, and very well how to do it, and have done it very well." BOSWELL. "An excellent climax! and it has availed you. In your preface you say What would it avail me in this gloom of solitude?' You have been agreeably mistaken." In his life of Milton, he observes, "I cannot but remark a kind of respect, perhaps unconsciously, paid to this great man by his biographers: every house in which he resided is historically mentioned, as if it were an injury to neglect naming any place that he honoured by his presence." I had, before I read this observation, been desirous of showing that respect to Johnson, by various inquiries. Finding him this evening in a very good humour, I prevailed on him to give me an exact list of his places of residence, since he entered the metropolis as an authour, which I subjoin in a note 3. I mentioned to him a dispute between a friend of mine and his lady, concerning conjugal infidelity, which my friend had maintained was by no means so bad in the husband as in the wife. JOHNSON. "Your friend was in the right, sir. Between a man and his Maker it is a different question: but between a man and his wife, a husband's infidelity is nothing. They are connected by children, by fortune, by serious considerations of community. Wise married women do n't trouble themselves about infidelity in their husbands." BOSWELL. "To be sure there is a great difference between the offence of infidelity in a man and that of his wife." JOHNSON. "The difference is boundless. The man imposes no bastards upon his wife 4." 3 [Here followed the list of residences, which will be found ante, v. i. p. 42.-ED.] 4 [This seems too narrow an illustration of a "boundless difference." The introduction of a You may be wise in your study in the morning, and gay in company at a tavern in the evening. Every man is to take care of his bastard into a family, though a great injustice and own wisdom and his own virtue, without minding too much what others think." He said "Dodsley first mentioned to me It certainly does make the fire burn by repelling the air, it throws a blast on the fire, and so performs the part in some degree of a blower or bellows. KEARNEY. [Dr. Kearney's observation applies only to the shovel; but by those who have faith in the experiment, the poker is supposed to be equally efficacious. After all, it is possible that, in old times, a large shovel used to be applied to obstruct the upper orifice, and so force the air through the grate, and the practice may have outlived the instrument which gave rise to it.-ED.] The Spleen,' Green.]-BosWELL. a poem, [by Mr. Matthew a great crime, is only one consequence (and that an occasional and accidental one) of a greater crime and a more afflicting injustice. The precaution of Julia, alluded to ante, p. 58, did not render her innocent. In a moral and in a religious view, the guilt is no doubt equal in man or woman; but have not both Dr. Johnson and Mr. Boswell overlooked a social view of this subject? which is perhaps the true reason of the greater indulgence which is generally afforded to the infidelity of the man-I mean the effect on the personal character of the different sexes. crime does not seem to alter or debase the quali ties of the man, in any essential degree; but when the superiour purity and delicacy of the woman is once contaminated it is destroyedfacilis decensus Averni-she generally falls into utter degradation, and thence, probably, it is that The 6 Here it may be questioned, whether the sun; he offers to read her a play, or Johnson was entirely in the right. I sup- sing her a song, and she calls the children pose it will not be controverted, that the in to disturb them, or advises him to seize difference in the degree of criminality is that opportunity of settling the family acvery great, on account of consequences: counts. Twenty such tricks will the faithbut still it may be maintained, that, inde- fulest wife in the world not refuse to play," pendent of moral obligation, infidelity is by and then look astonished when the fellow no means a light offence in a husband; be- fetches in a mistress. Boarding-schools cause it must hurt a delicate attachment, in were established," continued he, "for the which a mutual constancy is implied, with conjugal quiet of the parents: the two such refined sentiments as Massinger has partners cannot agree which child to fondle, exhibited in his play of "The Picture.” nor how to fondle them, so they put the Johnson probably at another time would young ones to school, and remove the cause have admitted this opinion. And let it be of contention. The little girl pokes her kept in remembrance, that he was very head, the mother reproves her sharply: careful not to give any encouragement to Do not mind your mamma,' says the fairregular conduct. A gentleman, not ad- ther, my dear, but do your own way.' verting to the distinction made by him upon | The mother complains to me of this: this subject, supposed a case of singular Madam,' said I, your husband is right perverseness in a wife, and heedlessly said, all the while; he is with you but two hours "That then he thought a husband might of the day perhaps, and then you tease him do as he pleased with a safe conscience." by making the child cry. Are not ten JOHNSON. "Nay, sir, this is wild indeed hours enough for tuition? And are the (smiling); you must consider that fornica- hours of pleasure so frequent in life, that tion is a crime in a single man, and you when a man gets a couple of quiet ones to cannot have more liberty by being married." spend in familiar chat with his wife, they [On all occasions he was inclined must be poisoned by petty mortifications? to attribute to the marital character Put Missey to school; she will learn to hold great exemption and authority.] her head like her neighbours, and you will p. 115 [When any disputes arose between no longer torment your family for want of our married acquaintance, how- other talk.""] ever, Dr. Johnson always sided with the husband, "whom," he said, "the woman had probably provoked so often, she scarce knew when or how she had disobliged him first. Women," said Dr. Johnson, "give great offence by a contemptuous spirit of non-compliance on petty occasions. The man calls his wife to walk with him p. 117. in the shade, and she feels a strange desire just at that moment to sit in ED. Piozzi, Piozzi, society makes a distinction conformable to his own interests it connives at the offence of men, because men are not much deteriorated as members of general society by the offence, and it is severe againt the offence of women, because women, as members of society, are utterly degraded by it. This view of the subject will be illustrated by a converse proposition-for instance: The world thinks not the worse, nay rather the better, of a woman for wanting courage; but such a defect in a man is wholly unpardonable, because, as Johnson wisely and wittily said, "he who has not the virtue of courage has no security for any other virtue." Society, therefore, requires chastity from women as it does courage from men. The Editor, in suggesting this merely-worldly consideration, hopes not to be misunderstood as offering any defence of a breach, on the part of a man, of divine and human laws; he by no means goes so far as Dr. Johnson does in the text, but he has thought it right to suggest a difference on a most important subject, which had been overlooked by that great moralist, or is, at least, not stated by Mr. Boswell.-ED.] Hawk Apoph. p. 210. [To the same effect, Hawkins relates that he used to say, that in all family disputes the odds were in favour of the husband, from his superior knowledge of life and manners: he was, nevertheless, extremely fond of the company and coversation of women, and had certainly very correct notions as to the basis on which matrimonial connexions should be formed. He always advised his friends, when they were about to marry, to unite themselves to a woman of a pious and religious frame of mind. "Fear of the world, and a sense of honour,' said he, have an may effect upon a man's conduct and behaviour; a woman without religion is without the only motive that in general can incite her to do well," Hawk. Apoph. p. 202. Piozzi, p. 210. When some one asked him for what he should marry, he replied, "First, for virtue; secondly, for wit; thirdly, for beauty; and fourthly, for money."] [He occasionally said very contemptuous things of the sex; but was exceedingly angry when Mrs. Thrale told Miss Reynolds that he said, "It was well managed of some one to leave his affairs in the hands of his wife, because, in matters of business," said he, "no woman stops at integrity." "This was, I think," added Mrs. Thrale, "the only sentence I ever observed him solicitous to explain awa; after he had uttered it."] He this evening expressed himself strongly against the Roman Catholics, observing, "In every thing in which they differ from us, they are wrong." He was even against the invocation of saints; in short, he was in the humour of opposition. Nay, I do not see how I am caught; but if I am caught, I don't want to get free again. If I am caught, I hope to be kept." Then when the two glasses of water were brought, smiling placidly to the young lady, he said, "Madam, let us reciprocate." Lord Newhaven and Johnson carried on an argument for some time concerning the Middlesex election. Johnson said, "Parliament may be considered as bound by law, as a man is bound when there is nobody to tie the knot. As it is clear that the house of commons may expel, and expel again and again, why not allow of the power to inca Having regretted to him that I had learnt little Greek, as is too generally the case in Scotland; that I had for a long time hardly applied at all to the study of that noble language, and that I was desirous of being told by him what method to follow; he recommended as easy helps, Sylvanus's "First Book of the Iliad;" Dawson's "Lexicon to the Greek New Testament; "pacitate for that parliament, rather than and "Hesiod," with "Pasoris Lexicon " at the end of it. Letters, vol. ii. P. 63. ["TO MRS. THRALE. "London, 11th Oct. 1779. "I do not see why you should trouble yourself with physicians while Mr. Thrale grows better. Company and bustle will, I hope, complete his cure. Let him gallop over the Downs in the morning, call his friends about him to dinner, and frisk in the rooms at night, and outrun time and outface misfortune. "Notwithstanding all authorities against bleeding, Mr. Thrale bled himself well ten days ago. You will lead a jolly life, and perhaps think little of me; but I have been invited twice to Mrs. Vesey's conversation, but have not gone. The gout that was in my ankles, when Queeney criticised my gait, passed into my toe, but I have hunted it, and starved it, and it makes no figure. It has drawn some attention, for Lord and Lady Lucan sent to inquire after me. This is all the news that I have to tell you. Yesterday I dined with Mr. Strahan, and Boswell was there. We shall be both tomorrow at Mr. Ramsay's,] On Tuesday, October 12, I dined with him at Mr Ramsay's, with Lord Newhaven1, and some other company, none of whom I recollect, but a beautiful Miss Graham 2, a relation [niece] of his lordship's, who asked Dr. Johnson to hob or nob with her. He was flattered by such pleasing attention, and politely told her, he never drank wine; but if she would drink a glass of water, he was much at her service. She accepted. "Oho, sir!" said Lord Newhaven, "you are caught." JOHNSON. 1 [William Mayné, Esq. was created a baronet in 1763; a privy-counsellor in Ireland in 1766; and in 1776 advanced to the Irish peerage by the title of Baron Newhaven. He took an active part in the intrigues, jobs, and squabbles, which constituted the Irish politics of his day.-ED.] 2 Now the lady of Sir Henry Dashwood, bart. -BOSWELL. have a perpetual contest kept up between parliament and the people." Lord Newhaven took the opposite side; but respectfully said, "I speak with great deference to you, Dr. Johnson; I speak to be instructed." This had its full effect on my friend. He bowed his head almost as low as the table to a complimenting nobleman, and called out, " My lord, my lord, I do not desire all this ceremony; let us tell our minds to one another quietly." After the debate was over, he said, "I have got lights on the subject to-day, which I had not before." This was a great deal from him, especially as he had written a pamphlet upon it. He observed, "The house of commons was originally not a privilege of the people, but a check, for the crown, on the house of lords. I remember, Henry the Eighth wanted them to do something; they hesitated in the morning, but did it in the afternoon. He told them, 'It is well you did; or half your heads should have been upon Temple-bar.' But the house of commons is now no longer under the power of the crown, and therefore must be bribed." He added, "I have no delight in talking of publick affairs." Of his fellow-collegian 3, the celebrated Mr. George Whitefield, he said, "Whitefield never drew as much attention as a mountebank does: he did not draw attention by doing better than others, but by doing what was strange. Were Astley 4 to 3 [George Whitfield, or Whitefield, did not enter at Pembroke College before November, 1732, more than twelve months after Johnson's name was off the books, and nearly three years after he had ceased to be resident at Oxford; so that, strictly speaking, they were not fellow-collegians, though they were both of the same college.-HALL.] 4 [Philip Astley, a celebrated horse-rider, who first exhibited equestrian pantomimes, in which his son (who survived his father but a short time) rode with great grace and agility. Astley had at once theatres in Paris, London, and Dublin, and migrated with his actors, biped and quadruped, from one to the other.-ED.] Of an acquaintance of ours, whose manners and every thing about him, though ex pensive, were coarse, he said, "Sir, you see in him vulgar prosperity.' preach a sermon standing upon his head on a horse's back, he would collect a multitude to hear him; but no wise man would say he had made a better sermon for that. I never treated Whitefield's ministry with A foreign minister of no very high talents, contempt; I believe he did good. He had who had been in his company for a considdevoted himself to the lower classes of man- erable time quite overlooked, happened luckkind, and among them he was of use. But ily to mention that he had read some of his when familiarity and noise claim the praise" Rambler" in Italian, and admired it much. due to knowledge, art, and elegance, we must beat down such pretensions." What I have preserved of his conversation during the remainder of my stay in London at this time is only what follows: I told him that when I objected to keeping company with a notorious infidel, a celebrated friend of ours said to me, "I do not think that men who live laxly in the world, as you and I do, can with propriety assume such an authority: Dr. Johnson may, who is uniformly exemplary in his conduct. But it is not very consistent to shun an infidel to-day, and get drunk to-morrow." JOHNNay, sir, this is sad reasoning. Because a man cannot be right in all things, is he to be right in nothing? Because a man sometimes gets drunk, is he therefore to steal? This doctrine would very soon bring a man to the gallows." SON. After all, however, it is a difficult question how far sincere christians should associate with the avowed enemies of religion; for in the first place, almost every man's mind may be more or less "corrupted by evil communications; " secondly, the world may very naturally suppose that they are not really in earnest in religion, who can easily bear its opponents; and thirdly, if the profane find themselves quite well received by the pious, one of the checks upon an open declaration of their infidelity, and one of the probable chances of obliging them seriously to reflect, which their being shunned would do, is removed. He, I know not why, showed upon all occasions an aversion to go to Ireland, where I proposed to him that we should make a tour. JOHNSON. "It is the last place that I should wish to travel." BosWELL. "Should you not like to see Dublin, sir?" JOHNSON. "No, sir; Dublin is only a worse capital." BoSWELL. not the Giant's-causeway worth seeing?" JOHNSON. "Worth seeing? yes; but not worth going to see.' وو "Is This pleased him greatly; he observed that the title had been translated Il Genio errante, though I have been told it was rendered more ludicrously Il Vagabondo; and finding that this minister gave such a proof of his taste, he was all attention to him, and on the first remark which he made, however simple, exclaimed, "The ambassadour says well; His excellency observes—; and then he expanded and enriched the little that had been said in so strong a manner, that it appeared something of consequence. This was exceedingly entertaining to the company who were present, and many a time afterwards it furnished a pleasant topick-of merriment. "The ambassadour says well" became a laughable term of applause when no mighty matter had been expressed. THRALE. "16th October, 1779. Letters, vol. ii. p. 65. ["TO MRS. "My foot gives me very little trouble; but it is not yet well. I have dined, since you saw me, not so often as once in two days. But I am told how well I look; and I really think I get more mobility. I dined on Tuesday with Ramsay, and on Thursday with Paoli, who talked of coming to see you, till I told him of your migration. "Mrs. Williams is not yet returned; but discord and discontent reign in my humble habitation as in the palaces of monarchs. Mr. Levet and Mrs. Desmoulins have vowed eternal hate. Levet is the more insidı ous, and wants me to turn her out. Poor Williams writes word that she is no better, and has left off her physick. Mr. Levet has seen Dr. Lewis, who declares himself hopeless of doing her any good. Lawrence desponded some time ago. "I thought I had a little fever some time, but it seems to be starved away. Bozzy says, he never saw me so well."] ["DR. JOHNSON TO MISS REYNOLDS. "19th October, 1779. "DEAREST MADAM,-You are exReyn. Yet he had a kindness for the Irish nation; and thus generously expressed himself to a gentleman from that country, on the subject of an Union which artful politi-tremely kind in taking so much MSS. cians have often had in view: "Do not trouble. My foot is almost well; make an union with us, sir. We should and one of my first visits will certainly be unite with you only to rob you. We should to Dover-street 1. have robbed the Scotch, if they had had any thing of which we could have robbed them." "You will do me a great favour if you 1 [Where Miss Reynolds lived.-ED.] |