Life of Johnson, Volume 2 - 1765-1776

Project Gutenberg's Life Of Johnson, Vol. 2, by
Boswell,
Edited by Birkbeck Hill
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Title: Life Of Johnson, Vol. 2Author: Boswell
Edited by Birkbeck Hill
Release Date: October, 2005 [EBook #9072] [Yes,
we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on September 2, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK LIFE OF JOHNSON, VOL. 2 ***
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, David King and the
Online Distributed ProofreadersBOSWELL'S
LIFE OF JOHNSON
INCLUDING BOSWELL'S JOURNAL OF A TOUR
TO THE HEBRIDES, AND JOHNSON'S DIARY
OF A JOURNEY INTO NORTH WALES
EDITED BY
GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, D.C.L.
PEMBROKE COLLEGE, OXFORD
IN SIX VOLUMES
VOLUME II.—LIFE (1765-1776)
CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D.
(NOVEMBER, 1765-MARCH, 1776)
APPENDICES:
A. AUTOGRAPH RECORDS BY JOHNSON
(1766) IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARYB. JOHNSON'S SENTIMENTS TOWARDS HIS
FELLOW-SUBJECTS IN AMERICATHE LIFE OF SAMUEL
JOHNSON, LL.D.
In 1764 and 1765 it should seem that Dr. Johnson
was so busily employed with his edition of
Shakspeare, as to have had little leisure for any
other literary exertion, or, indeed, even for private
correspondence[1]. He did not favour me with a
single letter for more than two years, for which it
will appear that he afterwards apologised.
He was, however, at all times ready to give
assistance to his friends, and others, in revising
their works, and in writing for them, or greatly
improving their Dedications. In that courtly species
of composition no man excelled Dr. Johnson.
Though the loftiness of his mind prevented him
from ever dedicating in his own person[2], he wrote
a very great number of Dedications for others.
Some of these, the persons who were favoured
with them are unwilling should be mentioned, from
a too anxious apprehension, as I think, that they
might be suspected of having received larger
assistance[3]; and some, after all the diligence I
have bestowed, have escaped my enquiries. He
told me, a great many years ago, 'he believed he
had dedicated to all the Royal Family round[4];' and
it was indifferent to him what was the subject of the
work dedicated, provided it were innocent. He once
dedicated some Musick for the German Flute to
Edward, Duke of York. In writing Dedications forothers, he considered himself as by no means
speaking his own sentiments.
Notwithstanding his long silence, I never omitted to
write to him when I had any thing worthy of
communicating. I generally kept copies of my
letters to him, that I might have a full view of our
correspondence, and never be at a loss to
understand any reference in his letters[5]. He kept
the greater part of mine very carefully; and a short
time before his death was attentive enough to seal
them up in bundles, and order them to be delivered
to me, which was accordingly done. Amongst them
I found one, of which I had not made a copy, and
which I own I read with pleasure at the distance of
almost twenty years. It is dated November, 1765,
at the palace of Pascal Paoli, in Corte, the capital
of Corsica, and is full of generous enthusiasm[6].
After giving a sketch of what I had seen and heard
in that island, it proceeded thus: 'I dare to call this
a spirited tour. I dare, to challenge your
approbation.'
This letter produced the following answer, which I
found on my arrival at Paris.
A Mr. Mr. BOSWELL, chez Mr. WATERS,
Banquier, à Paris.
'DEAR SIR,
'Apologies are seldom of any use. We will delay till
your arrival the reasons, good or bad, which havemade me such a sparing and ungrateful
correspondent. Be assured, for the present, that
nothing has lessened either the esteem or love
with which I dismissed you at Harwich. Both have
been increased by all that I have been told of you
by yourself or others; and[7] when you return, you
will return to an unaltered, and, I hope, unalterable
friend.
'All that you have to fear from me is the vexation of
disappointing me. No man loves to frustrate
expectations which have been formed in his favour;
and the pleasure which I promise myself from your
journals and remarks is so great, that perhaps no
degree of attention or discernment will be sufficient
to afford it.
'Come home, however, and take your chance. I
long to see you, and to hear you; and hope that we
shall not be so long separated again. Come home,
and expect such a welcome as is due to him whom
a wise and noble curiosity has led, where perhaps
no native of this country ever was before[8].
'I have no news to tell you that can deserve your
notice; nor would I willingly lessen the pleasure that
any novelty may give you at your return. I am
afraid we shall find it difficult to keep among us a
mind which has been so long feasted with variety.
But let us try what esteem and kindness can effect.
'As your father's liberality has indulged you with so
long a ramble, I doubt not but you will think his
sickness, or even his desire to see you, a sufficientreason for hastening your return. The longer we
live, and the more we think, the higher value we
learn to put on the friendship and tenderness of
parents and of friends. Parents we can have but
once; and he promises himself too much, who
enters life with the expectation of finding many
friends. Upon some motive, I hope, that you will be
here soon; and am willing to think that it will be an
inducement to your return, that it is sincerely
desired by, dear Sir,
'Your affectionate humble servant,
'SAM. JOHNSON.'
'Johnson's Court, Fleet-street,
January 14, 1766.'
I returned to London in February, and found Dr.
Johnson in a good house in Johnson's Court,
Fleet-street[9], in which he had accommodated
Miss Williams with an apartment on the ground
floor, while Mr. Levett occupied his post in the
garret: his faithful Francis was still attending upon
him. He received me with much kindness. The
fragments of our first conversation, which I have
preserved, are these: I told him that Voltaire, in a
conversation with me, had distinguished Pope and
Dryden thus:—'Pope drives a handsome chariot,
with a couple of neat trim nags; Dryden a coach,
and six stately horses.' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, the
truth is, they both drive coaches and six; but
Dryden's horses are either galloping or stumbling:
Pope's go at a steady even trot[10].' He said of
Goldsmith's Traveller, which had been published inmy absence, 'There has not been so fine a poem
since Pope's time.'
And here it is proper to settle, with authentick
precision, what has long floated in publick report,
as to Johnson's being himself the authour of a
considerable part of that poem. Much, no doubt,
both of the sentiments and expression, were
derived from conversation with him; and it was
certainly submitted to his friendly revision: but in
the year 1783, he, at my request, marked with a
pencil the lines which he had furnished, which are
only line 420th,
'To stop too fearful, and too faint to go;'
and the concluding ten lines, except the last
couplet but one, which I distinguish by the Italick
character:
'How small of all that human hearts endure,
That part which kings or laws[11] can cause or
cure.
Still to ourselves in every place consign'd,
Our own felicity we make or find[12];
With secret course, which no loud storms annoy,
Glides the smooth current of domestick joy:
The lifted axe, the agonizing wheel,
Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel,
To men remote from power, but rarely known,
Leave reason, faith, and conscience, all our own.'
He added, 'These are all of which I can be
sure[13].' They bear a small proportion to the
whole, which consists of four hundred and thirty-