NOTES

The figures in heavy type refer to pages; the others to lines.

LONDON: A POEM

Only those passages from Juvenal are here quoted of which Johnson's rendering is particularly happy. He adapts many a phrase from Dryden's translation of Juvenal, and from Pope and other poets. Juvenal is more abrupt, concrete, and lively than Johnson; Johnson is usually more general and weighty. There is no better commentary on Johnson's London than a folio of Hogarth's pictures.

2. Thales is Johnson's friend Savage. Savage did not leave for Wales till fifteen months later, but his departure was for some time anticipated; see pp. 292, 295.

8. St. David, patron saint of Wales. This couplet follows Juvenal. He approves his friend's choice,

Vacuis quod sedem figere Cumis

Destinet atque unum civem donare Sibyllæ.

Cf. Pope's line (Moral Essays 3, 394),

And one more Pensioner St. Stephen's gains;

and Dryden's rendering,

And one more citizen to Sibyl gives.

Briton. A popular term ever since the union with Scotland. Cf. 11. 26, 69, 101, 112, 119. Thomson's Rule Britannia! Britons never shall be slaves appeared in 1740, and in 1760 George III., in his first speech to Parliament, added to his already great popularity by the sentence: 'Born and educated in this country, I glory in the name

of Briton!' (Lecky, England in the Eighteenth Century, chap. 9). The term was a favorite with Pope.

9-14. Both Boswell and Dr. Hill have misread these lines as an expression of prejudice against Ireland and Scotland (Life 1. 130 and n. 1). Johnson's prejudice against Scotland is well known, but could never be inferred from these lines.

14-17. See Hogarth, Industry and Idleness, XI. Four Times of Day-Night; Marriage à la Mode, I; Gin Lane. 21-4. Twenty-five years later Boswell and Johnson spent an interesting day at Greenwich (Life 1. 457-62). Boswell carried in his pocket a copy of London, and read these four lines aloud with enthusiasm,' but seems to have drawn no comment from the author.

were

29. Masquerades. The midnight masquerades popular entertainments throughout the Eighteenth Century, except for short periods when they were repressed. Addison attacked them in The Spectator (No. 8, 1711), and Johnson in The Rambler (No. 10, 1750). A good contemporary description of one is in The Guardian (No. 154, 1713). See also W. C. Sydney, England and the English in the Eighteenth Century (1. 144-150).

Excise. A hateful tax levied upon commodities, and adjudged not by the common judges of property, but wretches hired by those to whom excise is paid' (Johnson's Dictionary, 1755). ‘A duty charged on home goods, either in the process of their manufacture, or before their sale to the home consumers' (Encycl. Brit.). This tax was unpopular from its establishment by the Commonwealth in 1643 throughout the Eighteenth Century. See Burns' The De'il's awa' with the Exciseman. Johnson refers to Walpole's attempt to use it five years earlier as a means of relieving the distress that followed the South Sea failures. His policy had been masterly, but popular prejudice against excise was so strong that he had abandoned the measure when it was all but passed, in one of the most striking scenes that ever took place in Parliament. See Lecky, England in the Eighteenth Century, chap. 3, for an account of this and a brilliant portrait of Walpole.

30. English honor. The increasing trade of Spain and England with the New World (cf. 1. 173) had engendered disputes and rivalry that by this time threatened serious consequences. Popular resentment against Spain had grown very high through real and alleged injuries to English sailors, and the clamor for war rose throughout the nation. Walpole's policy was peace, but popular discontent and the Opposition were so strong that war was soon declared, and Walpole's long and brilliant control of the government ended in 1741. In his Epilogue to the Satires (1738), Pope, who was twenty years older than Johnson, touched upon the same abuses, and represented England a captive of Vice (151-164).

38. Science. 'Learning,' as often in earlier writers. 45. Osiers. Johnson loved trees and vegetation; see p. xli. He called them 'The most pleasing part of nature (Plan). 'Were I a rich man, I would propagate all kinds of trees that will grow in the open air' (Life 2. 168). Cf. 1. 216 and n.

47. Briton. Here a Celt' or 'Welshman.'

49. Secret Cell. When Johnson and Boswell were at St. Andrews, the talk turned upon religious asceticism. 'Mr. Nairne said he had an inclination to retire. I called Dr. Johnson's attention to this that I might hear his opinion if it was right. Johnson. " Yes, when he has done his duty to society. In general, as every man is obliged not only to love God, but his neighbor as himself,' he must bear his part in active life; yet there are exceptions.. Those who cannot resist temptations, and find they make themselves worse by being in the world, without making it better, may retire. I never read of a hermit, but in imagination I kiss his feet; never of a monastery, but I could fall on my knees, and kiss the pavement. But I think putting young people there who know nothing of life, nothing of retirement, is dangerous and wicked. I have thought of retiring, and have talked of it to a friend; but I find my vocation is rather to active life"› (Life 5. 62, 3). The same opinion is set forth in chapters 21 and 47 of Rasselas.

51. Pensions. 'An allowance made to any one without

an equivalent. In England it is generally understood to mean pay given to a state hireling, for treason to his country' (Johnson's Dictionary, 1755). Literature had been wisely patronized under Queen Anne, but Walpole and his successors used the pension as a means of corruption; this must have increased Johnson's hatred of patronage. He defines 'pensioner' as 'A slave of state hired by a stipend to obey his master.' Seven years later, after the accession of George III., when Johnson's pension was offered him, he hesitated to accept it, partly on account of these definitions. But Sir Joshua Reynolds assured him they were not applicable to him, and Lord Bute, the Prime Minister, said plainly, 'It is not given you for anything you are to do, but for what you have done.' Thus his hesitation was overcome.

51-6. This most spirited invective against tyranny and oppression,' as Boswell calls it, was quite consistent with Johnson's Toryism. From 1722 to 1742 Sir Robert Walpole and the Whigs controlled the government, and maintained a powerful ring by the avoidance of war and a system of ingenious corruption through places, pensions, and the like. It had now continued so long as to become an object of suspicion and fear. What then is more natural than sentiments like these from a Tory in opposition? It is an old saying that a Tory out of place is a Whig. Great sums of secret service money were usually expended in direct bribery, and places and pensions were multiplied to such an extent that it is on record that out of 550 members there were in the first Parliament of George I. no less than 271, in the first Parliament of George II., no less than 257, holding offices, pensions, or sinecures. And the body which was thus constituted was rapidly becoming supreme in the State' (Lecky, England in the Eighteenth Century, chap. 4).

54. Pirates. Spaniards. Spain had justly claimed the right of searching English vessels for violations of the trade-treaty with England, but she was sometimes actually, sometimes supposedly, guilty of violence to English sailors. A notorious case was that of Jenkins, who exhibited in Parliament one of his ears carefully preserved in a box,

which he said had been cut off by Spaniards. It roused the English to tremendous fury against Spain, but there seems to be some doubt whether Jenkins ever lost an ear, or, if he did, that the Spaniards severed it. Johnson refers to the attempts of Walpole in Parliament to explode these rumors and maintain peace.

66

55. Chesterfield, the enemy of Walpole, says of him: 'He laughed at and ridiculed all notions of public virtue, and the love of one's country, calling them "the chimerical school-boy flights of classical learning"; declaring himself at the same time, no saint, no Spartan, no reformer." He would frequently ask young fellows, at their first appearance in the world, while their honest hearts were yet untainted: "Well, are you to be an old Roman? a patriot? You will soon come off of that, and grow wiser' (W. Ernst, Life of Chesterfield, p. 246).

58. Lottery. With the increase of wealth the instinct for gambling grew strong in the Eighteenth Century and was encouraged by state patronage of lotteries. The Government resorted to this means of raising money: Westminster Bridge was built with the proceeds of a lottery; the collection of manuscripts known as the Harleian and Cottonian were thus purchased for the British Museum; even in America the practice was common, and at Yale College, Connecticut Hall was in part paid for by the same means. The abuses were enormous and thousands of people with limited means were caught in the excitement and ruined. The Rambler (Nos. 181, 2) attacks lotteries as The Tatler (No. 124) and The Spectator (No. 191) had done in somewhat milder tone. See Sydney, England and the English in the Eighteenth Century 1. 222-29.

59. Licensed Stage. The famous Licensing Act intended to regulate and restrict the stage, especially from attacks on the government, was passed the year before, and was, of course, the work of Walpole. See W. Nicholson, The Struggle for a Free Stage in London.

62. The great and sudden increase of wealth in England during the Eighteenth Century was due largely to the development of her colonies.

69. Who scarce forbear. Alluding to the episode nar