him, that we may have his consent to put his name in the title-page. As to the printing, if it can be set immediately about, I will be so much the authour's friend, as not to content myself with mere solicitations in his favour. I propose, if my calcu pect a repetition of this same pleasure so soon; for a pleasure I shall always think it, to converse in any manner with an ingenious and candid man; but having the enclosed poem in my hands to dispose of for the benefit of the authour (of whose abilities I shall say nothing, since I send you his per-lation be near the truth, to engage for the formance), I believe I could not procure more advantageous terms from any person than from you, who have so much distinguished yourself by your generous encouragement of poetry; and whose judgement of that art nothing but your commendation of my trifle can give me any occasion to call in question. I do not doubt but you will look over this poem with another eye, and reward it in a different manner from a mercenary bookseller, who counts the lines he is to purchase, and considers nothing but the bulk. I cannot help taking notice, that besides what the authour may hope for on account of his abilities, he has likewise another claim to your regard, as he lies at present under very disadvantageous circumstances of fortune. I beg, therefore, that you will favour me with a letter to-morrow, that I may know what you can afford to allow him, that he may either part with it to you, or find out (which I do not expect) some other way more to his satisfaction. reimbursement of all that you shall lose by an impression of five hundred; provided, as you very generously propose, that the profit, if any, be set aside for the authour's use, excepting the present you made, which, if he be a gainer, it is fit he should repay. I beg that you will let one of your servants write an exact account of the expense of such an impression, and send it with the poem, that I may know what I engage for. I am very sensible, from your generosity on this occasion, of your regard to learning, even in its unhappiest state; and cannot but think such a temper deserving of the gratitude of those who suffer so often from a contrary disposition I am, sir, your most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." "TO MR. CAVE. [April, 1738.] "SIR,-I waited on you to take the copy to Dodsley's: as I remember the number of lines which it contains, it will be no longer than Eugenio 2, with the quotations, "I have only to add, that as I am sensi- which must be subjoined at the bottom of ble I have transcribed it very coarsely, the page; part of the beauty of the perwhich, after having altered it, I was oblig-formance (if any beauty be allowed it) coned to do, I will, if you please to transmit the sheets from the press, correct it for you; and take the trouble of altering any stroke of satire which you may dislike. "By exerting on this occasion your usual generosity, you will not only encourage learning, and relieve distress, but (though it be in comparison of the other motives of very small account) oblige in a very sensible manner, sir, your very humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." "TO MR. CAVE. "SIR,—I am to return you thanks for the present you were so kind as to send by me, and to intreat that you will be pleased to inform me by the penny-post, whether you resolve to print the poem. If you please to send it me by the post, with a note to Dodsley, I will go and read the lines to of the Ode Ad Urbanum (which was no doubt the trifle referred to in the first letter), of the Epigram to Eliza, and of London itself, to assign the dates of March and April, 1738, to these letters.-ED.] [Though Cave had not taste enough to be struck with the value of the poem, he had, we see, charity enough to relieve the pressing wants of the author in the shape of a present.-ED.] sisting in adapting Juvenal's sentiments to modern facts and persons. It will, with those additions, very conveniently nake five sheets. And since the expense will be no more, I shall contentedly ensure it, as I mentioned in my last. If it be not therefore gone to Dodsley's, I beg it may be sent me by the penny-post, that I may have it in the evening. I have composed a Greek Epigram to Eliza3, and think she ought to 2 A poem, published in 1737, of which see an account, post, under April 30, 1773.-Bos WELL. 3 The learned Mrs. Elizabeth Carter. This lady, of whom frequent mention will be found in these Memoirs, was daughter of Nicholas Carter, D. D. She [was born at Deal on the 14th December, 1717, and] died in Clarges-street, February 19, 1806-MALONE-[in the eighty-ninth year "of a life" (as the editor had the pleasure of saying on a former occasion) "sweetened and adorned by learning and by piety; by the friendship of those who approached her, and the respect of the world at large." Her early acquaintance with Johnson is thus noticed by her nephew and biographer: "Mr. Cave was much connected with the literary world, and his friendship for Mrs. Carter was the means of introducing her to many authours and scholars of note; among those was Mr. afterwards Dr. Johnson. This was early in his life, and his name was then but begin be celebrated in as many different languages | which he might dislike." That any such as Lewis le Grand. Pray send me word alteration was made, we do not know. If when you will begin upon the poem, for it we did, we could not but feel an indignant is a long way to walk. I would leave my regret; but how painful is it to see that a Epigram, but have not daylight to tran- writer of such vigorous powers of mind was scribe it.-I am, sir, yours, &c. actually in such distress, that the small profit which so short a poem, however excellent, could yield, was courted as a "relief." 66 "SAM. JOHNSON." "TO MR. CAVE. [April, 1738.] SIR, I am extremely obliged by your kind letter, and will not fail to attend you to-morrow with Irene, who looks upon you as one of her best friends. It has been generally said, I know not with what truth, that Johnson offered his "London" to several booksellers, none of whom would purchase it. To this circumstance Mr. Derrick alludes in the following lines of his "Fortune, a Rhapsody:" "Will no kind patron Johnson own? The offspring of his happy Muse?" "I was to-day with Mr. Dodsley, who declares very warmly in favour of the paper you sent him, which he desires to have a share in, it being, as he says, a creditable thing to be concerned in. I knew not what answer to make till I had consulted you, But we have seen that the worthy, monor what to demand on the authour's part, dest, and ingenious Mr. Robert Dodsley, but am very willing that, if you please, had taste enough to perceive its uncommon be should have a part in it, as he will un- merit, and thought it creditable to have a doubtedly be more diligent to disperse and share in it. The fact is, that, at a future promote it. If you can send me word to- conference, he bargained for the whole promorrow what I shall say to him, I will set-perty of it, for which he gave Johnson ten the matters, and bring the poem with me for the press, which, as the town empties, 1 we cannot be too quick with.-I am, sir, yours, "SAM. JOHNSON." &c. To us who have long known the manly force, bold spirit, and masterly versification of this poem, it is a matter of curiosity to observe the diffidence with which its authour brought it forward into publick notice, while he is so cautious as not to avow it to be his own production; and with what humility he offers to allow the printer to "alter any stroke of satire ning to be known, having just published his celebested Imitation of the Third Satire of Juvenal, under the name of London. Neither this work guineas; who told me, "I might perhaps have accepted of less; but that Paul Whitehead had a little before got ten guineas for a poem; and I would not take less than Paul Whitehead 2." I may here observe, that Johnson appeared to me to undervalue Paul Whitehead upon every occasion when he was mentioned, and, in my opinion, did not do him justice; but when it is considered that Paul Whitehead was a member of a riotous and profane club, we may account for Johnson's having a prejudice against him. Paul Whitehead was, indeed, unfortunate in being not only slighted by Johnson, but violently attacked by Churchill, who utters the following imprecation: 66 Be born a Whitehead, and baptized a Paul!" Johnson's London was published in May, "17383; and it is remarkable, that it came 2 nor has general character were as yet much known [The publishing season was then in October, when the fashionable world were returning to the opols for the winter.-D'ISRAELI.] [The reader will have observed that in his letter to Cave, Johnson, so far from insisting on ten guineas, or any other price, humbly desires to consult him as to what he ought to ask.-ED.] 3 Sir John Hawkins, p. 86, tells us, "The event (Savage's retirement) is antedated, in the poem of London; but in every particular, except the difference of a year, what is there said of the departure of Thales, must be understood of Savage, and looked upon as true history.' This conjecture is, I believe, entirely groundless. I have been assured that Johnson said he was not so much as acquainted with Savage, when he wrote his "London." If the departure mentioned in out on the same morning with Pope's satire, entitled "1738;" so that England had at once its Juvenal and Horace as poetical monitors. The Reverend Dr. Douglas, now Bishop of Salisbury, to whom I am indebted for some obliging communications, was then a student at Oxford, and remembers well the effect which "London" produced. Every body was delighted with it; and there being no name to it, the first it was the departure of Savage, the event was not antedated but foreseen; for" London" was published in May, 1738, and Savage did not set out for Wales till July, 1739. However well Johnson could defend the credibility of second sight, he did not pretend that he himself was possessed of that faculty.-BOSWELL. It buzz of the literary circles was, "Here is an unknown poet, greater even than Pope." And it is recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine of that year (p. 269), that it "got to the second edition in the course of a week." One of the warmest patrons of this poem on its first appearance was General Oglethorpe 2, whose "strong benevolence of 66 2 [James Edward Oglethorpe, born in 1698, admitted of C. C. C. Oxford in 1714; but he soon after entered the army, and served under Prince Eugene against the Turks. Dr. Warton, (who calls Oglethorpe "a great hero and a great legislator,") informs us that " neither he (Oglethorpe!) nor Prince Eugene loved Marlborough;" and that Oglethorpe related that Eugene said, sneeringly, of his illustrious colleague, there is a great differ[Notwithstanding Mr. Boswell's proofs, and ence between making war en maitre or en avoDr. Johnson's own assertions, the identity of Sav- cat." The fame of the Duke of Marlborough will age and Thales has been repeated by all the bi- not be much impaired by wanting the love of ographers, and has obtained general vogue. Oglethorpe, who did not leave school till after that may, therefore, be worth while to add, that John- great man had terminated his public career; and son's residence at Greenwich (which as it was even Oglethorpe's authority would not induce us to the scene of his fancied parting from Thales, is believe that Prince Eugene (supposing him to have currently taken to have been that of his real sep-wished to depreciate Marlborough) would have aration from Savage) occurred two years before the latter event; and at that time it does not appear that Johnson was so much as acquainted with Savage, or even with Cave, at whose house he first met Savage:-again; Johnson distinctly tells us, in his Life of Savage, that the latter took his departure for Wales, not by embarking at Greenwich, but by the Bristol stage coach: and, finally and decisively, Johnson, if Thales had been Savage, could never have admitted into his poem two lines which seem to point so forcibly at the drunken fray when Savage stabbed a Mr. Sinclair, for which he was convicted of murder. talked such absurd nonsense as that above quoted. "One, driven by strong benevolence of soul, In 1745, Oglethorpe was promoted to the rank "Some frolic drunkard, reeling from a feast, Provokes a broil, and stabs you in a jest." There is, certainly, a curious coincidence between some points of the characters of Thales and Savage; but it seems equally certain that the coinci-hour, and the exhaustion of the troops, rendered dence was fortuitous. Mr. Murphy endeavours to it inexpedient to attack that night; and Oglethorpe reconcile the difficulties by supposing that Savage's therefore marched off to a neighbouring village to retirement was in contemplation eighteen months forage and refresh. Meanwhile the Duke of before it was carried into effect; but even if this Cumberland pressed on; and next morning when were true (which may well be doubted), it would he came to Shap, found that it had been abannot alter the facts, that London was written be- doned by the rebels, but H. R. H. was surprised fore Johnson knew Savage; and that one of the by seeing, on his right towards the rear, an unexseverest strokes in the satire touched Savage's sor-pected body of troops; it turned out to be Ogleest point.-ED.] 1 [He was a Scotchman by birth, but educated at St. Mary Hall and Balliol College, Oxford, (M. A. 1743, D. D. 1758), and owed his first promotions to Lord Bath (to whose son he had been tutor), and his literary reputation to his detection of Lauder. He wrote several political and party pamphlets, and prepared Captain Cook's third journal for publication. But his most valuable work is The Criterion, a refutation of the objections of Hume and others to the miracles recorded in the New Testament. He was made Bishop of Carlisle in 1788, and translated to Salisbury in 1791. in which see he died in 1807.— ED.] thorpe's corps, which, from being the van guard of his army, had thus unaccountably become the rear. The duke caused Oglethorpe to be brought to a court martial (from the original minutes of which the foregoing particulars are taken), and though acquitted, he was never again employed. It is by no means surprising that this "neglect" should have mortified a man of Oglethorpe's sensibility; and it is to be inferred from Mr. Boswell's expressions, that late in life he had in vain solicited for some "mark of distinction" to heal his wounded feelings. General Oglethorpe sat in five or six parliaments, and was in general politics a tory, and even suspected of being a jacobite: to this may, perhaps be referred most of the then in that ferment against the court and the ministry, which some years after ended in the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole; and as it has been said, that tories are whigs when out of place; and whigs tories when in place; so, as a whig administration ruled with what force it could, a tory opposition had all the animation and all the eloquence of resistance to power, aided by the common topics of patriotism, liberty, and independence! Accordingly, we find in Johnson's "London" the most spirited invectives against tyranny and oppression, the warmes predilection for his own country, and the purest love and virtue; interspers soul" was unabated during the course of a very long life; though it is painful to think, that he had but too much reason to become cold and callous, and discontented with the world, from the neglect which he experienced of his publick and private worth, by those in whose power it was to gratify so gallant a veteran with marks of distinction. This extraordinary person was as remarkable for his learning and taste, as for his other eminent qualities; and no man was more prompt, active, and generous, in encouraging merit. I have heard Johnson gratefully acknowledge, in his presence, the kind and effectual support which he gave to his "London," though unacquainted with traits of his own particular characed with its authour. Pope, who then filled the poetical throne without a rival, it may reasonably be presumed, must have been particularly struck by the sudden appearance of such a poet; and, to his credit, let it be remembered, that his feelings and conduct on the occasion were candid and liberal. He requested Mr. Richardson, son of the painter, to endeavour to find out who this new authour was. Mr. Richardson, after some inquiry, having informed him that he had discovered only that his name was Johnson, and that he was some obscure man, Pope said, "He will soon be deterré 2." We shall presently see, from a note written by Pope, that he was himself afterwards more successful in his inquiries than his friend. That in this justly celebrated poem may be found a few rhymes which the critical precision of English prosody at this day would disallow, cannot be denied; but with this small imperfection, which in the general blaze of its excellence is not perceived, till the mind has subsided into cool attention, it is, undoubtedly, one of the noblest productions in our language both for sentiment and expression. The nation was particulars of his history-his dislike of the Duke of Marlborough-the praises of Pope-his partaidy towards Johnson's political poetry-the spicion of not having done his best against the rebels-and the "neglect" of the court. He died 3 June, 1785.-ED.] [There were three Richardsons known at this ped in the literary world: 1st. Jonathan Richardson the elder, usually called the Painter, though he was an author as well as a painter; he died in 1745, aged 80. 2d. Jonathan the younger, who is the person mentioned in the text, who also painted, though not as a profession, and who publishederal works; he died in 1771, aged 77. Samuel Richardson, the author of the celebrated novels. He was by trade a printer, and had the good sense to continue, during the height of hame, his attention to his business. He died 1761, aged 72.-ED.] Su Joshua Reynolds, from the information of de younger Richardson.-BOSWELL. 7 TOL. 1. ter and situation, not omitting his prejudices as a "true-born Englishman 3," not only against foreign countries, but against Ireland and Scotland. On some of these topicks I shall quote a few passages: "The cheated nation's happy fav'rites see; Mark whom the great caress, who frown on me." "Has heaven reserv'd, in pity to the poor, We may easily conceive with what feeling a great mind like his, cramped and galled by narrow circumstances, uttered this last line, which he marked by capitals. The whole of the poem is eminently excellent, and there are in it such proofs of a knowledge of the world, and of a mature acquaintance with life 4, as cannot be con It is, however, remarkable, that he uses the epithet, which undoubtedly, since the union between England and Scotland, ought to denominate the natives of both parts of our island. "Was early taught a BRITON's rights to prize."— BOSWELL. [This is not quite correct. The union of the crowns gave the whole island the title of Great Britain, but the term Briton had been always used in contradistinction to Caledonian.-ED.] [What follows will show that Boswell himself was of opinion that London was dictated rather by youthful feeling, inflamed by the political frenzy of the times, than by any “knowledge of the world," or any "mature acquaintance with life." Nor is it the least remarkable of the inconsistencies between Johnson's early precepts and subsequent practice, that he, who was in all his latter age the most constant and enthusiastic admirer of London, should have begun life with this templated without wonder, when we consider that he was then only in his twentyninth year, and had yet been so little in the "busy haunts of men." Yet while we admire the poetical excellence of this poem, candour obliges us to allow, that the flame of patriotism and zeal for popular resistance with which it is fraught had no just cause. There was, in truth, no "oppression;" the "nation" was not "cheated." Sir Robert Walpole was a wise and a benevolent minister, who thought that the happiness and prosperity of a commercial country like ours would be best promoted by peace, which he accordingly maintained with credit, during a very long period. Johnson himself afterwards acknowledged the merit of Walpole, whom he called "a fixed star;" while he characterised his opponent, Pitt, as a "meteor." But Johnson's juvenile poem was naturally impregnated with the fire of opposition, and upon every account was universally ad mired. Though thus elevated into fame, and conscious of uncommon powers, he had not that bustling confidence, or I may rather say, that animated ambition, which one might have supposed would have urged him to endeavour at rising in life. But such was his inflexible dignity of character, that he could not stoop to court the great; without which, hardly any man has made his way to a high station. He could not expect to produce many such works as his "London," and he felt the hardships of writing for bread; he was therefore willing to resume the office of a schoolmaster, so as to have a sure, though moderate income for his life; and an offer being made to him of the mastership of a school? [at vigorous and bitter invective against it. The truth is, he was now writing for bread, cared comparatively little about the real merits or defects of the minister or the metropolis, and only thought how best to make his poem sell.-ED.] 1 [This seems to be an erroneous and mischievous assertion. If Mr. Boswell, by stooping to court the great, means base flatteries and unworthy compliances, then it may be safely asserted that such arts, (whatever small successes they may have had), are not those by which men have risen to high stations. Look at the instances of elevation to be found in Mr. Boswell's own work-Lord Chatham, Lord Mansfield, Mr. Burke, Mr. Hamilton, Lord Loughborough, Lord Thurlow, Lord Stowell, and so many dignitaries of the law and the church, in whose society Dr. Johnson passed his latter days-with what can they be charged which would have disgraced Johnson? Boswell, it may be suspected, wrote this under some little personal disappointment in his own courtship of the great, which he more than once hints at. Johnson's opinions on this point will be found under Feb. 1766, and Sept. 1777.-ED.] 2 [Mr. Boswell had here inserted a long note to Hawk p. 62. Appleby, in Leicestershire,] provided he could obtain the degree of Master of Arts, Dr. Adams was applied to, by a common friend, to know whether that could be granted him as a favour from the university of Oxford. But though he had made such a figure in the literary world, it was then thought too great a favour to be asked. Pope, without any knowledge of him but from his "London," recommended 3 him to Earl Gower, who endeavoured to procure for him a degree from Dublin, by the following letter to a friend of Dean Swift: "SIR, Mr. Samuel Johnson (authour of LONDON, a satire, and some other poetical pieces) is a native of this country, and much respected by some worthy gentlemen in this neighbourhood, who are trustees of a charity-school now vacant; the certain salary is sixty pounds a year, of which they are desirous to make him master; but, unfortunately he is not capable of receiving their bounty, which would make him happy for life, by not being a master of arts; which, by the statutes of this school, the master of it must be. "Now these gentlemen do me the honour to think that I have interest enough in you, to prevail upon you to write to Dean Swift, to persuade the university of Dublin to send a diploma to me, constituting this poor man master of arts in their university. They highly extol the man's learning and probity; and will not be persuaded, that the university will make any difficulty of conferring such a favour upon a stranger, if he is recommended by the dean. They say, he is not afraid of the strictest prove, first, that the school in question was Newport in Shropshire; and secondly, on the evidence of a writer in the Gentleman's Magazine (May, 1793), that it was Appleby in Leicestershire, though Mr. Pope, by mistake, had said Shropshire; but as Sir J. Hawkins had already stated Appleby to be the school in question, Mr. Boswell took a great deal of unnecessary trouble, and his note is therefore omitted.-ED.] 3 [It seems not easy to reconcile Lord Gower's and Pope's letters, and Mr. Boswell's account of this transaction. Lord Gower's letter says that it is written at the request of some Staffordshire neighbours. Nothing more natural. He does not even allude to Pope; and certainly it would have been most extraordinary that Pope, the dearest friend of Swift, should solicit Lord Gower to ask a favour of the Dean. Pope says (see post, p. 56.) that he wrote unsolicited to Lord Gower in Johnson's favour; but did not succeed. He makes no allusion to Swift, or the master's degree. Perhaps Pope's application to Lord Gower related, as his letter says, to a school in Shropshire, and, failing there, the school of Appleby was thought of afterwards. This supposition would remove all difficulties.-ED.] |