When I mentioned Thomas Lord Lyttelton's vision, the prediction of the time of his death, and its exact fulfilment ;JOHNSON. "It is the most extraordinary thing that has happened in my day. I heard it with my own ears, from his uncle, Lord Westcote. I am so glad to have every evidence of the spiritual world that I am willing to believe it." DR. ADAMS." You have evidence enough; good evidence, which needs not such support." JOHNSON. "I like to have more." SON. what has now been stated should be urged by the enemies of Christianity, as if its influence on the mind were not benig. nant, let it be remembered, that Johnson's temperament was melancholy, of which such direful apprehensions of futurity are often a common effect. We shall presently see, that when he approached nearer to his awful change, his mind became tranquil, and he exhibited as much fortitude as becomes a thinking man in that situation. From the subject of death we passed to discourse of life, whether it was upon the whole more happy or miserable. Johnson was decidedly for the balance of misery in confirmation of which I main of Brazen Nose College, Oxford, has favoured LAST week I was reading the second volume of Boswell's Jolinson, with increasing esteem for the worthy authour, and increasing veneration of the wonderful and excellent man Mr. Henderson, with whom I had sauntered in the venerable walks of Merton College, and found him a very learned and pions man, supped with us. Dr. Johnson surprised him not a little, by acknowledging with a look of horrour, that he was much oppressed by the fear of death. The amiable Dr. Adams suggested that GOD was infinitely good. JOHNSON. "That he is infinitely good, as far as the perfection of his nature will allow, I certainly believe; but it is necessary, for good upon the whole, that individuals should be punished. As to an individual, therefore, he is not infinitely good; and as I cannot be sure that I have fulfilled the conditions on which salvation is granted, I am afraid I may be one of those who shall be damned." (Looking dismally). DR. ADAMS. "What do you mean by damned?" JOHNSON (pas-who is the subject of it. The writer throws in, sionately and loudly). "Sent to hell, sir, now and then, very properly, some serious and punished everlastingly." DR. ADAMS. religious reflections; but there is one remark, "I don't believe that doctrine." JOHN-in my mind, an obvious and just one, which I "Hold, sir, do you believe that think he has not made, that Johnson's 'morbid melancholy' and constitutional infirmities some will be punished at all?" DR. were intended by Providence, like St. Paul's ADAMS. "Being excluded from Heaven thorn in the flesh, to check intellectual conwill be a punishment; yet there may be ceit and arrogance; which the consciousness of his extraordinary talents, awake as he was no great positive suffering." JOHNSON. to the voice of praise, might otherwise have "Well, sir; but, if you admit any degree generated in a very culpable degree. Anoof punishment, there is an end of your ther observation strikes me, that in conseargument for infinite goodness simply quence of the same natural indisposition and considered; for infinite goodness would habitual sickliness (for he says he scarcely passed one day without pain after his tweninflict no punishment whatever. There tieth year), he considered and represented is not infinite goodness physically con- human life as a scene of much greater misery sidered morally there is." BOSWELL. than is generally experienced. There may be "But may not a man attain to such a days; and there are those, no doubt, whose persons bowed down with affliction all their degree of hope as not to be uneasy from iniquities rob them of rest; but neither calathe fear of death?" JOHNSON. "A man mities nor crimes, I hope and believe, do so may have such a degree of hope as to much and so generally abound as to justify keep him quiet. You see I am not quiet, gination designed, and his strong pencil dethe dark picture of life which Johnson's imafrom the vehemence with which I talk; lineated. This I am sure, the colouring is far but I do not despair." MRS. ADAMS. too gloomy for what I have experienced, "You seem, sir, to forget the merits of though, as far as I can remember, I have our Redeemer." JOHNSON. "Madam, I but only more in quantity) than falls to the had more sickness (I do not say more severe, do not forget the merits of my Redeemer; lot of most people. But then daily debility but my Redeemer has said that he will and occasional sickness were far overbaset some on his right hand and some on lanced by intervenient days, and, perhaps, his left." He was in gloomy agitation, fort. So that in short, to return to the subweeks, void of pain, and overflowing with comand said, "I'll have no more on't."-If ject, human life, as far as I can perceive from experience or observation, is not that state of constant wretchedness which Johnson always insisted it was: which misrepresentation (for such it surely is) his Biographer has not corrected, I suppose, because, unhappily, [A correct account of Lord Lyttelton's supposed vision may be found in Nashe's "History of Worcestershire;" - ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS, p. 36. M.j tained, that no man would choose to lead over again the life which he had experienced. Johnson acceded to that opinion in the strongest terms. This is an inquiry often made; and its being a subject of disquisition is a proof that much misery presses upon human feelings; for those who are conscious of a felicity of existence would never hesitate to accept of a repetition of it. I have met with very few who would. I have heard Mr. Burke make use of a very ingenious and plausible argument on this subject:"Every man (said he) would lead his he has himself a large portion of melancholy in his constitution, and fancied the portrait a faithful copy of life."" The learned writer then proceeds thus in his letter to me: life over again; for, every man is willing to go on and take an addition to his life, which, as he grows older, he has no reason to think will be better, or even so good as what has preceded." I imagine, however, the truth is, that there is a deceitful hope that the next part of life will be free from the pains, and anxieties, and sorrows which we have already felt. We are for wise purposes "Condemn'd to Hope's delusive mine," as Johnson finely says; and I may also quote the celebrated lines of Dryden, equally philosophical and poetical: his duty, chequered as the best life is with many failings, will be crowned with a greater degree of present peace, serenity, and confort than he could reasonably permit himself to expect, if he measured his views and judged of life from the opinion of Dr. Johnson, often and energetically expressed in the Memoirs of him, without any animadversion or censure by his ingenious Biographer. If he himself, upon reviewing the subject, shall see the matter in this light, he will, in an octavo edition, which is eagerly expected, make such additional remarks or corrections as he shall judge fit; lest the impressionswhich these discouraging passages may leave on the reader's mind should in any degree hinder what otherwise the whole spirit and energy of the work tends, and, I hope, successfully, to promote-pure morality and true "I have conversed with some sensible men on this subject, who all seem to entertain the same sentiments respecting life with those which are expressed or implied in the foregoing paragraph. It might be added, that as the representation here spoken of appears not consistent with fact and experience, so neither does it seem to be countenanced by Scripture. There is, perhaps, no part of the sacred voJume which at first sight promises so much to lend its sanction to these dark and desponding notions as the book of Ecclesiastes, which so often and so emphatically proclaims the vanity of things sublunary. But the design of this whole book (as it has been justly ob-religion." served) is not to put us out of conceit with life, but to cure our vain expectations of a complete and perfect happiness in this world; to convince us that there is no such thing to be found in mere external enjoyments;-and to teach us to seek for happiness in the prac. tice of virtue, in the knowledge and love of God, and in the hopes of a better life. For this is the application of all: Let us hear, &c. xii. 13. Not only his duty but his happiness too: For GOD, &c. ver. 14.'-See 'Sherlock on Providence,' p. 299. "The New Testament tells us, indeed, and most truly, that sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof;' and, therefore, wisely forbids us to increase our burden by forebodings of sorrows; but I think it nowhere says that even our ordinary afflictions are not consistent with a very considerable degree of positive comfort and satisfaction. And, accordingly, one whose sufferings as well as merits were conspicuous, assures us, that in proportion as the sufferings of Christ abounded in them, so their consolation also abounded in Christ. 2 Cor. i. 5. It is needless to cite, as indeed it would be endless even to refer to, the multitude of passages in both Testaments holding out, in the strongest language, promises of blessings, even in this world, to the faithful servants of GOD. I will only refer to St. Luke, xviii. 29, 30, and 1 Tim. iv. 8. "Upon the whole, setting aside instances of great and lasting bodily pain, of minds peculiarly oppressed by melancholy, and of severe temporal calamities, from which extraordinary cases we surely should not form our estimate of the general tenour and complexion of life; excluding these from the account, I am convinced that as well the gracious constitution of things which Providence has ordained, as the declarations of Scripture and the actual experience of individuals, authorize the sincere Christian to hope that his humble and constant endeavours to perform Though I have, in some degree, obviated any reflections against my illustrious friend's dark views of life, when considering, in the course of this Work, his "Rambler" and his "Rasselas," I am obliged to Mr. Churton for complying with my request of his permission to insert his Remarks, being conscious of the weight of what he judiciously suggests as to the melancholy in my own constitution. His more pleasing views of life, I hope, are just. Valeant, quantum valere possunt. Mr. Churton concludes his letter to me in these words:" Once, and only once, I had the satisfaction of seeing your illustrious friend; and as I feel a particular regard for all whom he distinguished with his esteem and friendship, so I derive much pleasure from reflecting that I once beheld, though but transiently, near our College gate, one whose works will for ever delight and improve the world, who was a sincere and zealous son of the Church of England, an honour to his country, and an ornament to human nature." Mr. His letter was accompanied with a present from himself of his "Sermons at the Bampton Lecture," and from his friend, Dr. Townson, the venerable Rector of Malpas, in Cheshire, of his "Discourses on the Gospels," together with the following extract of a letter from that excellent person, who is now gone to receive the reward of his labours:Boswell is not only very entertaining in his works, but they are so replete with moral and religious sentiments, without an instance, as far as I know, of a contrary tendency, that I cannot help having a great esteem for him; and if you think such a trifle as a copy of the Discourses, ex dono authoris, would be acceptable to him, I should be happy to give him this small testimony of my regard." Such spontaneous testimonies of approbation from such men, without any persona! acquaintance with me, are truly valuable and encouraging. "The wits of Charles found easier ways to fame," one set of Savages is like another." Bos- a Barrister who would hope for success WELL. "I do not think the people of to be much too indulgent; but certainly Otaheité can be reckoned Savages." it is, that as JOHNSON. "Don't cant in defence of Savages." BOSWELL. "They have the art of navigation." JOHNSON. "A dog or a cat can swim." BOSWELL. "They carve very ingeniously." JOHNSON. "A cat can scratch, and a child with a nail can scratch." I perceived this was none of the mollia tempora fandi; so desisted. Upon his mentioning that when he came to College he wrote his first exercise twice over, but never did so afterwards. Miss ADAMS. "I suppose, sir, you could not make them better?' JOHNSON. "Yes, madam, to be sure, I could make them better. Thought is better than no thought." MISS ADAMS. "Do you think, sir, you could make your Ramblers better?" JOHNSON." Certainly I could." BoSWELL. "I'll lay a bet, sir, you cannot." JOHNSON. "But I will, sir, if I choose. I shall make the best of them you shall pick out better." BosWELL." But you may add to them. I will not allow of that." JOHNSON. "Nay, sir, there are three ways of making them better;-putting out,-adding,-or correcting." sonie of the lawyers of this age, who have risen high, have by no means thought it absolutely necessary to submit to that long and painful course of study which a Plowden, a Coke, and a Hale considered as requisite. My respected friend, Mr. Langton, has shown me in the handwriting of his grandfather, a curious account of a conversation which he had with Lord Chief Justice Hale, in which that great man tells him, 'That for two years after he came to the inn of court, he studied sixteen hours a day; however (his Lordship added), that by this intense application he almost brought himself to his grave, though he were of a very strong constitution, and after reduced himself to eight hours; but that he would not advise any body to so much; that he thought six hours a day, with attention and constancy, was sufficient; that a man must use his body as he would his horse, and his stomach; not tire him at once, but rise with an appetite." On Wednesday, June 19, Dr. Johnson During our visit at Oxford, the follow- and I returned to London; he was not ing conversation passed between him and well to-day, and said very little, employme on the subject of my trying my for- ing himself chiefly in reading Euripides. tune at the English bar. Having asked He expressed some displeasure at me for whether a very extensive acquaintance in not observing sufficiently the various obLondon, which was very valuable and of jects upon the road. "If I had your eyes, great advantage to a man at large, might sir (said he), I should count the passennot be prejudicial to a lawyer, by pre-gers." It was wonderful how accurate venting him from giving sufficient attention to his business?-JOHNSON. "Sir, you will attend to business as business lays hold of you. When not actually employed, you may see your friends as much as you do now. You may dine at a Club every day, and sup with one of the members every night; and you may be as much at publick places as one who has seen them all would wish to be. But you must take care to attend constantly in Westminster Hall; both to mind your business, as it is almost all learnt there (for nobody reads now), and to show that you want to have business. And you must not be too often seen at publick places, that competitors may not have it to say, 'He is always at the Playhouse or at Ranelagh, and never to be found at his chambers.' And, sir, there must be a kind of solemnity in the manner of a professional man. I have nothing particular to say to you on the subject. All this I should say to any one; I should have said it to Lord Thurlow twenty years ago." The Profession may probably think this représentation of what is required in his observation of visual objects was, notwithstanding his imperfect eyesight, owing to a habit of attention.-That he was much satisfied with the respect paid to him at Dr. Adams's is thus attested by himself: "I returned last night from Oxford, after a fortnight's abode with Dr. Adams, who treated me as well as I could expect or wish; and he that contents a sick man, a man whom it is impossi ble to please, has surely done his part well." After his return to London from this excursion I saw him frequently, but have few memorandums; I shall therefore here insert some particulars which I collected at various times. The Reverend Mr. Astle, of Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, brother to the learned and ingenious Thomas Astle, Esq. was from his early years known to Dr. Johnson, who obligingly advised him as to his studies, and recommended to him the following books, of which a list, which he has been pleased to communicate, lies before me in Johnson's own handwrit "Letters to Mrs. Thrale," vol. ii. p. 372. "While malice, Pope, denies thy page While criticks and white bards in rage, But when the world's loud praise is thine, When none shall rail, and every lay It is surely not a little remarkable that they should appear without a name. Miss Seward, knowing Dr. Johnson's almost universal and minute literary information, signified a desire that I should ask him who was the authour. He was prompt with his answer:-"Why, sir, they were written by one Lewis, who was either under-master or an usher of Westminster School, and published a Miscellany, in which Grongar Hill' first came out *. *." Johnson praised them highly, and repeated them with a noble animation. In the twelfth line, instead of "one establish'd fame," he repeated "one unclouded flame," which he thought was the reading in former editions: but I believe was a flash of his own genius. It is much more poetical than the other. On Monday, June 14, and Tuesday, 15, Dr. Johnson and I dined, on one of them, I forget which, with Mr. Mickle, transdator of the "Lusiad," at Wheatley, a very pretty country place a few miles from Oxford; and on the other with Dr. Wetherell, Master of University College. From Dr. Wetherell's he went to visit Mr. Sackville Parker, the bookseller; and when he returned to us, gave the following account of his visit, saying, "I have been to see my old friend, Sack. Parker; I find he has married his maid; he has done right. She had lived with him many years in great confidence, and they had mingled minds; I do not think he could have found any wife that would have made him so happy. The woman was very attentive and civil to me; she pressed me to fix a day for dining with them, and to say what I liked, and she would be sure to get it for me. Poor Sack! He is very ill indeed +. parted as never to meet again. It has quite broke me down." This pathetick narrative was strangely diversified with the grave and earnest defence of a man's having married his maid. I could not but feel it as in some degree ludicrous. We In the morning of Tuesday, June 15, while we sat at Dr. Adams's, we talked of a printed letter from the Reverend Herbert Croft to a young gentleman who had been his pupil, in which he advised him to read to the end of whatever books he should begin to read. JOHNSON. "This is surely a strange advice; you may as well resolve that whatever men you happen to get acquainted with, you are to keep to them for life. A book may be good for nothing; or there may be only one thing in it worth knowing; are we to read it all through? These Voyages (pointing to the three large volumes of Voyages to the South Sea,' which were just come out), who will read them through? A man had better work his way before the mast than read them through; they will be eaten by rats and mice before they are read through. There can be little entertainment in such books; that the following inscription in the churchyard of the church of Low Layton in Essex was intended to commemorate this poet: [Lewis's Verses addressed to Pope (as employed in this situation.-A late writer Mr. Bindley suggests to me) were first pub-("Environs of London," iv. 171), supposed lished in a collection of Pieces in verse and prose on occasion of "the Dunciad," 8vo. 1732. They are there called an Epigram. "Grongar Hill," the same gentleman observes, was first printed in Savage's Miscellanies, as an Ode (it is singular that Johnson should not have recollected this), and was reprinted in the same year (1726), in Lewis's Miscellany, in the form it now bears. In that Miscellany (as the Rev. Mr. Blakeway observes to me), "the beautiful poem, Away, let nought to love displeasing,' &c. (reprinted in Percy's "Reliques," vol. i. b. iii. No. 14) first appeared." Lewis was authour of "Philip of Macedon," a tragedy, published in 1727, and dedicated to Pope; and in 1730 he published a second volume of miscellaneous poems. As Dr. Johnson settled in London not long after the Verses addressed to Pope first appeared, he probably then obtained some information concerning their authour, David Lewis, whom he has described as an Usher of Westminster School: yet the Dean of Westminster, who has been pleased at my request to make some inquiry on this subject, has not found any vestige of his ever having been "Sacred to the memory of David Lewis, Esq. who died the 8th day of April, 1760, aged 77 years; a great favourite of the Muses, as his many excellent pieces in poetry sufficiently testify. Inspired verse may on this marble live, But can no honour to thy ashes give.' -- Also Mary, the wife of the above named David Lewis, fourth daughter of Newdigate Owsley, Esq. who departed this life the 10th of October, 1774, aged 90 years." But it appears to me improbable that this monument was erected for the authour of the Verses to Pope, and of the Tragedy already mentioned; the language both of the dedica tion prefixed to that piece, and of the dedication addressed to the Earl of Shaftesbury, and prefixed to the Miscellanies, 1730, denoting a person who moved in a lower sphere than this Essex Squire seems to have done. M.] +[He died at Oxford in his 89th year, Dec. 10, 1796. M.] PP one set of Savages is like another." BosWELL." I do not think the people of Otaheité can be reckoned Savages." JOHNSON. "Don't cant in defence of Savages." BOSWELL. "They have the art of navigation." JOHNSON. "A dog or a cat can swim." BOSWELL. "They carve very ingeniously." JOHNSON. "A cat can scratch, and a child with a nail can scratch." I perceived this was none of the mollia tempora fandi; so desisted. a Barrister who would hope for success to be much too indulgent; but certainly it is, that as "The wits of Charles found easier ways to fame," some of the lawyers of this age, who have risen high, have by no means thought it absolutely necessary to submit to that long and painful course of study which a Plowden, a Coke, and a Hale considered as requisite. My respected friend, Mr. Langton, has shown me in the handwriting of his grandfather, a curious account of a conversation which he had with Lord Chief Justice Hale, in which that great man tells him, 'That for two years after he came to the inn of court, he studied sixteen hours a day; however (his Lordship added), that by this intense application he almost brought himself to his grave, though he were of a very strong constitution, and after reduced himself to eight hours; but that he would not advise any body to so much; that he thought six hours a day, with attention and constancy, was sufficient; that a man must use his body as he would his horse, and his stomach; not tire him at once, but Upon his mentioning that when he came to College he wrote his first exercise twice over, but never did so afterwards. Miss ADAMS. "I suppose, sir, you could not make them better?' JOHNSON. "Yes, madam, to be sure, I could make them better. Thought is better than no thought." MISS ADAMS. "Do you think, sir, you could make your Ramblers better?" JOHNSON." Certainly I could." BosWELL. "I'll lay a bet, sir, you cannot." JOHNSON. "But I will, sir, if I choose. I shall make the best of them you shall pick out better." BosWELL." But you may add to them. I will not allow of that." JOHNSON. "Nay, sir, there are three ways of making them better;-putting out,-adding,-or cor-rise with an appetite." recting." During our visit at Oxford, the following conversation passed between him and me on the subject of my trying my fortune at the English bar. Having asked whether a very extensive acquaintance in London, which was very valuable and of great advantage to a man at large, might not be prejudicial to a lawyer, by preventing him from giving sufficient attention to his business?-JOHNSON. "Sir, you will attend to business as business lays hold of you. When not actually employed, you may see your friends as much as you do now. You may dine at a Club every day, and sup with one of the members every night; and you may be as much at publick places as one who has seen them all would wish to be. But you must take care to attend constantly in Westminster Hall; both to mind your business, as it is almost all learnt there (for nobody reads now), and to show that you want to have business. And you must not be too often seen at publick places, that competitors may not have it to say, 'He is always at the Playhouse or at Ranelagh, and never to be found at his chambers. And, sir, there must be a kind of solemnity in the manner of a professional man. I have nothing particular to say to you on the subject. All this I should say to any one; I should have said it to Lord Thurlow twenty years ago." The Profession may probably think this représentation of what is required in and I returned to London; he was not On Wednesday, June 19, Dr. Johnson well to-day, and said very little, employing himself chiefly in reading Euripides. He expressed some displeasure at me for not observing sufficiently the various objects upon the road." If I had your eyes, sir (said he), I should count the passengers." It was wonderful how accurate his observation of visual objects was, notwithstanding his imperfect eyesight, owing to a habit of attention.-That he was much satisfied with the respect paid to him at Dr. Adams's is thus attested by himself: "I returned last night from Oxford, after a fortnight's abode with Dr. Adams, who treated me as well as I could expect or wish; and he that contents a sick man, a man whom it is impossi ble to please, has surely done his part well*." After his return to London from this excursion I saw him frequently, but have few memorandums; I shall therefore here insert some particulars which I collected at various times. The Reverend Mr. Astle, of Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, brother to the learned and ingenious Thomas Astle, Esq. was from his early years known to Dr. Johnson, who obligingly advised him as to his studies, and recommended to him the following books, of which a list, which he has been pleased to communicate, lies before me in Johnson's own handwrit "Letters to Mrs. Thrale," vol. ii. p. 372. |