PART XIX. ANECDOTES AND REMARKS, 451. Introduction to Johnson. HANNAH MORE visited London in 1773 or 1774, in company with two of her sisters. The desire she had long felt to see Dr. Johnson was speedily gratified. Her first introduction to him took place at the house of Sir Joshua Reynolds, who prepared her, as he handed her up stairs, for the possibility of his being in one of his moods of sadness and silence. She was surprised at his coming to meet her as she entered the room, with good humour in his countenance, and a macaw of Sir Joshua's on his hand; and still more at his assisting her with a verse from a Morning Hymn, which she had written at the desire of Sir James Stonehouse. In the same pleasant humour he continued the whole of the evening. 452. Visit to Bolt Court. The most amiable and obliging of women, Miss Reynolds, ordered the coach to take us to Dr. Johnson's. The conversation turned upon a new work of his, just going to the press (the Journey to the Hebrides), and his old friend Richardson. Mrs. Williams, the blind poet, who lives with him, was introduced to us. She is engaging in her (*) From the very interesting Memoirs of the Life and Correspondence of Mrs. Hannah More, by William Roberts, Esq. manners; her conversation lively and entertaining. Not finding Johnson in his little parlour when we came in, Hannah seated herself in his great chair, hoping to catch a little ray of his genius: when he heard it he laughed heartily, and told her it was a chair in which he never sat. He said it reminded him of Boswell and himself when they stopped a night at the spot (as they imagined) where the Weird sisters appeared to Macbeth: the idea so worked upon their enthusiasm, that it quite deprived them of rest; however, they learned, the next morning, to their mortification, that they had been deceived, and were quite in another part of the country. 453. "Sir Eldred of the Bower."-" The Bleeding Rock." Johnson, full of wisdom and piety, was this evening very communicative. To enjoy Dr. Johnson perfectly, one must have him to one's self, as he seldom cares to speak in mixed parties. Our tea was not over till nine; we then fell upon "Sir Eldred:" he read both poems through, suggested some little alterations in the first, and did me the honour to write one whole stanza; (*) but in the "Rock,” he has not altered a word. Though only a tea visit, he stayed with us till twelve. 454. Garrick and Johnson. The dramatis My petite assemblée came at seven. persona were Mrs. Boscawen, Mrs. Garrick, and Miss Reynolds; my beaux were Dr. Johnson, Dean Tucker, and last, but not least in our love, David Garrick. You know that wherever Johnson is, the confinement to the teatable is rather a durable situation. However, my ears were open, though my tongue was locked, and they all stayed till near eleven. Garrick was the very soul of the company, and I never saw Johnson in such perfect goodhumour. We have often heard that one can never properly enjoy the company of these two unless they are together. There is great truth in this remark; for after the Dean and Mrs. Boscawen (who were the only strangers) were gone, Johnson and Garrick began a close encounter, telling old (*) [The stanza beginning, "My scorn has oft, &c."] stories, "e'en from their boyish days," at Lichfield. We all stood round them above an hour, laughing in defiance of every rule of Chesterfield. I believe we should not have thought of sitting down or of parting, had not an impertinent watchman been saucily vociferous. 455. Dean Tucker. I asked Dr. Johnson what he thought of the Dean of Gloucester. His answer was verbatim as follows: "I look upon the Dean of Gloucester to be one of the most excellent writers of this period. I differ from him in opinion, and have expressed that difference in my writings; but I hope what I wrote did not indicate what I did not feel, for I felt no acrimony. No person, however learned, can read his writings without improvement. He is sure to find something he did not know before." I told him the Dean did not value himself on elegance of style. He said, “he knew nobody whose style was more perspicuous, manly, and vigorous, or better suited to his subject." I was not a little pleased with this tribute to the worthy Dean's merit, from such a judge of merit; that man, too, professedly differing from him in opinion. 456. "Adventurer.”—De Lolme. Keeping bad company leads to all other bad things. I have got the headache to-day, by raking out so late with that gay libertine, Johnson. Do you know-I did not― that he wrote a quarter of the "Adventurer?" I made him tell me all that he wrote in the "Fugitive Pieces." De Lolme(*) told me, that he thought Johnson's late political pamphlets were the best things he had written. 457. The Puritans.-Richard Baxter. Dr. Johnson never opens his mouth but one learns something; one is sure either of hearing a new idea, or an old one expressed in an original manner. He scolded me heartily, as usual, when I differed from him in opinion, and, as usual, laughed when I flattered (†) him. I was (*) [A native of Geneva, and author of "The Constitution of England;" of which the first English edition appeared in 1775.] (†) [On the subject of Miss More's flattery of Johnson, see antè, No. 81.] very bold in combating some of his darling prejudices; nay, I ventured to defend one or two of the Puritans, whom I forced him to allow to be good men, and good writers. He said he was not angry with me at all for liking Baxter. He liked him himself; "but then," said he, "Baxter was bred up in the establishment, and would have died in it, if he could have got the living of Kidderminster. He was a very good man." Dr. Johnson was wrong; for Baxter was offered a bishopric after the Restoration. 458. "Tom Jones."-" Joseph Andrews." I never saw Johnson really angry with me but once, and his displeasure did him so much honour, that I loved him the better for it. I alluded, rather flippantly, I fear, to some witty passage in "Tom Jones:" he replied, "I am shocked to hear you quote from so vicious a book. I am sorry to hear you have read it: a confession which no modest lady should ever make. I scarcely know a more corrupt work." I thanked him for his correction; assured him that I thought full as ill of it now, as he did, and had only read it at an age when I was more subject to be caught by the wit, than able to discern the mischief. Of "Joseph Andrews" I declared my decided abhorrence. He went so far as to refuse to Fielding the great talents which are ascribed to him; and broke out into a noble panegyric on his competitor, Richardson; who, he said, was as superior to him in talents as in virtue; and whom he pronounced to be the greatest genius that had shed its lustre on this path of literature. 459. Too many Irons in the Fire." Mrs. Brooke (*) having repeatedly desired Johnson to look over her new play of "The Siege of Sinope" before it was acted, he always found means to evade it; at last she pressed him so closely that he actually refused to do it, and told her that she herself, by carefully looking it over, would be able to see if there was anything amiss as (*) [The author of “Julia“ Mandeville," and "Emily Montagu," and also of the favourite comic opera of "Rosina." The "Siege of Sinope" was brought out at Covent Garden in 1781, but was only performed ten nights.] 66 well as he could. "But, sir," said she, "I have no time, I have already so many irons in the fire." Why then, madam," said he, quite out of patience, “the best thing I can advise you to do is, to put your tragedy along with your irons." 460. Lord Lyttelton.—Mrs. Montagu.—Mr. Pepys. Think of Johnson's having apartments in Grosvenor Square. But he says it is not half so convenient as Bolt Court! He has just finished the Poets: Pope is the last. I am sorry he has lost so much credit by Lord Lyttelton's: he treats him almost with contempt; makes him out a poor writer, and an envious man; speaks well only of his "Conversion of St. Paul," of which he says, “it is sufficient to say it has never been answered." Mrs. Montagu and Mr. Pepys, his lordship's two chief surviving friends, are very angry.(*) 461. Garrick. On Wednesday, Johnson came to see us, and made us a long visit. On Mrs. Garrick's telling him, she was always more at her ease with persons who had suffered the same loss with herself, he said that was a comfort she could seldom have, considering the superiority of her husband's merit, and the cordiality of their union. He bore his strong testimony to the liberality of Garrick. (1781.) 462. "Pensées de Pascal." He reproved me with pretended sharpness for reading "Les Pensées de Pascal," or any of the Port Royal authors; alleging that, as a good Protestant, I ought to abstain from books written by Catholics. I was beginning to stand upon my defence, when he took me with both hands, and with a tear running down his cheeks, “Child,” said he, with the most affecting earnestness, "I am heartily glad that you read pious books by whomsoever they may be written." 463. Milton. On Monday, Johnson was in full song, and I quarrelled (*) [See antè, No. 64, and post, No. 630.] |