And I would have had at every coronation, | Duke of Cumberland, whom he was punishand every death of a king, every Gaudium, ing for his cruelties in Scotland, in 1746". and every Luctus, university-verses, in as There was nothing peculiarly remarkable many languages as can be acquired. I this day; but the general contemplation of would have the world to be thus told, insanity was very affecting. I accompanied Here is a school where every thing may him home, and dined and drank tea with be learnt.'" him. weight upon his mind." And talking of another very ingenious gentleman 5, who from the warmth of his temper was at variance with many of his acquaintance, and wished to avoid them, he said, "Sir, he leads the life of an outlaw." Having set out next day on a visit to the Talking of an acquaintance of ours 4, Earl of Pembroke, at Wilton, and to my distinguished for knowing an uncommon friend, Mr. Temple, at Mamhead, in Dev- variety of miscellaneous articles both in onshire, and not having returned to town antiquities and polite literature, he observed, till the second of May, I did not see Dr."You know, sir, he runs about with little Johnson for a considerable time, and during the remaining part of my stay in London kept very imperfect notes of his conversation, which had I according to my usual custom written out at large soon after the time, much might have been preserved, which is now irretrievably lost. I can now only record some particular scenes, and a few fragments of his memorabilia. But to make some amends for my relaxation of diligence in one respect, I can present my readers with arguments upon two law cases, with which he favoured me 1. On Saturday, the sixth of May, we dined by ourselves at the Mitre, and he dictated to me [an argument, which will be found in the Appendix], to obviate the complaint already mentioned 2, which had been made in the form of an action in the court of session by Dr. Memis, of Aberdeen, that in the same translation of a charter in which physicians were mentioned, he was called doctor of medicine. On Friday, May 12, as he had been so good as to assign me a room in his house, where I might sleep occasionally, when Í happened to sit with him to a late hour, I took possession of it this night, found every thing in excellent order, and was attended by honest Francis with a most civil assiduity. I asked Johnson whether I might go to a consultation with another lawyer upon Sunday, as that appeared to me to be doing work as much in my way, as if an artisan should work on the day appropriated for religious rest. JOHNSON. "Why, sir, when you are of consequence enough to oppose the practice of consulting upon Sunday, you should do it: but you may go now. It is not criminal, though it is not A few days afterwards, I consulted him what one should do, who is anxious for the upon a cause, Paterson and others against preservation and increase of piety, to which Alexander and others, which had been de-a peculiar observance of Sunday is a great cided by a casting vote in the court of ses- help. The distinction is clear between sion, determining that the corporation of what is of moral and what is of ritual obliStirling was corrupt, and setting aside the gation 6." election of some of their officers, because it was proved that three of the leading men who influenced the majority had entered into an unjustifiable compact, of which, however, the majority were ignorant. He dictated to me, after a little consideration, some sentences upon the subject [which will also be found in the Appendix.] This, in my opinion, was a very nice case; but the decision was affirmed in the house of lords. ["TO MRS. THRALE. "12th May, 1775. "I wish I could say or send any thing to divert you; but I have done nothing, and seen nothing. I dined one day with Paoli, and yesterday with Mrs. Southwells 7, and 3 My very honourable friend, General Sir George Howard, who served in the Duke of Cumberland's army, has assured me that the cruelties were not imputable to his royal highness. On Monday, May 8, we went together-BosWELL. [On the morning of the battle of and visited the mansions of Bedlam. I had been informed that he had once been there before with Mr. Wedderburne (now Lord Loughborough), Mr. Murphy, and Mr. Foote; and I had heard Foote give a very entertaining account of Johnson's happening to have his attention arrested by a man who was very furious, and who, while beating his straw, supposed it was William, Culloden, Lord George Murray, the chief of the Pretender's staff, issued an order to give no quarter to the royal forces. The jacobites affected to say that this was the act of the individual, and not of the prince or his party; but it is undeniable that such a general order was given, and that it was the excuse, if not the cause, of the severities which followed the battle on the part of the conquerors.—ED.] [Probably Dr. Percy.-ED.] 5 [No doubt Mr. George Steevens.-ED.] [See ante, p. 252, 344, and 436.—ED.] 7 [See ante, p. 302.-ED.] called on Congreve 1. Mr. Twiss, hearing | that you talked of despoiling his book of the fine print, has sent you a copy to frame. He is going to Ireland, and I have given him letters to Dr. Leland and Mr. Falkner 2. "Mr. Montagu] is so ill that the lady is not visible; but yesterday I had I know not how much kiss of Mrs. Abington, and very good looks from Miss *****3, the maid of honour. "Boswell has made me promise not to go to Oxford till he leaves London; I had no great reason for haste, and therefore might as well gratify a friend. I am always proud and pleased to have my company desired. Boswell would have thought my absence a loss, and I know not who else would have considered my presence as profit. He has entered himself at the Temple, and I joined in his bond. He is to plead before the lords, and hopes very nearly to gain the cost of his journey. He lives much with his friend Paoli, who says, a man must see Wales to enjoy England. "The book which is now most read, but which, as far as I have gone, is but dull, is Gray's Letters, prefixed by Mr. Mason to his poems. I have borrowed mine, and therefore cannot lend it, and I can hardly recommend the purchase 4. "I have offended; and, what is stranger, have justly offended the nation of Rasay. If they could come hither, they would be as fierce as the Americans. Rasay has written to Boswell an account of the injury done him, by representing his home as subordinate to that of Dunvegan. Boswell has his letter, and I believe copied my answer. I have appeased him, if a degraded chief can possibly be appeased; but it will be thirteen days-days of resentment and discontent-before my recantation can reach him. Many a dirk will imagination, during that interval, fix in my heart. I really question if at this time my life would not be in danger, if distance did not secure it. "Boswell will find his way to Streatham before he goes, and will detail this great affair. I would have come on Saturday, but that I am engaged to do Dr. Lawrence a little service on Sunday. Which day shall I come next week? I hope you will be well enough to see me often."] On Saturday, May 13, I breakfasted with him by invitation, accompanied by Mr. Andrew Crosbie, a Scotch advocate, whom he had seen at Edinburgh, and the Hon. Colonel (now General) Edward Stopford brother to Lord Courtown, who was desirous of being introduced to him. His tea and rolls and butter, and whole breakfast apparatus, were all in such decorum, and his behavior was so courteous, that Colonel Stopford was quite surprised, and wondered at his having heard so much said of Johnson's slovenliness and roughness. I have preserved nothing of what passed, except that Crosbie pleased him much by talking learnedly of alchymy, as to which Johnson was not a positive unbeliever, but rather delighted in considering what progress had actually been made in the transmutation of metals, what near approaches there had been to the making of gold; and told us that it was affirmed that a person in the Russian dominions had discovered the secret, but died without revealing it, as imagining it would be prejudicial to society. He added, that it was not impossible but it might in time be generally known. It being asked whether it was reasonable for a man to be angry at another whom a woman had preferred to him? JOHNSON. "I do not see, sir, that it is reasonable for a man to be angry at another, whom a woman has preferred to him: but angry he is, no doubt; and he is loth to be angry at himself." Before setting out for Scotland on the 23d, I was frequently in his company at difI ferent places, but during this period have recorded only two remarks; one concerning Garrick: "He has not Latin enough. He finds out the Latin by the meaning rather than the meaning by the Latin.” And another concerning writers of travels, who, he observed, "were more defective than any other writers." 5 [Second son of the first Lord Courtown ; born 1732; a major-general in 1782.—ED.] END OF VOL. I APPENDIX. No. I. SPECIMENS of Dr. Johnson's early poetical compositions, referred to in p. 19. TRANSLATION OF VIRGIL. PASTORAL I. Melibaus. Now, Tityrus, you, supine and careless laid, Play on your pipe beneath this beechen shade; While wretched we about the world must roam, And leave our pleasing fields and native home; Here at your ease you sing your amorous flame, And the wood rings with Amarillis' name. Tityrus. Those blessings, friend, a deity be- For I shall never think him less than God; Mel. My admiration only I exprest, Here I, though faint myself, must drive my goats, TRANSLATION OF HORACE. BOOK I. ODE XXII. THE man, my friend, whose conscious heart Or horrid Africk's faithless sands; A grisly wolf surprised, and fled. Dire nurse of raging lions, bore. Among the quivering branches sighs; Her heav'nly voice, and beauteous face. TRANSLATION OF HORACE. BOOK II. ODE IX. CLOUDS do not always veil the skies, Or storms afflict the ruffled main. Or bends with violent force the trees. For Mystes dead you ever mourn; No setting Sol can ease your cares, But finds you sad at his return. The wise experienc'd Grecian sage Mourn'd not Antilochus so long; Nor did King Priam's hoary age So much lament his slaughter'd son. Leave off, at length, these woman's sighs, Augustus' numerous trophies sing; Repeat that prince's victories, To whom all nations tribute bring. Niphates rolls an humbler wave, At length the undaunted Scythian yields, Content to live the Roman's slave, And scarce forsakes his native fields. TRANSLATION OF PART OF THE DIALOGUE That Priam's house, and Priam's self shall bleed: yield, And spread its smoking ruins o'er the field. rage, Nor my brave brothers, that have bit the ground, pose, Mimick your tears, and ridicule your woes; TO A YOUNG LADY ON HER BIRTHDAY 1. Thy form more lovely, more adorn'd thy mind ; THE YOUNG AUTHOR 2. WHEN first the peasant, long inclin'd to roam, 1 Mr. Hector informs me, that this was made almost impromptu, in his presence. This he inserted, with many alterations, in the Gentleman's Magazine, 1743. He, however, did not add his name. See Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xiii. p. 378-MALONE, EPILOGUE. INTENDED TO HAVE BEEN SPOKEN BY A YE blooming train, who give despair or joy, No. II. [TRANSLATION (attributed to Mr. Jackson, of Canterbury) of the Ode AD URBANUM, substituted as shorter and better than the translation by an anonymous correspondent, given by Mr. BOSWELL,-referred to in p. 43. URBAN, whom neither toil profound Still grows, and will for ever grow. 3 Some young ladies at Lichfield having proposed to act "The Distressed Mother," Johnson wrote this, and gave it to Mr. Hector to convey it privately to them. 28.- · Mar. so.-. [THE following complete list of THE CLUB (referred to in p. 212), with the dates of the elections of all the members, and of the deaths of those deceased, from its foundation to the present times, and the observations prefixed and annexed, have been oblig-32.ingly furnished to the editor by Mr. Hatchett, the present treasurer. "THE CLUB was founded in 1764, by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Dr. Samuel Johnson, and for some years met on Monday evenings. In 1772 the day of meeting was changed to Friday; and about that time, instead of supping they agreed to dine together once in every fortnight during the sitting of parliament. "In 1773, the Club, which soon after its foundation consisted of twelve members, was enlarged to twenty; March 11, 1777, to twenty-six; November 27, 1778, to thirty; May 9, 1780, to thirty-five; and it was then resolved that it never should exceed forty. "It met originally at the Turk's-head, in Gerrard-street, and continued to meet there till 1783, when their landlord died, and the house was soon afterwards shut up. They then removed to Prince's, in Sackville-street; and on his house being soon afterwards shut up, they removed to Baxter's, which afterwards became Thomas's, in Dover-street. In January, 1792, they removed to Parsloe's, in St. James's-street; and, on February 26, 1799, to the Thatched-house in the 33.-. 34.-. 35.-1780, Nov. ton . Richard Brinsley Sher idan, Esq. Jan. 22, 1800. Jan. 26, 1794. July 7, 1806. Feb. 23, 1800. July 7, 1816. Earl of Upper Ossory Feb. 1, 1818. Marley, Bishop of John Dunning, Lord July 2, 1802. Ashburton Aug. 28, 1783. . Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Jun. 19, 1820. Jun. 4, 1810. Rt. Hon. William Rt. Hon. Sir William The Earl Spencer . Dr. J. Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph Dec. 9, 1788. 36.-1782, Jan. 22. Lord Eliot Feb. 17, 1804. Feb. 5. . Mar. 5. 40.-. 38.- 44.-. Jan. 11, 1794. 43.-. 48.-. 49.-. Jan. 31, 1799. May 19, 1807. Mar. 27, 1820. Sep. 8, 1797. Oct. 14, 1827. Aug. 8, 1827 Dec. 21, 1815. 60.-1800, Jun. 10. William Lock, jr. Esq. Apr. 10, 1815. Jun. 24, 1814. Feb. 27, 1809 |