His Shakspeare was virulently attacked by Mr. William Kenrick, who obtained the degree of LL.D. from a Scotch Univerfity, and wrote for the bookfellers in a great variety of branches. Though he certainly was not without confiderable merit, he wrote with so little regard to principle and decorum, and in so hasty a manner, that his reputation was neither extensive nor lasting. I remember one evening, when fome of his works were mentioned, Dr. Goldsmith faid, he had never heard of them; upon which Dr. Johnson observed, "Sir, he is one of the many who have made themselves publick, without making themselves known.” A young student of Oxford, of the name of Barclay, wrote an answer to Kenrick's review of Johnfon's Shakspeare. Johnson was at first angry that Kenrick's attack fhould have the credit of an answer. But afterwards, confidering the young man's good intention, he kindly noticed him, and probably would have done more, had not the young man died.. In his Preface to Shakspeare, Johnson treated Voltaire very contemptuously,. observing, upon fome of his remarks, "These are the petty criticisms of petty wits." Voltaire, in revenge, made an attack upon Johnson, in one of his numerous literary fallies, which I remember to have read; but there being no general index to his voluminous works, have searched for it in vain, and therefore cannot quote it. Voltaire was an antagonist with whom I thought Johnson fhould not disdain to contend: I preffed him to anfwer. He faid, he perhaps might: but he never did. Mr. Burney having occasion to write to Johnson for fome receipts for fubfcriptions to his Shakspeare, which Johnson had omitted to deliver, when the money was paid, he availed himself of that opportunity of thanking Johnson for the great pleasure which he had received from the perufal of his Preface to Shakspeare; which although it excited much clamour against him at first, is now justly ranked among the most excellent of his writings. To this letter, Johnson returned the following answer: "SIR, TO CHARLES BURNEY, Efq. in Poland-street.. "I AM forry that your kindness to me has brought upon you so much. trouble, though you have taken care to abate that forrow, by the pleasure which I receive from your approbation. I defend my criticism in the fame manner with you. We must confefs the faults of our favourite, to gain credit [M m] to 1765: Etat. 56. 1765. Ætat. 56. to our praife of his excellencies. He that claims, either in himself or for "Be pleased to make my compliments to your family. I am, Sir, « Oct. 16, 1765. "And moft humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON." Trinity College, Dublin, at this time furprized Johnson with a spontaneous compliment of the highest academical honours, by creating him Doctor of Laws. The diploma, which is in my poffeffion, is as follows: "OMNIBUS ad quos præfentes literæ pervenerint, falutem. Nos Præpofitus et Socii feniores Collegii facrofan&tæ et individuæ Trinitatis Regina Elizabetha juxta Dublin, teftamur, Samueli Johnson, Armigero, ob egregiam fcriptorum elegantiam et utilitatem, gratiam concessam fuisse pro gradu Doctoratûs in utroque Jure, oltavo die Julii, Anno Domini millefimo feptingentefimo fexagefimo-quinto. In cujus rei teftimonium fingularum manus et figillum quo in hifce utimur appofuimus; vicefimo tertio die Julii, Anno Domini millefimo feptingentefimo fexagefimo-quinto. GUL. CLEMENT. THO. LELAND. FRAN. ANDREWS. R. MURRAY. This unfolicited mark of diftinction, conferred on fo great a literary character, did much honour to the judgement and liberal spirit of that learned body. Johnfon acknowledged the favour in a letter to Dr. Leland, one of their number; but I have not been able to obtain a copy of it. Both in 1764 and 1765 it fhould feem that he was fo bufily employed with his edition of Shakspeare, as to have had little leifure for any other literary exertion, or, indeed, even for private correfpondence. He did not favour me with a fingle letter for more than two years, for which it will appear that he afterwards apologised. He was, however, at all times ready to give affiftance to his friends, and others, in revising their works, and in writing for them, or greatly improving their Dedications. In that courtly fpecies of compofition no man excelled Dr. Johnson. Though the loftiness of his mind prevented him from ever dedicating in his own perfon, he wrote a very great number of Dedications for for others. Some of thefe, the perfons who were favoured with them are 1766. unwilling should be mentioned, from a too anxious apprehenfion, as I think, Etat. 57. that they might be fufpected of having received larger affistance; and fome, after all the diligence I have bestowed, have efcaped my inquiries. He told me, a great many years ago," he believed he had dedicated to all the Royal Family round;" and it was indifferent to him what was the subject of the work dedicated, provided it were innocent. He once dedicated fome Mufick for the German Flute to Edward Duke of York. In writing Dedications for others, he confidered himself as by no means fpeaking his own fentiments. Notwithstanding his long filence, I never omitted to write to him when I had any thing worthy of communicating. I generally kept copies of my letters to him, that I might have a full view of our correfpondence, and never be at a lofs to understand any reference in his letters. He kept the greater part of mine very carefully; and a fhort time before his death was attentive enough to feal them up in bundles, and order them to be delivered to me, which was accordingly done. Amongst them I found one, of which I had not made a copy, and which I own I read with pleasure at the distance of almoft twenty years. It is dated November, 1765, at the palace of Pascal Paoli, in Corte, the capital of Corfica, and is full of generous enthufiasm. After giving a sketch of what I had seen and heard in that island, it proceeded thus: "I dare to call this a fpirited tour. I dare to challenge your approbation." This letter produced the following answer, which I found on my arrival at Paris. A Mr. Mr. BoSWELL, chez Mr. WATERS, Banquier, à Paris. "DEAR SIR, " APOLOGIES are feldom of any ufe. We will delay till your arrival the reasons, good or bad, which have made me fuch a fparing and ungrateful correfpondent. Be affured, for the prefent, that nothing has leffened either the esteem or love with which I difmiffed you at Harwich. Both have been increased by all that I have been told of you by yourself or others; and when you return, you will return to an unaltered, and, I hope, unalterable friend. "All that you have to fear from me is the vexation of disappointing me. No man loves to fruftrate expectations which have been formed in his favour; and the pleasure which I promife myself from your journals and remarks is fo N n 2 1766. Etat. 57. fo great, that perhaps no degree of attention or difcernment will be fufficient to afford it. "Come home, however; and take your chance. I long to fee you, and to hear you; and hope that we fhall not be fo long feparated again. Come home, and expect fuch a welcome as is due to him, whom a wife and noble curiofity has led, where perhaps no native of this country ever was before. "I have no news to tell you that can deserve your notice; nor would I willingly leffen the pleasure that any novelty may give you at your return. I am afraid we shall find it difficult to keep among us a mind which has been fo long feafted with variety. But let us try what esteem and kindness can effect. "As your father's liberality has indulged you with so long a ranible, I doubt not but you will think his fickness, or even his defire to see you, a fufficient reafon for haftening your return. The longer we live, and the more we think, the higher value we learn to put on the friendship and tenderness of parents and of friends. Parents we can have but once; and he promises himself too much, who enters life with the expectation of finding many friends. Upon fome motive, I hope, that you will be here foon; and am willing to think that it will be an inducement to your return, that it is fincerely defired. by, dear Sir, "Your affectionate humble fervant, "Johnson's-court, Fleet-street, January 14, 1766. SAM. JOHNSON." I returned to London in February, and found Dr. Johnson in a good house in Johnson's-court, Fleet-street, in which he had accommodated Mifs Williams with an apartment on the ground floor, while Mr. Levett occupied his poft in the garret: his faithful Francis was still attending upon him. He received me with much kindness. The fragments of our first converfation, which I have preferved, are thefe: I told him that Voltaire, in a converfation with me, had distinguished Pope and Dryden thus:-"Pope drives a handsome chariot, with a couple of neat trim nags; Dryden a coach, and six stately horses." JOHNSON.. "Why, Sir, the truth is, they both drive coaches and fix; but Dryden's horses are either galloping or stumbling: Pope's go at a steady even trot?.” 7 It is remarkable, that Mr. Gray has employed fomewhat the fame image to characterise Dryden. He, indeed, furnishes his car with but two horses; but they are of ethereal race: "Behold where Dryden's lefs presumptuous car, "Wide o'er the fields of glory bear "Two courfers of ethereal race, "With necks in thunder cloath'd, and long-refounding pace." Ode on the Progrefs of Poely. He He faid of Goldsmith's Traveller, which had been published in my absence, 1766. "There has not been fo fine a poem fince Pope's time." And here it is proper to fettle, with authentick precifion, what has long floated in publick report, as to Johnson's being himself the authour of a confiderable part of that poem. Much, no doubt, both of the fentiments and expreffion, were derived from converfation with him; and it was certainly fubmitted to his friendly revifion: but in the year 1783, he, at my request, marked with a pencil the lines which he had furnished, which are only line 420, "To ftop too fearful, and too faint to go;" and the concluding ten lines, except the last couplet but one, which I diftinguish by the Italick character: "How fmall of all that human hearts endure, << That part which kings or laws can caufe or cure. "Our own felicity we make or find; "With fecret courfe, which no loud ftorms annoy, "The lifted axe, the agonizing wheel, "Luke's iron crown, and Damien's bed of steel, "To men remote from power, but rarely known, "Leave reason, faith, and confcience, all our own." He added, "Thefe are all of which I can be fure." They bear a small proportion to the whole, which confifts of four hundred and thirty-eight verfes. Goldfmith, in the couplet which he inferted, mentions Luke as a person well known, and fuperficial readers have paffed it over quite smoothly; while those of more attention have been as much perplexed by Luke, as by Lydiat, in "The Vanity of human Wishes." The truth is, that Goldsmith himself was in a mistake. In the "Refpublica Hungarica," there is an account of a desperate rebellion in the year 1514, headed by two brothers, of the name of Zeck, George and Luke. When it was quelled, George, not Luke, was punished by his head being encircled with a red hot iron crown: "corona condescente ferreá coronatur." The fame severity of torture was exercised on the Earl of Athol, one of the murderers of King James I. of Scotland. Etat. 57. |
