第7章

’AtEdial，nearLichfield，inStaffordshire，younggentlemenareboardedandtaughttheLatinandGreeklanguages，bySAMUEL

JOHNSON。’

ButtheonlypupilsthatwereputunderhiscarewerethecelebratedDavidGarrickandhisbrotherGeorge，andaMr。Offely，ayounggentlemanofgoodfortunewhodiedearly。Thetruthis，thathewasnotsowellqualifiedforbeingateacherofelements，andaconductorinlearningbyregulargradations，asmenofinferiourpowersofmind。Hisownacquisitionshadbeenmadebyfitsandstarts，byviolentirruptionsintotheregionsofknowledge；anditcouldnotbeexpectedthathisimpatiencewouldbesubdued，andhisimpetuosityrestrained，soastofithimforaquietguidetonovices。

Johnsonwasnotmoresatisfiedwithhissituationasthemasterofanacademy，thanwiththatoftheusherofaschool；weneednotwonder，therefore，thathedidnotkeephisacademyaboveayearandahalf。FromMr。Garrick’saccounthedidnotappeartohavebeenprofoundlyreverencedbyhispupils。Hisodditiesofmanner，anduncouthgesticulations，couldnotbutbethesubjectofmerrimenttothem；and，inparticular，theyoungroguesusedtolistenatthedoorofhisbed-chamber，andpeepthroughthekey-

hole，thattheymightturnintoridiculehistumultuousandawkwardfondnessforMrs。Johnson，whomheusedtonamebythefamiliarappellationofTettyorTetsey，which，likeBettyorBetsey，isprovinciallyusedasacontractionforElisabeth，herchristianname，butwhichtousseemsludicrous，whenappliedtoawomanofherageandappearance。Mr。Garrickdescribedhertomeasveryfat，withabosomofmorethanordinaryprotuberance，withswelledcheeksofafloridred，producedbythickpainting，andincreasedbytheliberaluseofcordials；flaringandfantastickinherdress，andaffectedbothinherspeechandhergeneralbehaviour。

IhaveseenGarrickexhibither，byhisexquisitetalentofmimickry，soastoexcitetheheartiestburstsoflaughter；buthe，probably，asisthecaseinallsuchrepresentations，considerablyaggravatedthepicture。

JohnsonnowthoughtoftryinghisfortuneinLondon，thegreatfieldofgeniusandexertion，wheretalentsofeverykindhavethefullestscope，andthehighestencouragement。ItisamemorablecircumstancethathispupilDavidGarrickwentthitheratthesametime，*withintentiontocompletehiseducation，andfollowtheprofessionofthelaw，fromwhichhewassoondivertedbyhisdecidedpreferenceforthestage。

*BothofthemusedtotalkpleasantlyofthistheirfirstjourneytoLondon。Garrick，evidentlymeaningtoembellishalittle，saidonedayinmyhearing，’werodeandtied。’AndtheBishopofKillaloeinformedme，thatatanothertime，whenJohnsonandGarrickwerediningtogetherinaprettylargecompany，Johnsonhumorouslyascertainingthechronologyofsomething，expressedhimselfthus：’thatwastheyearwhenIcametoLondonwithtwo-

pencehalf-pennyinmypocket。’Garrickoverhearinghim，exclaimed，’eh？whatdoyousay？withtwo-pencehalf-pennyinyourpocket？’——JOHNsON，’Whyyes；whenIcamewithtwo-pencehalf-pennyinMYpocket，andthou，Davy，withthreehalf-penceinthine。’——

BOSWELL。

TheywererecommendedtoMr。Colson，aneminentmathematicianandmasterofanacademy，bythefollowingletterfromMr。Walmsley：

’TOTHEREVERENDMR。COLSON。

’Lichfield，March2，1737。

’DearSir，Ihadthefavourofyours，andamextremelyobligedtoyou；butIcannotsayIhadagreateraffectionforyouuponitthanIhadbefore，beinglongsincesomuchendearedtoyou，aswellbyanearlyfriendship，asbyyourmanyexcellentandvaluablequalifications；and，hadIasonofmyown，itwouldbemyambition，insteadofsendinghimtotheUniversity，todisposeofhimasthisyounggentlemanis。

’He，andanotherneighbourofmine，oneMr。SamuelJohnson，setoutthismorningforLondontogether。DavyGarrickistobewithyouearlythenextweek，andMr。Johnsontotryhisfatewithatragedy，andtoseetogethimselfemployedinsometranslation，eitherfromtheLatinortheFrench。Johnsonisaverygoodscholarandpoet，andIhavegreathopeswillturnoutafinetragedy-writer。Ifitshouldanywaylieinyourway，doubtnotbutyouwouldbereadytorecommendandassistyourcountryman。

’G。WALMSLEY。’

HowheemployedhimselfuponhisfirstcomingtoLondonisnotparticularlyknown。’

*OnecuriousanecdotewascommunicatedbyhimselftoMr。JohnNichols。Mr。Wilcox，thebookseller，onbeinginformedbyhimthathisintentionwastogethislivelihoodasanauthour，eyedhisrobustframeattentively，andwithasignificantlook，said，’Youhadbetterbuyaporter’sknot。’Hehoweveradded，’Wilcoxwasoneofmybestfriends。’——BOSWELL。

Hehadalittlemoneywhenhecametotown，andheknewhowhecouldliveinthecheapestmanner。HisfirstlodgingswereatthehouseofMr。Norris，astaymaker，inExeter-street，adjoiningCatharine-street，intheStrand。’Idined(saidhe)verywellforeight-pence，withverygoodcompany，atthePineAppleinNew-

street，justby。Severalofthemhadtravelled。Theyexpectedtomeeteveryday；butdidnotknowoneanother’snames。Itusedtocosttherestashilling，fortheydrankwine；butIhadacutofmeatforsix-pence，andbreadforapenny，andgavethewaiterapenny；sothatIwasquitewellserved，nay，betterthantherest，fortheygavethewaiternothing。’Heatthistime，Ibelieve，abstainedentirelyfromfermentedliquors：apracticetowhichherigidlyconformedformanyyearstogether，atdifferentperiodsofhislife。

HisOfellusintheArtofLivinginLondon，Ihaveheardhimrelate，wasanIrishpainter，whomheknewatBirmingham，andwhohadpractisedhisownpreceptsofoeconomyforseveralyearsintheBritishcapital。HeassuredJohnson，who，Isuppose，wasthenmeditatingtotryhisfortuneinLondon，butwasapprehensiveoftheexpence，’thatthirtypoundsayearwasenoughtoenableamantolivetherewithoutbeingcontemptible。Heallowedtenpoundsforclothesandlinen。Hesaidamanmightliveinagarretateighteen-penceaweek；fewpeoplewouldinquirewherehelodged；

andiftheydid，itwaseasytosay，“Sir，Iamtobefoundatsuchaplace。“Byspendingthree-penceinacoffeehouse，hemightbeforsomehourseverydayinverygoodcompany；hemightdineforsix-pence，breakfastonbreadandmilkforapenny，anddowithoutsupper。Onclean-shirt-dayhewentabroad，andpaidvisits。’I

haveheardhimmorethanoncetalkofthisfrugalfriend，whomherecollectedwithesteemandkindness，anddidnotliketohaveonesmileattherecital。’Thisman(saidhe，gravely)wasaverysensibleman，whoperfectlyunderstoodcommonaffairs：amanofagreatdealofknowledgeoftheworld，freshfromlife，notstrainedthroughbooks。Heamusedhimself，Iremember，bycomputinghowmuchmoreexpencewasabsolutelynecessarytoliveuponthesamescalewiththatwhichhisfrienddescribed，whenthevalueofmoneywasdiminishedbytheprogressofcommerce。Itmaybeestimatedthatdoublethemoneymightnowwithdifficultybesufficient。’

Amidstthiscoldobscurity，therewasonebrilliantcircumstancetocheerhim；hewaswellacquaintedwithMr。HenryHervey，oneofthebranchesofthenoblefamilyofthatname，whohadbeenquarteredatLichfieldasanofficerofthearmy，andhadatthistimeahouseinLondon，whereJohnsonwasfrequentlyentertained，andhadanopportunityofmeetinggenteelcompany。Notverylongbeforehisdeath，hementionedthis，amongotherparticularsofhislife，whichhewaskindlycommunicatingtome；andhedescribedthisearlyfriend，’HarryHervey，’thus：’Hewasaviciousman，butverykindtome。IfyoucalladogHERVEY，Ishalllovehim。’

HetoldmehehadnowwrittenonlythreeactsofhisIrene，andthatheretiredforsometimetolodgingsatGreenwich，whereheproceededinitsomewhatfurther，andusedtocompose，walkinginthePark；butdidnotstaylongenoughatthatplacetofinishit。

InthecourseofthesummerhereturnedtoLichfield，wherehehadleftMrs。Johnson，andthereheatlastfinishedhistragedy，whichwasnotexecutedwithhisrapidityofcompositionuponotheroccasions，butwasslowlyandpainfullyelaborated。Afewdaysbeforehisdeath，whileburningagreatmassofpapers，hepickedoutfromamongthemtheoriginalunformedsketchofthistragedy，inhisownhand-writing，andgaveittoMr。Langton，bywhosefavouracopyofitisnowinmypossession。

Johnson’sresidenceatLichfield，onhisreturntoitatthistime，wasonlyforthreemonths；andashehadasyetseenbutasmallpartofthewondersoftheMetropolis，hehadlittletotellhistownsmen。Herelatedtomethefollowingminuteanecdoteofthisperiod：’Inthelastage，whenmymotherlivedinLondon，thereweretwosetsofpeople，thosewhogavethewall，andthosewhotookit；thepeaceableandthequarrelsome。WhenIreturnedtoLichfield，afterhavingbeeninLondon，mymotheraskedme，whetherIwasoneofthosewhogavethewall，orthosewhotookit。NOWitisfixedthateverymankeepstotheright；or，ifoneistakingthewall，anotheryieldsit；anditisneveradispute。’

HenowremovedtoLondonwithMrs。Johnson；butherdaughter，whohadlivedwiththematEdial，wasleftwithherrelationsinthecountry。HislodgingswereforsometimeinWoodstock-street，nearHanover-square，andafterwardsinCastle-street，nearCavendish-

square。

Histragedybeingbythistime，ashethought，completelyfinishedandfitforthestage，hewasverydesirousthatitshouldbebroughtforward。Mr。PeterGarricktoldme，thatJohnsonandhewenttogethertotheFountaintavern，andreaditover，andthatheafterwardssolicitedMr。Fleetwood，thepatenteeofDrury-lanetheatre，tohaveitactedathishouse；butMr。Fleetwoodwouldnotacceptit，probablybecauseitwasnotpatronizedbysomemanofhighrank；anditwasnotactedtill1749，whenhisfriendDavidGarrickwasmanagerofthattheatre。

TheGentleman’sMagazine，begunandcarriedonbyMr。EdwardCave，underthenameofSYLVANUSURBAN，hadattractedthenoticeandesteemofJohnson，inaneminentdegree，beforehecametoLondonasanadventurerinliterature。Hetoldme，thatwhenhefirstsawSt。John’sGate，theplacewherethatdeservedlypopularmiscellanywasoriginallyprinted，he’behelditwithreverence。’