第9章

thisdispositionheconsideredasthediseaseofhismind，whichnothingcuredbutcompany。

’Oneinstanceofhisabsenceandparticularity，asitischaracteristickoftheman，maybeworthrelating。WhenheandI

tookajourneytogetherintotheWest，wevisitedthelateMr。

Banks，ofDorsetshire；theconversationturninguponpictures，whichJohnsoncouldnotwellsee，heretiredtoacorneroftheroom，stretchingouthisrightlegasfarashecouldreachbeforehim，thenbringinguphisleftleg，andstretchinghisrightstillfurtheron。Theoldgentlemanobservinghim，wentuptohim，andinaverycourteousmannerassuredhim，thatthoughitwasnotanewhouse，theflooringwasperfectlysafe。TheDoctorstartedfromhisreverie，likeapersonwakedoutofhissleep，butspokenotaword。’

Whileweareonthissubject，myreadersmaynotbedispleasedwithanotheranecdote，communicatedtomebythesamefriend，fromtherelationofMr。Hogarth。

JohnsonusedtobeaprettyfrequentvisitoratthehouseofMr。

Richardson，authourofClarissa，andothernovelsofextensivereputation。Mr。HogarthcameonedaytoseeRichardson，soonaftertheexecutionofDr。Cameron，forhavingtakenarmsforthehouseofStuartin1745-6；andbeingawarmpartisanofGeorgetheSecond，heobservedtoRichardson，thatcertainlytheremusthavebeensomeveryunfavourablecircumstanceslatelydiscoveredinthisparticularcase，whichhadinducedtheKingtoapproveofanexecutionforrebellionsolongafterthetimewhenitwascommitted，asthishadtheappearanceofputtingamantodeathincoldblood，andwasveryunlikehisMajesty’susualclemency。

Whilehewastalking，heperceivedapersonstandingatawindowintheroom，shakinghishead，androllinghimselfaboutinastrangeridiculousmanner。Heconcludedthathewasanideot，whomhisrelationshadputunderthecareofMr。Richardson，asaverygoodman。Tohisgreatsurprise，however，thisfigurestalkedforwardstowhereheandMr。Richardsonweresitting，andallatoncetookuptheargument，andburstoutintoaninvectiveagainstGeorgetheSecond，asone，who，uponalloccasionswasunrelentingandbarbarous；mentioningmanyinstances，particularly，thatwhenanofficerofhighrankhadbeenacquittedbyaCourtMartial，GeorgetheSecondhadwithhisownhand，struckhisnameoffthelist。Inshort，hedisplayedsuchapowerofeloquence，thatHogarthlookedathimwithastonishment，andactuallyimaginedthatthisideothadbeenatthemomentinspired。NeitherHogarthnorJohnsonweremadeknowntoeachotheratthisinterview。

1740：AETAT。3l。]——In1740hewrotefortheGentleman’sMagazinethe’Preface，’’LifeofSirFrancisDrake，’andthefirstpartsofthoseof’AdmiralBlake，’andof’PhilipBaretier，’bothwhichhefinishedthefollowingyear。Healsowrotean’EssayonEpitaphs，’

andan’EpitaphonPhilips，aMusician，’whichwasafterwardspublishedwithsomeotherpiecesofhis，inMrs。Williams’sMiscellanies。ThisEpitaphissoexquisitelybeautiful，thatI

rememberevenLordKames，strangelyprejudicedashewasagainstDr。Johnson，wascompelledtoallowitveryhighpraise。IthasbeenascribedtoMr。Garrick，fromitsappearingatfirstwiththesignatureG；butIhaveheardMr。Garrickdeclare，thatitwaswrittenbyDr。Johnson，andgivethefollowingaccountofthemannerinwhichitwascomposed。Johnsonandheweresittingtogether；when，amongstotherthings，GarrickrepeatedanEpitaphuponthisPhilipsbyaDr。Wilkes，inthesewords：

’Exaltedsoul!whoseharmonycouldpleaseThelove-sickvirgin，andthegoutyease；

Couldjarringdiscord，likeAmphion，moveTobeauteousorderandharmoniouslove；

Resthereinpeace，tillangelsbidtheerise，AndmeetthyblessedSaviourintheskies。’

Johnsonshookhisheadatthesecommon-placefunereallines，andsaidtoGarrick，’Ithink，Davy，Icanmakeabetter。’Then，stirringabouthisteaforalittlewhile，inastateofmeditation，healmostextemporeproducedthefollowingverses：

’Philips，whosetouchharmoniouscouldremoveThepangsofguiltypowerorhaplesslove；

Resthere，distress’dbypovertynomore，Herefindthatcalmthougav’stsooftbefore；

Sleep，undisturb’d，withinthispeacefulshrine，Tillangelswaketheewithanotelikethine!’

1742：AETAT。33。]——In1742hewrote……’ProposalsforPrintingBibliothecaHarleiana，oraCatalogueoftheLibraryoftheEarlofOxford。’HewasemployedinthisbusinessbyMr。ThomasOsbornethebookseller，whopurchasedthelibraryfor13，000l。，asumwhichMr。Oldyssays，inoneofhismanuscripts，wasnotmorethanthebindingofthebookshadcost；yet，asDr。Johnsonassuredme，theslownessofthesalewassuch，thattherewasnotmuchgainedbyit。Ithasbeenconfidentlyrelated，withmanyembellishments，thatJohnsononedayknockedOsbornedowninhisshop，withafolio，andputhisfootuponhisneck。ThesimpletruthIhadfromJohnsonhimself。’Sir，hewasimpertinenttome，andIbeathim。

Butitwasnotinhisshop：itwasinmyownchamber。’

1744：AETAT。35。]——Heproducedoneworkthisyear，fullysufficienttomaintainthehighreputationwhichhehadacquired。ThiswasTheLifeofRichardSavage；aman，ofwhomitisdifficulttospeakimpartially，withoutwonderingthathewasforsometimetheintimatecompanionofJohnson；forhischaracterwasmarkedbyprofligacy，insolence，andingratitude：yet，asheundoubtedlyhadawarmandvigorous，thoughunregulatedmind，hadseenlifeinallitsvarieties，andbeenmuchinthecompanyofthestatesmenandwitsofhistime，hecouldcommunicatetoJohnsonanabundantsupplyofsuchmaterialsashisphilosophicalcuriositymosteagerlydesired；andasSavage’smisfortunesandmisconducthadreducedhimtotheloweststateofwretchednessasawriterforbread，hisvisitstoSt。John’sGatenaturallybroughtJohnsonandhimtogether。

Itismelancholytoreflect，thatJohnsonandSavageweresometimesinsuchextremeindigence，*thattheycouldnotpayforalodging；

sothattheyhavewanderedtogetherwholenightsinthestreets。

Yetinthesealmostincrediblescenesofdistress，wemaysupposethatSavagementionedmanyoftheanecdoteswithwhichJohnsonafterwardsenrichedthelifeofhisunhappycompanion，andthoseofotherPoets。

*SoonafterSavage’sLifewaspublished，Mr。HartedinedwithEdwardCave，andoccasionallypraisedit。Soonafter，meetinghim，Cavesaid，’Youmadeamanveryhappyt’otherday。’——’Howcouldthatbe。’saysHarte；’nobodywastherebutourselves。’Caveanswered，byremindinghimthataplateofvictualswassentbehindascreen，whichwastoJohnson，dressedsoshabbily，thathedidnotchoosetoappear；butonhearingtheconversation，washighlydelightedwiththeencomiumsonhisbook——MALONE。

HetoldSirJoshuaReynolds，thatonenightinparticular，whenSavageandhewalkedroundSt。James’s-squareforwantofalodging，theywerenotatalldepressedbytheirsituation；butinhighspiritsandbrimfulofpatriotism，traversedthesquareforseveralhours，inveighedagainsttheminister，and’resolvedtheywouldstandbytheircountry。’

InJohnson’sLifeofSavage，althoughitmustbeallowedthatitsmoralisthereverseof——’Respicereexemplarvitaemorumquejubebo，’averyusefullessonisinculcated，toguardmenofwarmpassionsfromatoofreeindulgenceofthem；andthevariousincidentsarerelatedinsoclearandanimatedamanner，andilluminatedthroughoutwithsomuchphilosophy，thatitisoneofthemostinterestingnarrativesintheEnglishlanguage。SirJoshuaReynoldstoldme，thatuponhisreturnfromItalyhemetwithitinDevonshire，knowingnothingofitsauthour，andbegantoreaditwhilehewasstandingwithhisarmleaningagainstachimney-piece。Itseizedhisattentionsostrongly，that，notbeingabletolaydownthebooktillhehadfinishedit，whenheattemptedtomove，hefoundhisarmtotallybenumbed。Therapiditywithwhichthisworkwascomposed，isawonderfulcircumstance。

Johnsonhasbeenheardtosay，’Iwroteforty-eightoftheprintedoctavopagesoftheLifeofSavageatasitting；butthenIsatupallnight。’

Itisremarkable，thatinthisbiographicaldisquisitionthereappearsaverystrongsymptomofJohnson’sprejudiceagainstplayers；aprejudicewhichmaybeattributedtothefollowingcauses：first，theimperfectionofhisorgans，whichweresodefectivethathewasnotsusceptibleofthefineimpressionswhichtheatricalexcellenceproducesuponthegeneralityofmankind；

secondly，thecoldrejectionofhistragedy；and，lastly，thebrilliantsuccessofGarrick，whohadbeenhispupil，whohadcometoLondonatthesametimewithhim，notinamuchmoreprosperousstatethanhimself，andwhosetalentsheundoubtedlyratedlow，comparedwithhisown。Hisbeingoutstrippedbyhispupilintheraceofimmediatefame，aswellasoffortune，probablymadehimfeelsomeindignation，asthinkingthatwhatevermightbeGarrick’smeritsinhisart，therewardwastoogreatwhencomparedwithwhatthemostsuccessfuleffortsofliterarylabourcouldattain。AtallperiodsofhislifeJohnsonusedtotalkcontemptuouslyofplayers；butinthisworkhespeaksofthemwithpeculiaracrimony；

forwhich，perhaps，therewasformerlytoomuchreasonfromthelicentiousanddissolutemannersofthoseengagedinthatprofession。Itisbutjusticetoadd，thatinourowntimesuchachangehastakenplace，thatthereisnolongerroomforsuchanunfavourabledistinction。

Hisschoolfellowandfriend，Dr。Taylor，toldmeapleasantanecdoteofJohnson’striumphingoverhispupilDavidGarrick。

WhenthatgreatactorhadplayedsomelittletimeatGoodman’sfields，JohnsonandTaylorwenttoseehimperform，andafterwardspassedtheeveningatatavernwithhimandoldGiffard。Johnson，whowaseverdepreciatingstage-players，aftercensuringsomemistakesinemphasiswhichGarrickhadcommittedinthecourseofthatnight’sacting，said，’Theplayers，Sir，havegotakindofrant，withwhichtheyrunon，withoutanyregardeithertoaccentoremphasis。’BothGarrickandGiffardwereoffendedatthissarcasm，andendeavouredtorefuteit；uponwhichJohnsonrejoined，’Wellnow，I’llgiveyousomethingtospeak，withwhichyouarelittleacquainted，andthenweshallseehowjustmyobservationis。Thatshallbethecriterion。LetmehearyourepeattheninthCommandment，“Thoushaltnotbearfalsewitnessagainstthyneighbour。“’Bothtriedatit，saidDr。Taylor，andbothmistooktheemphasis，whichshouldbeuponnotandfalsewitness。Johnsonputthemright，andenjoyedhisvictorywithgreatglee。