第14章

Everythingthoudostshewstheone，andeverythingthousay’sttheother。’Atanothertimehesaidtohim，’Thybodyisallvice，andthymindallvirtue。’Beauclerknotseemingtorelishthecompliment，Johnsonsaid，’Nay，Sir，AlexandertheGreat，marchingintriumphintoBabylon，couldnothavedesiredtohavehadmoresaidtohim。’

JohnsonwassometimewithBeauclerkathishouseatWindsor，wherehewasentertainedwithexperimentsinnaturalphilosophy。OneSunday，whentheweatherwasveryfine，Beauclerkenticedhim，insensibly，tosaunteraboutallthemorning。Theywentintoachurch-yard，inthetimeofdivineservice，andJohnsonlaidhimselfdownathiseaseupononeofthetomb-stones。’Now，Sir，(saidBeauclerk)youarelikeHogarth’sIdleApprentice。’WhenJohnsongothispension，Beauclerksaidtohim，inthehumorousphraseofFalstaff，’Ihopeyou’llnowpurgeandlivecleanlylikeagentleman。’

OnenightwhenBeauclerkandLangtonhadsuppedatataverninLondon，andsattillaboutthreeinthemorning，itcameintotheirheadstogoandknockupJohnson，andseeiftheycouldprevailonhimtojointheminaramble。TheyrappedviolentlyatthedoorofhischambersintheTemple，tillatlastheappearedinhisshirt，withhislittleblackwigonthetopofhishead，insteadofanightcap，andapokerinhishand，imagining，probably，thatsomeruffianswerecomingtoattackhim。Whenhediscoveredwhotheywere，andwastoldtheirerrand，hesmiled，andwithgreatgoodhumouragreedtotheirproposal：’What，isityou，youdogs!I’llhaveafriskwithyou。’Hewassoondrest，andtheysalliedforthtogetherintoCovent-Garden，wherethegreengrocersandfruitererswerebeginningtoarrangetheirhampers，justcomeinfromthecountry。Johnsonmadesomeattemptstohelpthem；butthehonestgardenersstaredsoathisfigureandmanner，andoddinterference，thathesoonsawhisserviceswerenotrelished。Theythenrepairedtooneoftheneighbouringtaverns，andmadeabowlofthatliquorcalledBishop，whichJohnsonhadalwaysliked；whileinjoyouscontemptofsleep，fromwhichhehadbeenroused，herepeatedthefestivelines，’Short，Oshortthenbethyreign，Andgiveustotheworldagain!’

Theydidnotstaylong，butwalkeddowntotheThames，tookaboat，androwedtoBillingsgate。BeauclerkandJohnsonweresowellpleasedwiththeiramusement，thattheyresolvedtopersevereindissipationfortherestoftheday：butLangtondesertedthem，beingengagedtobreakfastwithsomeyoungLadies。Johnsonscoldedhimfor’leavinghissocialfriends，togoandsitwithasetofwretchedUN-IDEA’Dgirls。’Garrickbeingtoldofthisramble，saidtohimsmartly，’Iheardofyourfrolickt’othernight。You’llbeintheChronicle。’UponwhichJohnsonafterwardsobserved，’HE

durstnotdosuchathing。HisWIFEwouldnotLEThim!’

1753：AETAT。44。]——Heentereduponthisyear1753withhisusualpiety，asappearsfromthefollowingprayer，whichItranscribedfromthatpartofhisdiarywhichheburntafewdaysbeforehisdeath：

’Jan。1，1753，N。S。whichIshalluseforthefuture。

’AlmightyGod，whohastcontinuedmylifetothisday，grantthat，bytheassistanceofthyHolySpirit，Imayimprovethetimewhichthoushaltgrantme，tomyeternalsalvation。Makemetoremember，tothyglory，thyjudgementsandthymercies。Makemesotoconsiderthelossofmywife，whomthouhasttakenfromme，thatitmaydisposeme，bythygrace，toleadtheresidueofmylifeinthyfear。Grantthis，OLORD，forJESUSCHRIST’Ssake。Amen。’

HenowrelievedthedrudgeryofhisDictionary，andthemelancholyofhisgrief，bytakinganactivepartinthecompositionofTheAdventurer，inwhichhebegantowriteApril10。

InoneofthebooksofhisdiaryIfindthefollowingentry：

’Apr。3，1753。Ibeganthesecondvol。ofmyDictionary，roombeingleftinthefirstforPreface，Grammar，andHistory，noneofthemyetbegun。

’OGod，whohasthithertosupportedme，enablemetoproceedinthislabour，andinthewholetaskofmypresentstate；thatwhenI

shallrenderup，atthelastday，anaccountofthetalentcommittedtome，Imayreceivepardon，forthesakeofJESUS

CHRIST。Amen。’

1754：AETAT。45。]——TheDictionary，wemaybelieve，affordedJohnsonfulloccupationthisyear。Asitapproachedtoitsconclusion，heprobablyworkedwithredoubledvigour，asseamenincreasetheirexertionandalacritywhentheyhaveanearprospectoftheirhaven。

LordChesterfield，towhomJohnsonhadpaidthehighcomplimentofaddressingtohisLordshipthePlanofhisDictionary，hadbehavedtohiminsuchamannerastoexcitehiscontemptandindignation。

Theworldhasbeenformanyyearsamusedwithastoryconfidentlytold，andasconfidentlyrepeatedwithadditionalcircumstances，thatasuddendisgustwastakenbyJohnsonuponoccasionofhishavingbeenonedaykeptlonginwaitinginhisLordship’santechamber，forwhichthereasonassignedwas，thathehadcompanywithhim；andthatatlast，whenthedooropened，outwalkedColleyCibber；andthatJohnsonwassoviolentlyprovokedwhenhefoundforwhomhehadbeensolongexcluded，thathewentawayinapassion，andneverwouldreturn。IrememberhavingmentionedthisstorytoGeorgeLordLyttelton，whotoldme，hewasveryintimatewithLordChesterfield；andholdingitasawell-knowntruth，defendedLordChesterfield，bysaying，that’Cibber，whohadbeenintroducedfamiliarlybytheback-stairs，hadprobablynotbeenthereabovetenminutes。’Itmayseemstrangeeventoentertainadoubtconcerningastorysolongandsowidelycurrent，andthusimplicitlyadopted，ifnotsanctioned，bytheauthoritywhichI

havementioned；butJohnsonhimselfassuredme，thattherewasnottheleastfoundationforit。Hetoldme，thatthereneverwasanyparticularincidentwhichproducedaquarrelbetweenLordChesterfieldandhim；butthathisLordship’scontinuedneglectwasthereasonwhyheresolvedtohavenoconnectionwithhim。WhentheDictionarywasupontheeveofpublication，LordChesterfield，who，itissaid，hadflatteredhimselfwithexpectationsthatJohnsonwoulddedicatetheworktohim，attempted，inacourtlymanner，tosooth，andinsinuatehimselfwiththeSage，conscious，asitshouldseem，ofthecoldindifferencewithwhichhehadtreateditslearnedauthour；andfurtherattemptedtoconciliatehim，bywritingtwopapersinTheWorld，inrecommendationofthework；anditmustbeconfessed，thattheycontainsomestudiedcompliments，sofinelyturned，thatiftherehadbeennopreviousoffence，itisprobablethatJohnsonwouldhavebeenhighlydelighted。*Praise，ingeneral，waspleasingtohim；butbypraisefromamanofrankandelegantaccomplishments，hewaspeculiarlygratified。

*Boswellcouldnothavereadthesecondpapercarefully。ItissillyandindecentandwascertaintooffendJohnson——ED。

Thiscourtlydevicefailedofitseffect。Johnson，whothoughtthat’allwasfalseandhollow，’despisedthehoneyedwords，andwasevenindignantthatLordChesterfieldshould，foramoment，imaginethathecouldbethedupeofsuchanartifice。HisexpressiontomeconcerningLordChesterfield，uponthisoccasion，was，’Sir，aftermakinggreatprofessions，hehad，formanyyears，takennonoticeofme；butwhenmyDictionarywascomingout，hefellascribblinginTheWorldaboutit。Uponwhich，Iwrotehimaletterexpressedincivilterms，butsuchasmightshewhimthatI

didnotmindwhathesaidorwrote，andthatIhaddonewithhim。’

Thisisthatcelebratedletterofwhichsomuchhasbeensaid，andaboutwhichcuriosityhasbeensolongexcited，withoutbeinggratified。IformanyyearssolicitedJohnsontofavourmewithacopyofit，thatsoexcellentacompositionmightnotbelosttoposterity。Hedelayedfromtimetotimetogiveitme；tillatlastin1781，whenwewereonavisitatMr。Dilly’s，atSouthillinBedfordshire，hewaspleasedtodictateittomefrommemory。

Heafterwardsfoundamonghispapersacopyofit，whichhehaddictatedtoMr。Baretti，withitstitleandcorrections，inhisownhandwriting。ThishegavetoMr。Langton；addingthatifitweretocomeintoprint，hewishedittobefromthatcopy。ByMr。

Langton’skindness，Iamenabledtoenrichmyworkwithaperfecttranscriptofwhattheworldhassoeagerlydesiredtosee。

’TOTHERIGHTHONOURABLETHEEARLORCHESTERFIELD

’February7，1755。

’MYLORD，Ihavebeenlatelyinformed，bytheproprietorofTheWorld，thattwopapers，inwhichmyDictionaryisrecommendedtothepublick，werewrittenbyyourLordship。Tobesodistinguished，isanhonour，which，beingverylittleaccustomedtofavoursfromthegreat，Iknownotwellhowtoreceive，orinwhattermstoacknowledge。

’When，uponsomeslightencouragement，IfirstvisitedyourLordship，Iwasoverpowered，liketherestofmankind，bytheenchantmentofyouraddress；andcouldnotforbeartowishthatI

mightboastmyselfLevainqueurduvainqueurdelaterre；——thatI

mightobtainthatregardforwhichIsawtheworldcontending；butIfoundmyattendancesolittleencouraged，thatneitherpridenormodestywouldsuffermetocontinueit。WhenIhadonceaddressedyourLordshipinpublick，Ihadexhaustedalltheartofpleasingwhicharetiredanduncourtlyscholarcanpossess。IhaddoneallthatIcould；andnomaniswellpleasedtohavehisallneglected，beiteversolittle。

’Sevenyears，myLord，havenowpast，sinceIwaitedinyouroutwardrooms，orwasrepulsedfromyourdoor；duringwhichtimeI

havebeenpushingonmyworkthroughdifficulties，ofwhichitisuselesstocomplain，andhavebroughtit，atlast，tothevergeofpublication，withoutoneactofassistance，onewordofencouragement，oronesmileoffavour。SuchtreatmentIdidnotexpect，forIneverhadaPatronbefore。

’TheshepherdinVirgilgrewatlastacquaintedwithLove，andfoundhimanativeoftherocks。

’IsnotaPatron，myLord，onewholookswithunconcernonamanstrugglingforlifeinthewater，and，whenhehasreachedground，encumbershimwithhelp？Thenoticewhichyouhavebeenpleasedtotakeofmylabours，haditbeenearly，hadbeenkind；butithasbeendelayedtillIamindifferent，andcannotenjoyit；tillIamsolitary，andcannotimpartit；tillIamknown，anddonotwantit。Ihopeitisnoverycynicalasperitynottoconfessobligationswherenobenefithasbeenreceived，ortobeunwillingthatthePublickshouldconsidermeasowingthattoaPatron，whichProvidencehasenabledmetodoformyself。

’Havingcarriedonmyworkthusfarwithsolittleobligationtoanyfavoureroflearning，IshallnotbedisappointedthoughI

shouldconcludeit，iflessbepossible，withless；forIhavebeenlongwakenedfromthatdreamofhope，inwhichIonceboastedmyselfwithsomuchexultation，myLord，yourLordship’smosthumble，mostobedientservant，’SAMJOHNSON。’