第15章

’Whilethiswasthetalkofthetown，(saysDr。Adams，inalettertome)IhappenedtovisitDr。Warburton，whofindingthatIwasacquaintedwithJohnson，desiredmeearnestlytocarryhiscomplimentstohim，andtotellhimthathehonouredhimforhismanlybehaviourinrejectingthesecondescensionsofLordChesterfield，andforresentingthetreatmenthehadreceivedfromhim，withaproperspirit。Johnsonwasvisiblypleasedwiththiscompliment，forhehadalwaysahighopinionofWarburton。Indeed，theforceofmindwhichappearedinthisletter，wascongenialwiththatwhichWarburtonhimselfamplypossessed。’

Thereisacuriousminutecircumstancewhichstruckme，incomparingthevariouseditionsofJohnson’simitationsofJuvenal。

InthetenthSatire，oneofthecoupletsuponthevanityofwishesevenforliterarydistinctionstoodthus：

’Yetthinkwhatillsthescholar’slifeassail，Pride，envy，want，theGARRET，andthejail。’

ButafterexperiencingtheuneasinesswhichLordChesterfield’sfallaciouspatronagemadehimfeel，hedismissedthewordgarretfromthesadgroup，andinallthesubsequenteditionsthelinestands’Pride，envy，want，thePATRON，andthejail。’

ThatLordChesterfieldmusthavebeenmortifiedbytheloftycontempt，andpolite，yetkeensatirewithwhichJohnsonexhibitedhimtohimselfinthisletter，itisimpossibletodoubt。He，however，withthatglossyduplicitywhichwashisconstantstudy，affectedtohequiteunconcerned。Dr。AdamsmentionedtoMr。

RobertDodsleythathewassorryJohnsonhadwrittenhislettertoLordChesterfield。Dodsley，withthetruefeelingsoftrade，said’hewasverysorrytoo；forthathehadapropertyintheDictionary，towhichhisLordship’spatronagemighthavebeenofconsequence。’HethentoldDr。Adams，thatLordChesterfieldhadshewnhimtheletter。’Ishouldhaveimagined(repliedDr。Adams)

thatLordChesterfieldwouldhaveconcealedit。’’Poh!(saidDodsley)doyouthinkaletterfromJohnsoncouldhurtLordChesterfield？Notatall，Sir。Itlayuponhistable；whereanybodymightseeit。Hereadittome；said，“thismanhasgreatpowers，“pointedouttheseverestpassages，andobservedhowwelltheywereexpressed。’Thisairofindifference，whichimposedupontheworthyDodsley，wascertainlynothingbutaspecimenofthatdissimulationwhichLordChesterfieldinculcatedasoneofthemostessentiallessonsfortheconductoflife。HisLordshipendeavouredtojustifyhimselftoDodsleyfromthechargesbroughtagainsthimbyJohnson；butwemayjudgeoftheflimsinessofhisdefence，fromhishavingexcusedhisneglectofJohnson，bysayingthat’hehadheardhehadchangedhislodgings，anddidnotknowwherehelived；’asiftherecouldhavebeenthesmallestdifficultytoinformhimselfofthatcircumstance，byinquiringintheliterarycirclewithwhichhisLordshipwaswellacquainted，andwas，indeed，himselfoneofitsornaments。

Dr。AdamsexpostulatedwithJohnson，andsuggested，thathisnotbeingadmittedwhenhecalledonhim，was，probably，nottobeimputedtoLordChesterfield；forhisLordshiphaddeclaredtoDodsley，that’hewouldhaveturnedoffthebestservantheeverhad，ifhehadknownthathedeniedhimtoamanwhowouldhavebeenalwaysmorethanwelcome；’and，inconfirmationofthis，heinsistedonLordChesterfield’sgeneralaffabilityandeasinessofaccess，especiallytoliterarymen。’Sir(saidJohnson)thatisnotLordChesterfield；heistheproudestmanthisdayexisting。’

’No，(saidDr。Adams)thereisoneperson，atleast，asproud；I

think，byyourownaccount，youaretheproudermanofthetwo。’

’Butmine(repliedJohnson，instantly)wasDEFENSIVEpride。’This，asDr。Adamswellobserved，wasoneofthosehappyturnsforwhichhewassoremarkablyready。

JohnsonhavingnowexplicitlyavowedhisopinionofLordChesterfield，didnotrefrainfromexpressinghimselfconcerningthatnoblemanwithpointedfreedom：’Thisman(saidhe)IthoughthadbeenaLordamongwits；but，Ifind，heisonlyawitamongLords!’AndwhenhisLetterstohisnaturalsonwerepublished，heobserved，that’theyteachthemoralsofawhore，andthemannersofadancingmaster。’

Onthe6thofMarchcameoutLordBolingbroke’sworks，publishedbyMr。DavidMallet。Thewildandperniciousravings，underthenameofPhilosophy，whichwerethususheredintotheworld，gavegreatoffencetoallwell-principledmen。Johnson，hearingoftheirtendency，whichnobodydisputed，wasrousedwithajustindignation，andpronouncedthismemorablesentenceuponthenobleauthourandhiseditor。’Sir，hewasascoundrel，andacoward：ascoundrel，forchargingablunderbussagainstreligionandmorality；acoward，becausehehadnotresolutiontofireitoffhimself，butlefthalfacrowntoabeggarlyScotchman，todrawthetriggerafterhisdeath!’

JohnsonthisyearfoundanintervalofleisuretomakeanexcursiontoOxford，forthepurposeofconsultingthelibrariesthere。

OfhisconversationwhileatOxfordatthistime，Mr。Wartonpreservedandcommunicatedtomethefollowingmemorial，which，thoughnotwrittenwithallthecareandattentionwhichthatlearnedandelegantwriterbestowedonthosecompositionswhichheintendedforthepublickeye，issohappilyexpressedinaneasystyle，thatIshouldinjureitbyanyalteration：

’WhenJohnsoncametoOxfordin1754，thelongvacationwasbeginning，andmostpeoplewereleavingtheplace。Thiswasthefirsttimeofhisbeingthere，afterquittingtheUniversity。Thenextmorningafterhisarrival，hewishedtoseehisoldCollege，Pembroke。Iwentwithhim。HewashighlypleasedtofindalltheCollege-servantswhichhehadlefttherestillremaining，particularlyaveryoldbutler；andexpressedgreatsatisfactionatbeingrecognisedbythem，andconversedwiththemfamiliarly。Hewaitedonthemaster，Dr。Radcliffe，whoreceivedhimverycoldly。

Johnsonatleastexpected，thatthemasterwouldorderacopyofhisDictionary，nownearpublication：butthemasterdidnotchoosetotalkonthesubject，neveraskedJohnsontodine，noreventovisithim，whilehestayedatOxford。Afterwehadleftthelodgings，Johnsonsaidtome，“THERElivesaman，wholivesbytherevenuesofliterature，andwillnotmoveafingertosupportit。

IfIcometoliveatOxford，IshalltakeupmyabodeatTrinity。“

WethencalledontheReverendMr。Meeke，oneofthefellows，andofJohnson’sstanding。Herewasamostcordialgreetingonbothsides。Onleavinghim，Johnsonsaid，“IusedtothinkMeekehadexcellentparts，whenwewereboystogetherattheCollege：but，alas!

’Lostinaconvent’ssolitarygloom!’

Iremember，attheclassicallectureintheHall，IcouldnotbearMeeke’ssuperiority，andItriedtositasfarfromhimasIcould，thatImightnothearhimconstrue。“

’AswewereleavingtheCollege，hesaid，“HereItranslatedPope’sMessiah。Whichdoyouthinkisthebestlineinit？——Myownfavouriteis，’VallisaromaticasfunditSaronicanubes。’“

Itoldhim，Ithoughtitaverysonoroushexameter。Ididnottellhim，itwasnotintheVirgilianstyle。HemuchregrettedthathisFIRSTtutorwasdead；forwhomheseemedtoretainthegreatestregard。Hesaid，“IoncehadbeenawholemorningslidinginChrist-ChurchMeadow，andmissedhislectureinlogick。Afterdinner，hesentformetohisroom。Iexpectedasharprebukeformyidleness，andwentwithabeatingheart。Whenwewereseated，hetoldmehehadsentformetodrinkaglassofwinewithhim，andtotellme，hewasNOTangrywithmeformissinghislecture。

Thiswas，infact，amostseverereprimand。Somemoreoftheboyswerethensentfor，andwespentaverypleasantafternoon。“

BesidesMr。Meeke，therewasonlyoneotherFellowofPembrokenowresident：frombothofwhomJohnsonreceivedthegreatestcivilitiesduringthisvisit，andtheypressedhimverymuchtohavearoomintheCollege。

’Inthecourseofthisvisit(1754)，JohnsonandIwalked，threeorfourtimes，toEllsfield，avillagebeautifullysituatedaboutthreemilesfromOxford，toseeMr。Wise，Radclivianlibrarian，withwhomJohnsonwasmuchpleased。Atthisplace，Mr。Wisehadfittedupahouseandgardens，inasingularmanner，butwithgreattaste。Herewasanexcellentlibrary；particularly，avaluablecollectionofbooksinNorthernliterature，withwhichJohnsonwasoftenverybusy。OnedayMr。Wisereadtousadissertationwhichhewaspreparingforthepress，intitled，“AHistoryandChronologyofthefabulousAges。“SomeolddivinitiesofThrace，relatedtotheTitans，andcalledtheCABIRI，madeaveryimportantpartofthetheoryofthispiece；andinconversationafterwards，Mr。WisetalkedmuchofhisCABIRI。AswereturnedtoOxfordintheevening，Iout-walkedJohnson，andhecriedoutSufflamina，aLatinwordwhichcamefromhismouthwithpeculiargrace，andwasasmuchastosay，Putonyourdragchain。Beforewegothome，Iagainwalkedtoofastforhim；andhenowcriedout，“Why，youwalkasifyouwerepursuedbyalltheCABIRIinabody。

“Inanevening，wefrequentlytooklongwalksfromOxfordintothecountry，returningtosupper。Once，inourwayhome，weviewedtheruinsoftheabbiesofOseneyandRewley，nearOxford。Afteratleasthalfanhour’ssilence，Johnsonsaid，“Iviewedthemwithindignation!“WehadthenalongconversationonGothickbuildings；andintalkingoftheformofoldhalls，hesaid，“Inthesehalls，thefireplacewasancientlyalwaysinthemiddleoftheroom，tilltheWhigsremoveditononeside。“——AboutthistimetherehadbeenanexecutionoftwoorthreecriminalsatOxfordonaMonday。Soonafterwards，onedayatdinner，IwassayingthatMr。Swintonthechaplainofthegaol，andalsoafrequentpreacherbeforetheUniversity，alearnedman，butoftenthoughtlessandabsent，preachedthecondemnation-sermononrepentance，beforetheconvicts，ontheprecedingday，Sunday；andthatintheclosehetoldhisaudience，thatheshouldgivethemtheremainderofwhathehadtosayonthesubject，thenextLord’sDay。Uponwhich，oneofourcompany，aDoctorofDivinity，andaplainmatter-of-factman，bywayofofferinganapologyforMr。Swinton，gravelyremarked，thathehadprobablypreachedthesamesermonbeforetheUniversity：“Yes，Sir，(saysJohnson)buttheUniversitywerenottobehangedthenextmorning。“

’Iforgottoobservebefore，thatwhenheleftMr。Meeke，(asI

havetoldabove)headded，“Aboutthesametimeoflife，MeekewasleftbehindatOxfordtofeedonaFellowship，andIwenttoLondontogetmyliving：now，Sir，seethedifferenceofourliterarycharacters!“’

ThedegreeofMasterofArts，which，ithasbeenobserved，couldnotbeobtainedforhimatanearlyperiodofhislife，wasnowconsideredasanhonourofconsiderableimportance，inordertogracethetitle-pageofhisDictionary；andhischaracterintheliteraryworldbeingbythistimedeservedlyhigh，hisfriendsthoughtthat，ifproperexertionsweremade，theUniversityofOxfordwouldpayhimthecompliment。

ToTHEREVERENDTHOMASWARTON。

’DEARSIR，——Iamextremelysensibleofthefavourdoneme，bothbyMr。Wiseandyourself。Thebook*cannot，Ithink，beprintedinlessthansixweeks，norprobablysosoon；andIwillkeepbackthetitle-page，forsuchaninsertionasyouseemtopromiseme……

’Ihadlatelythefavourofaletterfromyourbrother，withsomeaccountofpoorCollins，forwhomIammuchconcerned。Ihaveanotion，thatbyverygreattemperance，ormoreproperlyabstinence，hemayyetrecover……

’YouknowpoorMr。Dodsleyhaslosthiswife；Ibelieveheismuchaffected。IhopehewillnotsuffersomuchasIyetsufferforthelossofmine。

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Ihaveeversinceseemedtomyselfbrokenofffrommankind；akindofsolitarywandererinthewildoflife，withoutanydirection，orfixedpointofview：agloomygazeronaworldtowhichIhavelittlerelation。YetIwouldendeavour，bythehelpofyouandyourbrother，tosupplythewantofcloserunion，byfriendship：

andhopetohavelongthepleasureofbeing，dearSir，mostaffectionatelyyour’s，’[London。]Dec。21，1754。’