第16章

’SAM。JOHNSON。’

’HisDictionary’——WARTON。

1755：AETAT。46。]——In1755webeholdhimtogreatadvantage；hisdegreeofMasterofArtsconferreduponhim，hisDictionarypublished，hiscorrespondenceanimated，hisbenevolenceexercised。

Mr。CharlesBurney，whohassincedistinguishedhimselfsomuchinthescienceofMusick，andobtainedaDoctor’sdegreefromtheUniversityofOxford，hadbeendrivenfromthecapitalbybadhealth，andwasnowresidingatLynneRegis，inNorfolk。HehadbeensomuchdelightedwithJohnson’sRamblerandthePlanofhisDictionary，thatwhenthegreatworkwasannouncedinthenews-

papersasnearlyfinished，’hewrotetoDr。Johnson，beggingtobeinformedwhenandinwhatmannerhisDictionarywouldbepublished；

intreating，ifitshouldbebysubscription，orheshouldhaveanybooksathisowndisposal，tobefavouredwithsixcopiesforhimselfandfriends。

Inanswertothisapplication，Dr。Johnsonwrotethefollowingletter，ofwhich(touseDr。Burney’sownwords)’ifitberememberedthatitwaswrittentoanobscureyoungman，whoatthistimehadnotmuchdistinguishedhimselfeveninhisownprofession，butwhosenamecouldneverhavereachedtheauthourofTheRambler，thepolitenessandurbanitymaybeopposedtosomeofthestorieswhichhavebeenlatelycirculatedofDr。Johnson’snaturalrudenessandferocity。’

’TOMR。BURNEY，INLYNNEREGIS，NORFOLK。

’SIR，——IfyouimaginethatbydelayingmyanswerIintendedtoshewanyneglectofthenoticewithwhichyouhavefavouredme，youwillneitherthinkjustlyofyourselfnorofme。Yourcivilitieswereofferedwithtoomuchelegancenottoengageattention；andIhavetoomuchpleasureinpleasingmenlikeyou，nottofeelverysensiblythedistinctionwhichyouhavebestoweduponme。

’Fewconsequencesofmyendeavourstopleaseortobenefitmankindhavedelightedmemorethanyourfriendshipthusvoluntarilyoffered，whichnowIhaveitIhopetokeep，becauseIhopetocontinuetodeserveit。

’IhavenoDictionariestodisposeofformyself，butshallbegladtohaveyoudirectyourfriendstoMr。Dodsley，becauseitwasbyhisrecommendationthatIwasemployedinthework。

’Whenyouhaveleisuretothinkagainuponme，letmebefavouredwithanotherletter；andanotheryet，whenyouhavelookedintomyDictionary。Ifyoufindfaults，Ishallendeavourtomendthem；ifyoufindnone，Ishallthinkyoublindedbykindpartiality：buttohavemadeyoupartialinhisfavour，willverymuchgratifytheambitionof，Sir，yourmostobligedandmosthumbleservant，’SAM。JOHNSON。’

’Gough-square，Fleet-street，April8，1755。’

TheDictionary，withaGrammarandHistoryoftheEnglishLanguage，beingnowatlengthpublished，intwovolumesfolio，theworldcontemplatedwithwondersostupendousaworkachievedbyoneman，whileothercountrieshadthoughtsuchundertakingsfitonlyforwholeacademies。Vastashispowerswere，Icannotbutthinkthathisimaginationdeceivedhim，whenhesupposedthatbyconstantapplicationhemighthaveperformedthetaskinthreeyears。

Theextensivereadingwhichwasabsolutelynecessaryfortheaccumulationofauthorities，andwhichalonemayaccountforJohnson’sretentivemindbeingenrichedwithaverylargeandvariousstoreofknowledgeandimagery，musthaveoccupiedseveralyears。ThePrefacefurnishesaneminentinstanceofadoubletalent，ofwhichJohnsonwasfullyconscious。SirJoshuaReynoldsheardhimsay，’TherearetwothingswhichIamconfidentIcandoverywell：oneisanintroductiontoanyliterarywork，statingwhatitistocontain，andhowitshouldbeexecutedinthemostperfectmanner；theotherisaconclusion，shewingfromvariouscauseswhytheexecutionhasnotbeenequaltowhattheauthourpromisedtohimselfandtothepublick。’

Afewofhisdefinitionsmustbeadmittedtobeerroneous。Thus，WindwardandLeeward，thoughdirectlyofoppositemeaning，aredefinedidenticallythesameway；astowhichinconsiderablespecksitisenoughtoobserve，thathisPrefaceannouncesthathewasawaretheremightbemanysuchinsoimmenseawork；norwasheatalldisconcertedwhenaninstancewaspointedouttohim。AladyonceaskedhimhowhecametodefinePasterntheKNEEofahorse：

insteadofmakinganelaboratedefence，assheexpected，heatonceanswered，’Ignorance，madam，pureignorance。’HisdefinitionofNetwork*hasbeenoftenquotedwithsportivemalignity，asobscuringathinginitselfveryplain。ButtothesefrivolouscensuresnootheranswerisnecessarythanthatwithwhichwearefurnishedbyhisownPreface。

*Anythingreticulatedordecussated，atequaldistances，withintersticesbetweentheintersections。’——ED。

Hisintroducinghisownopinions，andevenprejudices，undergeneraldefinitionsofwords，whileatthesametimetheoriginalmeaningofthewordsisnotexplained，ashisTory，Whig，Pension，Oats，Excise，*andafewmore，cannotbefullydefended，andmustbeplacedtotheaccountofcapriciousandhumorousindulgence。

TalkingtomeuponthissubjectwhenwewereatAshbournein1777，hementionedastillstrongerinstanceofthepredominanceofhisprivatefeelingsinthecompositionofthiswork，thananynowtobefoundinit。’Youknow，Sir，LordGowerforsooktheoldJacobiteinterest。WhenIcametothewordRenegado，aftertellingthatitmeant“onewhodesertstotheenemy，arevolter，“Iadded，SometimeswesayaGOWER。Thusitwenttothepress；buttheprinterhadmorewitthanI，andstruckitout。’

*Tory。’OnewhoadherestotheancientconstitutionorthestateandtheapostolicalhierarchyofthechurchorEngland，opposedtoawhig。’Whig。’Thenameofafaction。’Pension。’Anallowancemadetoanyonewithoutanequivalent。InEnglanditisgenerallyunderstoodtomeanpaygiventoastatehirelingfortreasontohiscountry。’Oats。’AgrainwhichinEnglandisgenerallygiventohorses，butinScotlandsupportsthepeople。’Excise。’Ahatefultaxlevieduponcommodities，andadjudgednotbythecommonjudgesofproperty，butwretcheshiredbythosetowhomexciseispaid。’——

ED。

Letit，however，beremembered，thatthisindulgencedoesnotdisplayitselfonlyinsarcasmtowardsothers，butsometimesinplayfulallusiontothenotionscommonlyentertainedofhisownlaborioustask。Thus：’Grub-street，thenameofastreetinLondon，muchinhabitedbywritersofsmallhistories，dictionaries，andtemporarypoems；whenceanymeanproductioniscalledGrub-

street。’——’Lexicographer，awriterofdictionaries，aharmlessdrudge。’

Itmustundoubtedlyseemstrange，thattheconclusionofhisPrefaceshouldbeexpressedintermssodesponding，whenitisconsideredthattheauthourwasthenonlyinhisforty-sixthyear。

Butwemustascribeitsgloomtothatmiserabledejectionofspiritstowhichhewasconstitutionallysubject，andwhichwasaggravatedbythedeathofhiswifetwoyearsbefore。Ihavehearditingeniouslyobservedbyaladyofrankandelegance，that’hismelancholywasthenatitsmeridian。’ItpleasedGODtogranthimalmostthirtyyearsoflifeafterthistime；andonce，whenhewasinaplacidframeofmind，hewasobligedtoowntomethathehadenjoyedhappierdays，andhadmanymorefriends，sincethatgloomyhourthanbefore。

Itisasadsaying，that’mostofthosewhomhewishedtopleasehadsunkintothegrave；’andhiscaseatforty-fivewassingularlyunhappy，unlessthecircleofhisfriendswasverynarrow。HesaidtoSirJoshuaReynolds，’Ifamandoesnotmakenewacquaintanceasheadvancesthroughlife，hewillsoonfindhimselfleftalone。A

man，Sir，shouldkeephisfriendshipinconstantrepair。’

InJulythisyearhehadformedsomeschemeofmentalimprovement，theparticularpurposeofwhichdoesnotappear。ButwefindinhisPrayersandMeditations，p。25，aprayerentitled’OntheStudyofPhilosophy，asanInstrumentofliving；’andafteritfollowsanote，’Thisstudywasnotpursued。’

Onthe13thofthesamemonthhewroteinhisJournalthefollowingschemeoflife，forSunday：

’Havinglived’(ashewithtendernessofconscienceexpresseshimself)’notwithoutanhabitualreverencefortheSabbath，yetwithoutthatattentiontoitsreligiousdutieswhichChristianityrequires；

Toriseearly，andinordertoit，togotosleepearlyonSaturday。

Tousesomeextraordinarydevotioninthemorning。

Toexaminethetenourofmylife，andparticularlythelast。

week；andtomarkmyadvancesinreligion，orrecessionfromit。

ToreadtheScripturemethodicallywithsuchhelpsasareathand。

Togotochurchtwice。

ToreadbooksofDivinity，eitherspeculativeorpractical。

Toinstructmyfamily。

Towearoffbymeditationanyworldlysoilcontractedintheweek。’

1756：AETAT。47。]——In1756JohnsonfoundthatthegreatfameofhisDictionaryhadnotsethimabovethenecessityof’makingprovisionforthedaythatwaspassingoverhim。’Noroyalornoblepatronextendedamunificenthandtogiveindependencetothemanwhohadconferredstabilityonthelanguageofhiscountry。Wemayfeelindignantthatthereshouldhavebeensuchunworthyneglect；butwemust，atthesametime，congratulateourselves，whenweconsiderthattothisveryneglect，operatingtorousethenaturalindolenceofhisconstitution，weowemanyvaluableproductions，whichotherwise，perhaps，mightneverhaveappeared。

Hehadspent，duringtheprogressofthework，themoneyforwhichhehadcontractedtowritehisDictionary。Wehaveseenthattherewardofhislabourwasonlyfifteenhundredandseventy-fivepounds；andwhentheexpenceofamanuensesandpaper，andotherarticlesarededucted，hisclearprofitwasveryinconsiderable。I

oncesaidtohim，’Iamsorry，Sir，youdidnotgetmoreforyourDictionary。’Hisanswerwas，’Iamsorry，too。Butitwasverywell。Thebooksellersaregenerous，liberal-mindedmen。’He，uponalloccasions，didamplejusticetotheircharacterinthisrespect。Heconsideredthemasthepatronsofliterature；and，indeed，althoughtheyhaveeventuallybeenconsiderablegainersbyhisDictionary，itistothemthatweoweitshavingbeenundertakenandcarriedthroughattheriskofgreatexpence，fortheywerenotabsolutelysureofbeingindemnified。

HethisyearresumedhisschemeofgivinganeditionofShakspearewithnotes。*HeissuedProposalsofconsiderablelength，inwhichheshewedthatheperfectlywellknewwhatavarietyofresearchsuchanundertakingrequired；buthisindolencepreventedhimfrompursuingitwiththatdiligencewhichalonecancollectthosescatteredfactsthatgenius，howeveracute，penetrating，andluminous，cannotdiscoverbyitsownforce。Itisremarkable，thatatthistimehisfanciedactivitywasforthemomentsovigorous，thathepromisedhisworkshouldbepublishedbeforeChristmas，1757。Yetnineyearselapsedbeforeitsawthelight。Histhroesinbringingitforthhadbeensevereandremittent；andatlastwemayalmostconcludethattheCaesarianoperationwasperformedbytheknifeofChurchill，whoseupbraidingsatire，Idaresay，madeJohnson’sfriendsurgehimtodispatch。

’Heforsubscribersbateshishook，Andtakesyourcash；butwhere’sthebook？

Nomatterwhere；wisefear，youknow，Forbidstherobbingofafoe；

Butwhat，toserveourprivateends，Forbidsthecheatingofourfriends？’

*Firstproposedin1745——ED。