第17章

AboutthisperiodhewasofferedalivingofconsiderablevalueinLincolnshire，ifhewereinclinedtoenterintoholyorders。ItwasarectoryinthegiftofMr。Langton，thefatherofhismuchvaluedfriend。Buthedidnotacceptofit；partlyIbelievefromaconscientiousmotive，beingpersuadedthathistemperandhabitsrenderedhimunfitforthatassiduousandfamiliarinstructionofthevulgarandignorantwhichheheldtobeanessentialdutyinaclergyman；andpartlybecausehisloveofaLondonlifewassostrong，thathewouldhavethoughthimselfanexileinanyotherplace，particularlyifresidinginthecountry。Whoeverwouldwishtoseehisthoughtsuponthatsubjectdisplayedintheirfullforce，mayperuseTheAdventurer，Number126。

1757：AETAT。48。]——MR。BURNEYhavingenclosedtohimanextractfromthereviewofhisDictionaryintheBibliothequedesSavans，andalistofsubscriberstohisShakspeare，whichMr。BurneyhadprocuredinNorfolk，hewrotethefollowinganswer：

’TOMR。BURNEY，INLYNNE，NORFOLK。

’SIR，——ThatImayshewmyselfsensibleofyourfavours，andnotcommitthesamefaultasecondtime，ImakehastetoanswertheletterwhichIreceivedthismorning。Thetruthis，theotherlikewisewasreceived，andIwroteananswer；butbeingdesiroustotransmityousomeproposalsandreceipts，IwaitedtillIcouldfindaconvenientconveyance，anddaywaspassedafterday，tillotherthingsdroveitfrommythoughts；yetnotso，butthatI

rememberwithgreatpleasureyourcommendationofmyDictionary。

Yourpraisewaswelcome，notonlybecauseIbelieveitwassincere，butbecausepraisehasbeenveryscarce。AmanofyourcandourwillbesurprisedwhenItellyou，thatamongallmyacquaintancetherewereonlytwo，whouponthepublicationofmybookdidnotendeavourtodepressmewiththreatsofcensurefromthepublick，orwithobjectionslearnedfromthosewhohadlearnedthemfrommyownPreface。Your’sistheonlyletterofgoodwillthatIhavereceived；though，indeed，IampromisedsomethingofthatsortfromSweden。

’HowmyneweditionwillbereceivedIknownot；thesubscriptionhasnotbeenverysuccessful。IshallpublishaboutMarch。

’Ifyoucandirectmehowtosendproposals，Ishouldwishthattheywereinsuchhands。

’Iremember，Sir，insomeofthefirstletterswithwhichyoufavouredme，youmentionedyourlady。MayIenquireafterher？Inreturnforthefavourswhichyouhaveshewnme，itisnotmuchtotellyou，thatIwishyouandherallthatcanconducetoyourhappiness。Iam，Sir，yourmostobliged，andmosthumbleservant，SAM。JOHNSON。’

’Gough-square，Dec。24，1757。’

In1758wefindhim，itshouldseem，inaseasyandpleasantastateofexistence，asconstitutionalunhappinesseverpermittedhimtoenjoy。

’TOBENNETLANGTON，ESQ。，ATLANGTON，LINCOLNSHIRE。

’DEARESTSIR，——Imustindeedhavesleptveryfast，nottohavebeenawakenedbyyourletter。Noneofyoursuspicionsaretrue；Iamnotmuchricherthanwhenyouleftme；and，whatisworse，myomissionofananswertoyourfirstletter，willprovethatIamnotmuchwiser。ButIgoonasIformerlydid，designingtobesometimeorotherbothrichandwise；andyetcultivateneithermindnorfortune。Doyoutakenoticeofmyexample，andlearnthedangerofdelay。WhenIwasasyouarenow，toweringintheconfidenceoftwenty-one，littledidIsuspectthatIshouldbeatforty-nine，whatInowam。

’Butyoudonotseemtoneedmyadmonition。Youarebusyinacquiringandincommunicatingknowledge，andwhileyouarestudying，enjoytheendofstudy，bymakingotherswiserandhappier。Iwasmuchpleasedwiththetalethatyoutoldmeofbeingtutourtoyoursisters。I，whohavenosistersnorbrothers，lookwithsomedegreeofinnocentenvyonthosewhomaybesaidtobeborntofriends；andcannotsee，withoutwonder，howrarelythatnativeunionisafterwardsregarded。Itsometimes，indeed，happens，thatsomesupervenientcauseofdiscordmayoverpowerthisoriginalamity；butitseemstomemorefrequentlythrownawaywithlevity，orlostbynegligence，thandestroyedbyinjuryorviolence。Wetelltheladiesthatgoodwivesmakegoodhusbands；I

believeitisamorecertainpositionthatgoodbrothersmakegoodsisters。

’Iamsatisfiedwithyourstayathome，asJuvenalwithhisfriend’sretirementtoCumae：Iknowthatyourabsenceisbest，thoughitbenotbestforme。

’Quamvisdigressuveterisconfususamici，LaudotamenvacuisquodsedemfigereCumisDestinet，atqueunumcivemdonareSibylloe。’

’LangtonisagoodCumae，butwhomustbeSibylla？Mrs。LangtonisaswiseasSibyl，andasgood；andwilllive，ifmywishescanprolonglife，tillsheshallintimebeasold。Butshediffersinthis，thatshehasnotscatteredherpreceptsinthewind，atleastnotthosewhichshebestoweduponyou。

’ThetwoWartonsjustlookedintothetown，andweretakentoseeCleone，where，David*says，theywerestarvedforwantofcompanytokeepthemwarm。DavidandDoddy**havehadanewquarrel，and，Ithink，cannotconvenientlyquarrelanymore。Cleonewaswellactedbyallthecharacters，butBellamyleftnothingtobedesired。Iwentthefirstnight，andsupportedit，aswellasI

might；forDoddy，youknow，ismypatron，andIwouldnotdeserthim。Theplaywasverywellreceived。Doddy，afterthedangerwasover，wenteverynighttothestage-side，andcriedatthedistressofpoorCleone。

*Mr。Garrick——BOSWELL。

**Mr。Dodsley，theAuthourofCleone——BOSWELL。

’Ihaveleftoffhousekeeping，andthereforemadepresentsofthegamewhichyouwerepleasedtosendme。ThepheasantIgavetoMr。

Richardson，*thebustardtoDr。Lawrence，andthepotIplacedwithMissWilliams，tobeeatenbymyself。Shedesiresthathercomplimentsandgoodwishesmaybeacceptedbythefamily；andI

makethesamerequestformyself。

*Mr。SamuelRichardson，authourofClarissa——BOSWELL。

’Mr。Reynoldshaswithinthesefewdaysraisedhispricetotwentyguineasahead，andMissismuchemployedinminiatures。Iknownotanybody[else]whoseprosperityhasincreasedsinceyouleftthem。

’MurphyistohavehisOrphanofChinaactednextmonth；andistherefore，Isuppose，happy。IwishIcouldtellyouofanygreatgoodtowhichIwasapproaching，butatpresentmyprospectsdonotmuchdelightme；however，IamalwayspleasedwhenIfindthatyou，dearSir，remember，youraffectionate，humbleservant，SAM。JOHNSON。’

’Jan。9，1758。’

Dr。Burneyhaskindlyfavouredmewiththefollowingmemorandum，whichItakethelibertytoinsertinhisowngenuineeasystyle。

Ilovetoexhibitsketchesofmyillustriousfriendbyvariouseminenthands。

’Soonafterthis，Mr。Burney，duringavisittothecapital，hadaninterviewwithhiminGough-square，wherehedinedanddrankteawithhim，andwasintroducedtotheacquaintanceofMrs。Williams。

Afterdinner，Mr。JohnsonproposedtoMr。Burneytogoupwithhimintohisgarret，whichbeingaccepted，hetherefoundaboutfiveorsixGreekfolios，adealwriting-desk，andachairandahalf。

Johnsongivingtohisguesttheentireseat，totteredhimselfononewithonlythreelegsandonearm。HerehegaveMr。BurneyMrs。

Williams’shistory，andshewedhimsomevolumesofhisShakspearealreadyprinted，toprovethathewasinearnest。UponMr。

Burney’sopeningthefirstvolume，attheMerchantofVenice，heobservedtohim，thatheseemedtobemoresevereonWarburtonthanTheobald。“OpoorTib。!(saidJohnson)hewasreadyknockeddowntomyhands；Warburtonstandsbetweenmeandhim。““But，Sir，(saidMr。Burney，)you’llhaveWarburtonuponyourbones，won’tyou？““No，Sir；he’llnotcomeout：he’llonlygrowlinhisden。“

“Butyouthink，Sir，thatWarburtonisasuperiourcriticktoTheobald？““OSirhe’dmaketwo-and-fiftyTheobalds，cutintoslices!TheworstofWarburtonis，thathehasarageforsayingsomething，whenthere’snothingtobesaid。“Mr。BurneythenaskedhimwhetherhehadseentheletterwhichWarburtonhadwritteninanswertoapamphletaddressed“TothemostimpudentManalive。“

Heansweredinthenegative。Mr。BurneytoldhimitwassupposedtobewrittenbyMallet。ThecontroverseynowragedbetweenthefriendsofPopeandBolingbroke；andWarburtonandMalletweretheleadersoftheseveralparties。Mr。BurneyaskedhimthenifhehadseenWarburton’sbookagainstBolingbroke’sPhilosophy？“No，Sir，IhaveneverreadBolingbroke’simpiety，andthereforeamnotinterestedaboutitsconfutation。“’

OnthefifteenthofAprilhebegananewperiodicalpaper，entitledTheIdler，whichcameouteverySaturdayinaweeklynews-paper，calledTheUniversalChronicle，orWeeklyGazette，publishedbyNewbery。TheseessayswerecontinuedtillApril5，1760。Ofonehundredandthree，theirtotalnumber，twelvewerecontributedbyhisfriends。

TheIdlerisevidentlytheworkofthesamemindwhichproducedTheRambler，buthaslessbodyandmorespirit。Ithasmorevarietyofreallife，andgreaterfacilityoflanguage。Hedescribesthemiseriesofidleness，withthelivelysensationsofonewhohasfeltthem；andinhisprivatememorandumswhileengagedinit，wefind’ThisyearIhopetolearndiligence。’Manyoftheseexcellentessayswerewrittenashastilyasanordinaryletter。

Mr。LangtonremembersJohnson，whenonavisitatOxford，askinghimoneeveninghowlongitwastillthepostwentout；andonbeingtoldabouthalfanhour，heexclaimed，’thenweshalldoverywell。’HeuponthisinstantlysatdownandfinishedanIdler，whichitwasnecessaryshouldbeinLondonthenextday。Mr。

Langtonhavingsignifiedawishtoreadit，’Sir，(saidhe)youshallnotdomorethanIhavedonemyself。’Hethenfoldeditupandsentitoff。

1759：AETAT。50。]——In1759，inthemonthofJanuary，hismotherdiedatthegreatageofninety，aneventwhichdeeplyaffectedhim；notthat’hismindhadacquirednofirmnessbythecontemplationofmortality；’butthathisreverentialaffectionforherwasnotabatedbyyears，asindeedheretainedallhistenderfeelingseventothelatestperiodofhislife。Ihavebeentoldthatheregrettedmuchhisnothavinggonetovisithismotherforseveralyears，previoustoherdeath。ButhewasconstantlyengagedinliterarylabourswhichconfinedhimtoLondon；andthoughhehadnotthecomfortofseeinghisagedparent，hecontributedliberallytohersupport。

Soonafterthisevent，hewrotehisRasselas，PrinceofAbyssinia；