the awful subject of our state beyond the grave, though they may think his opinion ill-founded, must think charitably of his sentiment: "He [sometimes displays] descends to display his knowledge with pedantick ostentation. "French words which [were then used in had then crept into conversation." The Life of Pope 2 was written by Johnson con amore, both from the early possession which that writer had taken of his mind, and from the pleasure which he must have felt, in forever silencing all attempts to lessen his poetical fame, by demonstrating his excellence, and pronouncing the fol "But, gracious God, how well dost thou provide In drawing Dryden's character, Johnson has given, though I suppose unintentionally, some touches of his own. Thus: "The power that predominated in his intellectual operations was rather strong reason than quick sensibility. Upon all occasions thatwere presented, he studied rather than felt; and produced sentiments not such as nature enforces, but meditation supplies. With the simple and elemental passions, as they spring separate in the mind, he seems not much acquainted. He is, therefore, with all his variety of excellence, not often pathetick 1, and had so little sensibility of the power of effusions purely natural, that he did not esteem them in others." It may indeed be observed, that in all the numerous writings of Johnson, whether in prose or verse, and even in his tragedy, of which the subject is the distress of an unfortunate princess, there is not a single passage that ever drew a tear. this, it is surely superfluous to answer the question that has once been asked, Whether Pope was a poet? otherwise than by asking in return, if Pope be not a poet, where is poetry to be found? To circumscribe poetry by a definition, will only show the parrowness of the definer; though a definition which shall exclude Pope will not easily be made. Let us look round upon the present time, and back upon the past; let us inquire to whom the voice of mankind has decreed the wreath of poetry; let their productions be examined, and their claims stated, and the pretensions of Pope will be no more disputed." I remember once to have heard Johnson say, "Sir, a thousand years may elapse before there shall appear another man with a power of versification equal to that of Pope." That power must undoubtedly be allowed its due share in enhancing the value of his captivating composition. Johnson, who had done liberal justice to Warburton in his edition of Shakspeare, which was published during the life of that powerful writer, with still greater liberality took an opportunity, in the Life of Pope, of paying the tribute due to him when he was no longer in "high place," but numbered with the dead 3. ["Mr. D'Israeli," as Mr. Chalmers observes, "has in the third volume of his Literary Curiosities,' favoured the public with an original memorandum of Dr. Johnson's, of hints for the Life · of Pope,' written down as they were suggested to his mind in the course of his researches. This is none of the least of those gratifications which Mr. D'Israeli has so frequently administered to the lovers of literary history."-ED.] 3 Of Johnson's conduct towards Warburton, a very honourable notice is taken by the editor of "Tracts by Warburton, and a Warburtonian, not admitted into the collection of their respective works." After an able and " fond, though not undistinguishing," consideration, of Warburton's character, he says, "In two immortal works, Johnson has stood forth in the foremost rank of his admirers. By the testimony of such a man, impertinence must be abashed, and malignity itself must be softened. Of literary merit, Johnson, as we all know, was a sagacious but a most severe judge. Such was his discernment, that he pierced into the most secret springs of hu It seems strange, that two such men as Johnson and Warburton, who lived in the same age and country, should not only not have been in any degree of intimacy, but been almost personally unacquainted. But such instances, though we must wonder at them, are not rare. If I am rightly informed, after a careful inquiry, they never met but once, which was at the house of Mrs. French, in London, well known for her elegant assemblies, and bringing eminent characters together. The interview proved to be mutually agreeable. Hawk. Apoph. p. 213. 6 him?" "Yes, and justly; when as yet I was in no favour with the world, he spoke well of me, and I hope I never forgot the obligation."] I am well informed, that Warburton said of Johnson, "I admire him, but I cannot bear his style: " and that Johnson being told of this, said, "That is exactly my case as to him." The manner in which he expressed his admiration of the fertility of Warburton's genius and of the variety of his materials, was "The table is always full, sir. He brings things from the north, and the south, and from every quarter. In his Divine Legation,' you are always entertained, He carries you round and round, without carrying you forward to the point, but then you have no wish to be carried forward." He said to the Reverend Mr. Strahan, "Warburton is perhaps the last man who has written with a mind full of reading and reflection " Ib. p. 208. [When a Scotsman was talking against Warburton, Johnson erate works of one well advanced in life, over-flowing at once with flattery to a great man of [Sir John Hawkins, however, relates that to a person who asked "whether he had ever been in company with Dr. Warburton?" he answered," I never saw him till one evening, about a week ago, at the Bishop of St. [Asaph's]: at first he looked surlily at me; but after we had been jostled into conversation, he took me to a window, asked me some questions, and before we parted was so well pleased with me, that he patted me." "You always, sir, preserved a respect for man actions; and such was his integrity, that he always weighed the moral characters of his fellow-great interest in the church, and with unjust and creatures in the balance of the sanctuary.' He acrimonious abuse of two men of eminent merit; was too courageous to propitiate a rival, and too and that, though it would have been unreasonable proud to truckle to a superiour. Warburton he to expect an humiliating recantation, no apology knew, as I know him, and as every man of sense whatever has been made in the cool of the eveand virtue would wish to be known,-I mean, ning, for the oppressive fervour of the heat of the both from his own writings, and from the writings day; no slight relenting indication has appeared of those who dissented from his principles or who in any note, or any corner of later publications; is envied his reputation. But, as to favours, he had it not fair to understand him as superciliously pernever received or asked any from the bishop of severing? When he allows the shafts to remain Gloucester; and, if my memory fails me not, he in the wounds, and will not stretch forth a lenient had seen him only once, when they met almost hand, is it wrong, is it not generous to become an without design, conversed without much effort, indignant avenger?-BoswELL. [Warburton and parted without any lasting impression of ha-himself did not feel-as Mr. Boswell was disposed tred or affection. Yet, with all the ardour of sym- to think he did-kindly or gratefully towards pathetic genius, Johnson had done that spontane-Johnson: for in one of his letters to a friend, he ously and ably, which, by some writers, had been says, "The remarks he (Dr. Johnson) makes in before attempted injudiciously, and which, by oth-every page on my commentaries, are full of insoers, from whom more successful attempts might have been expected, has not hitherto been done at all. He spoke well of Warburton, without insulting those whom Warburton despised. He suppressed not the imperfections of this extraordinary man, while he endeavoured to do justice to his numerous and transcendental excellencies. He defended him when living, amidst the clamours of his enemies; and praised him when dead, amidst the silence of his friends."-Having availed myself of the eulogy of this editor [Dr. Parr] on my departed friend, for which I warmly thank him, let me not suffer the lustre of his reputation, honestly acquired by profound learning and vigorous eloquence, to be tarnished by a charge of illiberality: He has been accused of invidiously dragging again into light certain writings of a person [Bishop Hurd] respectable by his talents, his learning, his station, and his age, which were published a great many years ago, and have since, it is said, been silently given up by their authour. But when it is considered that these writings were not sins of youth, but delib lent and malignant reflections, which, had they not in them as much folly as malignity, I should have had reason to be offended with, As it is, I think myself obliged to him in thus setting before the publick so many of my notes, with his remarks upon them: for though I have no great opinion of the trifling part of the publick, which pretends to judge of this part of literature, in which boys and girls decide, yet I think nobody can be mistaken in this comparison: though I think their thoughts have never yet extended thus far as to reflect, that to discover the corruption in an authour's text, and by a happy sagacity to restore it to sense, is no easy task: but when the discovery is made, then to cavil at the conjecture, to propose an equivalent, and defend nonsense, by producing out of the thick darkness it occasions a weak and faint glimmering of sense (which has been the business of this editor throughout), is the easiest, as well as the dullest, of all literary efforts."Warburton's Letters published by Bp. Hurd, 8vo. 367. ED.] 1 In his Preface to Shakspeare It is remarkable, that in the Life of Broome, Johnson takes notice of Dr. Warburton's using a mode of expression which he himself used, and that not seldom, to the great offence of those who did not know him. Having occasion to mention a note, stating the different parts which were executed by the associated translators of "The Odyssey," he says, "Dr. Warburton told me, in his warm language, that he thought the relation given in the note a lie." The language is warm indeed; and, I must own, cannot be justified in consistency with a decent regard to the established forms of speech. Johnson had accustomed himself to use the word lie, to express a mistake or an errour in relation; in short, when the thing was not so as told, though the relater did not mean to deceive. When he thought there was intentional falsehood in the relater, his expression was, "He lies, and he knows he lies." He said he had more literature than had been | both_of_great and brilliant life, told me, imported from Scotland since the days of that he had dined in company with Pope, Buchanan. Upon his mentioning other and that after dinner the little man, as he eminent writers of the Scots-"These will called him, drank his bottle of Burgundy 2, not do," said Johnson; "let us have some and was exceedingly gay and entertaining. more of your northern lights; these are I cannot withhold from my great friend a mere farthing candles."] censure of at least culpable inattention to a nobleman, who, it has been shown, behaved to him. with uncommon politeness. says, "except Lord Bathurst, none of Pope's noble friends were such as that a good man would wish to have his intimacy with them known to posterity." This will not apply to Lord Mansfield, who was not ennobled in Pope's life-time; but Johnson should have recollected, that Lord Marchmont was one of those noble friends 3. He includes his lordship along with Lord Bolingbroke, in a charge of neglect of the papers which Pope left by his will; when, in truth, as I myself pointed out to him, before he wrote that poet's life, the papers were "committed to the sole care and judgment of Lord Bolingbroke, unless he (Lord Bolingbroke) shall not survive me;" so that Lord Marchmont has no concern whatever with them. After the first edition of the Lives, Mr. Malone, whose love of justice is equal to his accuracy, made, in my hearing, the same remark to Johnson; yet he omitted to correct the erroneous statement 4. These particulars I mention, in the belief that there was only forgetful ness in my friend; but I owe this much to the Earl of Marchmont's reputation, who, were there no other memorials, will be im Speaking of Pope's not having been known to excel in conversation, Johnson observes, that "traditional memory retains no sallies of raillery, or sentences of observation; nothing either pointed or solid, wise or merry; and that one apophthegm only is recorded." In this respect, Pope differed widely from Johnson, whose conversation was, perhaps, more admirable than even his writings, however excellent. Mr. Wilkes has, however, favoured me with one repartee of Pope, of which Johnson was not informed. Johnson, after justly censuring him for having "nursed in his mind a foolish disesteem of kings," tells us, "yet a little regard shown him by the Prince of Wales melted his obduracy; and he had not much to say when he was asked by his royal highness, how he could love a prince while he disliked kings?" The answer which Pope made was, "The young lion is harmless, and even playful; but when his claws are full grown, he becomes cruel, dreadful, and mischievous." But although we have no collection of Pope's sayings, it is not therefore to be concluded, that he was not agreeable in social intercourse; for Johnson has been heard to say, that "the happiest conversation is that of which nothing is distinctly remembered, but a general effect of pleasing impression." The late Lord Somerville, who saw much remembrance of Lord Somerville's kindness to me, at a very early period. He was the first person of high rank that took particular notice of me in the way most flattering to a young man, fondly ambitious of being distinguished for his literary talents; and by the honour of his encouragement made me think well of myself, and aspire to deservé it better. He had a happy art of communicating his varied knowledge of the world, in short remarks and anecdotes, with a quiet pleasant gravity, that was exceedingly engaging. Never shall I forget the hours which I enjoyed with him at his apartments in the royal palace of Holyrood fouse, and at his seat near Edinburgh, which he himself had formed with an elegant taste.— BOSWELL. could have been in the habit of drinking a bottle 2 [This must surely be a mistake; Pope never of Burgundy at a sitting.—ED.] 3 [He said, on a subsequent occasion, that another of Pope's noble friends, "Lord Peterborough, was a favourite of his." See post, 27th June, 1784.-ED.] This neglect, however, assuredly did not arise from any ill-will towards Lord Marchmont, but from mattention; just as he neglected to correct his statement concerning the family of Thomson, the poet, after it had been shown to be erroneous. James Lord Somerville, who died in 1763.MALONE. [He was the 13th lord, and died in 1765.-ED.] Let me here express my grateful-MALONE. mortalized by that line of Pope, in the ver- | told me, he had it from Savage, who lived ses on his Grotto: "And the bright flame was shot through March mont's soul." VARIOUS READINGS IN THE LIFE OF POPE. "[Somewhat free] sufficiently bold in his criticism. "Strikes the imagination with far [more] greater force. "It is probably] certainly the noblest version of poetry which the world has ever seen. his eyes. in intimacy with Steele, and who mentioned, that Steele told him the story with tears in Ben Victor, Dr. Johnson said, likewise informed him of this remarkable transaction, from the relation of Mr. Wilkes the comedian, who was also an intimate of Steele's'. Some, in defence of Ad 6 "All the gay [niceties] varieties of dic-dison, have said, that the act was done with tion. the good-natured view of rousing Steele, and correcting that profusion which always made him necessitous.' If that were the case,' said Johnson, and that he only wanted to alarm Steele, he would afterwards have returned the money to his friend, which it is not pretended he did.' 'This, too,' he added, might be retorted by an advocate for Steele, who might allege, that he did not repay the loan intentionally, merely to see whether Addison would be mean and ungenerous enough to make use of legal process to recover it 2. But of such speculations there is no end: we cannot dive into the hearts of men; but their actions are open to observation.' Every sheet enabled him to write the next with [less trouble] more facility. "No man sympathizes with [vanity depressed] the sorrows of vanity. "It had been [criminal] less easily excused. "When he [threatened to lay down] talked of laying down his pen. "Society is so named emphatically in opposition to politically regulated, is a state contra-distinguished from a state of "I then mentioned to him that some people thought that Mr. Addison's character was so pure, that the fact, though true, ought to have been suppressed. He saw no reason for this. If nothing but the bright side of characters should be shown, we should sit down in despondency, and think it utterly impossible to imitate them in any thing. The sacred writers,' he observed, related the vicious as well as the virtuous actions of men; which had this moral effect, that it kept mankind from despair, into which otherwise they would naturally fall, were they not supported by the recollection that others had offended like themselves, and by penitence and amendment of life had been restored to the favour of Heaven 3.' "E. M." 1 The late Mr. Burke informed me, in 1792, that Lady Dorothea Primrose, who died at a great age, I think in 1768, and had been well acquainted with Steele, told him the same story.-Ma LONE. 2 [If the story be at all true-the most probable explanation is that which was given by Mr. Thomas Sheridan (see post, 15th April, 1781), namely, that it was a friendly execution put in to screen Steele's goods from hostile creditors. A not infrequent practice, nor quite unjustifiable, if the debt be real.-ED.] ther enforced the propriety of exhibiting the faults 3 I have since observed, that Johnson has furof virtuous and eminent men in their true colours, in the last paragraph of the 164th Number of his Rambler. "It is particularly the duty of those who consign illustrious names to posterity, to take care lest their readers be misled by ambiguous examples. That writer may be justly condemned as an enemy to goodness, who suffers fondness or interest to confound right with wrong, or to shel Framed rather for those that [wish] are learning to write. "Domestick [manners] scenes." p. 125. [In the Life of Gay, the "female Piozzi, critic," as he calls her whose observation "that Gay was a poet of a lower order" he records, was his own wife.] In his Life of Parnell, I wonder that Johnson omitted to insert an epitaph which he had long before composed for that amiable man, without ever writing it down, but which he was so good as, at my request, to dictate to me, by which means it has been preserved. "Hic requiescit THOMAS PARNELL, S. T. P. Qui sacerdos pariter et poeta, Utrasque partes ita implevit, Ut neque sacerdoti suavitas poetæ, VARIOUS READINGS IN THE LIFE OF PARNELL. "About three years [after] afterwards. "[Did not much want] was in no great need of improvement. "But his prosperity did not last long [was clouded with that which took away all his powers of enjoying either profit or pleasure, the death of his wife, whom he is said to have lamented with such sorrow, as hastened his end'.] His end, whatever was the cause, was now approaching. ter the faults which even the wisest and the best have committed, from that ignominy which guilt ought always to suffer, and with which it should be more deeply stigmatized, when dignified by its neighbourhood to uncommon worth; since we shall be in danger of beholding it without abhorrence, unless its turpitude be laid open, and the eye secured from the deception of surrounding splendour."-MALONE. I should have thought that Johnson, who had felt the severe affliction from which Parnell never recovered, would have preserved this passage. He omitted it, doubtless, because he afterwards learned that however he might have lamented "In the Hermit, the [composition] narrative, as it is less airy, is less pleasing." In the Life of Blackmore, we find that writer's reputation generously cleared by Johnson from the cloud of prejudice which the malignity of contemporary wits had raised around it. In the spirited exertion of justice, he has been imitated by Sir Joshua Reynolds, in his praise of the architecture of Vanburgh. We trace Johnson's own character in his observations on Blackmore's "magnanimity as an authour." "The incessant attacks of his enemies, whether serious or merry, are never discovered to have disturbed his quiet, or to have lessened his confidence in himself." Johnson, I recollect, once told me, laughing heartily, that he understood it has been said of him, "He appears not to feel; but when he is alone, depend upon it, he suffers sadly." I am as certain as I can be of any man's real sentiments, that he enjoyed the perpetual shower of little hostile arrows, as evidences of his fame. gance. "[He wrote] but produced likewise a work of a different kind. "At least [written] compiled with integrity. Faults which many tongues [were desirous] would have made haste to publish. "But though he [had not] could not boast of much critical knowledge. "He [used] waited for no felicities of fancy. "Or had ever elated his [mind] views to that ideal perfection which every [mind] genius born to excel is condemned always to pursue and never to overtake. The [first great] fundamental principle of wisdom and of virtue." VARIOUS READINGS IN THE LIFE OF PHILIPS. His dreaded [rival] antagonist Pope. "They [have not often much] are not loaded with thought: his wife, his end was hastened by other means.MALONE. |