LIFE OF JAMES BOSWELL. THE life of the biographer of Dr. Samuel Johnson is essentially uneventful and commonplace. James Boswell was born at Edinburgh, October 29, 1740. His father was one of the Judges of the Court of Session, taking the title of Lord Auchinleck from the name of the family estate in Ayrshire. Lord Auchinleck would appear to have been a quiet, shrewd Scotsman, who thought that his son James, from his craze for great men, had a 'bee in his bonnet; and, according to a popular anecdote, said of him on one occasion, 'There's nae hope for Jamie, mon; Jamie is gaen clean gyte. What do you think, man? He's done with Paoli, he's off wi' the land-louping scoundrel of a Corsican; and whose tail do you think he has pinned himself to now, mon? A dominie, mon, an auld dominie; he keepit a schule and cau'd it an acaudemy.' It was intended by James's father that he should follow the profession of advocate; and he therefore studied at the University of Glasgow; he went also in 1763 to the University of Utrecht. The same year he made the acquaintance of Johnson. Having spent a winter at Utrecht, he travelled through Germany, Switzerland, and Italy; and at Corsica, through a letter of introduction from Rousseau, he made the acquaintance of the patriot Paoli. He published in 1768 an Account of Corsica, with Memoirs of General Pasquale di Paoli; his enthusiasm, which he frequently manifested in very silly ways, for Corsican independence, gained him the nickname of 'Corsica Boswell.' In 1766, Boswell became a member of the Faculty of Advocates; but though he subsequently entered at the English bar, neither in Scotland nor in England was he successful or enthusiastic as a lawyer. After a series of amours, not always reputable, of which we have an amusing account in the Letters of James Boswell, addressed to the Rev. W. J. Temple, from the original MSS., a posthumous volume published in 1856, he married in 1769 an Ayrshire lady, named Montgomery, by whom he had several children, and to whom, to do Bozzy justice, he was warmly attached. In 1773, he was admitted a member of the Literary Club founded by Johnson, and from that time to Johnson's death in 1784, his life was bound up with that of the sage whom he worshipped, and may, with truth, be said to have immortalized. He accompanied Johnson to Scotland and the Hebrides in 1773, published a Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides in 1785, and in 1791 appeared in two volumes his great work, his Life of Samuel Johnson. Boswell died in London, June 19, 1795. He left two sons. The elder, Sir Alexander Boswell of Auchinleck, Baronet, was born in 1775. He was a man of great geniality, humour, and cleverness. Mr. Lockhart says that he had 'all his father Bozzy's cleverness, good-humour, and joviality, without one touch of his meaner qualities;' and his Songs chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, which were published at Edinburgh in 1803, and which includes the much-appreciated 'Jenny dang the weaver,' have always been highly popular. Sir Alexander perished in a duel with Mr. Stuart of Dunearn in 1822, caused by some miserable newspaper personalities. James Boswell, junior, whose notes to his father's work are, many of them, highly valuable, died somewhat suddenly within about a fortnight of the death of his brother. He was a man of literary taste, as shown in his careful edition of Malone's Shakspeare, in twentyone volumes, which was published in 1821. Of Boswell not much need be said. The great service he did the world was to write the Life of Johnson, and that service is so great that it ought to be allowed to cover a multitude of sins. Let us also say, with Mr. Carlyle, 'Boswell wrote a good book, because he had a heart and an eye to discern wisdom and an utterance to render it forth; because of his free insight, his lively talent, above all, his love and childlike open-mindedness.' The great vice of Boswell is his utter want of, and inability to appreciate, reticence. His exposure of selfconsciousness is positively indecent; his deficiency in taste is absolutely incredible. Take a proof or two of this from his Letters to Temple. 'When Wilkes and I sat together, each glass of wine produced a flash of wit like gunpowder thrown on the fire-Puff! puff!' David Hume, on one occasion, spoke disparagingly of some of Johnson's sentiments, whereupon Boswell retorted by sheer impertinence. Yet he thus comments on the affair: 'Davy was finely punished for his treatment of my revered friend, and he deserved it richly, both for his petulance to so great a character, and for his talking so before me!' Sir John Hawkins was Boswell's special object of aversion, and he expresses it in this fashion: 'Hawkins is, no doubt, very malevolent. Observe how he talks of me as quite unknown.' As another evidence of the character of the man, take the following portrait of one of his numerous loves, whom he himself describes as La belle Irlandaise; it is the bathos of love, and Boswell all over: 'Figure to yourself, Temple, a young lady just sixteen, formed like a Grecian nymph, with the sweetest countenance, full of sensibility, accomplished, with a Dublin education, always half the year in the north of Ireland, her father a counsellor-at-law, with an estate of £1000 a year, and above £10,000 in ready money; her mother a sensible, well-bred woman; she the darling of her parents, and no other child but her sister. She is cousin to some cousins of mine in this country.' Lastly, who but Bozzy, overwhelmed with distress at the loss of his wife, would yet have noticed, much less placed on record, the fact that there were nineteen carriages followed the hearse' that conveyed her to her last resting-place? But it is in these and such things that Boswell shows to the least advantage; he was utterly unable to see the proportions either of men or of things, and, above all, of himself. The bulk of his critics have, however, inferred that he had no good side. This is a mistake. Boswell was certainly neither a very great nor even a very good man, but was not deficient in vivacity; he was a bon camarade as well as a bon vivant; and, if we may believe various authorities, he sometimes, perhaps unconsciously, was capable of flashes of wit. It is also apparent that many of his impulses were good. He was kindly in disposition, and his domestic affections were strong; and much, as we know, is forgiven to those that love much. Then, again, although little remarkable in himself, he had the knack of discovering truly remarkable men: Johnson, Rousseau, and even Paoli, his admiration for whom procured him so much ridicule, were, after all, really worth knowing and writing about. And, finally, in days of 'payment by results,' we are bound to accord some little merit to the author of one book which is universally admitted to be the first in its own department of literature. CHAP. II. 1709-1716.-Birth and Infancy of John- son-His Parents-Anecdotes of his Childhood -Touched by the King for Scrofula CHAP. 111. 1716-1731.-School Days at Lichfield -His Uncle Cornelius Ford-Sent to School at Stourbridge-Arrival at Pembroke College, Ox- ford-Apparent Struggles with Poverty-Leaves CHAP. IV. 1731-1736.-Death of Johnson's Father -Becomes Usher-Birmingham-Translation of Lobo's Voyage to Abyssinia-Return to Lichfield -Birmingham again-First Letter to Cave- Marriage with Mrs. Porter-Opens a Private Academy-Great part of Irene written CHAP. V. 1737-1741.-Johnson arrives in London accompanied by Garrick-Going back to Lich- field-Original Ms. of Irene-Return to London with Mrs. Johnson-Reports Debates in Parlia- CHAP. XVI. 1763-1765.- Boswell writes to John- son-His Answer-Visit to the Langton Family -Institution of the Literary Club-Diploma of LL.D. from Trinity College, Dublin CHAP. XVII. 1765-1766.- Introduction to the 4 CHAP. XVIII. 1766-1767. - The Latin in Boswell's CHAP. XXI. 1769-1770.- Johnson's The False CHAP. XXIII. 1771.-Johnson publishes Pamphlet on the Falkland Islands-Boswell's Marriage- Fourth Edition of the Dictionary prepared 181 CHAP. XXIV. 1772.-Ghost Stories-Ranelagh- CHAP. VII. 1745-1749.-Garrick and Drury Lane CHAP. IX. 1752-1754.- Close of the Rambler- CHAP. X. 1754-1755.-Life of Cave-Lord Chester- CHAP. XI. 1756-1758.-Johnson on Booksellers- 63 CHAP. XXVI. 1773.-New Editions of the Dictionary 53 CHAP. XXVII. 1773. Dinner at Beauclerk's - CHAP. XXVIII. 1773.-Johnson sets out on his 'Tour to the Hebrides'-Arrives at Edinburgh, and visits the Isles by way of Aberdeen and Inverness-Johnson writes an account of his 'Tour' Death of Goldsmith, on whom John- 70 85 CHAP. XII. 1758-1759.- The Idler-Death of John- CHAP. XV. 1763.-Account of Goldsmith-John- son accompanies Boswell to Harwich, on his C2 CHAP. ΧΧΙΧ. 1774-1775.- Writes the Patriot- Questions the authenticity of Ossian's Poems- - Richard Brinsley Sheridan's Marriage - An CHAP. XXXIII. 1775.-Johnson accompanies the CHAP. XXXIV. 1776.-Letters to Boswell on the Law of Entail-Boswell again visits London- CHAP. XXXV. 1776.-Excursion to Oxford with CHAP. XXXVI. 1776.-Johnson returned to Lon- CHAP. LL. 1780.-Lives of the Poets-Death of Beau- 283 CHAP. LIII. 1781.-Johnson's Correspondence 201 CHAP. XXXVII. 1776. - The Roman Catholic CHAP. XXXVIII. 1776. Excursion to Bristol- Chatterton's Forgery-Meeting between John- son and the celebrated John Wilkes-Johnson's Ideas of Scotland-Margaret Caroline Rudd 300 CHAP. XXXIX. 1776-1777.- Boswell's Departure CHAP. XL. 1777. - Savage's Tragedy of Sir Thomas Overbury-Johnson's Visit to Ashbourne -Boswell's Arrival at Ashbourne-Journey to the Western Islands-Ashbourne School-Johnson's zealous Interference and Correspondence on be- CHAP. XLI. 1777.-Johnson's Opinions of Hume CHAP. XLIIL 1777-1778.-Mrs. Macaulay-Burke's CHAP. XLIII. 1778.-Boswell's Arrival in London CHAP. XLIV. 1778.-Goldsmith's Traveller-Litera- CHAP. LIV. 1781.-Dinner at Mrs. Garrick's- Death of Mr. W. Strahan-Johnson dines with Wilkes and Dr. Beattie-Boswell's Departure for Scotland-Mr. Bewley's Enthusiasm for Johnson 452 CHAP. LV. 1782.- Death of Mr. Levett-Johnson's Satisfaction at the Dissolution of the Ministry- Death of Boswell's Father-Mrs. Thrale's Cool- ness to Johnson-His Parting Prayer on leaving CHAP. LVI. 1783.-Boswell's Arrival in London- CHAP. LVII. 1783.-Increase of London, and its 404 321 CHAP. LVIII. 1783.-Death of Mrs. Williams- Johnson's Ill-health-Death of Mr. Porter. 403 CHAP. LIX. 1784.-Thelast Year of Johnson's Life- Continued Ill-health-Johnson's Advice to Bos- well-Melancholy Thoughts at the approach of Death-His Advice to Miss Langton-Boswell's CHAP. LX. 1784.-Miss Helen Maria Williams- Johnson's Arrival at Oxford-Infidel Writers- Jeremy Taylor-Johnson's Horror of Death CHAP. LXI. 1784.-On Truth-Junius-Pope's Dun- ciad-Johnson's Return to London-Johnson's Apology to the Compositor-His last Dinner at the 'Literary Club'-Lord Thurlow's Letter in favour of Johnson-His Sensibility-Italy-Mrs. CHAP. XLV. 1778.-Soame Jenyns-Mr. Topham CHAP. XLVII. 1778.- Whigs and Tories - Dr. CHAP. XLIX. 1779.-Goldsmith's Vicar of Wake- DEDICATION TO SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. MY DEAR SIR, Every liberal motive that can actuate en Author in the dedication of his labours, concurs in directing me to you, as the person to whom the following Work should be inscribed. If there be a pleasure in celebrating the distinguished merit of a contemporary, mixed with a certain degree of vanity not altogether inexcusable, in appearing fully sensible of it, where can I find one, in complimenting whom I can with more general approbation gratify those feelings? Your excellence, not only in the art over which you have long presided with unrivalled fame, but also in Philosophy and elegant Literature, is well known to the present, and will continue to be the admiration of future ages. Your equal and placid temper, your variety of conversation, your true politeness, by which you are so amiable in private society, and that enlarged hospitality which has long made your house a common centre of union for the great, the accomplished, the learned, and the ingenious; all these qualities I can, in perfect confidence of not being accused of flattery, ascribe to you. If a man may indulge an honest pride in having it known to the world that he has been thought worthy of particular attention by a person of the first eminence in the age in which he lived, whose company has been universally courted, I am justified in availing myself of the usual privilege of a Dedication, when I mention that there has been a long and uninterrupted friendship between us. If gratitude should be acknowledged for favours received, I have this opportunity, my dear sir, most sincerely to thank you for the many happy hours which I owe to your kindness, for the cordiality with which you have at all times been pleased to welcome me, -for the number of valuable acquaintances to whom you have introduced me, -for the noctes cœnæque Deûm which I have enjoyed under your roof. If a work should be inscribed to one who is master of the subject of it, and whose approbation, therefore, must ensure it credit and success, the Life of Dr. Johnson is with the greatest propriety dedicated to Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was the intimate and beloved friend of that great man; the friend whom he declared to be 'the most invulnerable man he knew; whom, if he should quarrel with him, he should find the most difficulty how to abuse.' You, my dear sir, studied him, and knew him well: you venerated and admired him. Yet, luminous as he was upon the whole, you per ceived all the shades which mingled in the grand composition; all the little peculiarities and slight blemishes which marked the literary Colossus. Your very warm commendation of the specimen which I gave, in my Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, of my being able to preserve his conversation in an authentic and lively manner, which opinion the public has confirmed, was the best encouragement for me to persevere in my purpose of producing the whole of my stores. In one respect this Work will, in some passages, be different from the former. In my Tour, I was almost unboundedly open in my communications, and from my eagerness to display the wonderful fertility and readiness of Johnson's wit, freely showed to the world its dexterity, even when I was myself the object of it. I trusted that I should be liberally understood, as knowing very well what I was about, and by no means as simply unconscious of the pointed effects of the satire. I own, indeed, that I was arrogant enough to suppose that the tenor of the rest of the book would sufficiently guard me against such a strange imputation. But it seems I judged too well of the world; for, though I could scarcely believe it, I have been undoubtedly informed, that many persons, especially in distant quarters, not penetrating enough into Johnson's character, so as to understand his mode of treating his friends, have arraigned my judgment, instead of seeing that I was sensible of all that they could observe. It is related of the great Dr. Clarke, that when, in one of his leisure hours, he was unbending himself with a few friends in the most playful and frolicsome manner, he observed Beau Nash approaching; upon which he suddenly stopped. 'My boys,' said he, 'let us be grave; here comes a fool.' The world, my friend, I have found to be a great fool, as to that particular on which it has become necessary to speak very plainly. I have therefore in this Work been more reserved; and though I tell nothing but the truth, I have still kept in my mind that the whole truth is not always to be exposed. This, however, I have managed so as to occasion no diminution of the pleasure which my book should afford though malignity may sometimes be disappointed of ita gratifications. I am, my dear Sir, Your much obliged friend, LONDON, April 20, 1791. |