"MY DEAR SIR, TO DR. JOHNSON. "It is hard that I cannot prevail on you to write to me oftener. But I am convinced that it is in vain to expect from you a private correspondence with any regularity. I must, therefore, look upon you as a fountain of wisdom, from whence few rills are communicated to a distance, and which must be approached at its source, to partake fully of its virtues. The "I am coming to London soon, and am to appear in an appeal from the Court of Session in the House of Lords. A schoolmaster in Scotland was, by a court of inferior jurisdiction, deprived of his office, for being somewhat severe in the chastisement of his scholars. Court of Session, considering it to be dangerous to the interest of learning and education, to lessen the dignity of teachers, and make them afraid of too indulgent parents, instigated by the complaints of their children, restored him. His enemies have appealed to the House of Lords, though the salary is only twenty pounds a year. I was counsel for him here. I hope there will be little fear of a reversal; but I must beg to have your aid in my plan of supporting the decree. It is a general question, and not a point of particular law. * I am, &c., "JAMES BOSWELL.” "DEAR SIR, TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "March 15, 1772. "That you are coming so soon to town I am very glad; and still more glad that you are coming as an advocate. I think nothing more likely to make your life pass happily away, than that consciousness of your own value, which eminence in your profession will certainly confer. If I can give you any collateral help, I hope you do not suspect that it will be wanting. My kindness for you has neither the merit of singular virtue, nor the reproach of singular prejudice. Whether to love you be right or wrong, I have many on my side: Mrs. Thrale loves you, and Mrs. Williams loves you, and, what would have inclined me to love you, if I had been neutral before, you are a great favourite of Dr. Beattie. "Of Dr. Beattie I should have thought much, but that his lady puts him out of my head; she is a very lovely woman. "The ejection which you come hither to oppose, appears very cruel, unreasonable, and oppressive. I should think there could not be much doubt of your success. "My health grows better, yet I am not fully recovered. I believe it is held, that men do not recover very fast after threescore. I hope yet to see Beattie's college: and have not given up the western voyage. But however all this may be or not, let us try to make each other happy when we meet, and not refer our pleasure to distant times or distant places. "How comes it that you tell me nothing of your lady? I hope to see her some time, and till then shall be glad to hear of her. I am, dear Sir, &c., "SAM. JOHNSON." "DEAR SIR, TO BENNET LANGTON, ESQ. 66 "I congratulate you and Lady Rothes' on your little man, and hope you will all be many years happy together. Poor Miss Langton can have little part in the joy of her family. She this day called her aunt Langton to receive the sacrament with her; and made me talk yesterday on such subjects as suit her condition. It will probably be her viaticum. I surely need not mention again that she wishes to see her mother. I am, Sir, your most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." 1 Mr. Langton married the Countess Dowager of Rothes. THE APPENDIX. HE Annals here reprinted form part of a small, but exceedingly scarce volume, published 1805, entitled: An Account of the Life of Dr. Samuel Johnson, from his Birth to his Eleventh Year, written by Himself. To which are added, Original Letters to Dr. Samuel Johnson, by Miss Hill Boothby From the MSS. preserved by the Doctor; and now in Possession of Richard Wright, Surgeon; Proprietor of the Museum of Antiquities, Natural and Artificial Curiosities, &c., Lichfield. Mr. Richard Wright, the editor of it, was the purchaser of what remained of Green's Museum at its final dispersion: see vol. ii., p. 280 (note). This little volume consists of two distinct parts: the Annals here reproduced, and a series of letters addressed by Miss Hill Boothby to Johnson, and by Johnson to this lady, which will be found in the volume entitled Johnsoniana. MR. WRIGHT'S PREFACE. It will be expected, that the Editor of the following curious and interesting pages should give an account of the manner in which the original MSS. came into his possession. Mr. Boswell, in his admirable Life of Dr. Johnson, thus observes:' "The consideration of the numerous papers of which he was possessed seems to have struck Johnson's mind with a sudden anxiety; and, as they were in great confusion, it is much to be lamented that he had not intrusted some faithful and discreet person with the care and selection of them; instead of which, he, in a precipitate manner, burnt masses of them, as I should apprehend, with little regard to discrimination. . . . . Two very valuable articles, I am sure, we have lost; which were two quarto volumes, containing a full, fair, and most particular account of his own life, from his earliest recollection." It does not appear, that the MS. from which the following short account of Dr. Johnson's early life is copied, was one of the two volumes to which Boswell alludes; although it is evident, from his. enumeration of particular dates in the blank pages of the book, that he intended to have finished these Annals, according to this plan, with the same minuteness of description, in every circumstance and event. This Volume was among that mass of papers which were ordered to be committed to the flames a few days before his death, thirty-two pages of which were torn out by himself, and destroyed; the contents of those which remain are here given with fidelity and exactness. Francis Barber, his black servant, unwilling that all the MSS. of his illustrious master should be utterly lost, preserved these relicks from the flames. By purchase from Barber's widow they came into the possession of the Editor. ANNALS. I. 1709-10. SEPT. 7, 1709, I was born at Lichfield. My mother had a very difficult and dangerous labour, and was assisted by George Hector, a man-midwife of great reputation. I was born almost dead, and could not cry for some time. When he had me in his arms, he said, "Here is a brave boy." 2 In a few weeks an inflammation was discovered on my buttock, which was at first, I think, taken for a burn; but soon appeared to be a natural disorder. It swelled, broke, and healed. My Father being that year Sheriff of Lichfield, and to ride the circuit of the County next day, which was a ceremony then performed with great pomp; he was asked by my mother, "Whom he would invite to the Riding?" and answered, "All the town now." He feasted the citizens with uncommon magnificence, and was the last but one that maintained the splendour of the Riding. I was, by my father's persuasion, put to one Marclew, commonly called Bellison,3 the servant, or wife of a servant of my father, to be 1 18, of the present stile.-Orig. 2 This was written in January, 1765.-R. Wright. 3 The name of Marklew, alias Bellison, is yet common in Lichfield, and is usually so distinguished.-R. Wright. |