"corner of a pension;" and John- | heartily joined at the invocation son bore it with perfect good-to George the Third's selected, humour. But the most amusing and in part pilloried, pensioners, instance connected with as at the encounter of Charles 1770. the pension occurred a Fox with the Jews. Æt. 42. year or two afterwards, Does Envy doubt? Witness, ye chosen when, on the appearance of train! reign; Witness ye Hills, ye JOHNSONS, Scots, Mason's exquisite Heroic Epistle,*Who breathe the sweets of his Saturnian Goldsmith, delighted with it himself, carried it off to his friend, and was allowed to read it out to him from beginning to end with a running accompaniment of laughter;** in which Johnson as 66 a Hark to my call, for some of you have ears. North, In see-saw sceptic scruples hint his David, who there supinely deigns to lie *Of this once so disputed authorship there is now no doubt, or that Walpole was privy to it all along. See CorWhen one of the most active respondence of Mason and Walpole, passim. Nicholls tells us, that, on Mason ex- of the second-rate politicians, pressing offence at the king for having and the great go-between of the reflected on him with severity on some occasion, he remarked to him, "That is attempted alliance between the trifle for you to say, who are the Chatham and Rockingham whigs, "author of the Heroic Epistle;" on which Tommy Townshend, so called Mason replied instantly, in a surly, nasal not satirically but to distinguish tone, which was not unusual to him, "I "am told the king thinks so, and he is him from his father, anticipated "welcome." Gray's Works, v. 40. It is in the present year that connecvery amusing now to read Percival Stock- tion of Johnson's and ShebMason's satire. "A piece of finer and beare's names (I formerly de'more poignant poetical irony never scribed them pensioned together, was written. It was foolishly given by the He-Bear and the She-Bear" as some one humorously said), dale's remark in his Memoirs (II. 88) on 66 66 66 66 many people to Mason: it was totally "different from his manner; its force, its 66 acuteness, its delicacy, and urbanity of genius prove that he was incapable to appreciation of his humour, when, falling "write it. Yet he was absurdly and con- into Walpole's tone in the course of their ceitedly offended with those who sup- conferences about the Epistle, he writes "posed him to be the author of it," &c. &c. à propos of one of the many "PostJohnson of course detested Mason for "scripts" which its success elicited: "If what he called his whiggism and his "I send for a new pamphlet, it is above a priggism, but there were things in the "fortnight before it arrives. This was Heroic Epistle which he would have liked "the case with the Heroic Postscript, even if he had known the writer, just as "which you mentioned in your last. he persisted in admiring passages not-"But you did not tell me that I had the withstanding his dislike of its general "honour of being placed in the same tone, and freely forgave its laugh at him- "line with Doctor Goldsmith; if you had, self for its equally hearty laugh at many "I should hardly have sent for it. Howof his favourite aversions. 66 ever, I am more contented with my company than Garrick will be with "his." Walpole and Mason Correspondence, 1. 131. **This was in 1773. See Boswell, VIII. 90-91, and see Coll. Lett. v. 342. Mason was making but a poor return for this 66 Æt. 42. he did not get off so easily. But side of opposition, to be able to Johnson had brought these al- stretch his hand across even to lusions on himself by plunging his old friend Johnson. His into party-war, at the opening of friend had cast his lot with 1770. the year, with a pamphlet on the the enemies of freedom, False Alarm, as he called the ex- and was left to fare with citement on Wilkes's expulsion, them. An unsparing vehemence in which he did not spare the in the House of Commons now opposition; and which, written strikingly contrasted with his in two nights at Thrale's,* con- calm philosophic severity in the tinued to attract attention. Bos- press. He was charged with well tells us that when Towns- want of common candour, and hend made the attack, Burke, he denounced the sickly habit. though of Townshend's party, "Virtues are not to be sacristood warmly forth in defence of "ficed to candour.”* He was his friend; but the recent publi- reproached for his following of cation of the Cavendish Debates cor- certain leaders, and he made the rects this curious error. Burke reproach his glory. "When I spoke after Townshend, and "find good men, I will cling to complained of the infamous pri-"them, adhere to them, follow vate libels of the Town and "them in and out, wash the very Country Magazine against mem-"feet they stand on. I will wash bers of the opposition, but he "their feet and be subservient, did not refer to Townshend's "not from interest but from prinattack: he left the vindication of "ciple. It shall be my glory."** Johnson to their common friend Those leaders were still the Fitzherbert, who rose with an Rockinghams, but not so isolated emphatic eulogy at the close of as of old. There were yet disthe debate, and called him "a sensions between the rival par"pattern of morality." In truth ties of opposition, but not such Burke had this year committed as withheld them from concenhimself too fiercely to the stormy trating, for this one while at * "Between eight o'clock on Wednes- both on the government. The least, the hate and bitterness of "day night and twelve on Thursday "night." Mrs. Piozzi's Anecdotes, 41. It Grenvilles had too great a grudge was not long after this that the jolly against the Bedfords too freely landlord of the inn close by Chatsworth, to indulge at its expense their in answer to Boswell's question of af fected ignorance as to who "the cele- grudge against the Rocking "brated Dr. Johnson' was that he was boasting to have had in his house, “Sir," *Cavendish Debates, 1. 276. How well said he, "Johnson, the great writer; and wisely he continues! "To mix a "Oddity, as they call him. He's the "little truth and falsehood, a little right "greatest writer in England; he writes "and wroag, that is a disposition in all "for the ministry; he has a correspond-"men; a fault in all public men of the ence abroad, and lets them know"great world." "what's going on." Boswell, VII, 30. **Cavendish Debates, 1. 277. 1770. hams; Chatham had suffered too "the grove, the moderate whigs bitterly for his own mistake, to "and temperate statesmen," continue his feud with either; prayed that rather than any comand the Rockinghams promise should now be made, themselves, content with or the people should veil their Et. 42. Burke's masterly Observa- representative rights to their tions* defending them against governors, either the question Grenville's finance, had waived might be brought to practical their dislike of Wilkes, and issue, or Discord prevail for Ever! backed even faction in the city Grafton sank beneath the storm, and Lord Temple in the Upper even bodily disabled for his ofHouse. The excitement was un- fice by the attacks of Junius; exampled.** Desertion on either and his place was filled by Lord side was denounced as the worst North. But Junius gathered of crimes. Language unheard strength, the stronger the optill now was launched from both ponent that faced him; and his Houses at the government. Lord terrors increased as preparation Shelburne dared the Premier to was made to cope with them. find "a wretch so base and His libels conquered the law. "mean-spirited" as to take the Language which Burke told the seals Lord Camden had flung House he had read with chilled down. In evil hour, poor Charles blood, juries sent away unconYorke, Lord Rockingham's at-victed. ** In vain were printers torney-general, and sensitive as hunted down, and small bookhe was accomplished, accepted sellers, and even humble milkthe challenge; and then, mad- men. In vain did "the whole dened by his own reproaches, "French court with their gaudy perished within two days, his "coaches and jack boots," go patent of peerage lying incom-out to hunt the little hare. The plete before him. Chatham rose great boar of the forest, as Burke in his place in the Lords to a called the libeller, still, and alheight of daring which even he ways, broke through the toils; had never reached, and, resolv- and sorry was the sport of foling to be "a scarecrow of vio- lowing after vermin. North could "lence to the gentle warblers of not visit the palace without seeing the Letter to the King posted Chatham Correspondence, III. 469. *Works, I. 213. **In the midst of it it is not unamusing up against the wall; the Chief or uninstructive to lend an ear now and Justice could not enter his court then to Horace Walpole. "Everybody "talks of the constitution, but all sides "forget that the constitution is extremely ** "What is it that has wrought so "well, and would do very well, if they great a change in the temper and dis"would but let it alone. Indeed it must "position of the people, that they now "be a strong constitution, considering "countenance the most audacious, the "how long it has been quacked and doc-"most wicked libels?" Burke: Cavendish "tored." Letters to Mann, II. 71-2, Debates, 11. 106. without seeing the Letter to Lord enemies in the press were silent, Mansfield impudently facing him.* and nothing interrupted the praise There was no safety in sending which greeted him on all sides. poor milkmen to prison. There One tribute he did not 1770. was no protection. The thrust hear, and was never conwas mortal; but a rapier and a ruffle alone were visible in the dark alley from which it came. CHAPTER VII. The Deserted Village. Æt. scious of; yet from truer 42. heart or finer genius he had none, and none that should have given him greater pride. Gray was passing the summer at Malvern, the last summer of his life,* with "a narration. *He died suddenly at Cambridge in the summer of 1771, in his fifty-fifth year. BENEATH these dark and des- See Walpole's Letters to Mann, 11. 171. It perate struggles of party pro- is pleasant to quote his last letter to fligacy, the more peaceful cur-Atheism is a vile dish, though all the Walpole, written a few weeks before. rent of life meanwhile flowed on,"cooks of France combine to make new and had its graces and enjoy"sauces to it. As to the soul, perhaps ments; not the least of them from "they may have none on the continent, "but I do think we have such things in Goldsmith's hand. "This day at "England; Shakespeare, for example, I 66 12," said the Public Advertiser of "believe had several to his share." Nor the 26th of May, "will be pub- and wisdom I have enriched so many of can I say farewell to one with whose wit "lished, price two shillings, these pages, without borrowing from his "The Deserted Village, a Poem. By common-place book what I have always "Doctor Goldsmith. Printed for thought as delicate a critical remark as ever was made. "In former times, they "W. Griffin, at Garrick's Head "loved, I will not say tediousness, but "in Catherine Street, Strand.""length, and a train of circumstances in Its success was instant and deThe vulgar do so still: it gives an air of reality to the facts, it cisive. A second edition was "Axes the attention, raises and keeps in called for on the seventh of " 'suspense their expectation, and supJune, a third on the fourteenth, "plies the place of their little and lifeless "imagination; and it keeps pace with the a fourth (carefully revised) on "slow motion of their own thoughts. the twenty-eighth, and on the "Tell them a story as you would to a "man of wit; it will appear to them as an sixteenth of August a fifth edi"object seen in the night by a flash of tion appeared. Even Goldsmith's "lightning: but when you have placed it "in various lights, and various positions, * "Shall I state the miserable condi- "they will come at last to see and feel it "tion of the Judge in Westminster-hall?"as well as others. But we need not "He has a mace, and a trainbearer: yet," confine ourselves to the vulgar, and to "on both sides of the hall are seen "understandings beneath our own. Cir"posted up, Junius's Letter to Lord Chief "cumstance ever was, and ever will be, "Justice Mansfield. I tell you, that "the essence both of poetry and oratory. "neither their maces nor their train- "It has in some sort the same effect upon "bearers can make the judges respected, "every mind that it has upon that of the "while these things are endured. But "populace; and I fear the quickness and "you cannot punish." Burke; Cavendish "delicate impatience of these polished Deb. II, 107, "times are but the forerunners of the de his friend Nicholls, when the "all: Pope, and Philips, and poem came out; and he desired "Spenser too, in my opinion. Nicholls to read it aloud to him. But opinions that appear 1770. ex He listened to it with aggerated may in truth be often fixed attention, and soon reconciled to very sober sense; Et. 42. exclaimed, “This_man_is and, where any extraordinary "a poet." popularity has existed, good The judgment has since been reason is generally to be shown affirmed by hundreds of thou- for it. Of the many clever and sands of readers, and any ad- indeed wonderful writings that verse appeal is little likely now from age to age are poured forth to be lodged against it. Within into the world, what is it that the circle of its claims and pre-puts upon the few the stamp of tensions, a more entirely satis-immortality, and makes them factory and delightful poem than seem as indestructible as nature? the Deserted Village was probably What is it but their wise rejecnever written. It lingers in the tion of everything superfluous? memory where once it has en--being grave histories, or natered; and such is the softening tural stories, of everything that influence, on the heart even is not history or nature? being more than the understanding, of poems, of everything that is not the mild, tender, yet clear light poetry, however much resemwhich makes its images so dis- bling it; and especially of that tinct and lovely, that there are prodigal accumulation of thoughts few who have not wished to rate and images, which, until proit higher than poetry of yet perly sifted and selected, is as higher genius. "What true and the unhewn to the chiselled "pretty pastoral images," ex-marble? What is it, in short, claimed Burke, years after the but the unity, completeness, poet's death, "has Goldsmith in polish, and perfectness in every "his Deserted Village! They beat part, which Goldsmith attained? It may be said that his range is "cline of all those beautiful arts which limited, and that, whether in his "depend upon the imagination. "Homer, the father of circumstance, has poetry or his prose, he seldom "occasion for the same apology." As I wanders far from the ground of transcribe this passage a return is pub- his own experience: but within lished of the results of the first year's experience of the Manchester Free Library, that circle, how potent is his from which it appears that no books of magic, what a command it exany class have excelled in popularity, ercises over the happiest forms as tested by the frequency of the de- of art, with what a versatile grace mand made for them, the novels of De Foe. The secret of this is explained by "That is," Burke adds, "in the * Works, v. 36. "He thought Gold-"pastoral, for I go no farther." Letter to "smith a genuine poet," Mr. Nicholls Shackleton, 6th May, 1780. Correspond adds. ence, II. 347. |