1771. Etat. 62. Mr. Strahan, the printer, who had been long in intimacy with Johnson, in the course of his literary labours, who was at once his friendly agent in receiving his pension for him, and his banker in supplying him with money when he wanted it; who was himself now a Member of Parliament, and who loved much to be employed in political negociation; thought he fhould do eminent fervice, both to government and Johnson, if he could be the means of his getting a feat in the House of Commons. With this view, he wrote a letter to one of the Secretaries of the Treafury, of which he gave me a copy in his own hand-writing, which is as follows: "SIR, "YOU will eafily recollect, when I had the honour of waiting upon you fome time ago, I took the liberty to obferve to you, that Dr. Johnson would make an excellent figure in the Houfe of Commons, and heartily wished he had a feat there. My reafons are briefly these : "I know his perfect good affection to his Majefty, and his government, which I am certain he wishes to fupport by every means in his power. "He poffeffes a great share of manly, nervous, and ready eloquence; is quick in difcerning the strength and weakness of an argument; can exprefs himself with clearness and precision, and fears the face of no man alive. "His known character, as a man of extraordinary sense and unimpeached virtue, would secure him the attention of the Houfe, and could not fail to give him a proper weight there. "He is capable of the greatest application, and can undergo any degree of labour, where he fees it neceffary, and where his heart and affections are strongly engaged. His Majefty's minifters might therefore fecurely depend on his doing, upon every proper occafion, the utmoft that could be expected from him. They would find him ready to vindicate fuch measures as tended to promote the stability of government, and refolute and steady in carrying them into execution. Nor is any thing to be apprehended from the supposed impetuofity of his temper. To the friends of the King you will find him a lamb, to his enemies a lion. For these reasons, I humbly apprehend that he would be a very able and ufeful member. And I will venture to fay, the employment would not be difagreeable to him; and knowing, as I do, his ftrong affection to the King, his ability to serve him in that capacity, and the extreme ardour with which I am convinced he would engage in that fervice, I must repeat, that I wish most heartily to fee him in the Houfe. 4 « If 1771. "If you think this worthy of attention, you will be pleased to take a convenient opportunity of mentioning it to Lord North. If his Lordship should Att. 62 happily approve of it, I fhall have the fatisfaction of having been, in some degree, the humble inftrument of doing my country, in my opinion, a very effential fervice. I know your good-nature, and your zeal for the publick welfare, will plead my excuse for giving you this trouble. I am, with the greatest respect, Sir, "Your most obedient and humble servant, "New-ftreet, March 30, 1771. WILLIAM STRAHAN." This recommendation we know was not effectual; but how, or for what reafon, can only be conjectured. It is not to be believed that Mr. Strahan would have applied, unless Johnson had approved of it. I never heard him mention the fubject; but at a later period of his life, when Sir Joshua Reynolds told him that Mr. Edmund Burke had faid, that if he had come early into parliament, he certainly would have been the greatest speaker that ever was there, Johnson exclaimed, "I fhould like to try my hand now." It has been much agitated among his friends and others, whether he would have been a powerful speaker in Parliament, had he been brought in when advanced in life. I am inclined to think, that his extenfive knowledge, his quickness and force of mind, his vivacity and richness of expression, his wit and humour, and above all his poignancy of sarcasm, would have had great effect in a popular affembly; and that the magnitude of his figure, and striking peculiarity of his manner, would have aided the effect. But I remember it was observed by Mr. Flood, that Johnson having been long used to sententious brevity and the short flights of conversation, might have failed in that continued and expanded kind of argument, which is requifite in ftating complicated matters in publick speaking; and as a proof of this he mentioned the supposed speeches in Parliament written by him for the magazine, none of which, in his opinion, were at all like real debates. The opinion of one who is himself fo eminent an orator, must be allowed to have great weight. It was confirmed by Sir William Scott, who mentioned, that Johnson had told him, that he had feveral times tried to fpeak in the Society of Arts and Sciences, but "had found he could not get on." From Mr. William Gerard Hamilton I have heard, that Johnfon, when obferving to him that it was prudent for a man who had not been accustomed to speak in publick to begin his speech in as fimple a manner as poffible, acknowledged that he rofe in that Y y 2 fociety 1771. fociety to deliver a speech which he had prepared; "but (said he,) all Etat. 62. my flowers of oratory forfook me." I however cannot help wifhing, that he bad "tried his hand" in parliament; and I wonder that ministry did not make the experiment. I at length renewed a correspondence which had been too long difcontinued: "MY DEAR SIR, To Dr. JOHNSON. Edinburgh, April 18, 1771. "I CAN now fully understand those intervals of filence in your correspondence with me, which have often given me anxiety and uneafinefs; for although I am confcious that my veneration and love for Mr. Johnson have never in the least abated, yet I have deferred for almost a year and a half to write to him." In the subsequent part of this letter, I gave him an account of my comfortable life as a married man, and a lawyer in practice at the Scotch bar invited him to Scotland, and promised to attend him to the Highlands, and Hebrides. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. "IF you are now able to comprehend that I might neglect to write without diminution of affection, you have taught me, likewise, how that neglect may be uneafily felt without refentment. I wished for your letter a long time, and when it came, it amply recompenfed the delay. I never was fo much pleased as now with your account of yourself; and fincerely hope, that between publick business, improving studies, and domeftick pleasures, neither melancholy nor caprice will find any place for entrance. Whatever philofophy may determine of material nature, it is certainly true of intellectual nature, that it abbors a vacuum: our minds cannot be empty; and evil will break in upon them, if they are not pre-occupied by good. My dear Sir, mind your studies, mind your business, make your lady happy, and be a good Christian. After this, triftitiam et metus Trades protervis in mare Creticum • Portare ventis." 1771. "If we perform our duty, we shall be safe and steady, Sive per,' &c. whether we climb the Highlands, or are toft among the Hebrides; and I hope the tat. 62. time will come when we may try our powers both with cliffs and water. I fee but little of Lord Elibank, I know not why; perhaps by my own fault. I am this day going into Staffordshire and Derbyshire for fix weeks. I am, dear Sir, “WHEN I came to Lichfield, I found that my portrait had been much vifited, and much admired. Every man has a lurking wish to appear confiderable in his native place; and I was pleased with the dignity conferred by such a testimony of your regard. "Be pleased, therefore, to accept the thanks of, Sir, Edinburgh, July 27, 1771. "MY DEAR SIR, "THE bearer of this, Mr. Beattie, Profeffor of Moral Philofophy at Aberdeen, is defirous of being introduced to your acquaintance. His genius and learning, and labours in the fervice of virtue and religion, render him very worthy of it; and as he has a high esteem of your character, I hope you will give him a favourable reception. I ever am, &c. JAMES BOSWELL." In October I again wrote to him, thanking him for his last letter, and his obliging reception of Mr. Beattie; informing him that I had been at Alnwick lately, and had good accounts of him from Dr. Percy. In his religious record of this year, we obfèrve that he was better than ufual, both in body and mind, and better fatisfied with the regularity of his conduct. 1771. Ætat. 62. 1772. conduct. But he is ftill "trying his ways" too rigorously. He charges him- In 1772 he was altogether quiefcent as an authour; but it will be found, from the various evidences which I fhall bring together, that his mind was acute, lively, and vigorous. "DEAR SIR, To Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "BE pleased to send to Mr. Banks, whofe place of refidence I do not know, this note, which I have fent open, that, if you please, you may |