Page images
PDF
EPUB

me she could read the black letter, and asked him to borrow for her, from his father, a bible in that character. When he was going to Oxford, she came to take leave of him, brought him, in the simplicity of her kindness, a present of gingerbread, and said he was the best scholar she ever had. He delighted in mentioning this early compliment; adding, with a smile, that "this was as high a proof of his merit as he could conceive." His next instructor in English was a master, whom when he spoke of him to me, he familiarly called Tom Brown, who, said he, "published a spelling-book, and dedicated it to the UNIVERSE; but, I fear, no copy of it can now be had."

Account of Life,

He began to learn Latin with Mr. Hawkins, usher or under-master of Lichfield school," a man (said he) very skilful in his little way." With him he continued two years, and [perhaps, four months. "The time," he added, “till I had p 25, 26. computed it, appeared much longer by the multitude of incidents and of novelties which it supplied, than many important thoughts which it produced. Perhaps it is not possible that any other period can make the same impression on the memory." In the spring of 1719, his class was removed to the upper school, and put under Holbrook, a peevish and ill-tempered man. They were removed sooner than had been the custom, for the head-master, intent on his boarders, generally left the town-boys too long in the lower school; the earlier removal of Johnson's class was caused by a reproof of the town-clerk; and Hawkins complained that he had lost half his profit. At this removal Johnson says that he cried, but the rest were indifferent. He] then rose to be under the care of Mr. Hunter', the head-master, who, according to his account, was very severe, and wrong-headedly severe. He used (said he) to beat us unmercifully; and he did not distinguish between ignorance and negligence; for he would beat a boy equally for not knowing a thing, as for neglecting to know it. He

[ocr errors]

1 1 [" Mr. Hunter was an odd mixture of the pedant and the sportsman; he was a very severe disciplinarian and a great setter of game. Happy was the boy who could inform his offended master where a covey of partridges was to be found; this notice was a certain pledge of his pardon.' Davies' Life of Garrick, vol. i. p. 3. He was a prebendary in the Cathedral of Lichfield, and grandfather to Miss Seward. One of this lady's complaints against Johnson was, that he, in all his works, never expressed any gratitude to his preceptor. It does not appear that he owed him much; for besides the severity of his discipline, it seems that he was inattentive to that class of boys to which Johnson belonged, and it also appears, that he refused to readmit him after one of the vacations, on some pretence now forgotten.-ED.]

[ocr errors]

would ask a boy a question, and if he d not answer it, he would beat him, witho considering whether he had an opportuni of knowing how to answer it. For instan he would call up a boy and ask him Lat for a candlestick, which the boy could expect to be asked. Now, sir, if a boy co answer every question, there would be need of a master to teach him."

It is, however, but justice to the memo of Mr. Hunter to mention, that though might err in being too severe, the school Lichfield was very respectable in his tin The late Dr. Taylor, Prebendary of We minster, who was educated under hi told me that "he was an excellent mast and that his ushers were most of them m of eminence; that Holdbrook, one of t most ingenious men, best scholars, and b preachers of his age, was usher during t greatest part of the time that Johnson w at school. Then came Hague, of whom much might be said, with the addition th he was an elegant poet. Hague was st ceeded by Green, afterwards Bishop Lincoln, whose character in the learn world is well known. In the same fo with Johnson was Congreve, who aft wards became chaplain to Archbish Boulter, and by that connexion obtain good preferment in Ireland. younger son of the ancient family of Co greve, in Staffordshire, of which the p was a branch. His brother sold the esta There was also Lowe, afterwards Can of Windsor.

He was

Indeed Johnson was very sensible h much he owed to Mr. Hunter. Mr. La ton one day asked him how he had acqui so accurate a knowledge of Latin, in whi I believe, he was exceeded by no man his time: he said, "My master whipt very well. Without that, sir, I sho have done nothing." He told Mr. La ton, that while Hunter was flogging boys unmercifully, he used to say, "A this I do to save you from the gallow Johnson, upon all occasions, expressed approbation of enforcing instruction means of the rod 2. "I would rather (s he) have the rod to be the general ter to all, to make them learn, than tell a ch if you do thus or thus, you will be m esteemed than your brothers or siste The rod produces an effect which ter nates in itself. A child is afraid of be whipped, and gets his task, and there's end on't; whereas, by exciting emulat and comparisons of superiority, you lay foundation of lasting mischief: you m brothers and sisters hate each other."

2 Johnson's observations to Dr. Rose, on subject, may be found in a subsequent part of work, near the end of the year 1775.-BURN

Piozzi,

21.

He was

When Johnson saw some young ladies | he maintained with so much dignity in his in Lincolnshire who were remarkably well march through life, was not assumed from behaved, owing to their mother's strict dis- vanity and ostentation, but was the natucipline and severe correction, he exclaimed, ral and constant effect of those extraordinain one of Shakspeare's lines, a little varied 1, ry powers of mind, of which he could not but be conscious by comparison; the intel"Rod, I will honour thee for this thy duty.” lectual difference, which in other cases of [Yet when talking of a young fel- comparison of characters, is often a matter low, who used to come often to Mr. of undecided contest, being as clear in his Thrale's house, who was about case as the superiority of stature in some fifteen years old or less, and had a manner men above others. Johnson did not strut at once sullen and sheepish-"That lad or stand on tip-toe; he only did not stoop. (said Johnson) looks like the son of a From his earliest years, his superiority was schoolmaster; which (added he) is one of perceived and acknowledged. the very worst conditions of childhood; from the beginning Ava avdgar, a king of such a boy has no father, or worse than men. His schoolfellow, Mr. Hector, has none; he never can reflect on his parent obligingly furnished me 2 with many parbut the reflection brings to his mind some ticulars of his boyish days; and assured me ides of pain inflicted, or of sorrow suffered." that he never knew him corrected at He was, indeed, himself exceed-school, but for talking and diverting other Pingly disposed to the general boys from their business. He seemed to indulgence of children, and was learn by intuition; for though indolence even scrupulously and ceremoniously atten- and procrastination were inherent in his tive not to offend them: he had strongly constitution, whenever he made an exertion persuaded himself of the difficulty people he did more than any one else. In short, always find to erase early impressions, either he is a memorable instance of what has of kindness or resentment, and said, "he been often observed, that the boy is the should never have so loved his mother man in miniature; and that the distinguishwhen a man, had she not given him coffee ing characteristicks of each individual are she could ill afford, to gratify his appetite the same, through the whole course of life. when a boy." "If you had had children, His favourites used to receive very liberal sir," said Mrs. Piozzi, "would you have assistance from him; and such was the taught them any thing?" "I hope (replied submission and deference with which he e) that I should have willingly lived on was treated, such the desire to obtain his bread and water to obtain instruction for regard, that three of the boys, of whom them; but I would not have set their future Mr. Hector was sometimes one, used to fendship to hazard for the sake of thrust- come in the morning as his humble attending into their heads knowledge of things ants, and carry him to school. One in f which they might not perhaps have the middle stooped, while he sat upon his esther taste or necessity. You teach your back, and one on each side supported him; daughters the diameters of the planets, and and thus he was borne triumphant. Such wonder when you have done that they do a proof of the early predominance of intelnot delight in your company. No science lectual vigour is very remarkable, and does can be communicated by mortal creatures honour to human nature 4. Talking to me without attention from the scholar; no at- once himself of his being much distinguished tention can be obtained from children at school, he told me, "they never thought without the infliction of pain, and pain is to raise me by comparing me to any one; never remembered without resentment." they never said, Johnson is as good a schoThat something should be learned was, lar as such a one, but such a one is as good however, so certainly his opinion, that Mrs. Pizzi heard him say, that education had been often compared to agriculture, yet that it resembled it chiefly in this: "that if nothing is sown, no crop can be obtained."]

That superiority over his fellows, which

2 [This is not quite candid on the part of Mr. Boswell. All these particulars are found in a paper furnished (it would seem) by Mr. Hector to Sir J. Hawkins, and published in extenso by him.-ED.]

3

[This is not consistent with Johnson's own statement, ante, p. 16.—ED.]

4 ["This ovation Mr. Boswell believed to have More than a little. The line is in KING been an honour paid to the early predominance HENAY VI. Part ii. act iv. sc. last:

[merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors]

of his intellectual powers alone; but they who remember what boys are, and who consider that Johnson's corporeal prowess was by no means despicable, will be apt to suspect that the homage was enforced, at least as much by awe of the one as by admiration of the other."-Anderson's Life of Johnson.-ED.]

a scholar as Johnson; and this was said | but of one-but of Lowe1; and I do not think he was as good a scholar."

(adds his lordship) spending part of a sum mer at my parsonage-house in the country, he chose for his regular reading the old Spanish romance of FELIXMARTE OF HIRCANIA, in folio, which he read quite through. Yet I have heard him attribute to these extravagant fictions that unsettled turn of mind which prevented his ever fixing in any profession."

Hawk.

p. 8.

He discovered a great ambition to excel, which roused him to counteract his indolence. He was uncommonly inquisitive; and his memory was so tenacious, that he never forgot any thing that he either heard or read. Mr. Hector remembers having recited to him eighteen verses, which, after a little [In the autumn of the year 1725, pause, he repeated verbatim, varying only he received an invitation from his one epithet, by which he improved the line. uncle, Cornelius Ford, to spend a He never joined with the other boys in few days with him at his house, which I their ordinary diversions: his only amuse- conjecture to have been on a living of his ment 2 was in winter, when he took a plea- in one of the counties bordering upon Stafsure in being drawn upon the ice by a boy fordshire; but it seems that the uncle, disbarefooted, who pulled him along by a gar- covering that the boy was possessed of unter fixed round him; no very easy operation, common parts, was unwilling to let him reas his size was remarkably large. His de- turn, and to make up for the loss he might fective sight, indeed, prevented him from sustain by his absence from school, became enjoying the common sports; and he once his instructor in the classics, and farther aspleasantly remarked to me, "how wonder-sisted him in his studies; so that it was not fully well he had contrived to be idle without them." Lord Chesterfield, however, has justly observed in one of his letters, when earnestly cautioning a friend against the pernicious effects of idleness, that active sports are not to be reckoned idleness in young people; and that the listless torpor of doing nothing alone deserves that name. Of this dismal inertness of disposition, Johnson had all his life too great a share. Mr. Hector relates, that "he could not oblige him more than by sauntering away the hours of vacation in the fields, during which he was more engaged in talking to himself than to his companion." [Mr. Hector concludes by saying, "After a long absence from Lichfield, when he returned I was apprehensive of something wrong in his constitution, which might either impair his intellect or endanger his life, but, thanks to Almighty God, my fears have proved false."]

Hawk. p. 8.

Dr. Percy, the Bishop of Dromore, who was long intimately acquainted with him, and has preserved a few anecdotes concerning him, regretting that he was not a more diligent collector, informs me, that "when a boy he was immoderately fond of reading romances of chivalry, and he retained his fondness for them through life 3; so that

1 [See ante, p. 16.-ED.]

2 [Mr. Hector, in the paper printed by Hawkins, only says, "He never associated with any of us in our diversions, except in winter, when the ice was firm enough to be drawn along by a boy barefooted;" but this does not justify the absurd assertion that Johnson had no amusement whatsoever except in winter, and then only this one: other amusements he doubtless had, though probably not of a gregarious nature.—ED.]

3

[In one of his journeys we shall see (27th March, 1776), that he took with him "Il Palmerino d'Inghilterra” in Italian, but then it

till the Whitsuntide following, that Johnson went back to Lichfield. Whether Mr. Hunter was displeased to find a visit of a few days protracted into a vacation of many months, or that he resented the interference of another person in the tuition of one of his scholars, and he one of the most promising of any under his care, cannot now be known; but, it seems, that at Johnson's return to Lichfield, he was not received into the school of that city;] and he was, at the age of fifteen, removed to the school of Stourbridge, in Worcestershire, of which Mr. Wentworth was then master.

This step was taken by the advice of his cousin, the Rev. Mr. Ford, a man in whom both talents and good dispositions were disgraced by licentiousness-(he is said to be the original of the parson in Hogarth's Modern Midnight Conversation5)—but who

was for exercise in the language, and he took no pleasure in the work itself.—ED.]

4 Cornelius Ford, according to Sir John Haw Joseph [Q. Nathanael?] Ford, an eminent phy kins, was his cousin-german, being the son of Dr

sician, who was brother to Johnson's mother.

MALONE. [Sir John Hawkins, in this passag of his first edition, distinctly calls Cornelius For his uncle, as Boswell also does, but it was proba bly an error, as Hawkins corrected it in the secon edition to cousin.—ED.]

5 [This fact has been doubted; but the blame able levity of his character, Johnson himself ac mits. In his Life of Fenton, he mentions “For a clergyman at that time too well known, whos abilities, instead of furnishing convivial merrime to the voluptuous and dissolute, might have en bled him to excel among the virtuous and th wise." In the Historical Register for 173 we find, "Died Aug. 22, the Rev. Mr. Ford, w known to the world for his great wit and abilities And the Gentleman's Magazine of the san date states that he was "esteemed for his pol and agreeable conversation." Mr. Murphy asse

Hawk. p. 9.

was a very able judge of what was right. | two years, in a state very unworthy his [Johnson always spoke of his cousin uncommon abilities. [His father Photo Mrs. Piozzi with tenderness, prais- was for some time at a loss how to ing his acquaintance with life and dispose of him: he probably had a manners, and recollecting one piece of ad- view to bring him up to his own trade; for vice that no man surely ever followed more Sir J. Hawkins heard Johnson say, that he exactly: "Obtain (says Ford) some general himself was able to bind a book.] He had principles of every science; he who can talk already given several proofs of his poetical only on one subject, or act only in one depart- genius, both in his school-exercises and in ment, is seldom wanted and perhaps never other occasional compositions. Of these I wished for; while the man of general know- have obtained a considerable collection, by ledge can often benefit and always please." the favour of Mr. Wentworth, son of one He used to relate, however, another story of his masters, and of Mr. Hector, his less to the credit of his cousin's penetration, schoolfellow and friend; from which I select how Ford on some occasion said to him, some specimens [which will be found in the "You will make your way more easily in Appendix]. the world, I see, as you are contented to dispute no man's claim to conversation excellence; they will, therefore, more willingly allow your pretensions as a writer."

At the school of Stourbridge he did not receive so much benefit as was expected. It has been said, that he acted in the capacity of an assistant to Mr. Wentworth in teaching the younger boys. "Mr. Wentworth (he told me) was a very able man, but an idle man, and to me very severe; but I cannot blame him much. I was then a big boy; he saw I did not reverence him; and that he should get no honour by me. I had brought enough with me, to carry me through; and all I should get at his school would be ascribed to my own labour, or to my former master. Yet he taught me a great deal."

He thus discriminated, to Dr. Percy, Bishop of Dromore, his progress at his two grammar-schools. "At one [Lichfield], I learned much in the school, but little from the master; in the other [Stourbridge], I learnt much from the master, but little in the school."

The bishop also informs me that "Dr. Johnson's father, before he was received at Stourbridge, applied to have him admitted as a scholar and assistant to the Rev. Samuel Lea, M. A., head-master of Newport school, in Shropshire (a very diligent good teacher, at that time in high reputation, under whom Mr. Hollis is said, in the Memoirs of his Life, to have been also educated). This application to Mr. Lea was Bot successful; but Johnson had afterwards the gratification to hear that the old gentleman, who lived to a very advanced age, mentioned it as one of the most memorable events of his life, that he was very near having that great man for his scholar."

He remained at Stourbridge little more than a year, and then he returned home, where he may be said to have loitered, for

that he was chaplain to Lord Chesterfield, but ges no authority.-ED.]

'As was likewise the Bishop of Dromore many years afterwards.-BOSWELI..

The two years which he spent at home, after his return from Stourbridge, he passed in what he thought idleness, and was scolded by his father for his want of steady application. He had no settled plan of life, nor looked forward at all, but merely lived from day to day. Yet he read a great deal in a desultory manner, without any scheme of study, as chance threw books in his way, and inclination directed him through them. He used to mention one curious instance of his casual reading, when but a boy. Having imagined that his brother had hid some apples behind a large folio upon an upper shelf in his father's shop, he climbed up to search for them. There were no apples; but the large folio proved to be Petrarch 2, whom he had seen mentioned, in some preface, as one of the restorers of learning. His curiosity having been thus excited, he sat down with avidity, and read a great part of the book. What he read during these two years, he told me, was not works of mere amusement, "not voyages and travels, but all literature, sir, all ancient writers, all manly: though but little Greek, only some of Anacreon and Hesiod: but in this irregular manner (added he) I had looked into a great many books, which were not commonly known at the Universities, where they seldom read any books but what are put into their hands by their tutors; so that when I came to Oxford, Dr. Adams, now master of Pembroke College, told me, I was the best qualified for the University that he had ever known come there."

In estimating the progress of his mind during these two years, as well as in future periods of his life, we must not regard his own hasty confession of idleness; for we see, when he explains himself, that he was acquiring various stores; and, indeed, he himself concluded the account, with saying,

2 [This was probably the folio edition of Petrarch's Opera Omnia quæ extant, Bas. 1554. It could have been only the Latin works that Johnson read, as there is no reason to suppose that he was, at this period, able to read Italian.-ED.]

"I would not have you think I was doing nothing then." He might, perhaps, have studied more assiduously; but it may be doubted, whether such a mind as his was not more enriched by roaming at large in the fields of literature, than if it had been confined to any single spot. The analogy between body and mind is very general, and the parallel will hold as to their food, as well as any other particular. The flesh of animals who feed excursively is allowed to have a higher flavour than that of those who are cooped up. May there not be the same difference between men who read as their taste prompts, and men who are confined in cells and colleges to stated tasks!?

That a man in Mr. Michael Johnson's circumstances should think of sending his son to the expensive university of Oxford, at his own charge, seems very improbable. The subject was too delicate to question Johnson upon; but I have been assured by Dr. Taylor, that the scheme never would have taken place, had not a gentleman of Shropshire, one of his schoolfellows, spontaneously undertaken to support him at Oxford, in the character of his companion: though, in fact, he never received any assistance whatever from that gentleman.

p. 9, 10.

[Sir John Hawkins, thus states Hawk. this circumstance: A neighbouring gentleman, Mr. Andrew Corbett, having a son, who had been educated in the same school with Johnson, whom he was about to send to Pembroke College in Oxford, a proposal was made and accepted, that Johnson should attend this son thither, in quality of assistant in his studies; and accordingly, on the 31st day of October, 1728, they were both entered, Corbett as a gentleman commoner, and Johnson as a commoner. Whether it was discouragement in the outset of their studies, or any other ground of disinclination that moved him to it, is not known, but this is certain, that young Corbett could not brook submission to a man who seemed to be little more learned than himself, and that having a father living, who was able to dispose of him in various other ways, he, after about two years' stay, left the college, and went home. But the case of Johnson was far different; his fortunes were at sea; his title to a stipend was gone, and all that he could obtain from the father of Mr. Corbett was

[Dr. Johnson's prodigious memory and talents enabled him to collect from desultory reading a vast mass of general information; but he was in no science, and indeed we might almost say in no branch of literature, what is usually called a profound scholar-that character is only to be earned by laborious study; and Mr. Boswell's fanciful allusion to the flavour of the flesh of animals seems fallacious, not to say foolish.-ED.]

an agreement, during his continua college, to pay for his commons 2.]

He, however, went to Oxford, ar entered a commoner of Pembroke C on the 31st of October, 1728, bein in his nineteenth year.

The Reverend Dr. Adams, who wards presided over Pembroke Colleg universal esteem, told me he was p and gave me some account of what on the night of Johnson's arrival at On that evening, his father, who ha iously accompanied him, found m have him introduced to Mr. Jorde was to be his tutor. His being put any tutor, reminds us of what Wo of Robert Burton, authour of the " my of Melancholy," when elected of Christ-church; "for form's sake, he wanted not a tutor, he was put ur tuition of Dr. John Bancroft, afte Bishop of Oxon 3."

His father seemed very full of the of his son, and told the company he good scholar, and a poet, and wrot verses. His figure and manner a strange to them; but he behaved m and sat silent, till upon something occurred in the course of conversa suddenly struck in and quoted Ma and thus he gave the first impression more extensive reading in which he dulged himself.

His tutor 4, Mr. Jorden, fellow of Per

2 [Mr. Murphy, in his Life of Johnson Hawkins; but the date of Mr. Corbett's and retirement from college does not t either Boswell's or Hawkins's account. College (as Dr. Hall informs me), to h Corbett appears, from the books of P admitted 24th February, 1727, and his n removed from the books February 21, that, as Johnson entered in Oct. 1728, not appear to have returned after Christm Corbett was of the University twenty m fore, and twelve or thirteen months aft son. And, on reference to the college appears that Corbett's residence was so and so little coincident with Johnson's, t is no reason to suppose that Johnson was ed either as the private tutor of Co Hawkins states, or his companion, as suggests.-ED.]

Athen. Oxon. edit. 1721, i. 627.-B 4 [There are, as Dr. Hall observes to n small errors in Mr. Boswell's account of J college life, and particularly as to the rela tween him and Mr. Jorden. It is not tom at Pembroke to assign particular tut dividual students. There are two colle appointed for the whole. Mr. Jorden w fore no more the tutor of Johnson tha other student, and Johnson was equally of the other college tutor; though, as t was probably the tutor in mathematics, likely that Johnson did not pay him mu

« PreviousContinue »