James Boswell - THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON - All 6 Volumes in One Edition

[Page 155: A projected parliamentary history. Ætat 33.]

A very diligent observer may trace him where we should not easily suppose him to be found. I have no doubt that he wrote the little abridgement entitled ‘Foreign History,’ in the Magazine for December. To prove it, I shall quote the Introduction. ‘As this is that season of the year in which Nature may be said to command a suspension of hostilities, and which seems intended, by putting a short stop to violence and slaughter, to afford time for malice to relent, and animosity to subside; we can scarce expect any other accounts than of plans, negotiations and treaties, of proposals for peace, and preparations for war.’ As also this passage: ‘Let those who despise the capacity of the Swiss, tell us by what wonderful policy, or by what happy conciliation of interests, it is brought to pass, that in a body made up of different communities and different religions, there should be no civil commotions[448], though the people are so warlike, that to nominate and raise an army is the same.’

I am obliged to Mr. Astle[449] for his ready permission to copy the two following letters, of which the originals are in his possession. Their contents shew that they were written about this time, and that Johnson was now engaged in preparing an historical account of the British Parliament.

‘To MR. CAVE.

[ No date ]

‘Sir,

‘I believe I am going to write a long letter, and have therefore taken a whole sheet of paper. The first thing to be written about is our historical design.

‘You mentioned the proposal of printing in numbers, as an alteration in the scheme, but I believe you mistook, some way or other, my meaning; I had no other view than that you might rather print too many of five sheets, than of five and thirty.

‘With regard to what I shall say on the manner of proceeding, I would have it understood as wholly indifferent to me, and my opinion only, not my resolution. Emptoris sit eligere .

‘I think the insertion of the exact dates of the most important events in the margin, or of so many events as may enable the reader to regulate the order of facts with sufficient exactness, the proper medium between a journal, which has regard only to time, and a history which ranges facts according to their dependence on each other, and postpones or anticipates according to the convenience of narration. I think the work ought to partake of the spirit of history, which is contrary to minute exactness, and of the regularity of a journal, which is inconsistent with spirit. For this reason, I neither admit numbers or dates, nor reject them.

[Page 156: Payment for work. A.D. 1742.]

‘I am of your opinion with regard to placing most of the resolutions &c., in the margin, and think we shall give the most complete account of Parliamentary proceedings that can be contrived. The naked papers, without an historical treatise interwoven, require some other book to make them understood. I will date the succeeding facts with some exactness, but I think in the margin. You told me on Saturday that I had received money on this work, and found set down 13£. 2s. 6d., reckoning the half guinea of last Saturday. As you hinted to me that you had many calls for money, I would not press you too hard, and therefore shall desire only, as I send it in, two guineas for a sheet of copy; the rest you may pay me when it may be more convenient; and even by this sheet-payment I shall, for some time, be very expensive.

‘The Life of Savage [450] I am ready to go upon; and in Great Primer, and Pica notes, I reckon on sending in half a sheet a day; but the money for that shall likewise lye by in your hands till it is done. With the debates, shall not I have business enough? if I had but good pens.

‘Towards Mr. Savage’s Life what more have you got? I would willingly have his trial, &c., and know whether his defence be at Bristol, and would have his collection of poems, on account of the Preface.— The Plain Dealer [451],—all the magazines that have anything of his, or relating to him.

‘I thought my letter would be long, but it is now ended; and I am, Sir,

‘Yours, &c. SAM. JOHNSON.’

‘The boy found me writing this almost in the dark, when I could not quite easily read yours.

‘I have read the Italian—nothing in it is well.

‘I had no notion of having any thing for the Inscription[452]. I hope you don’t think I kept it to extort a price. I could think of nothing, till to day. If you could spare me another guinea for the history, I should take it very kindly, to night; but if you do not I shall not think it an injury.—I am almost well again.’

‘To MR. CAVE.

‘You did not tell me your determination about the ‘Soldier’s Letter[453],’ which I am confident was never printed. I think it will not do by itself, or in any other place, so well as the Mag. Extraordinary [454]. If you will have it at all, I believe you do not think I set it high, and I will be glad if what you give, you will give quickly.

[Page 157: Ad Lauram pariluram Epigramma . Ætat 33.]

‘You need not be in care about something to print, for I have got the State Trials, and shall extract Layer, Atterbury, and Macclesfield from them, and shall bring them to you in a fortnight; after which I will try to get the South Sea Report.’

[ No date, nor signature ]

I would also ascribe to him an ‘Essay on the Description of China, from the French of Du Halde[455].[dagger]

His writings in the Gentleman’s Magazine in 1743, are, the ‘Preface[456],’[dagger] the ‘Parliamentary Debates,’[dagger] ‘Considerations on the Dispute between Crousaz[457] and Warburton, on Pope’s Essay on Man;’[dagger] in which, while he defends Crousaz, he shews an admirable metaphysical acuteness and temperance in controversy[458]; ‘Ad Lauram parituram Epigramma[459];’[*] and, ‘A Latin Translation of Pope’s Verses on his Grotto[460];’[*] and, as he could employ his pen with equal success upon a small matter as a great, I suppose him to be the authour of an advertisement for Osborne, concerning the great Harlcian Catalogue[461].

[Page 158: Friendship, an Ode. A.D. 1743.]

But I should think myself much wanting, both to my illustrious friend and my readers, did I not introduce here, with more than ordinary respect, an exquisitely beautiful Ode, which has not been inserted in any of the collections of Johnson’s poetry, written by him at a very early period, as Mr. Hector informs me, and inserted in the Gentleman’s Magazine of this year.

FRIENDSHIP, an ODE.[*]

‘Friendship, peculiar boon of heav’n,

The noble mind’s delight and pride,

To men and angels only giv’n,

To all the lower world deny’d.

While love, unknown among the blest,

Parent of thousand wild desires,

The savage and the human breast

Torments alike with raging fires;

With bright, but oft destructive, gleam,

Alike o’er all his lightnings fly;

Thy lambent glories only beam

Around the fav’rites of the sky.

Thy gentle flows of guiltless joys

On fools and villains ne’er descend;

In vain for thee the tyrant sighs,

And hugs a flatterer for a friend.

Directress of the brave and just,

O guide us through life’s darksome way!

And let the tortures of mistrust

On selfish bosoms only prey.

Nor shall thine ardours cease to glow,

When souls to blissful climes remove;

What rais’d our virtue here below,

Shall aid our happiness above.’

[Page 159: Dr. James and Dr. Mead. Ætat 34.]

Johnson had now an opportunity of obliging his schoolfellow Dr. James, of whom he once observed, ‘no man brings more mind to his profession.[462]’ James published this year his Medicinal Dictionary , in three volumes folio. Johnson, as I understood from him, had written, or assisted in writing, the proposals for this work; and being very fond of the study of physick, in which James was his master, he furnished some of the articles[463]. He, however, certainly wrote for it the Dedication to Dr. Mead,[dagger] which is conceived with great address, to conciliate the patronage of that very eminent man[464].