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

Sir John Hawkins, who is unlucky upon all occasions, tells us, that ‘this method of accumulating intelligence had been practised by Mr. Addison, and is humourously described in one of the Spectators [612], wherein he feigns to have dropped his paper of notanda , consisting of a diverting medley of broken sentences and loose hints, which he tells us he had collected, and meant to make use of. Much of the same kind is Johnson’s Adversaria [613]’. But the truth is, that there is no resemblance at all between them. Addison’s note was a fiction, in which unconnected fragments of his lucubrations were purposely jumbled together, in as odd a manner as he could, in order to produce a laughable effect. Whereas Johnson’s abbreviations are all distinct, and applicable to each subject of which the head is mentioned.

For instance, there is the following specimen:

Youth’s Entry, &c .

‘Baxter’s account of things in which he had changed his mind as he grew up. Voluminous.—No wonder.—If every man was to tell, or mark, on how many subjects he has changed, it would make vols. but the changes not always observed by man’s self.—From pleasure to bus. [business] to quiet; from thoughtfulness to reflect. to piety; from dissipation to domestic. by impercept. gradat. but the change is certain. Dial[614] non progredi, progress. esse conspicimus . Look back, consider what was thought at some dist. period.

‘ Hope predom. in youth. Mind not willingly indulges unpleasing thoughts . The world lies all enameled before him, as a distant prospect sun-gilt[615]; inequalities only found by coming to it. Love is to be all joy—children excellent —Fame to be constant—caresses of the great—applauses of the learned—smiles of Beauty.

‘ Fear of disgrace—bashfulness —Finds things of less importance. Miscarriages forgot like excellencies;—if remembered, of no import. Danger of sinking into negligence of reputation. Lest the fear of disgrace destroy activity.

[Page 206: Hints for The Rambler. A.D. 1750.]

‘ Confidence in himself . Long tract of life before him.—No thought of sickness.—Embarrassment of affairs.—Distraction of family. Publick calamities.—No sense of the prevalence of bad habits.—Negligent of time—ready to undertake—careless to pursue—all changed by time.

‘ Confident of others —unsuspecting as unexperienced—imagining himself secure against neglect, never imagines they will venture to treat him ill. Ready to trust; expecting to be trusted. Convinced by time of the selfishness, the meanness, the cowardice, the treachery of men.

‘Youth ambitious, as thinking honours easy to be had.

‘Different kinds of praise pursued at different periods. Of the gay in youth, dang. hurt, &c. despised.

‘Of the fancy in manhood. Ambit.—stocks—bargains.—Of the wise and sober in old age—seriousness—formality—maxims, but general—only of the rich, otherwise age is happy—but at last every thing referred to riches—no having fame, honour, influence, without subjection to caprice.

‘Horace[616].

‘Hard it would be if men entered life with the same views with which they leave it, or left as they enter it.—No hope—no undertaking—no regard to benevolence—no fear of disgrace, &c.

‘Youth to be taught the piety of age—age to retain the honour of youth.’

This, it will be observed, is the sketch of Number 196 of the Rambler . I shall gratify my readers with another specimen:

‘ Confederacies difficult; why .

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‘Seldom in war a match for single persons—nor in peace; therefore kings make themselves absolute. Confederacies in learning—every great work the work of one. Bruy . Scholar’s friendship like ladies. Scribebamus, &c. Mart.[617] the apple of discord—the laurel of discord—the poverty of criticism. Swift’s opinion of the power of six geniuses united[618]. That union scarce possible. His remarks just; man a social, not steady nature. Drawn to man by words, repelled by passions. Orb drawn by attraction rep. [ repelled ] by centrifugal.

‘Common danger unites by crushing other passions—but they return.

Equality hinders compliance. Superiority produces insolence and envy.

Too much regard in each to private interest—too little.

‘The mischiefs of private and exclusive societies—the fitness of social attraction diffused through the whole. The mischiefs of too partial love of our country. Contraction of moral duties—[Greek: oi philoi on philos][619].

‘Every man moves upon his own center, and therefore repels others from too near a contact, though he may comply with some general laws.

‘Of confederacy with superiours, every one knows the inconvenience. With equals, no authority;—every man his own opinion—his own interest.

‘Man and wife hardly united;—scarce ever without children. Computation, if two to one against two, how many against five? If confederacies were easy—useless;—many oppresses many.—If possible only to some, dangerous. Principum amicitias [620]’.

Here we see the embryo of Number 45 of the Adventurer ; and it is a confirmation of what I shall presently have occasion to mention[621], that the papers in that collection marked T. were written by Johnson.

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This scanty preparation of materials will not, however, much diminish our wonder at the extraordinary fertility of his mind; for the proportion which they bear to the number of essays which he wrote, is very small; and it is remarkable, that those for which he had made no preparation, are as rich and as highly finished as those for which the hints were lying by him. It is also to be observed, that the papers formed from his hints are worked up with such strength and elegance, that we almost lose sight of the hints, which become like ‘drops in the bucket.’ Indeed, in several instances, he has made a very slender use of them, so that many of them remain still unapplied[622].

As the Rambler was entirely the work of one man, there was, of course, such a uniformity in its texture, as very much to exclude the charm of variety[623]; and the grave and often solemn cast of thinking, which distinguished it from other periodical papers, made it, for some time, not generally liked. So slowly did this excellent work, of which twelve editions have now issued from the press, gain upon the world at large, that even in the closing number the authour says, ‘I have never been much a favourite of the publick[624].’

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Yet, very soon after its commencement, there were who felt and acknowledged its uncommon excellence. Verses in its praise appeared in the newspapers; and the editor of the Gentleman’s Magazine mentions, in October, his having received several letters to the same purpose from the learned[625]. The Student, or Oxford and Cambridge Miscellany , in which Mr. Bonnell Thornton and Mr. Colman were the principal writers, describes it as ‘a work that exceeds anything of the kind ever published in this kingdom, some of the Spectators excepted—if indeed they may be excepted.’ And afterwards, ‘May the publick favours crown his merits, and may not the English, under the auspicious reign of GEORGE the Second, neglect a man, who, had he lived in the first century, would have been one of the greatest favourites of Augustus.’ This flattery of the monarch had no effect. It is too well known, that the second George never was an Augustus to learning or genius[626].

[Page 210: Mrs. Johnson’s praise of The Rambler. A.D. 1750.]