shouldnothavetakenthetroubletowritehiseulogy,anddedicateMortimertohim。’
Mr。Wilkesheldacandletoshewafineprintofabeautifulfemalefigurewhichhungintheroom,andpointedouttheelegantcontourofthebosomwiththefingerofanarchconnoisseur。Heafterwards,inaconversationwithme,waggishlyinsisted,thatallthetimeJohnsonshewedvisiblesignsofaferventadmirationofthecorrespondingcharmsofthefairQuaker。
Thisrecord,thoughbynomeanssoperfectasIcouldwish,willservetogiveanotionofaverycuriousinterview,whichwasnotonlypleasingatthetime,buthadtheagreeableandbenignanteffectofreconcilinganyanimosity,andsweeteninganyacidity,whichinthevariousbustleofpoliticalcontest,hadbeenproducedinthemindsoftwomen,whothoughwidelydifferent,hadsomanythingsincommon——classicallearning,modernliterature,wit,andhumour,andreadyrepartee——thatitwouldhavebeenmuchtoberegrettediftheyhadbeenforeveratadistancefromeachother。
Mr。BurkegavememuchcreditforthissuccessfulNEGOCIATION;andpleasantlysaid,that’therewasnothingtoequalitinthewholehistoryoftheCorpsDiplomatique。’
IattendedDr。Johnsonhome,andhadthesatisfactiontohearhimtellMrs。WilliamshowmuchhehadbeenpleasedwithMr。Wilkes’scompany,andwhatanagreeabledayhehadpassed。
ItalkedagooddealtohimofthecelebratedMargaretCarolineRudd,whomIhadvisited,inducedbythefameofhertalents,address,andirresistiblepoweroffascination。Toaladywhodisapprovedofmyvisitingher,hesaidonaformeroccasion,’Nay,Madam,Boswellisintheright;Ishouldhavevisitedhermyself,wereitnotthattheyhavenowatrickofputtingeverythingintothenews-papers。’Thiseveningheexclaimed,’IenvyhimhisacquaintancewithMrs。Rudd。’
OntheeveningofthenextdayItookleaveofhim,beingtosetoutforScotland。Ithankedhimwithgreatwarmthforallhiskindness。’Sir,saidhe,youareverywelcome。Nobodyrepaysitwithmore。
ThefollowinglettersconcerninganEpitaphwhichhewroteforthemonumentofDr。Goldsmith,inWestminster-Abbey,affordatonceaproofofhisunaffectedmodesty,hiscarelessnessastohisownwritings,andofthegreatrespectwhichheentertainedforthetasteandjudgementoftheexcellentandeminentpersontowhomtheyareaddressed:
TOSIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。
DEARSIR,——Ihavebeenkeptawayfromyou,Iknownotwellhow,andofthesevexatioushindrancesIknownotwhentherewillbeanend。
IthereforesendyouthepoordearDoctor’sepitaph。Readitfirstyourself;andifyouthenthinkitright,shewittotheClub。I
am,youknow,willingtobecorrected。Ifyouthinkanythingmuchamiss,keepittoyourself,tillwecometogether。Ihavesenttwocopies,butpreferthecard。ThedatesmustbesettledbyDr。
Percy。Iam,Sir,yourmosthumbleservant,’May16,1776。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
Itwas,Ithink,afterIhadleftLondonthisyear,thatthisEpitaphgaveoccasiontoaRemonstrancetotheMONARCHOF
LITERATURE,foranaccountofwhichIamindebtedtoSirWilliamForbes,ofPitsligo。
Thatmyreadersmayhavethesubjectmorefullyandclearlybeforethem,IshallfirstinserttheEpitaph。
OLIVARIIGOLDSMITH,Poetae,Physici,Historici,QuinullumferescribendigenusNontetigit,Nullumquodtetiqitnonornavit:
Siverisusessentmovendi,Sivelacrymae,Affectuumpotensatlenisdominator:
Ingeniosublimis,vividus,versatilis,Orationegrandis,nitidus,venustus:
HocmonumentomemoriamcoluitSodaliumamor,Amicorumfides,Lectorumveneratio。
NatusinHiberniaForniaeLongfordiensis,InlococuinomenPallas,Nov。XXIX。MDCCXXXI;
Eblanaeliterisinstitutus;
ObiitLondini,AprilIV,MDCCLXXIV。’
SirWilliamForbeswritestomethus:——
’IenclosetheRoundRobin。Thisjeud’esprittookitsriseonedayatdinneratourfriendSirJoshuaReynolds’s。Allthecompanypresent,exceptmyself,werefriendsandacquaintanceofDr。
Goldsmith。TheEpitaph,writtenforhimbyDr。Johnson,becamethesubjectofconversation,andvariousemendationsweresuggested,whichitwasagreedshouldbesubmittedtotheDoctor’sconsideration。Butthequestionwas,whoshouldhavethecouragetoproposethemtohim?Atlastitwashinted,thattherecouldbenowaysogoodasthatofaRoundRobin,asthesailorscallit,whichtheymakeuseofwhentheyenterintoaconspiracy,soasnottoletitbeknownwhoputshisnamefirstorlasttothepaper。
Thispropositionwasinstantlyassentedto;andDr。Barnard,DeanofDerry,nowBishopofKillaloe,drewupanaddresstoDr。Johnsonontheoccasion,repletewithwitandhumour,butwhichitwasfearedtheDoctormightthinktreatedthesubjectwithtoomuchlevity。Mr。Burkethenproposedtheaddressasitstandsinthepaperinwriting,towhichIhadthehonourtoofficiateasclerk。
’SirJoshuaagreedtocarryittoDr。Johnson,whoreceiveditwithmuchgoodhumour,*anddesiredSirJoshuatotellthegentlemen,thathewouldaltertheEpitaphinanymannertheypleased,astothesenseofit;buthewouldneverconsenttodisgracethewallsofWestminsterAbbeywithanEnglishinscription。
*Hehowever,uponseeingDr。Warton’snametothesuggestion,thattheEpitaphshouldbeinEnglish,observedtoSirJoshua,’IwonderthatJoeWarton,ascholarbyprofession,shouldbesuchafool。’
Hesaidtoo,’IshouldhavethoughtMundBurkewouldhavehadmoresense。’Mr。Langton,whowasoneofthecompanyatSirJoshua’s,likeasturdyscholar,resolutelyrefusedtosigntheRoundRobin。
TheEpitaphisengraveduponDr。Goldsmith’smonumentwithoutanyalteration。Atanothertime,whensomebodyendeavouredtoargueinfavourofitsbeinginEnglish,Johnsonsaid,’Thelanguageofthecountryofwhichalearnedmanwasanative,isnotthelanguagefitforhisepitaph,whichshouldbeinancientandpermanentlanguage。Consider,Sir;howyoushouldfeel,wereyoutofindatRotterdamanepitaphuponErasmusINDUTCH!’——BOSWELL。
’IconsiderthisRoundRobinasaspeciesofliterarycuriosityworthpreserving,asitmarks,inacertaindegree,Dr。Johnson’scharacter。’
SirWilliamForbes’sobservationisveryjust。Theanecdotenowrelatedproves,inthestrongestmanner,thereverenceandawewithwhichJohnsonwasregarded,bysomeofthemosteminentmenofhistime,invariousdepartments,andevenbysuchofthemaslivedmostwithhim;whileitalsoconfirmswhatIhaveagainandagaininculcated,thathewasbynomeansofthatferociousandirasciblecharacterwhichhasbeenignorantlyimagined。
ThishastycompositionisalsotoberemarkedasoneofathousandinstanceswhichevincetheextraordinarypromptitudeofMr。Burke;
whowhileheisequaltothegreatestthings,canadorntheleast;
can,withequalfacility,embracethevastandcomplicatedspeculationsofpoliticks,ortheingenioustopicksofliteraryinvestigation。
’DR。JOHNSONTOMRS。BOSWELL。
’MADAM,——Youmustnotthinkmeuncivilinomittingtoanswertheletterwithwhichyoufavouredmesometimeago。IimaginedittohavebeenwrittenwithoutMr。Boswell’sknowledge,andthereforesupposedtheanswertorequire,whatIcouldnotfind,aprivateconveyance。
’ThedifferencewithLordAuchinleckisnowover;andsinceyoungAlexanderhasappeared,Ihopenomoredifficultieswillariseamongyou;forIsincerelywishyouallhappy。Donotteachtheyoungonestodislikeme,asyoudislikemeyourself;butletmeatleasthaveVeronica’skindness,becausesheismyacquaintance。
’YouwillnowhaveMr。Boswellhome;itiswellthatyouhavehim;
hehasledawildlife。IhavetakenhimtoLichfield,andhehasfollowedMr。ThraletoBath。Praytakecareofhim,andtamehim。
TheonlythinginwhichIhavethehonourtoagreewithyouis,inlovinghim;andwhilewearesomuchofamindinamatterofsomuchimportance,ourotherquarrelswill,Ihope,producenogreatbitterness。Iam,Madam,yourmosthumbleservant,’May16,1776。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
Iselectfromhisprivateregisterthefollowingpassage:
’July25,1776。OGod,whohastordainedthatwhateveristobedesiredshouldbesoughtbylabour,andwho,bythyblessing,bringesthonestlabourtogoodeffect,lookwithmercyuponmystudiesandendeavours。Grantme,OLORD,todesignonlywhatislawfulandright;andaffordmecalmnessofmind,andsteadinessofpurpose,thatImaysodothywillinthisshortlife,astoobtainhappinessintheworldtocome,forthesakeofJESUSCHRISTourLord。Amen。’
Itappearsfromanotesubjoined,thatthiswascomposedwhenhe’purposedtoapplyvigorouslytostudy,particularlyoftheGreekandItaliantongues。’
Suchapurpose,soexpressed,attheageofsixty-seven,isadmirableandencouraging;anditmustimpressallthethinkingpartofmyreaderswithaconsolatoryconfidenceinhabitualdevotion,whentheyseeamanofsuchenlargedintellectualpowersasJohnson,thusinthegenuineearnestnessofsecrecy,imploringtheaidofthatSupremeBeing,’fromwhomcomethdowneverygoodandeveryperfectgift。’