Review of New Publications. 329 "the year 1753 till the time Mr. Thrale "and you took me up. I intend, however, "to difappoint the rogues, and either make you write the life, with Taylor's intelligence, or, which is better, do it myself, "after outliving you all. I am now (added "he) keeping a diary, in hopes of using it for that purpose fome time.".... recollecting one piece of advice that no man "Dr. Johnfon first learned to read of his mother and her old maid Catharine, in whofe lap he well remembered fitting while the explained to him the ftory of St. George and the Dragon. Such was his tenderness, and fuch his gratitude, that he took a journey to Lichfield, fifty-feven years afterwards, to fupport and comfort her in her laft illness. He had enquired for his nurfe, and the was dead.".... "At eight years old he went to fchool, for his health would not permit him to be fent fooner; and at the age of ten years his mind was difturbed by fcruples of infidelity, which preyed upon his fpirits, and made him very uneafy.".... "The remembrance of what had paffedin his own childhood made Mr. Johnson very folicitous to preferve the felicity of children; and when he had perfuaded Dr. Sumner to remit the tasks ufually given to fill up boys' time during the holidays, he rejoiced exceedingly in the fuccefs of his negociation, and told me that he had never ceafed reprefenting to all the eminent fchoolmasters in England the abfurd tyranny of poisoning the hour of permitted pleasure, by keeping future mifery before the children's eyes, and tempt ing them by bribery or falfehood to evade it.' ..... "At the age of eighteen Dr. Johníon quitted fchool, and escaped from the tuition of thofe he hated or thofe he defpifed. I have heard him relate very few college adventures. He used to fay that our best accounts of his behaviour there would be gathered from Dr. Adams and Dr. Taylor, and that he was fure they would always tell the truth." Taylor," faid he, "is better acquainted with my beart than any man or woman now alive; and the history of my "Oxford exploits lies all between him and "Adams; but Dr. James knows my very "early days better than he. After my "coming to London, to drive the world, "about a little, you must all go to Jack "Hawkefworth for anecdotes. I lived in great familiarity with him (though I think there was not much affection) from GENT. MAG. April, 1786. "The False Alarm, his first and favourite pamphlet, was written at our house between eight o'clock on Wednesday night and twelve o'clock on Thursday night.".. "Facility of writing, and dilatorinefs ever to write, Mr. Johnfon always retained, from the days that he lay a bed and dictated his first publication to Mr. Hector, who acted as his amanuenfis, to the moment he made me copy out those variations in Pope's Homer which are printed in the Poets' Lives: "And now (faid he, when I had finished it for him.) I fear not Mr. Nichols of a "pin."-The fine Rambler on the fubject of Procraftination was haftily compofed, as I have heard, in Sir Joshua Reynolds's parlour, while the boy waited to carry it to prefs and numberlefs are the inftances of his writing under immediate preffure of importunity or diftrefs. He told me, that the character of Sober in the Idler was, by himself, intended as his own portrait; and that he had his own outfet into life in his eye when he wrote the Eaftern ftory of Gelaleddin. Of the allegorical papers in the Rambler, Labour and Reft was his favourite; but Serotinus, the man who returns late in life to receive honours in his native country, and meets with mortification inftead, of refpect, was by him confidered as a mafter. piece in the fcience of life and manners. The character of Profpero, in the fourth volume, Garrick took to be his; and I have heard the author fay, that he never forgave the offence. Sophron was likewise a picture drawn from reality; and by Gelidus the philofopher he meant to reprefent Mr. Coul fon, a mathematician, who formerly lived at Rochefter. The man immortalifed for purring like a cat was, as he told me, one Bufby, a proctor in the Commons. He who barked fo ingenioully, and then called the drawer to drive away the dog, was father to Dr. Salter, of the Charter-houfe. He who fung a fong, and by correfpondent motions of his arm chalked out a giant on the wall, was one Richardfon, an attorney. The letter figned Sunday was written by Mifs Talbot; and he fancied the billets in the first volume of the Rambler were fent him by Mifs Mulfo, now Mrs. Chapone. The papers contributed by Mrs. Carter had much of his esteem, though he always blamed me for preferring the letter figned Charieffa to the allegory, where religion and fuperftition are indeed moft mafterly delineated.".... "When Davies printed the Fugitive Pieces without his knowledge or confent, How,' faid 330 Review of New Publications. faid I, would Pope have raved, had he been • ferved fo?' "We fhould never (replied he) have heard the laft on't, to be fure; but then Pope was a narrow man. I will "however (added he) ftorm and blufter my "felf a little this time;"-fo went to London in all the wrath he could mufter up. At his return I asked how the affair ended: "Why (faid he) I was a fierce fellow, and "pretended to be very angry, and Thomas "was a good-natured fellow, and pretended ❝to be very forry; fo there the matter end"ed. I believe the dog loves me dearly. "Mr. Thrale (turning to my husband), "what fhall you and I do that is good for "Tom Davies? We will do fomething for "him, to be fure.".. ... "When we talked of Steele's Effays, "They are too thin (fays our critic) for an Englishman's tafte; mere fuperficial ob"fervations on life and manners, without "erudition enough to make them keep, like "the light French wines, which turn four with ftanding a while, for want of body, ❝ as we call it." "Of James Harris's Dedication to his Hermes I have heard him obferve, that, though but fourteen lines long, there were fix grammatical faults in it.-A friend was praifing the ftyle of Dr. Swift. Mr. Johnfon did not find himself in the humour to agree with him. The critic was driven from one of his performances to the other. At length you must allow me, faid the gentleman, that there are ftrong facts in the account of the Four laft Years of Queen Anne. "Yes furely, Sir (replies Johnson), and fo "there are in the Ordinary of Newgate's "account.". The piety of Dr. Johnson was exemplary and edifying. The coldest and most languid hearer of the word must have felt themfelves animated by his manner of reading the Holy Scriptures; and to pray by his fick-bed required ftrength of body as well as of mind, to vehement were his manners, and his tones of voice fo pathetic. When we talked of convents, and the hardships fuffered in them, Remember always (faid he) that a convent is an idle place, and where there is nothing "to be done, fomething must be endured: muflard has a bad tafte per fe, you may ob"ferve, but very infipid food cannot be eaten without it.".... "Johnfon encouraged parents to carry their daughters early and much into company; "for what harm can be done before fo many witneffes? Solitude is the fureft urfe of all prurient paffions; and a girl, in the hurry of preparation, or tumult of "gaiety, has neither inclination nor eisure to let tender expreffions foften or fink into her heart. The ball, the fhow, are not the dangerous places. No, 'tis the private 4 friend, the kind confoler, the companion of the eafy vacant hour, whofe compliance with her opinions can flatter her vanity, 2 and whole converfation can just footh, without ever ftretching, her mind, that is the lover to be feared. He who buzzes in her ear at court, or at the opera, muft be contented to buzz in vain.".... "I have forgotten the year, but it could fcarcely, I think, be later than 1765 or 1766, that he was called abruptly from our houfe after dinner, and returning in about three hours, faid, he had been with an enraged author, whofe landlady preffed him for payment within doors, while the bailiffs befet him without; that he was drinking himself drunk with Madeira to drown care, and fretting over a novel, which, when finished, was to be his whole fortune, but he could not get it done for diftraction, nor could he ftep out of doors to offer it to fale. Mr. Johnson, therefore, fet away the bottle, and went to the bookfeller, recommending the performance, and defiring fome immediate relief; which, when he brought back to the writer, he called the woman of the houfe directly to partake of punch, and pafs their time in merriment.-It was not till ten years after, I dare fay, that something in Dr. Goldsmith's behaviour ftruck me with an idea that he was the very man, and then Johnfon confeffed that he was fo. The novel was the charming Vicar of Wakefield There was a Mr. Boyfe too, of whofe ingenuity and diftrefs I have heard Dr. Johnfon tell fome curious anecdotes; particularly, that when he was almoft perishing with hunger, and fome money was produced to purchase him a dinner, he got a bit of roaft beef, but could not eat it without ketchup, and laid out the last half-guinea he poffeffed in trules and mushrooms, eating them in bed too, for want of clothes, or even a thirt to fit up in.".... "Mr. Johnfon loved late hours extremely, or, more properly, hated early ones. Nothing was more terrifying to him than the idea of retiring to bed, which he never would call going to reft, or fuffer another to call it fo.The first time I ever faw this extraordinary man was in the year 1764, when Mr. Murphy. who had been long the friend and confidential intimate of Mr. Thrale, pêrfuaded him to with for Mr. Johnson's converfation.".... "Mr. Hogarth, among the variety of kindneffes fhewn to me when I was too young to have a proper fense of them, was ufed to be very earnest that I fhould obtain the acquaintance, and, if poffible, the friendhip, of Dr. Johnson, whofe converfation was, to the talk of other men, like Titian's painting compared to Hudfon's, he said: but don't you tell people now, that I fay fo (continued he), for the connoiffeurs and I are at war, you know; and because I hate them, they think I hate Titian. and let them!-Many were indeed the lectures I used to have in my very early days from dear Mr. Hogarth, whofe regard for my father Review of New Publications. father induced him perhaps to take notice of his little girl, and give her fome odd particular directions about drefs, dancing, and many other matters, interefting now only becaufe they were his. As he made all his talents, however, fubfervient to the great purposes of morality, and the earnest defire he had to mend mankind, his difcourfe commonly ended in an ethical dissertation, and a ferious charge to me, never to forget his picture of the Lady's Laft Stake:-Of Dr. Johnfon, when my father and he were talking together about him one day: "That man (fays Hogarth) is not contented with be"lieving the Bible, but he fairly refolves, I "think, to believe nothing but the Bible."Johnfon (added he), though fo wife a fel low, is more like King David than King "Solomon; for he fays, in his hafte, that "all men are liars." This charge, as I afterwards came to know, was but too well founded. Mr. Johnfon's incredulity amounted almost to difeafe, and I have feen it mortify his companions exceedingly.". .... "Johnfon's wife had a particular reverence for cleanlinefs, and defired the praife of neatnefs in her drefs and furniture, as many ladies do, till they become troublesome to their best friends, flaves to their own bofoms, and only figh for the hour of fweeping their husbands out of the house as dirt and useless lumber.".... "Johnfon's defire to go abroad, particu larly to fee Italy, was very great. He loved, indeed, the very act of travelling."... "When I asked Dr. Johnson, Who was the best man he had ever known? he replied, Pfalmanazar."... "When Churchill nettled him, it is certain he felt the fting, or that poet's works would hardly have been left out of the edition. Of that, however, I have no right to decide. The book fellers, perhaps, did not put Churchill on their lift. I know Mr. Johnfon was exceedingly zealous to declare how very little head to do with the felection.".... "We were talking of Richardson, who wrote Clariffa: "You think I love flattery "(fays Dr. Johnfon), and fo I do; but a "little too much always difgufts me. That fellow Richardfon, on the contrary, could "not be contented to fail quietly down the "Atream of reputation without longing to "tafte the froth from every ftroke of the << oar.".... "When lamentation was made of the neglect fhewed to Jeremiah Markland, a great philologift, as fome one ventured to call him He is a feholar, undoubtedly, Sir, (replied "Dr. Johnfon,) but remember that he "would run from the world, and that it is "not the world's business to run after him. "I hate a fellow whom pride, or cowardice, "or laziness, drives into a corner, and does nothing when he is there but fit and growl. "Let him come out as I do, and bark.”....... 331 "Was there ever yet any thing.written by mere man that was wifhed longer by its readers, excepting Don Quixote, Robinson Crufoe, and the Pilgrim's Progrefs?".... "Dr. Johnson was a great reader of French literature, and delighted exceedingly in Boileau's works. Moliere, I think, he had hardly fufficient tafte of; and he used to condemn me for preferring La Bruyere to the Duc de Rochefoucault, "who (he faid) "was the only gentleman writer who wrote "like a profeffed author.". ... "When Mr. Thrale built the new library at Streatham, and hung up over the books the portraits of his favourite friends, that of Dr. Johnson was laft finished, and clofed the number. It was almoft impoffible not to make verfes on fuch an accidental combination of circumflances, so I made the following ones; but as a character written in verse will, for the most part, be found imperfect, as a character, I have therefore written a profe one, with which I mean, not to complete, but to conclude, thefe Anecdotes of the best and wifett man that ever came within the reach of my perfonal acquaintance, and, I think, I might venture to add, that of all or any of my readers : "Gigantic in knowledge, in virtue, in Arength, Our company clofes with JOHNSON at length. So the Greeks from the cavern of Polypheme past, When wifett, and greatest Ulyffes came laft. To his comrades contemptuous we see him look down, On their wit and their worth, with a general frown. Since from Science' proud tree the rich fruit he receives, Who could fake the whole trunk while they turn'd a few leaves. His piety pure, his morality nice Shall make infidels fear for a modern crufade. tongue, Too confcious of right for endurance of 332 Review of New Publications. The foregoing Anecdotes are evidently the production of a vigorous and cultivated understanding; and though the ftyle, in fome parts of the volume, bears the marks of hafte, the general execution is worthy of the writer, and will not disappoint the expectation of the publick: and when our readers recollect what that expectation has been, and more particularly the high eftima tion in which the writer's literary powers have been holden, they will regard this as no common praife, Such indefatigable industry has been exerted in collecting every thing which related to Dr. Johnson, that many of the anecdotes and almost all the poetical morceaux which we find in this volume have been conveyed by other channels to the publick-The Latin verfes, compofed at the Opera, we had feen before. Mrs. Piozzi's translation has to us the charm of novelty, and it is indeed lively and elegant. The Latin, ode, fent to her from the Isle of Sky, is in Bofwell's Tour. 49. THE TATLER; or, Lucubrations of Ifaac Bickerstaff, Efq. a new Edition, with Illustrations and Notes, Hiftorical, Critical, and Biographical. 6 Vols. cr. 8vo. OF this work, the fairest account we can at prefent give, will be to tranfcribe from the advertifement prefixed to it; referving to ourselves the liberty of future extract, or occafional criticifm. "The Editor of these volumes claims no other merit than that of introducing them to the public. Neither the plan, nor much of the execution of it, is his own. It is now about five-and-twenty years fince the outlines of the undertaking were fketched, in conjunction with the late Mr. ToNSON, by a Writer of diftinguished tafte and talents; who was prevented from purfuing it by avocations of a far different and more important nature. It has been confiderably altered, and carried much farther than was at firft intended; but all the information which was obtained by the active zeal, and well-directed enquiries, which that gentle man made among men of the firft eminence in the world of letters, though fometimes fuperfeded on indubitable authorities, has been faithfully preferved, and is diftinguished by a fignature, in the accumulated collection, which the reader has now before hin. * This advertisement is figned 7. N. the initials (we prefume) of our printer. EDIT. Bithop Percy, beyond a doubt, is the geaileman here alluded to. EDIT. "Of the Original Papers it may be fuf ficient to fay, in the emphatic words of JOHNSON, that "they comprize precepts of criticifm, fallies of invention, defcriptions of life, and lectures of morality; they employ wit in the cause of truth, and make elegance fubfervient to piety; they have now for more than half a century fupplied the English nafpeculation, and rules of practice, and given tion, in a great measure, with principles of their authors a claim to be mentioned amongst the benefactors of mankind.” "The prefent edition is formed from an accurate collation of the original folio with STEELE's octavo; not without attention to what was faulty either in orthography or punctuation. This may feem a trifling labour; but the neglect of it is the fource of much of the obfcurity and confusion which is found in bad editions of good authors. Tranflations are annexed to all the mottoes, and fome of them are tranflated anew; it having now and then been found neceffary to adapt them more peculiarly to the fubjects of the papers to which they were prefixed, the whole application depending upon fome nice turn of the original phrafe, which does not hold even in the best of the received verfions. On this head there is ftill room for improvement; and the ingenious are requefted to amufe themselves in lending their affiftance, "In all cafes where the writers could be afcertained, their names are mentioned, and memoirs of them are now in preparation, work, or interwoven with the illuftrations. which will either be published in a separate. of the SPECTATOR and GUARDIAN, almoft ready for publication, and principally, with-held, in hopes of their being benefited, and enlarged, by expected communications, from aged and literary people, friends to this undertaking, who are earnestly requested to give notice of any thing inftructive, or entertaining, relative to thefe writers, or writ ings, through the channel of the GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, or rather by letters, poft-paid, directed to J. NICHOLS, RedLion-paffage, Fleet-ftreet. "There is a debt upon this work, far from inconfiderable, which shall be faithfully difcharged, though kept at prefent, an account current, till the permiffion of the creditors can be obtained, to state it more particularly. It is hoped, however, and requefted, that the intelligent will fill fend their communications, and benefactors continue their favours, till this matter comes to be finally adjusted, with regular propriety. Even at this early period, it cannot be much amifs, to acknowledge with thankfulness, that the work is under grert obligations, to a late very learned and much respected Prelate*, who was himself, latterly, no infe *If we may be allowed to guefs, we Should here fay, Bishop Pearce. EDIT. Review of New Publications. rfor writer, in the GUARDIAN and SPECTATOR. His very valuable communications, fufficiently diftinguishable of themfelves, by fuperiority in point of importance, needed not to have been marked, as they all are, by fuitable modes of expreffon in their introductions, that fufficiently appropriate them to their worthy author. For fimilar reafons, the precaution, it may be, was greatly unneceffary, to point out, as has always been done. the favours of other contributors by particular fignatures, which the Editor, with permiffion of parties, or when it is understood that it would not give offence, will with pleafure embrace, or contrive a convenient way of explaining to the public. He cannot, however, conceal his obligations to a worthy Coadjutor *, who, though he felt himself fuperior to the employment, with a laudable attachment to the undertaking, has "given for years, moft of his days and much of his nights" to every laborious research that but feemed to tend to elucidation; having frequently, with great perfeverance, laboured through a dry bulky volume, to extract materials for a fingle note. He feels himself indeed under fome obligation, to fay here in behalf of the Annotator, that very many of his explanatory illuftrations ought to be exempted from the rigorous examination of the learned, because they were folely written for the fake of the unlearned. There admirable Effays, at their first publication, generally clear, might be in less need of comment; but, as they frequently allude to facts which are no longer known, and reprove follies which no longer exift, notes become now indifpenfably neceffary. This part of the work has been the more difficult 10 execute, because the paffages that most require explanation, contain allufions to popular fathions, modes, and follies, feldom recorded in common books, nor very minutely in fuch as are uncommon, being chiefly to be learnt from perfonal information. To obtain this, neither trouble nor expence has been fpared; nor will they be with-held or regretted, if this part of the work thould be fo fortunate as to meet with the approbation of the public, and become the means of enticing people to a better acquaintance with ufeful Papers, which for fome time back, have been perhaps, more generally bought, than read. The news, and periodical papers, in the course of the original publications, form the capital fource of information, containing nearly, the only intelligence that can now be obtained, of the topics of converfation at the time, when thefe Papers were written, and of little incidents alluded to in them, which hiftorians have thought it`below their dignity to record. In the course of examining fuch of thefe Papers as could be *It has been fuggefted to us, that this alludes to the Rev. John Calder, `D, D. Edit. 333 procured, many things occurred, not immediately relative to the fubjects of the LuCUBRATIONS, which had an evident tendency to illuftrate the hiftory of arts, manufactures, fcience, &c. in and about this period. The Annotator, fometimes indignant at his confinement to the narrow bounds of his work, has not feldom over-leaped them, and introduced in every blank space and corner that would otherwife have been left vacant, fuch curious notices and advertisements, trafting for his apology, to the general entertainment and utility, which they appeared fo likely to fubferve. To the cu rious, these advertisements, it is thought, will not be the leaft acceptable parts of this work; however numerous, they have added little, if any thing, to the size of the book, being all fo much pure gain to the reader; but fuch of them as are deemed trifling, or fuperfluous, may eafily be paffed over; and then no harm is done. Thefe volumes are again given up, as at first, to the mercy of the town, with all their imperfections on their beads, and respectfully fubmitted to the candour of the public, who, it is hoped, will judge favourably of a first attempt attended with fach peculiar difficulties. The Editor cannot conclude without adding, that he fhall be happy to receive hints and materials for the improvement and better elucidation of the SPECTATOR and GUARDIAN; and that he will chearfully embrace fome future opportunity of rectifying whatever may be requifite in thefe Notes and Remarks on the TATLER." 50. SONNETS, by Mrs. Charlotte Smith. IT has been fuggefted by a valuable correfpondent, that we cannot adopt a more elegant decoration than a few fonnets by this pathetic poctefs. To the number of thofe originally published by her, he has now made an addition of twenty new ones. We cannot, however, forbear expreffing a hope that the misfortunes the fo often hints at, are all imaginary. We must have perufed her very tender and exquifite effufions with diminished pleafure, could we have fup. be hard indeed if a lady, who has fo pofed her forrows to be real.-It would much contributed to the delight of others, fhould feel any want of happinefs herself. |