LETTER Το SIR, XXIV. London, 7th July, 1777. TO the Collection of English Poets I have recommended the volume of Dr. Watts to be added. His name has been long held by me in veneration; and I would not willingly be reduced to tell of him, only, that he was born and died. Yet, of his life I know very little; and therefore muft pafs him in a manner very unworthy of his character, unless fome of his friends will favour me with the neceffary information. Many of them must be known to you; and by your influence perhaps I may obtain fome inftruction. My plan does not exact much; but I wish to diftinguish Watts; a man who never wrote but for a good purpofe. Be pleased to do for me what you can, HAVING myself fuffered what you are now fuffering, I well know the weight of your distress, how much much need you have of comfort, and how little comfort can be given. A lofs, fuch as yours, lacerates the mind, and breaks the whole fyftem of purposes and hopes. It leaves a difmal vacuity in life, which affords nothing on which the affections can fix, or to which endeavour may be directed. All this I have known, and it is now, in the viciffitude of things, your turn to know it. But in the condition of mortal beings, one muft lofe another. What would be the wretchednefs of life, if there was not fomething always in view, fome Being, immutable and unfailing, to whofe mercy man may have recourfe. Τὸν πρῶτον κινἕνα ἀκίνητον. Here we must rest. The greatest Being is the most benevolent. We muft not grieve for the dead as men without hope, because we know they are in his hands. We have, indeed, not leifure to grieve long, because we are haftening to follow them. Your race and mine have been interrupted by many obstacles, but we must humbly hope for an happy end. MR. WILLIAM SHAW, the Gentleman from whom you will receive this, is a ftudious and literary * Vicar of St. Nicholas, Rochefter.. man; man; he is a stranger, and will be glad to be introduced into proper company; and he is my friend, and any civility you fhall fhew him will be an obligation on, NOT many days ago Dr. L. fhewed me a letter, in which you make kind mention of me; I hope therefore you will not be displeased that I endeavour to preferve your good will by fome obfervations which your letter fuggested to me. You are afraid of falling into fome improprieties in the daily service, by reading to an audience that requires no exactness. Your fear, I hope, fecures you from danger. They who contract abfurd habits, are fuch as have no fear. It is impoffible to do the fame thing very often without fome peculiarity of manner; but that manner may be good or bad, and a little care will at least preserve it from being bad; to make it very good, there must, I think, be fomething of natural or casual felicity which cannot be taught, Your prefent method of making your fermons feems very judicious. Few frequent preachers can be fup pofed . posed to have fermons more their own than your's will be. Take care to regifter fomewhere or other the authors from whom your feveral difcourfes are borrowed; and do not imagine that you shall always remember even what perhaps you now think it impoffible to forget. My advice however is, that you attempt from time to time an original fermon, and in the labour of compofition do not burden your mind with too much at once; do not exact from yourself at one effort of excogitation propriety of thought and elegance of expreffion. Invent first, and then embellish. The production of fomething, where nothing was before, is an act of greater energy than the expanfion or decoration of the thing produced. Set down diligently your thoughts as they rife in the first words that occur, and when you have matter you will eafily give it form; nor perhaps will this method be always neceffary, for by habit your thoughts and diction will flow together. The compofition of fermons is not very difficult: the divifions not only help the memory of the hearer, but direct the judgment of the writer; they fupply fources of invention, and keep every part in its proper place. What I like least in your letter is your account of the manners of the parish; from which I gather that it has been long neglected by the parfon. The Dean of Carlifle, who was then a little rector in Northamptonshire, told me that it might be difcerned whether or no there was a clergyman refident in a parish, by the civil or favage manners of the people. Such a congregation as yours ftand in much need of reformation; and I would not have you think it impoffible to reform them. A * Now Bishop of Dromore, very very savage parish was civilized by a decayed gentlewoman, who came among them to teach a petty school. My learned friend, Dr. Wheeler, of Oxford, when he was a young man, had the care of a neighbouring parish for fifteen pounds a year, which he was never paid; but he counted it a convenience that it compelled him to make a fermon weekly. One woman he could not bring to the communion; and when he reproved or exhorted her, fhe only answered that she was no scholar. He was advised to set some good woman or man of the parish, a little wifer than herself, to talk to her in language level to her mind. Such honeft, I may call them holy artifices, must be practifed by every clergyman, for all means must be tried by which fouls may be faved. Talk to your people, however, as much as you can, and you will find that the more frequently you converfe with them upon religious fubjects, the more willingly they will attend, and the more fubmiffively they will learn. A clergyman's diligence always makes him venerable. I think I have now only to fay, that in the momentous work that you have undertaken I pray God to bless you, I am, SIR, Your most humble fervant, Bolt-court, Aug. 30, 1780. SAM. JOHNSON. LETTER |