writer s reputation generously cleared by Johnson from the cloud of prejudice which the malignity of contemporary wits had raised around it. In this spirited exertion of justice, he has been imitated by Sir Joshua Reynolds, in his praise of the architecture of Vanbrugh. We trace Johnson's own character in his observations on Blackmore's "magnanimity as an author."-" The incessant attacks of his enemies, whether serious or merry, are never discovered to have disturbed his quiet, or to have lessened his confidence in himself." Johnson, I recollect, once told me, laughing heartily, that he understood it had been said of him, "He appears not to feel; but when he is alone, depend upon it, he suffers sadly." I am as certain as I can be of any man's real sentiments, that he enjoyed the perpetual shower of little hostile arrows as evidences of his fame. Various Readings in the Life of BLACKMORE. "To [set] engage poetry [on the side] in the cause of virtue. "He likewise [established] enforced the truth of Revelation. 66 [Kindness] benevolence was ashamed to favour. "His practice, which was once (very extensive] invidiously great. "There is scarcely any distemper of dreadful name [of] which he has not [shewn] taught his readers how [it is to be opposed] to oppose. "Of this [contemptuous] indecent arrogance. "[He wrote] but produced likewise a work of a different kind. "At least [written] compiled with integrity. "Faults which many tongues [were desirous] would have made haste to publish. "But though he [had not] could not boast of much critical knowledge. "He [used] waited for no felicities of fancy. "Or had ever elated his [mind] views born to that ideal perfection which every [mind] genius born to excel is condemned always to pursue and never overtake. "The [first great] fundamental principle of wisdom and of virtue." Various Readings in the Life of PHILIPS. "His dreadful [rival] antagonist Pope. "They [have not often much] are not loaded with thought. "In his translation from Pindar, he [will not be denied to have reached] found the art of reaching all the obscurity of the Theban bard." Various Readings in the Life of CONGREVE. "Congreve's conversation must surely have been at least equally pleasing with his writings. "It apparently [requires] pre-supposes a familiar knowledge of many characters. "Reciprocation of [similes] conceits. "The dialogue is quick and [various] sparkling. "Love for Love; a comedy [more drawn from life] of nearer alliance to life. "The general character of his miscella nies is, that they shew little wit and [no] little virtue. "[Perhaps] certainly he had not the fire requisite for the higher species of lyr poetry." Various Readings in the Life of TICKELL. "[Longed] long wished to peruse it. "At the [accession] arrival of King George. "Fiction [unnaturally] unskilfully com pounded of Grecian deities and Gothic fai ries." Various Readings in the Life of AKENSIDE. "For [another] a different purpose. "[A furious] an unnecessary and outrage. ous zeal. 66 [Something which] what he called and thought liberty. "A [favourer of innovation] lover of con tradiction. "Warburton's [censure] objections. "His rage [for liberty] of patriotism. "Mr. Dyson with [a zeal] an ardour ef friendship." In the Life of LYTTELTON, Johnss seems to have been not favourably disposed towards that nobleman. Mrs. Thrale su gests that he was offended by Molly Aston's preference of his Lordship to him. I * Let not my readers smile to think of Johnson's ing a candidate for female favour; Mr. Peter Gam assured me, that he was told by a lady, that, in her o nion, Johnson was " a very seducing man. Dat intellectual pleasure is communicated to a suscepole tages of person and manner may be forgotten, mind; and that Johnson was capable of feeling the us delicate and disinterested attachment, appears from following letter which is published by Mrs. Thrak, some others to the same person, of which the cele is not so apparent : January. "TO MISS BOOTHBY. "DEAREST MADAM, "THOUGH I am afraid your illness leaves yee leisure for the reception of airy civilities, yet la forbear to pay you my congratulations on the new u and to declare my wishes that your years to c be many and happy. In this wish, indeed. I myself, who have none but you on whom my br poses; yet surely I wish your good, even though pr situation were such as should permit you to come nicate no gratifications to, dearest, dearest Maon your, &c. "SAN. Jess che [There is still a slight mistake in the text not Molly Aston, but Hill Boothby, for whose schizo Johnson and Lord Lyttelton were rival canhia Mrs. Piozzi's "Anecdotes," p. 160. After med the death of Mrs. Fitzherbert, (who was a cad Mr. Meynel, of Bradley, in Derbyshire,) a lady, Miss Boothby, succeeded her in the manageme high admiration of her, she adds, ** The fre by no means join in the censure bestowed by Johnson on his Lordship, whom he calls poor Lyttelton," for returning thanks to the Critical Reviewers, for having "kindly commended" his "Dialogues of the Dead." Such "acknowledgements (says my friend) never can be proper, since they must be paid either for flattery or for justice." In my opinion, the most upright man, who has been tried on a false accusation, may, when he is acquitted, make a bow to his jury. And when those, who are so much the arbiters of literary merit, as in a considerable degree to influence the public opinion, review an author's work placido lumine, when I am afraid mankind in general are better pleased with severity, he may surely express a grateful sense of their civility. Various Readings in the Life of LYTTELTON. "He solaced [himself] his grief by writing a long poem to her memory. The production rather [of a mind that means well than thinks vigorously] as it seems of leisure than of study, rather effusions than compositions. Mr. Croft's per marks to his prejudice. formance was subjected to the revision of Dr. Johnson, as appears from the following note to Mr. John Nichols:" "This Life of Dr. Young was written by a friend of his son. What is crossed with black is expunged by the author, what is crossed with red is expunged by me. If you find anything more than can be well omitted, I shall not be sorry to see it yet shorter." It has always appeared to me to have a considerable share of merit, and to display a pretty successful imitation of Johnson's style. When I mentioned this to a very eminent literary character,+ he opposed me vehemently, exclaiming, "No, no; it is not a good imitation of Johnson; it has all his pomp without his force; it has all the nodosities of the oak without its strength." This was an image so happy, that one might have thought he would have been satisfied with it: but he was not. And set ting his mind again to work, he added, with exquisite felicity, "It has all the contortions of the sibyl, without the inspiration." Mr. Croft very properly guards us against supposing that Young was a gloomy man; ed to the good-humour of the author of the and mentions, that "his parish was indebt "His last literary [work] production. "[Found the way] undertook to persuade. As the introduction to his critical examimination of the genius and writings of YOUNG, he did Mr. Herbert Croft, then a Barrister of Lincoln's Inn, now a clergy-Night Thoughts for an Assembly and a man, the honour to adopt a Life of Young written by that gentleman, who was the friend of Dr. Young's son, and wished to vindicate him from some very erroneous re Mr. Fitzherbert's family, and in the esteem of Dr. Johnson; though he told me, she pushed her piety to bigotry, her devotion to enthusiasm; that she somewhat disqualified herself for the duties of this life, by her perpetual aspirations after the next; such was, however, the purity of her mind, he said, and such the graces of her manner, that Lord Lyttelton and he used to strive for her preference with an emulation that occasioned hourly disgust, and ended in lasting animosity. You may see (said he to me, when the Poets' Lives were printed,) that dear Boothy is at my heart still." Miss Hill Boothy, who was the only daughter of Brook Boothby, Esq. and his wife, Elizabeth Fitzherbert, was somewhat older than Johnson. She was born October 27, 1708, and died Janury 16, 1756. Six Letters addressed to her by Johnson in the year 1755, are printed in Mrs. Pizzi's Collection; and a Prayer composed by him on her death may be found in his Prayers and Meditations." His affection for her induced him to preserve and bind ip p in a volume thirty-three of her Letters, which were urchased form the widow of his servant, Francis Barber, nd published by R. Phillips, in 1805. But highly as he valued this lady, his attachment to Miss Molly Aston (afterwards Mrs. Brodie,) appears to ave been still more ardent. He burnt (says Mrs. Piozi) many letters in the last week [of his life,] I am told, nd those written by his mother drew from him a flood f tears, when the paper they were written on was all nsumed. Mr. Sastres saw him cast a melancholy look pon their ashes, which he took up and examined, to e if a word was still legible.-Nobody has ever menoned what became of Miss Aston's letters, though he ice told me himself, they should be the last papers he uld destroy, and added these lines with a very faulterg voice: Then from his closing eyes thy form shall part, And the last pang shall tear thee from his heart; Life's idle business at one gasp be o'er, The Muse forgot, and thou belov'd no more." Additions to Mrs. Piozzi's Collection of Dr. John's Letters. M.] Bowling-Green." A letter from a noble foreigner is quoted, in which he is said to have been "very pleasant in conversation." Mr. Langton, who frequently visited him, informs me that there was an air of benevolence in his manner, but that he could obtain from him less information than he had hoped to receive from one who had lived so much in intercourse with the brightest men of what has been called the Augustan age of England; and that he shewed a degree of eager curiosity concerning the common occurrences that were then passing, which appeared somewhat remarkable in a man of such intellectual stores, of such an advanced age, and who had retired from life with declared disappointment in his expectations. An instance at once of his pensive turn of mind, and his cheerfulness of temper, appeared in a little story which he himself told to Mr. Langton, when they were walking in his garden: "Here (said he) I had put a handsome sun-dial, with this inscription, Eheu fugaces! which (speaking with a smile) was sadly verified, for by the next morning my dial had been carried off."+ Gentleman's Magazine, vol. iv. p. 10. The late Mr. James Ralph told Lord Macartney, that he passed an evening with Dr. Young at Lord Melcombe's, (then Mr. Doddington,) at Hammersmith. The Doctor happening to go out into the garden, Mr. Doddington observed to him, on his return, that it was a dreadful night, as in truth 'it was, there being a violent storm of rain and wind."No, Sir (replied the Doctor,) it is a very fine night. THE LORD is abroad." It gives me much pleasure to observe, that however Johnson may have casually talked, yet when he sits, as "an ardent judge zealous to his trust, giving sentence" upon the excellent works of Young, he allows them the high praise to which they are justly entitled. "The Universal Passion (says he) is indeed a very great performance; his distichs have the weight of solid sentiment, and his points the sharpness of resistless truth." was solicited; but of this there was not sufficient evidence; and let me not presume to charge Johnson with injustice, be cause he did not think so highly of the wri tings of this author, as I have done from my youth upwards. Yet that he had an unfavourable bias is evident, were it only from that passage in which he speaks of Swift's practice of saving, as, "first ridicu lous and at last detestable;" and yet, after some examination of circumstances. finds himself obliged to own, that "it will perhaps appear that he only liked one mode of expense better than another; and saved mere that he might have something to give." One observation, which Johnson makes in Swift's life, should be often inculcated: "It may be justly supposed, that there was in his conversation what appears so frequently in his letters, an affectation of familiarity with the great, an ambition of momentary equality, sought and enjoyed by the neglect of those ceremonies which custom has esta blished as the barriers between one order of society and another. This trangression of regularity was by himself and his admirers termed greatness of soul; but a great mind disdains to hold any thing by courtesy, and therefore never usurps what a lawful claimant may take away. He that a croaches on another's dignity, puts himself in his power; he is either repelled with helpless indignity, or endured by clemency and condescension." But I was most anxious concerning Johnson's decision upon "NIGHT THOUGHTS," which I esteem as a mass of the grandest and richest poetry that human genius has everly produced: and was delighted to find this character of that work. In his NIGHT THOUGHTS,' he has exhibited a very wide display of original poetry, variegated with deep reflection and striking allusions: a wilderness of thought, in which the fertility of fancy scatters Howers of every hue and of every odour. This is one of the few poems in which blank verse could not be changed for rhyme but with disadvantage." And afterwards, "Particular lines are not to be regarded; the power is in the whole; and in the whole there is a magnificence like that ascribed to Chinese plantation, the magnificence of vast extent and endless diversity.". But there is in this Poem not only all that Johnson so well brings in view, but a power of the Pathetic beyond almost any example that I have seen. He who does not feel his nerves shaken, and his heart pierced, by many passages in this extraordinary work, particularly by that most affecting one, which describes the gradual torment suffered by the contemplation of an object of affectionate attachment visibly and certainly decaying into dissolution, must be of a hard and obstinate frame. To all the other excellences of NIGHT THOUGHTS,' let me add the great and peculiar one, that they contain not only the noblest sentiments of virtue, and contemplations on immortality, but the Christian Sacrifice, the Divine Propitiation, with all its interesting circumstances, and consolations to "a wounded spirit," solemnly and poetically displayed in such imagery and language, as cannot fail to exalt, animate, and soothe the truly pious. No book whatever can be recommended to young persons, with better hopes of seasoning their minds with vital religion, than "YOUNG'S NIGHT THOUGHTS." In the Life of SwIFT, it appears to me that Johnson had a certain degree of prejudice against that extraordinary man, of which I have elsewhere had occasion to speak.. Mr. Thomas Sheridan imputed it to a supposed apprehension in Johnson, that Swift had not been sufficiently active in obtaining for him an Irish degree when it Various readings in the Life of SwIFT. "Charity my be persuaded to think that it might be written by a man of a pecubr [opinions] character, without ill intention "He did not [disown] deny it. "[To] by whose kindness it is not unlike ly that he was [indebted for] advanced s his benefices. "[With] for this purpose he had recours to Mr. Harley. 66 Sharpe, whom he [represents] descri as 'the harmless tool of others' hate.' Harley was slow, because he was in solute] doubtful. 66 "When [readers were not many were not yet a nation of readers. "[Every man who] he that could say knew him. 66 Every man of known influence h many [more] petitions [than] wiki a [can] cannot grant, that he must necessst offend more than he [can gratify] gente "Ecclesiastical [preferments] benchm "Swift [procured] contrived an interve "[As a writer] In his works he has go very different specimens. "On all common occasions he has [assumes] affects a style of [superiority rogance. By the [omission] neglect of the 66 monies. I have not confined myself to the order of the "Lives," in making my few remarks. Indeed, a different order is observed in the original publication, and in the collection of Johnson's Works. And should it be objected, that many of my various readings are inconsiderable, those who make an objection will be pleased to consider, that such small particulars are intended for those who are nicely critical in composition, to whom they will be an acceptable selection. "Spence's Anecdotes," which are frequently quoted and referred to in Johnson's "Lives of the Poets," are in a manuscript collection, made by the Reverend Mr. Joseph Spence, containing a number of particulars concerning eminent men. To each anecdote is marked the name of the person on whose authority it is mentioned. This valuable collection is the property of the Duke of Newcastle, who, upon the application of Sir Lucas Pepys, was pleased to permit it to be put into the hands of Dr. Johnson, who, I am sorry to think, made but an awkward return. "Great assistance (says he) has been given me by Mr. Spence's Collection, of which I consider the communication as a favour worthy of public acknowledgement:" but he has not owned to whom he was obliged; so that the acknowledgement is unappropriated to his Grace. While the world in general was filled with admiration of Johnson's "Lives of the Poets," there were narrow circles in which prejudice and resentment were fostered, and from which attacks of different sorts issued against him. By some violent Whigs, he was arrainged of injustice to Milton; by some Cambridge men, of depreciating Gray; and his expressing with a dignified freedom what he really thought of George, Lord Lyttelton, gave offence to some of the friends of that nobleman, and articularly produced a declaration of war gainst him from Mrs. Montagu, the ingeious Essayist on Shakspeare, between whom nd his Lordship a commerce of reciprocal ompliments had long been carried on. In his war the smallest powers in alliance with him were of course led to engage, at east on the defensive; and thus I, for one, as excluded from the enjoyment of "A [The Rev. Joseph Spence, A. M. Rector of Great arwood, in Buckinghamshire, and Prebendary of Durin, died at Byfleet, in Surrey, August; 20, 1768. He is a Fellow of New College in Oxford, and held the ice of Professor of Poetry in that University, from 228 to 1738 M.] From this disreputable class, I except an ingenious, ough not satisfactory, defence of HAMMOND, which I 1 not see till lately, by the favour of its author, my fable friend, the Reverend Mr. Bevill, who published without his name. It is a juvenile performance, but antly written, with classical enthusiasm of sentiment, yet with a becoming modesty, and great respect for - Johnson. feast for Reason," such as Mr. Cumber. land has described, with a keen, yet just and delicate pen, in his "OBSERVER." These minute inconveniences gave not the least disturbance to Johnson. He nobly said, when I talked to him of the feeble, though shrill, outcry which had been raised, "Sir, I considered myself as entrusted with a certain portion of truth. I have given my opinion sincerely; let them shew where they think me wrong." While my friend is thus contemplated in the splendour derived from his last and perhaps most admirable work, I introduce him with peculiar propriety as the correspondent of WARREN HASTINGS! a man whose regard reflects dignity even upon JOHNSON; a man, the extent of whose abilities was equal to that of his power; and who, by those who are fortunate enough to know him in private life, is admired for his literature and taste, and beloved for the candour, moderation, and mildness of his character. Were I capable of paying a suitable tribute of admiration to him, I should certainly not withhold it at a moment when it is not pos ṣible that I should be suspected of being an interested flatterer. But how weak would be my voice after that of the millions whom he governed. His condescending and obliging compliance with my solicitation, I with humble gratitude acknowledge; and while by publishing his letter to me, accompanying the valuable communication, I do eminent honour to my great friend, I shall entirely disregard any invidious suggestions, that as I in some degree participate in the honour I have, at the same time, the gratification of my own vanity in view. blesome suspense of a long search, to which, "I HAVE Deen fortunately spared the trouin performance of my promise, I had devoted this morning, by lighting upon the objects of it among the first papers that I laid my hands on: my veneration for your great and good friend, Dr. Johnson, and the pride, or I hope something of a better sentiment, which I indulge in possessing such memorials of his goodwill towards me, have ing induced me to bind them in a parcel containing other select papers, and labelled with the titles appertaining to them. They consist but of three letters, which I believe were all that I ever received from Dr. Johnson. Of these, one, which was written in quadruplicate, under the different dates of its respective dispatches, has already been made public, but not from any communication of mine. This, however, I have joined to the rest; and have now the pleasure of sending them to you for the use to which January, 1791. you informed me it was your desire to destine them. "My promise was pledged with the condition, that if the letters were found to contain any thing which should render them improper for the public eye, you would dispense with the performance of it. You will have the goodness, I am sure, to pardon my recalling this stipulation to your recollection, as I shall be loath to appear negligent of that obligation which is always implied in an epistolary confidence. In the reservation of that right I have read them over with the most scrupulous attention, but have not seen in them the slightest cause on that ground to withhold them from you. But, though not on that, yet on another ground, I own I feel a little, yet but a little, reluc tance to part with them; I mean on that of my own credit, which I fear will suffer by the information conveyed by them, that I was early in the possession of such valuable instructions for the beneficial employment of the influence of my late station, and (as it may seem) have so little availed myself of them. Whether I could, if it were necessary, defend myself against such an imputation, it little concerns the world to know. I look only to the effect which these relics may produce, considered as evidences of the virtues of their author; and believing that they will be found to display an uncommon warmth of private friendship, and a mind ever attentive to the improvement and extension of useful knowledge, and solicitous for the interests of mankind, I can cheerfully submit to the little sacrifice of my own fame, to contribute to the illustration of so great and venerable a character. They cannot be better applied, for that end, than by being entrusted to your hands. Allow me, with this offering, to infer from it a proof of the very great esteem with which I have the honour to profess myself, Sir, "Your most obedient "And most humble servant, "WARREN HASTINGS." "P. S. At some future time, and when you have no farther occasion for these papers, I shall be obliged to you if you will return them." The last of the three letters thus graciously put into my hands, and which has already appeared in public, belongs to this year, but I shall previously insert the first two, in the order of their dates. They altogether form a grand group in my biographical picture. "TO THE HONOURABLE WARREN HASTINGS, ESQ. "SIR, THOUGH I have had but little personal nowledge of you, I have had enough to make me wish for more: and though it be now a long time since I was honoured by your visit, I had too much pleasure from it to forget it. By those whom we delight to remember, we are unwilling to be forgotten: and therefore I cannot omit this opportunity of reviving myself in your memory by a let ter which you will receive from the hands of my friend Mr. Chambers; a man whose purity of manners and vigour of mind are sufficient to make every thing welcome that he brings. "That this is my only reason for writing, will be too apparent by the uselessness of my letter to any other purpose. I have no questions to ask; not that I want curiosity after either the ancient or present state of regions, in which have been seen all the power and splendour of wide-extended em. pire; and which, as by some grant of natural superiority, supply the rest of the world with almost all that pride desires, and luxury enjoys. But my knowledge of them is too scanty to furnish me with proper topics of inquiry; I can only wish for information: and hope, that a mind comprehensive like yours will find leisure, amidst the cares of your important station, to inquire into many subjects of which the European world either thinks not at all, or thinks with deficient i telligence and uncertain conjecture. I shall hope, that he who once intended to increase the learning of his country by the introduction of the Persian language, will examine nicely the traditions and histories of the East; that he will survey the wonders of its anties edifices, and trace the vestiges of its ruined cities; and that, at his return, we shal know the arts and opinions of a race of mea from whom very little has been hitherto de rived. "You, Sir, have no need of being told by me how much may be added, by your atte tion and patronage, to experimental knowledge and natural history. There are arts of manufacture practised in the countries = which you preside, which are yet very inperfectly known here, either to artifices philosophers. Of the natural producties animate and inanimate, we yet have so Little intelligence, that our books are filled, Ike. with conjectures about things which an b dian peasant knows by his senses. "Many of those things my first wish is 2 see; my second to know, by such scova as a man like you will be able to give. "As I have not skill to ask proper tions, I have likewise no such access to men as can enable me to send you any y tical information. Of the agitations of unsettled government, and the struggle a feeble ministry, care is doubtless taser? give you more exact accounts than i obtain. If you are inclined to interest y • Afterwards Sir Robert Chambers, one of də jesty's Judges in India. |