Es of the Signatures.

box Com Bucker Tho. Franklin&

wcumscribers

great pleasure as

the Monument of I2

nd abstractedly appears to be
and Masterly Style in every
of its learned & luther
Character of the Deceased
Poet, is perhaps not delineatee,
Johnson is capable of
nce to his superior judgement?
least take the trouble of revising it
and alterations as he shall

perusal. But if we might
es, they would lead us to
se the Epitaph in English
we think that the Memory
Esh Writer, ought to be per-
to which his Works are
an Ornament, which
been the opinion of

Doctor

think treated the subject with too much levity. Mr. Burke then proposed the address as it stands in the paper in writing, to which I had the honour to officiate as clerk.

"Sir Joshua agreed to carry it to Dr. Johnson, who received it with much good humour', and desired Sir Joshua to tell the gentlemen, that he would alter the epitaph in any manner they pleased, as to the sense of it, but he would never consent to disgrace the walls of Westminster Abbey, with an English inscription 2.

66

"I consider this Round Robin as a species of literary curiosity worth preserving, as it marks, in a certain degree, Dr. Johnson's character."

My readers are presented with a faithful transcript of a paper, which I doubt not of their being desirous

to see.

He, however, upon seeing Dr. Warton's name to the suggestion, that the epitaph should be in English, observed to Sir Joshua, "I wonder that Joe Warton, a scholar by profession, should be such a fool." He said too, “ I should have thought Mund Burke would have had more sense." Mr. Langton, who was one of the company at Sir Joshua's, like a sturdy scholar, resolutely refused to sign the Round Robin. This epitaph is engraved upon Dr. Goldsmith's monument without any alteration. At another time, when somebody endeavoured to argue in favour of its being in English, Johnson said, "The language of the country of which a learned man was a native is not the language fit for his epitaph, which should be in ancient and permanent language. Consider, sir, how you should feel, were you to find at Rotterdam an epitaph upon Erasmus in Dutch!" For my own part, I think it would be best to have epitaphs written both in a learned language and in the language of the country; so that they might have the advantage of being more universally understood, and at the same time be secured of classical stability. I cannot, however, but be of opinion, that it is not sufficiently discriminative. Applying to Goldsmith equally the epithets of "Poeta, Historici, Physici," is surely not right; for as to his claim to the last of those epithets, I have heard Johnson himself say, "Goldsmith, sir, will give us a very fine book upon the subject; but if he can distinguish a cow from a horse, that, I believe, may be the extent of his knowledge of natural history." His book is, indeed, an excellent performance, though in some instances he appears to have trusted too much to Buffon, who, with all his theoretical ingenuity and extraordinary eloquence, I suspect had little actual information in the science on which he wrote so admirably. For instance, he tells us that the cow sheds her horns every two years; a most palpable errour, which Goldsmith has faithfully transferred into his book. It is wonderful that Buffon, who lived so much in the country, at his noble seat, should have fallen into such a blunder. I suppose he has confounded the cow with the deer.-BOSWELL.

2 [See ante, v. ii. p. 384, on the subject of English inscriptions to English writers.-ED.]

VOL. III.

G G

[× E. Gibbon.

X

"We the Circumscribers, having read with great pleasure an intended epitaph for the monument of Dr. Goldsmith; which, considered abstractedly, appears to be, for elegant composition, and masterly style, in every respect worthy of the pen of its learned author; are yet of opinion, that the character of the deceased as a writer, particularly as a poet, is, perhaps, not delineated with all the exactness which Dr. Johnson is capable of giving it. We, therefore, with deference to his superior judgment, humbly request that he would, at least, take the trouble of revising it; and of making such additions and alterations as he shall think proper on a further perusal. But if we might venture to express our wishes, they would lead us to request that he would write the epitaph in English, rather than X in Latin; as we think the memory of so eminent an English writer ought to be perpetuated in the language to which his works are likely to be so lasting an ornament, which we also know to have been the opinion of the late doctor himself."

Thos. Franklin. Ant. Chamier 3. x Geo. Colman.

W. Forbes. J. Reynolds. x William Vachell. x]

Sir William Forbes's observation is very just. The anecdote now related proves, in the strongest manner, the reverence and awe with which Johnson was regarded, by some of the most eminent men of his time, in various departments, and even by such of them as lived most with him; while it also confirms what I have again and again inculcated, that he was by no means of that ferocious and irascible character which has been ignorantly imagined 5.

This hasty composition is also to be remarked as

[See post, sub 3d Oct. 1782.-ED.]

2 [There would be no doubt that this was Thomas Franklin, D. D. the translator of Sophocles and Lucian, but that the Biog. Dict. and indeed the Doctor's own title-pages, spell his name Francklin. See post, sub 1780, ad finem. He died in 1784, æt. 63.-ED.]

3 [Anthony Chamier, Esq. one of the club, M. P. for Tamworth, and UnderSecretary of State from 1775 till his death, 12th Oct. 1780.-ED.]

4 [All that the editor has been able to discover of this gentleman is that he was a friend of Sir Joshua's, and attended his funeral.-ED.]

5 [Most readers would draw a directly contrary conclusion.-ED.]

one of the thousand instances which evince the extraordinary promptitude of Mr. Burke; who, while he is equal to the greatest things, can adorn the least; can, with equal facility, embrace the vast and complicated speculations of politicks or the ingenious topicks of literary investigation '.

"DR. JOHNSON TO MRS. BOSWELL.

"16th May, 1776. "MADAM,-You must not think me uncivil in omitting to answer the letter with which you favoured me some time ago. I imagined it to have been written without Mr. Boswell's knowledge, and therefore supposed the answer to require, what I could not find, a private conveyance.

"The difference with Lord Auchinleck is now over; and since young Alexander has appeared, I hope no more difficulties will arise among you; for I sincerely wish you all happy. Do not teach the young ones to dislike me, as you dislike me yourself; but let me at least have Veronica's kindness, because she is my acquaintance.

"You will now have Mr. Boswell home; it is well that you have him; he has led a wild life. I have taken him to Lichfield, and he has followed Mr. Thrale to Bath. Pray take care of him, and tame him. The only thing in which I have the honour to agree with you is, in loving him: and while we are so much of a mind in a matter of so much importance, our other quarrels will, I hope, produce no great bitterness. I am, madam, your most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON."

"MR. BOSWELL TO DR. JOHNSON.

"Edinburgh, 25th June, 1776. "You have formerly complained that my letters were too long. There is no danger of that complaint being made at present; for I find it difficult for me to write to you at all. [Here an account of having been afflicted with a return of melancholy or bad spirits.]

"The boxes of books which you sent to me are arrived; but I have not yet examined the contents.

Besides this Latin epitaph, Johnson honoured the memory of his friend Goldsmith with a short one in Greek.-BoswELL. [See ante, v. iii. p. 123. -ED.]

2 Upon a settlement of our account of expenses on a tour to the Hebrides, there was a balance due to me, which Dr. Johnson chose to discharge by sending books. BoSWELL.