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pression: "Lie there, thou son of dulness, ignorance, and obscurity!"-Anonymous. (From a Life of Johnson, published by G. Kearsley, 1785.)

Boswell: "Foote has a great deal of humor." Johnson: "Yes, sir." Boswell: "He has a singular talent of exhibiting character." Johnson: "Sir, it is not a talent-it is a vice; it is what others abstain from. It is not comedy, which exhibits the character of a species, as that of a miser gathered from many misers: it is a farce, which exhibits individuals." Boswell: "Did not he think of exhibiting you, sir?" Johnson: "Sir, fear restrained him; he knew I would have broken his bones. I would have saved him the trouble of cutting off a leg; I would not have left him a leg to cut off."-Boswell.

Foote, who so successfully revived the old comedy, by exhibiting living characters, had resolved to imitate Johnson on the stage; expecting great profits from the ridicule. of so celebrated a man. Johnson being informed of his intention, and being at dinner at Mr. Thomas Davies's, the bookseller, from whom I had the story, he asked Mr. Davies "what was the common price of an oak stick;" and being answered sixpence, "Why, then, sir," said he, "give me leave to send your servant to purchase me a shilling one." I'll have a double quantity; for I am told Foote means to take me off, as he calls it, and I am determined the fellow shall not do it with impunity." Davies took care to acquaint Foote of this, which effectually checked the wantonness of the mimic. Mr. Macpherson's menaces made Johnson provide himself with the same implement of defence; and had he been attacked, I have no doubt that, old as he was, he would have made his corporal prowess be felt as much as his intellectual.-Boswell.

No sooner did the strong and unequivocal declaration of

Johnson's opinion of the poems of Ossian appear,* than Mr. James Macpherson, the publisher of them, not only repelled the charge of forgery, but in the letter to the author of it threatened him with corporal chastisement. Whether Johnson was apprehensive that his adversary would put his threat in execution, or that he meant to show all who came to see him that he stood upon his guard, he provided himself with a weapon, both of the defensive and offensive kind. It was an oak-plant of a tremendous size; a plant, I say, and not a shoot or branch, for it had a root, which being trimmed to the size of a large orange, became the head of it. Its height was upward of six feet, and from about an inch in diameter at the lower end, increased to near three; this he kept in his bedchamber, so near the chair in which he constantly sat as to be within reach.Sir John Hawkins (abridged).

He was once with Garrick at the representation of a play in Lichfield, when, having taken his seat in a chair placed on the stage, he had soon a call to quit it. A Scots officer, who had no good-will toward him, persuaded an innkeeper of the town to take it; and he did as he was bid. Johnson, on his return, finding his seat full, civilly told the intruder that by going out it was not his intention to give it up, and demanded it as his right. The innkeeper, encouraged by the officer, seemed resolved to maintain his situation. Johnson expos

tulated the matter with him, but, finding him obstinate, lifted up the chair, the man sitting in it, and with such a Herculean force flung both to the opposite side of the stage that the Scotsman cried out, "Damn him, he has broke his limbs!" but that not being the case, Johnson having thus emptied the chair, and Mr. Walmsley interposing, he resumed his seat in it, and with great composure sat out the play.-Sir John Hawkins (abridged).

* Johnson had published a very plain expression of his unbelief in their authenticity, in which he had charged Macpherson with forgery.

Dr. Johnson once assumed a character in which perhaps even Mr. Boswell never saw him. His curiosity having been excited by the praises bestowed on the celebrated Torré's fireworks at Marylebone Gardens, he desired Mr. Steevens to accompany him.thither. The evening had proved showery; and soon after the few people present were assembled, public notice was given that the conductors to the wheels, suns, stars, etc., were so thoroughly water-soaked that it was impossible any part of the exhibition should be made. "This is a mere excuse," says the Doctor, "to save their crackers for a more profitable company. Let us both hold up our sticks, and threaten to break those colored lamps that surround the orchestra, and we shall soon have our wishes gratified. The core of the fireworks cannot be injured; let the different pieces be touched in their respective centres, and they will do their offices as well as ever." Some young men who overheard him immediately began the violence he had recommended, and an attempt was speedily made to fire some of the wheels which appeared to have received the smallest damage; but to little purpose were they lighted, for most of them completely failed. The author of "The Rambler," however, may be considered, on this occasion, as the ringleader of a successful riot, though not as a skilful pyrotechnist.-George Steevens.

IMPATIENCE AND IRASCIBILITY.

WHEN a person was mentioned who said, "I have lived fifty-one years in this world without having had ten minutes of uneasiness," he exclaimed, "The man who says so, lies; he attempts to impose on human credulity." The Bishop of Exeter in vain observed that men were very different. His Lordship's manner was not impressive; and I learned afterward that Johnson did not find out that the person who talked to him was a prelate: if he had, I doubt not that he

would have treated him with more respect; for, once talking of George Psalmanazar, whom he reverenced for his piety, he said, "I should as soon think of contradicting a Bishop." One of the company provoked him greatly by doing what he could least of all bear, which was quoting something of his own writing against what he then maintained. "What, sir," cried the gentleman, "do you say to

"The busy day, the peaceful night,

Unfelt, uncounted, glided by ?'"

Johnson finding himself thus presented as giving an instance of a man who had lived without uneasiness, was much offended; for he looked upon such a quotation as unfair. His anger burst out in an unjustifiable retort, insinuating that the gentleman's remark was a sally of ebriety. "Sir, there is one passion I would advise you to command: when you have drunk out that glass, don't drink another." Here was exemplified what Goldsmith said of him, with the aid of a very witty image from one of Cibber's comedies: "There is no arguing with Johnson; for if his pistol misses fire, he knocks you down with the butt-end of it."-Boswell.

Last night, at the inn, when the factor in Tyr-yi spoke of his having heard that a roof was put on some part of the building at Icolmkill, I unluckily said, "It will be fortunate if we find a cathedral with a roof on it." I said this from a foolish anxiety to engage Dr. Johnson's curiosity more. He took me short at once. 66 'What, sir? how can you talk so? If we shall find a cathedral roofed! As if we were going to a terra incognita: when everything that is at Icolmkill is so well known. You are like some New England men who came to the mouth of the Thames. 'Come,' said they, 'let us go up and see what sort of inhabitants there are here.' They talked, sir, as if they had been to go up the Susquehanna, or any other American river."Boswell.

Professors Reid and Anderson, and the two Messieurs Foulis, the Elzevirs of Glasgow, dined and drank tea with us at our inn, after which the professors went away; and I, having a letter to write, left my fellow-traveller with Messieurs Foulis. Though good and ingenious men, they had that unsettled, speculative mode of conversation which is offensive to a man regularly taught at an English school and university. I found that, instead of listening to the dictates of the sage, they had teased him with questions and doubtful disputations. He came in a flutter to me, and desired that I might come back again, for he could not bear these men. "O ho, sir," said I, "you are flying to me for refuge!" He never, in any situation, was at a loss for a ready repartee. He answered, with a quick vivacity, "It is, of two evils, choosing the least." I was delighted with this flash bursting from the cloud which hung upon his mind, closed my letter directly, and joined the company.—Boswell.

On Monday, September 22d, when at breakfast, I unguardedly said to Dr. Johnson, "I wish I saw you and Mrs. Macaulay together." He grew very angry, and, after a pause, while a cloud gathered on his brow, he burst out, "No, sir, you would not see us quarrel, to make you sport. Don't you know that it is very uncivil to pit two people against one another?" Then, checking himself, and wishing to be more gentle, he added, “I do not say you should be hanged or drowned for this, but it is very uncivil."-Boswell.

Johnson: "Madam, you often provoke me to say severe things by unreasonable commendation. If you would not call for my praise, I would not give you my censure; but it constantly moves my indignation to be applied to to speak well of a thing which I think contemptible."— Madame D'Arblay.

He expressed great indignation at the imposture of the

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