CHAPTER XIV. 1777. Richard Brinsley Sheridan-Savage's "Sir Thomas Overbury "--Thomso2---Mrs Strickland – The Townley Collection--Dr. Dodd-Boswell at the Tomb of Melancthon-Isaac De GrootDr. Watts-Letter to Mrs. Boswell-Visit to Ashbourne-" Harry Jackson "-Sidney' "Arcadia"-Projected Trip to the Baltic-Grief for the Loss of Relatives and FriendsIncomes of Curates-Johnson's humane and zealous Interference in behalf of Dr. Dodd. A CIRCUMSTANCE which could not fail to be very pleasing to Johnson occurred this year. The tragedy of "Sir Thomas Overbury," written by his early companion in London, Richard Savage, was brought out with alterations at Drury-lane theatre.' The prologue to it was written by Mr. Richard Brinsley Sheridan; in which, after describing very pathetically the wretchedness of "Ill-fated Savage, at whose birth was given No parent but the Muse, no friend but Heaven," he introduced an elegant compliment to Johnson on his Dictionary, that wonderful performance which cannot be too often or too highly praised; of which Mr. Harris, in his "Philological Inquiries" (part i. chap. iv.,) justly and liberally observes, "Such is its merit, that our language does not possess a more copious, learned, and valuable work." The concluding lines of this prologue were these :— "So pleads the tale that gives to future times Mr. Sheridan here at once did honour to his taste and to his 1 Our author has here fallen into a slight mistake. The prologue to this revived tragedy being written by Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Boswell very naturally supposed that it was performed at Dury-lane theatre. But in fact, as Mr. Kemble observes to me, it was acted at the theatr Covent-garden.-M. "Life of Richard Savage, by Dr. Johnson."—SHERIDAN, STAT. THOMSON. 307 liberality of sentiment, by showing that he was not prejudiced from the unlucky difference which had taken place between his worthy father and Dr. Johnson.' I have already mentioned that Johnson was very desirous of reconciliation with old Mr. Sheridan. It will, therefore, not seem at all surprising that he was zealous in acknowledging the brilliant merit of his son. While it had as yet been displayed only in the drama, Johnson proposed him as a member of the Literary Club, observing, that "He who has written the two best comedies of his age is surely a considerable man." And he had, accordingly, the honour to be elected; for an honour it undoubtedly must be allowed to be, when it is considered of whom that society consists, and that a single black ball excluded a candidate. LETTER 278. FROM MR. BOSWELL. "July 9, 1777. "MY DEAR SIR,-For the health of my wife and children I have taken the little country-house at which you visited my uncle, Dr. Boswell, who, having lost his wife, is gone to live with his son. We took possession of our villa about a week ago. We have a garden of three quarters of an acre, well stocked with fruit-trees and flowers, and gooseberries and currants, and pease and beans, and cabbages, &c. &c., and my children are quite happy. I now write to you in a little study, from the window of which I see around me a verdant grove and beyond it the lofty mountain called Arthur's Seat. "Your last letter, in which you desire me to send you some additional information concerning Thomson, reached me very fortunately just as I was going to Lanark, to put my wife's two nephews, the young Campbells, to school there, under the care of Mr. Thomson, the master of it, whose wife is sister to the author of The Seasons.' She is an old woman; but her memory is very good; and she will with pleasure give me for you every particular that you wish to know, and she can tell. Pray then take the trouble to send me such questions as may lead to biographical materials. You say that the Life which we have of Thomson is scanty. Since I received your letter, I have read his Life, published under the name of Cibber, but, as you told me really written by a Mr. Shiels; that written by Dr. Murdoch; one prefixed to an edition of the ‘Seasons, published at Edinburgh, which is compounded of both, with the addition of an anecdote of Quin's relieving Thomson from prison; the abridgment of 1 He likewise made some retribution to Dr. Johnson for the attack he had meditated, about two years before, on the pamphlet he had published about the American question, entitled, "Taxation no Tyranny." Some fragments found among Sheridan's papers show that he had intended answering this pamphlet in no very courteous way. See Moore's Life, vol. i p. 152.-HALL. Murdoch's account of him, in the 'Biographia Britannica,' and another abridgment of it in the Biographical Dictionary,' enriched with Dr. Joseph Warton's critical panegyric on the 'Seasons,' in his Essay on the Genius and Writings of Pope:' from all these it appears to me that we have a pretty full account of this poet. However, you will, I doubt not, show me many blanks, and I shall do what can be done to have them filled up. As Thomson never returned to Scotland (which you will think very wise,) his sister can speak from her own knowledge only as to the early part of his life. She has some letters from him, which may probably give light as to his more advanced progress, if she will let us see them, which I suppose she will. I believe George Lewis Scott and Dr. Armstrong are now his only surviving companions, while he lived in and about London; and they, I dare say, can tell more of him than is yet known. My own notion is, that Thomson was a much coarser man than his friends are willing to acknowledge. His 'Seasons' are indeed full of elegant and pious sentiments; but a rank soil, nay, a dunghill, will produce beautiful flowers. "Your edition of the 'English Poets' will be very valuable on account of the Prefaces and Lives. But I have seen a specimen of an edition of the Poets at the Apollo press, at Edinburgh, which, for excellence in printing and engraving, highly deserves a liberal encouragement. "Most sincerely do I regret the bad health and bad rest with which you have been afflicted; and I hope you are better. I cannot believe that the prologue which you generously gave to Mr. Kelly's widow and children the other day is the effusion of one in sickness and in disquietude: but external circumstances are never sure indications of the state of man. I send you a letter which I wrote to you two years ago at Wilton; and did not send it at the time, for fear of being reproved as indulging too much tenderness, and one written to you at the tomb of Melancthon, which I kept back, lest I should appear at once too superstitious and too enthusiastic. I now imagine that perhaps they may please you. "You do not take the least notice of my proposal for our meeting at Carlisc. Though I have meritoriously refrained from visiting London this year, 1 Dr. Johnson was not the editor of this collection of the English Poets; he merely furnished the biographical prefaces with which it is enriched, as is rightly stated in a subsequent page. He, indeed, from a virtuous motive, recommended the works of four or five poets (whom he has named) to be added to the collection; but he is no otherwise answerable for any which are found there, or any which are omitted. The poems of Goldsmith (whose life I know he intended to write, for I collected some materials for it by his desire,) were omitted in consequence of a petty exclusive interest in some of them, vested in Mr. Carnan, a bookseller.-M. Dr. Johnson had himself talked of our seeing Carlisle together. High was a favourite word of his to denote a person of rank. He said to me, "Sir, I believe we may meet at the house of a Roman Catholic lady in Cumberland; a high lady, Sir." I afterwards discovered that he meant Mrs. Strickland, sister of Charles Townley, Esq. whose very noble collection of statues and pictures is not more to be admired, than his extraordinary and polite readiness in showing it, which I and several of my friends have agreeably experienced I ask you if it would not be wrong that I should be two years without naving the benefit of your conversation, when, if you come down as far as Derbyshire, we may meet at the expense of a few days' journeying and not many pounds. I wish you to see Carlise, which made me mention that place. But if you have not a desire to complete your tour of English cathedrals, I will take a larger share of the road between this place and Ashbourne. So tell me where you will fix for our passing a few days by ourselves. Now don't cry 'foolish fellow,' or 'idle dog.' Chain your humour, and let your kindness play. "You will rejoice to hear that Miss Macleod, of Rasay, is married to Colonel Mure Campbell, an excellent man. with a pretty good estate of his own, and the prospect of having the Earl of Loudoun's fortune and honours. Is not this a noble lot for our fair Hebridean? How happy am I that she is to be in Ayrshire! We shall have the Laird of Rasay, and old Malcolm, and I know not how many gallant Macleods, and bagpipes, &c. &c. at Auchinleck Perhaps you may meet them all there. "Without doubt you have read what is called 'The Life of David Hume, written by himself, with the letter from Adam Smith subjoined to it. Is not this an age of daring effrontery? My friend Mr. Anderson, professor of natural philosophy at Glasgow, at whose house you and I supped, and to whose care Mr. Windham, of Norfolk, was intrusted at that university, paid me a visit lately; and after we had talked with indignation and contempt of the poisonous productions with which this age is infested, he said there was now an excellent opportunity for Dr. Johnson to step forth. I agreed with him that you might knock Hume's and Smith's heads together, and make vain and ostentatious infidelity exceedingly ridiculous. Would it not be worth your while to crush such noxious weeds in the moral garden? "You have said nothing to me of Dr. Dodd. I know not how you think on that subject; though the newspapers give us a saying of yours in favour of mercy to him. But I own I am very desirous that the royal prerogative of remission of punishment should be employed to exhibit an illustrious instance of the regard which God's Vicegerent will ever show to piety and virtue. If for ten righteous men the Almighty would have spared Sodom, shall not a thousand acts of goodness done by Dr. Dodd counterbalance one crime? Such an instance would do more to encourage goodness, than his execution would do to deter from vice. I am not afraid of any bad consequences to society; for who will persevere for a long course of years in a distinguished discharge of religious duties with a view to commit a forgery with impunity? "Pray make my best compliments acceptable to Mr. and Mrs. Thrale, by assuring them of my hearty joy that the master, as you call him, is alive. I hope I shall often taste his champagne-soberly. They who are possessed of valuable stores of gratification to persons of taste should exercise their benevolence in imparting the pleasure. Grateful acknowledgments are due to Welbor Ellis Agar, Esq. for the liberal access which he is pleased to allow to his exquisite collection of pictures. "I have not heard from Langton for a long time. usual, 'Studious the busy moments to deceive.' "I remain, my dear Sir, your most affectionate, &c. I suppose he is as "JAMES BOSWELL.” On the 23d of June, I again wrote to Dr. Johnson, enclosing a shipmaster's receipt for a jar of orange-marmalade, and a large packet of Lord Haile's "Annals of Scotland." LETTER 279. TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. “June 28, 1777. "DEAR SIR,—I have just received your packet from Mr. Thrale's, but have not daylight enough to look much into it. I am glad that I have credit enough with Lord Hailes to be trusted with more copy. I hope to take more care of it than of the last. I return Mrs. Boswell my affectionate thanks for her present, which I value as a token of reconciliation. "Poor Dodd was put to death yesterday, in opposition to the recommendation of the jury,-the petition of the city of London,—and a subsequent petition signed by three-and-twenty thousand hands. Surely the voice of the public, when it calls so loudly, and calls only for mercy, ought to be heard. "The saying that was given me in the papers I never spoke ; but I wrote many of his petitions, and some of his letters. He applied to me very often. He was, I am afraid, long flattered with hopes of life; but I had no part in the dreadful delusion; for as soon as the king had signed his sentence, I obtained from Mr. Chamier1 an account of the disposition of the court towards him, with a declaration that there was no hope even of a respite. This letter immediately was laid before Dodd; but he believed those whom he wished to be right, as it is thought, till within three days of his end. He died with pious composure and resolution. I have just seen the ordinary that attended him. His address to his fellow-convicts offended the methodists; but he had a Moravian with him much of his time. His moral character is very bad; I hope all is not true that is charged upon him. Of his behaviour in prison an account will be published. "I give you joy of your country-house and your pretty garden, and hope sometime to see you in your felicity. I was much pleased with your two let ters that had been kept so long in store; and rejoice at Miss Rasay's advancement, and wish Sir Allan success. 1 Mr. Chamier was then Under-Secretary of State.-C. 2 Since they have been so much honoured by Dr. Johnson, I shall here insert them :- LETTER 280. FROM MR. BOSWELL. "Sunday, Sept. 80, 1764. "MY EVER DEAR AND MUCH-RESPECTED SIR,-You know my solemn enthusiasm of mind. You love me for it. and I respect myself for it, because in so far I resemble Mr. Johnson, |