276

AN ALARMING LETTER.

memory would give gentleness to his speech and sweetness to his manner to-day.

Johnson and his friend then paid a visit to the museum of Mr. Richard Green, apothecary—a fine collection of antiquities, natural curiosities, and ingenious works of art. The Doctor expressed his admiration of the activity, diligence, and good fortune which had enabled a single man to bring together so great and interesting a variety of objects: "Sir, I should as soon have thought of building a man-of-war as of collecting such a museum."

On Monday, while breakfasting at Mrs. Porter's, the Doctor received a letter which seemed to agitate him greatly. After reading it, he exclaimed, "One of the most dreadful things that has happened in my time!" Boswell, expecting to hear of something like an assassination of the King, or another "gunpowder plot," asked, with alarm, "What is it, Sir?"-JOHNSON: "Mr. Thrale has lost his only son! This is a total extinction to their family, as much as if they were sold into captivity."-BOSWELL: "But Mr. Thrale has daughters to inherit his wealth."-JOHNSON (warmly): "He'll no more value his daughters than—” [Boswell was about to speak]. "Sir, don't you know how you yourself think? Sir, he wishes to propagate his name."BOSWELL: "It is lucky you were not present when this misfortune happened."-JOHNSON: "It is lucky for me. People in distress never think that you feel enough."-BOSWELL: “And, Sir, they will have the hope of seeing you, which will be a relief in the meantime; and when you get to them, the pain will be so far abated, that they will be capable of being consoled by you, which, in the first violence of it, I believe would not be the case." -JOHNSON: "No, Sir; violent pain of mind, like violent pain of body, must be severely felt."-BOSWELL: "I own, Sir, I have not so much feeling for the distress of others as some people have, or pretend to have; but I know this, that I would do all in my power to relieve them."-JOHNSON: "Sir, it is affectation to pretend to feel the distress of others as much as they do themselves. It is equally so, as if one should pretend to feel as much pain while a friend's leg is cutting off, as he does. No, Sir; you

ON SYMPATHY.

277

have expressed the rational and just nature of sympathy. I would have gone to the extremity of the earth to have preserved this boy."

After dinner, he wrote a letter of sympathy to Mrs. Thrale.

BOSWELL: "It will be very distressing to Thrale: but his wife will soon forget it; she has so many things to think of."-JOHNSON: "No, Sir; Thrale will forget it first. She has many things that she may think of. He has many things that he must think of." How this man's mind bristles with wise thoughts, and how a little touch of contradiction sets all the bristles on end!

In the evening they went to the Town Hall, which had been transformed into a theatre for the time being. The Doctor occupied a conspicuous place in the pit, and was surveyed with worshipful eyes by his old townsfolk. That is a fine picture of the good people of Lichfield proudly delighting to honour the grand old Doctor who had given their city a new name. The old man himself would have many reflections as he sat in the midst of them all that night: one wonders if good Dame Oliver and her simple-hearted present of gingerbread came into his mind among his other quaint and tender remembrances. But he was not sad though the Past would thus come back upon him he was quite gay and merry. Boswell afterwards remarked that he blamed himself for being so happy when poor Mr. and Mrs. Thrale were in deep distress. JOHNSON: "You are wrong, Sir; twenty years hence Mr. and Mrs. Thrale will not suffer much pain from the death of their son. Now, Sir, you are to consider that distance of place, as well as distance of time, operates upon the human feelings. I would not have you be gay in the presence of the distressed, because it would shock them; but you may be gay at a distance. Pain for the loss of a friend, or of a relation whom we love, is occasioned by the want which we feel. In time the vacuity is filled with something else; or sometimes the vacuity closes up of itself."

But mark the Doctor's delicacy withal: "I would not have you be gay in the presence of the distressed, because it would shock them." Remember, also, that other saying of his: "I would have gone to the extremity of the earth to have preserved this boy." And

278

VISIT TO DR. TAYLOR.

he would have kept his word, though he did not choose to whine and whimper now.

On Tuesday they drove to Ashbourne, and dined with Johnson's old schoolfellow, the Reverend Dr. Taylor. The Doctor repeated to his host the account he had already given Mr. Hector of Charles Congreve, concluding his relation with an admirable and touching remark: "There is nothing against which an old man should be so much upon his guard as putting himself to nurse." Johnson talked approvingly of one who had attained to the state of the philosopher's ideal man-wanting nothing. BOSWELL: "Then, Sir, the savage is a wise man." "Sir," said he, "I do not mean simply being without, but not having a want." Boswell maintained, against this proposition, that it was better to have fine clothes, for instance, than not to feel the want of them. JOHNSON: "No, Sir; fine clothes are good only as they supply the want of other means of procuring respect. Was Charles the Twelfth, think you, less respected for his coarse blue coat and black stock? And you find the King of Prussia dresses plain, because the dignity of his character is sufficient."-BosWELL: "Would not you, Sir, be the better for velvet embroidery?"-JOHNSON: "Sir, you put an end to all argument, when you introduce your opponent himself. Have you no better manners? There is your want."

They left Ashbourne on Wednesday evening, stopped to change horses at Derby-where Johnson had the pleasure of quarrelling with a North Briton about the Scotch Militia Bill-and put up for the night at Loughborough.

On Thursday they pursued their journey. At Leicester they read in the newspaper that Dr. James was dead. Boswell, always on the look-out for sentiment, expected to see his friend shed tears, or otherwise exhibit over this sad announcement of the death of an old schoolfellow; but the Doctor only said, "Ah! poor Jamy!" Afterwards, however, when they were in the chaise, he spoke more to Boswell's satisfaction, saying tenderly, "Since I set out on this jaunt I have lost an old friend and a young oneDr. James and poor Harry." Shall we never come to believe

RETURN JOURNEY.

279

that bitter tears have been shed, though no handkerchief was seen at the eyes; that many a heavy hurt has been received, though no one heard a cry? There can go much feeling into three little words, "Ah! poor Jamy!"

They lay that night at St. Albans, and breakfasted next morning at Barnet. While they were being rolled swiftly along on the London road that day, Boswell remarked :—" Sir, you observed one day, at General Oglethorpe's, that a man is never happy for the present but when he is drunk. Will you not add, or when driving in a post-chaise?"-JOHNSON: "No, Sir; you are driving rapidly from something, or to something." A profound deliverance, and a fitting prelude to our travellers' arrival in London— safe, sound, and happy.

Altogether, this has been a delightful time to the venerable Doctor: for Johnson was English of the English; and this ramble of a few days has proved more delicious to him than the whole six weeks' tour in France. The Doctor is at home in this quarter, and he feels it; so much so that he is constrained, every now and then, to leave even Fleet Street that he may see again that spot of earth where his existence beegan. "The earliest and the longest has still the mastery over us."

280

THE DOCTOR'S DELICACY.

CHAPTER XXX.

JOHNSON'S DELICACY-CONVERSATIONS—THE DOCTOR AND
MADAME DE BOUFFLERS-"ROWLEY'S POEMS."

(1776.)

On arriving in London, Johnson lost no time, but drove at once to Mr. Thrale's, where he found the whole household making active preparations for their departure to Bath. The Doctor did not accompany them then, though he joined his friends there in the course of the month. The Italian tour was therefore postponed in the meantime, and ultimately given up altogether. This was a disappointment to the Doctor, who, with a child's eager hopefulness, had already reared a grand palace of delights under the blue Italian skies. But he bore his disappointment unmurmuringly; only remarking, and with much delicacy of feeling, “I shall probably contrive to get to Italy some other way. But I won't mention it to Mr. and Mrs. Thrale, as it might vex them." It is in little touches like this that Samuel Johnson's exquisite sensitiveness to the finest impressions is made manifest. Mark his fairness, also, to those who had disappointed him: on its being suggested that the journey might have done Mr. and Mrs. Thrale good, the Doctor said:" I rather believe not, Sir. While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till grief be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it."

The richest literary fruits that fell from our Author's lips in many scattered conversations during this period we shall now collect and present on one table.

Mr. Murray, Solicitor-General for Scotland, praised the ancient philosophers for the candour and good-humour with which they carried on their debates.