Recoll. expressive tones of the voice of others, but from hear- Reyn. ing the boisterous' sound of his own: and nothing, I believe, more conduced to fix upon his character the general stigma of ill-breeding, than his loud imperious tone of voice, which apparently heightened the slightest dissent to a tone of harsh reproof; and, with his corresponding aspect, had an intimidating influence on those who were not much acquainted with him, and excited a degree of resentment which his words in ordinary circumstances would not have provoked. I have often heard him on such occasions express great surprise, that what he had said could have given any offence. Under such disadvantages, it was not much to be wondered at that Dr. Johnson should have committed many blunders and absurdities, and excited surprise and resentment in company; one in particular I remember. Being in company with Mr. Garrick and some others, who were unknown to Dr. Johnson, he was saying something tending to the disparagement of the character or of the works of a gentleman present I have forgot which; on which Mr. Garrick touched his foot under the table, but he >still went on, and Garrick, much alarmed, touched him a second time, and, I believe, the third; at last **Johnson exclaimed, David, David, is it you? What makes you tread on my toes so?" This little anecdote, perhaps, indicates as much the want of prudence otin Dr. Johnson as the want of sight. But had he at first seen Garrick's expressive countenance, and (proobably) the embarrassment of the rest of the company on the occasion, it doubtless would not have happened." -mo It were also much to be wished, in justice to Dr. If Johnson's character for good manners, that many jocular and ironical speeches which have been reported had been noted as such, for the information of those who were unacquainted with him. Though 6 Reyn. Letters. he was fond of drawing characters, and did so con amore, to the delight of all who heard him, I cannot say (though he said he loved a good hater) that I ever heard him draw one con odio."] "DR. JOHNSON TO MRS. THRALE. "[Thursday,] 30th April, 1778. "Since I was fetched away from Streatham, the journal [of engagements] stands thus: Saturday, Sir Joshua. Thursday, Old Bailey'. у Sunday, Mr. Hoole. Wednesday, Mr. Ramsay. Friday, Club. Saturday, Sir Joshua. Sunday, Lady Lucan. "Monday. Pray let it be Streatham, and very early; do, now, let it be very early. For I may be carried away-just like Ganymede of Troy. "Do, now, let me know whether you will send for me-early -on Monday. But take some care, or your letter will not come till Tuesday." On Saturday, May 2, I dined with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, where there was a very large company, and a great deal of conversation; but, owing to some circumstance which I cannot now recollect, I have no record of any part of it, except that there were several people there by no means of the Johnsonian school; so that less attention was paid to him than usual, which put him out of humour : and upon some imaginary offence from me, he 2 [There is a dinner given at the Old Bailey to the judges, council, and a few guests-perhaps it was to one of these dinners that Johnson was invited. After the foregoing note had been written, the Editor learned that the venerable Mr. Chamberlain Clarke, now in his ninety-first year, remembers to have taken Johnson to this dinner, he being then sheriff. The judges were Blackstone and Eyre. Mr. Justice Blackstone conversed with Johnson on the subject of their absent friend, Sir Robert Chambers.-ED.] 2 [Lord Wellesley has been so obliging as to give the Editor the following account of the cause of this quarrel: Boswell, one day at Sir Joshua's table, chose to pronounce a high-flown panegyric on the wits of Queen Anne's reign, and exclaimed, “How delightful it must have been to have lived in the society of Pope, Swift, Arbuthnot, Gay, and Bolingbroke! We have no such society in our days.' SIR JOSHUA. I think, Mr. Boswell, you might be satisfied with your great friend's conversation.' JOHNSON. Nay, sir, Boswell is right; attacked me with such rudeness, that I was vexed and angry, because it gave those persons an opportunity of enlarging upon his supposed ferocity, and ill treatment of his best friends. I was so much hurt, and had my pride so much roused, that I kept away from him for a week; and, perhaps, might have kept away much longer, nay, gone to Scotland without seeing him again, had not we fortunately met and been reconciled. To such unhappy chances are human friendships liable. After On Friday, May 8, I dined with him at Mr. Langton's. I was reserved and silent, which I suppose he perceived, and might recollect the cause. dinner, when Mr. Langton was called out of the room, and we were by ourselves, he drew his chair near to mine, and said, in a tone of conciliating courtesy, "Well, how have you done?" BoSWELL. "Sir, you have made me very uneasy by your behaviour to me when we were last at Sir Joshua Reynolds's. You know, my dear sir, no man has a greater respect and affection for you, or would sooner go to the end of the world to serve you. Now to treat me so" He insisted that I had interrupted, which I assured him was not the case; and proceeded-" But why treat me so before people who neither love you nor me?" JOHNSON. "Well, I am sorry for it. I'll make it up to you twenty different ways, as you please." BosWELL. “I said to-day to Sir Joshua, when he ob --- every man wishes for preferment, and if Boswell had lived in those days, he would have obtained promotion.' SIR JOSHUA. How so, sir?' JOHNSON. Sir, he would have had a high place in the Dunciad.' This anecdote Lord Wellesley heard from Mr. Thomas Sydenham, who received it from Mr. Knight, on the authority of Sir Joshua Reynolds himself." The Editor, however, suspects that this is but another version of the repartee of the same kind, in reference to the Dunciad, made in Sir Joshua's presence, though not at his house, some years before (see ante, vol. ii. p. 86). Johnson's playful retort seems so much less offensive than fifty others, that Boswell relates himself to have endured patiently, that it is improbable that he should have resented it so deeply. The anecdote, in passing through the hands of Mr. Knight and Mr. Sydenham, may have lost its true date, and acquired something beyond its true expression.-ED.] served that you tossed me sometimes, I don't care how often, or how high he tosses me, when only friends are present, for then I fall upon soft ground; but I do not like falling on stones, which is the case when enemies are present. I think this a pretty good image, sir." JOHNSON. "Sir, it is one of the happiest I have ever heard1." The truth is, there was no venom in the wounds which he inflicted at any time, unless they were irritated by some malignant infusion by other hands. We were instantly as cordial again as ever, and joined in hearty laugh at some ludicrous but innocent peculiarities of one of our friends. BOSWELL. "Do you think, sir, it is always culpable to laugh at a man to his face?" JOHNSON. "Why, sir, that depends upon the man and the thing. If it is a slight man, and a slight thing, you may; for you take nothing valuable from him."" He said, "I read yesterday Dr. Blair's sermon on devotion, from the text Cornelius, a devout man.' His doctrine is the best limited, the best expressed: there is the most warmth without fanaticism, the most rational transport. There is one part of it which I disapprove, and I'd have him correct it; which is, that he who does not feel joy in religion is far from the kingdom of heaven!' there are many good men whose fear of God predominates over their love. It may discourage. It was rashly said. A noble sermon it 19 [The simplicity with which Boswell repeats this flattery, without seeing that it was only a peace-offering, is very characteristic and amusing.-ED.] 2 [The passage referred to is, "Of what nature must that man's religion be, who professes to worship God and to believe in Christ, and yet raises his thoughts towards God and his Saviour without any warmth of gratitude or love? This is not the man whom you would choose for your bosom friend, or whose heart you would expect to answer with reciprocal warmth to yours; such a person must as yet be far from the kingdom of heaven."-Blair's Sermons, vol. i. p. 261. Dr. Johnson's remark is certainly just; and it may be, moreover, observed that, from Blair's expressions, and his reference to human friendships and affections, he might be understood to mean, that unless we feel the same kind is indeed. I wish Blair would come over to the church of England." When Mr. Langton returned to us, the "flow of talk went on." An eminent authour 'being mentioned: JOHNSON. "He is not a pleasant man. His conversation is neither instructive nor brilliant. He does not talk as if impelled by any fulness of knowledge or vivacity of imagination. His conversation is like that of any other sensible man. He talks with no wish either to inform or to hear, but only because he thinks it does not become. to sit in a company and say nothing." Mr. Langton having repeated the anecdote of Addison having distinguished between his powers in conversation and in writing, by saying "I have only ninepence in my pocket; but I can draw for a thousand pounds;"-JOHNSON. "He had not that retort ready, sir; he had prepared it before-hand." LANGTON (turning to me). "A fine surmise. Set a thief to catch a thief." Johnson called the East Indians barbarians. BosWELL. "You will except the Chinese, sir?" JOHNSON. "No, sir." BOSWELL. "Have they not arts?" JOHNSON. "They have pottery." BOSWELL. "What do you say to the written characters of their language?" JOHNSON. "Sir, they have not an alphabet. They have not been able to form what all other nations have formed." BOSWELL. "There is more learning in their language than in any other, from the immense number of their characters." JOHNSON. "It is only more difficult from its rudeness; as there is more of warmth" and affection towards God that we do towards the objects of human love, we are far from the kingdom of heaven an idea which seems to countenance fanaticism, and which every sober-minded christian feels to be a mere play on words; for the love of God and the love of one's wife and friend are certainly not the same passion. ED.] hold of booderabitur ad zi 1 [Probably Dr. Robertson.-ED.] |