CHAPTER VII. 1773. George Steevens-Letters to Mrs. Thrale, &c.-Goldsmith and Evans the BooksellerDalrymple's History-Action in Speaking-Chesterfield and Tyrawley-The Spectator-Sir Andrew Freeport-Burnet's Own Times-Good Friday-Easter DayA Dinner at Johnson's-Wages to Women Servants-Keeping a Journal-Luxury – Equality-The Stewarts-Law Reports-"The Gentle Shepherd "-Whigs and Tories-Sterne-Charles Townshend-" Happy Revolution "-She Stoops to Conquer"-Short-hand-Dedications-James Harris-Playing on the Fiddle -Duelling -Lord Chatham's Verses to Garrick-Savage Life-Suicide-Eustis BudgellThe Douglas Cause. IN 1773, his only publication was an edition of his folio Dictionary, with additions and corrections; nor did he, so far as as is known, furnish any productions from his fertile pen to any of his numerous friends or dependents, except the Preface* to his old amanuensis Macbean's "Dictionary of Ancient Geography." His Shakspeare, indeed, which had been received with high approbation by the public, and gone through several editions, was this year republished by George Steevens, Esq., a gentleman not only deeply skilled in ancient learning, and of very extensive reading in English literature, especially the early writers, but at the same time of acute discernment and elegant taste. It is almost unnecessary to say, that by his great and valuable additions to Dr. Johnson's work, he justly obtained considerable reputation : LEETTE 146. "Divisum imperium cum Jove Cæsar habet." TO MBS. THRALE. "Tuesday, Jan. 26, 1772. "Last night was very tedious, and this day makes no promise of much ease. However, I have this day put on my shoe, and hope that gout is gone. I shall have only the cough to contend with; and I doubt whether I shall get rid of that without change of place. I caught cold in the coach as I went away, and am disordered by very little things. Is it accident or age?" 1 He, however, wrote, or partly wrote, an Epitaph on Mrs. Bell, wife of his friend John Bell, Esq., brother of the Rev. Dr. Bell, Prebendary of Westminster, which is printed in his works. It is in English prose, and has so little of his manner, that I did not believe he had any hand in it, till I was satisfied of the fact by the authority of Mr. Bell. "Feb. 19, 1773. "I think I am better, but cannot say much more than that I think so. I was yesterday with Miss Lucy Southwell and Mrs. Williams, at Mr. Southwell's.1 Miss Frances Southwell is not well. I have an invitation to dine at Sir Joshua Reynold's on Tuesday. May I accept it?" LETTER 147. TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "London, Feb. 22, 1773. "DEAR SIR,—I have read your kind letter much more than the elegant Pindar which it accompanied. I am always glad to find myself not forgotten; and to be forgotten by you would give me great uneasinees. My northern friends have never been unkind to me: I have from you, dear Sir, testimonies of affection, which I have not often been able to excite: and Dr. Beattie rates the testimony which I was desirous of paying to his merit, much higher than I should have thought it reasonable to expect. "I have heard of your masquerade." What says your synod to such innovations? I am not studiously scrupulous, nor do I think a masquerade either evil in itself, nor very likely to be the occasion of evil; yet as the world thinks it a very licentitious relaxation of manners, I would not have been one of the first masquers in a country where no masquerade had ever been before." "A new edition of my great Dictionary is printed, from a copy which I was persuaded to revise; but, having made no preparation, I was able to do very little. Some superfluities I have expunged, and some faults I have corrected, and here and there have scattered a remark; but the main fabric of the work remains as it was. I had looked very little into it since I wrote it; and, L think, I found it full as often better, as worse, than I expected. "Baretti and Davies have had a furious quarrel; a quarrel, I think, irreconcileable. Dr. Goldsmith has a new comedy, which is expected in the spring. No name is yet given it. The chief diversion arises from a stratagem by which a lover is made to mistake his future father-in-law's house for an inn. This, you see, Borders upon farce. The dialogue is quick and gay, and the incidents are so prepared as not to seem improbable.* "I am sorry that you lost your cause of Intromission, because I yet think the arguments on your side unanswerable. But you seem, I think, to say that you gained reputation even by your defeat; and reputation you will daily gain, if you keep Lord Auchinleck's precept in your mind, and endeavour to consolidate in your mind a firm and regular system of law, instead of picking up occasional fragments. "My health seems in general to improve; but I have been troubled for many 1 Dr. Johnson's early friend, Mr. Edmond Southwell, third son of the first Lord Southwell, born in 1705, had died in the preceding November, aged 67. 2 Given by a lady at Edinburgh.-B. "There had been masquerades in Scotland; but not for a very long time.-B. This masquerade was given on the 14th of January, by the Countess Dowager of Fife. Johnson had no doubt seen an account of it in the Gentlemen's Magazine for January. where it is said to have been the first masquerade ever seen in Scotland. Mr. Boswell himself appeared in the character of a Dumb Conjuror.-C. 4 "She Stoops to Conquer, or the Mistakes of a Night, first time, at Covent Garden, on the 1th of March. was performed, for the weeks with a vexatious catarrh, which is sometimes sufficiently distressful. I have not fonnd any great effects from bleeding and physic; and am afraid that I must expect help from brighter days and softer air. "Write to me now and then; and whenever any good betalls you, make haste to let me know it; for one will rejoice at it more than, dear Sir, your most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." "You continue to stand very high in the favour of Mrs. Thrale." While a former edition of my work was passing through the press, I was unexpectedly favoured with a packet from Philadelphia, from Mr. James Abercrombie, a gentleman of that country, who is pleased to honour me with very high praise of my "Life of Dr. Johnson." To have the fame of my illustrious friend, and his faithful biographer, echoed from the New World is extremely flattering; and my grateful acknowledgments shall be wafted across the Atlantic. Mr. Abercrombie has politely conferred upon me a considerable additional obligation, by transmitting to me copies of two letters. from Dr. Johnson to American gentlemen. "Gladly, Sir," says he, "would I have sent you the originals; but being the only relics of the kind in America, they are considered by the possessors of such inestimable value, that no possible consideration would induce them to part with them. In some future publication of yours relative to that great and good man, they may perhaps be thought worthy of insertion.” "Johnson's Court, March 4, 1773. "SIR,-That in the hurry of a sudden departure, you should yet find leisure to consult my convenience, is a degree of kindness, and an instance of regard, not only beyond my claims, but above my expectation. You are not mistaken in supposing that I set a high value on my American friends, and that you should confer a very valuable favour upon me by giving me an opportunity of keeping myself in their memory. "I have taken the liberty of troubling you with a packet, to which I wish a safe and speedy conveyance, because I wish a safe and speedy voyage to him that conveys it. I am, Sir, your most humble servant, "SAM JOHNSON." 1 This gentlemen, who now resides in America, in a public character of considerable dignity, desired that his name might not be transcribed at full length.-B. Probably a Mr. Richard Bland, of Virginia. whose Inquiry into the Rights of the British Colonies" was republished in London in 1770,-C. LETTER 149. TO THE REV. MR. WHITE.1 "Johnson's Court, March 4, 1773. "DEAR SIR,-Your kindness for your friends accompanies you across the Atlantic. It was long since observed by Horace, that no ship could leave care behind: you have been attended in your voyage by other powers,-by benevolence and constancy; and I hope care did not often show her face in their company "I have received the copy of Rasselas. The impression is not magnificent, but it flatters an author, because the printer seems to have expected that it would be scattered among the people. The little book has been well received, and is translated into Italian, French, German and Dutch. It has now one honour more by an American edition. "I know not that much has happened since your departure that can engage your curiosity. Of all public transactions the whole world is now informed by the newspapers. Opposition seems to despond; and the dissenters, though they have taken advantage of unsettled times, and a government much enfeebled, seem not likely to gain any immunities. "Dr. Goldsmith has a new comedy in rehearsal at Covent Garden, to which the manager predicts ill success. I hope he will be mistaken. I think it deserves a very kind reception. "I shall soon publish a new edition of my large Dictionary. I have been persuaded to revise it, and have mended some faults, but have added little to its usefulness. "No book has been published since your departure, of which much notice is taken. Faction only fills the town with pamphlets, and greater subjects are forgotten in the noise of discord. "Thus have I written, only to tell you how little I have to tell. Of myself I can only add, that having been afflicted many weeks with a very troublesome cough, I am now recovered. "I take the liberty which you give me of troubling you with a letter, of which you will please to fill up the direction. I am, Sir, your most humble servant, "SAM JOHNSON." LETTER 150. TO W. S. JOHNSON, LL.D. Stratford, Connecticut. "Johnson's Court, March 4, 1773. "SIR, Of all those whom the various accidents of life have brought within 1 Now Dr. White, and Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania. During his first visit to England, in 1771, as a candidate for holy orders, he was several times in company with Dr. Johnson, who expressed a wish to see the edition of Rasselas, which Dr. White told him had been printed in America. Dr. White, on his return, immediately sent him a copy. 2 The late William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut. This gentleman spent several years in England about the middle of the last century. He received the Degree of Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford; and this circumstance, together with the accidental similarity of name, recommended him to the acquaintance of Dr. Samuel Johnson. Several letters passed between them, after the American Dr. Johnson had returned to his native country; of which, however, it is feared that this is the only one remaining.-Gent. Mag. my notice, there is scarce any man whose acquaintance I have more desired to cultivate than yours. I cannot indeed charge you with neglecting me, yet our mutual inclination could never gratify itself with opportunities. The current of the day always brought us away from one another, and now the Atlantic is between us. "Whether you carried away an impression of me as pleasing as that which you left me of yourself, I know not; if you did, you have not forgotten me, and will be glad that I do not forget you. Merely to be remembered is indeed a barren pleasure, but it is one of the pleasures which is more sensibly felt as human nature is more exalted. "To make you wish that I should have you in my mind; I would be glad to tell you something which you do not know; but all public affairs are printed; and as you and I have no common friend, I can tell you no private history "The government, I think, grow stronger; but I am afraid the next general election will be a time of uncommon turbulanee, violence and outrage. "Of literature no great product has appeared, or is expected; the attention of the people has for some years been otherwise employed. "I was told a day or two ago of a design which must excite some curiosity Two ships are in preparation, which are under the command of Captain Constantine Phipps to explore the northern ocean; not to seek the north-east or the north-west passage, but to sail directly north, as near the pole as they can go. They hope to find an open ocean, but I suspect it is one mass of perpetual congelation. I do not much wish well to discoveries, for I am always afraid they will end in conquest and robbery. Can I never "I have been out of order this winter, but am grown better. hope to see you agaiu, or must I be always content to tell you that in another hemisphere, I am, Sir, your most humble servant ? "SAM JOHNSON." "March 25, 1773. "Did not I tell you that I had written to Boswell? He has answered my letter. I am going this evening to put young Otway to school with Mr. Elphinston. "C is so distressed with abuse about his play that he has solicited Goldsmith to take him off the rack of the newspapers. M 2 is preparing is, I suppose, collecting a whole pamphlet against G materials to confute M ;2 and G. 4 "Jennens has published Hamlet, but without a preface, and Sdeclares his intention of letting him pass the rest of his life in peace. Here is On Saturday, April 3, the day after my arrival in London this year, I went to his house late in the evening, and sat with |