THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For MAY, 1787. ART. I. The Life of Dr. S. Johnfon, concluded: See our last Month's Review, Art. I. IN N March 1752, Dr. Johnfon felt a fevere ftroke of affliction, in the death of his wife. Under the care of Mr. Hawkesworth, he was buried at Bromley, and her difconfolate husband wrote a Latin infcription for her tomb, in which he celebrated her beauty. With the fingularity of his prayers for Jetty, from that time to the end of his life, the world is fufficiently acquainted. By her firft hufband, Mrs. Johnfon lett a daughter, near as old as Johnfon. Of her fecond marriage, there was no iffue. With Mrs. Ann Williams, a perfon of extraordinary endowments, and, though blind, of an active and cheerful difpofition, Mrs. Johnson had contracted a clofe intimacy. T friend the recommended to her husband's protection. Mrs. Williams was the daughter of Zachariah Williams, a phyfician in South Wales. To relieve himself from folitude and melancholy refections, Johnson took her home to his houfe in Gough-fquare. In 1755, Mr. Garrick gave her a benefit, which produced 200l.; in 1766, fhe published a quarto volume of mifcellanies *, and thereby increased her little stock to 300l. This and Johnson's protection fupported her through the rest of her life. We are told that Kitty Fisher left her card at Johnfon's house. Those who knew him, will hardly believe this ftory: for what purpose fhould he fee a woman, whose perfon was venal? His Biographer, however, acquits him of all amorous paffions. He fays that Johnfon was myops, or near-fighted, and doubts whether he ever had a perception of beauty. If he ever felt the impreffion, it was from Molly Afton, who is reprefented as a republican, and a declaimer for public liberty. Upon this lady, Johnfon made the two following verfes: Liber ut effe velim fuafifti, pulchra Maria: Ut maneam liber, pulchra Maria, vale. Which may be thus tranflated: Man's born for freedom, Tyrant, we agree: * See Rev. vol. xxxiv. p. 355. VOL. LXXVI. In In 1750, one Lauder, of infamous memory, publifhed an "Effay on Milton's Ufe and Imitation of the Moderns." The Biographer tells us, that Johnson affifted this man, from motives of enmity to the memory of Milton: but it appears, that while Lauder's work was in the prefs, the proof fheets were fubmitted to the inspection of the Ivy-lane club. If Johnfon approved of the defign, it was no longer than while he believed it founded in fa&t. With the reft of the club he was in one common error. As foon as Dr. Douglas efpoufed the cause of truth, and with ability that will ever do him honour, dragged the impoftor into open day-light, Johnfon made ample reparation to the genius of Milton. He convinced Lauder that it would be more for his interest to make a full confeffion of his guilt, than to ftand forth the convicted champion of a lie; and, for this purpofe, drew up in the ftrongest terms, a recantation, which Lauder figned, and published in quarto, addreffed to Dr. Douglas, 1751. It is painful to be thus obliged to vindicate Johnson against the infinuations of the man, who has undertaken to be his Editor, and the guardian of his fame. During the two years in which Johnson entertained the Public with his Rambler, the great work of the Dictionary was ftill carried on, fometimes by flow degrees, and occafionally with vigour. The morbid melancholy, of which he complained early in life, and which was probably caused by that disorder that brought him to the prefence of Queen Anne, returned upon him at intervals, and clouded his understanding. In a fhort time after the Rambler ceafed, Mr. Hawkefworth projected the Adventurer. The firft Number was published November 7, 1752, and the Paper continued twice a week, till the 9th of March 1754. To this undertaking, Johnfon contributed his affift ance. All the effays marked T are of his writing. His price was two guineas for each paper. Dr. Jofeph Warton's effays are well known. From another quarter, Hawkesworth had fome fupplies, but that fource foon failed. Sir John Hawkins imagines that the perfon here intended was Dr. Bathurst, one of the Ivy-lane club; but if he will take the trouble to enquire; he will find that the late Bonnell Thornton was, in the beginning of that undertaking, embarked with Dr. Hawkefworth. The connection did not laft long, and Thornton fet up a new Paper, called the Connoiffeur. The propofal for forming the Labours of Hercules into a pantomime, was of Thornton's writing. When it is confidered that Johnfon, about the age of 20, drew up the state of his cafe for an eminent phyfician in Stafford fhire, and received for anfwer, that the fymptoms tended to infanity, who can wonder that he was troubled with melancholy and dejection? And yet the lion was often roufed. He wrote by fits and starte, but always with vigour, and the power of genius. 12 He He took opium in large quantities, but the effect of it was a renovation of his faculties. His friend Cave died in January 1754. Of this man it is unneceffary to fay any thing, because the author of his life has faid fo much and fo well. It was a mortification to Johnson that his old friend did not live to fee the triumph of his labours. By the end of the year in which Cave died, the Dictionary was completed, and the clofe of the work fent to the prefs. Mr. Andrew Millar received the conclufion of this great undertaking with tranfports of joy, which he thought proper to exprefs in the following note: "Andrew Millar fends his compliments to Mr. Samuel Johnfon, with the money for the laft fheet of copy of the Dictionary, and thanks God he has done with him." Johnson returned a fhort and temperate answer: "Samuel Johnfon returns his compliments to Mr. Andrew Millar, and is very glad to find, as he does by his note, that Andrew Millar has the grace to thank God for any thing.' In May 1755, this great work was published. Johnson was defirous that it fhould appear to come from one, who had obtained academical honours, and, for that purpose, procured, in the preceding Feb. 1755, through the means of his friend, Mr. Thomas Warton, a diploma for a Mafter's degree from the Univerfity of Oxford. Garrick, on this occafion, wrote the following lines: "Talk of war with a Briton, he'll boldly advance, In the deep mines of fcience though Frenchmen may toil, Their verfe-men and profe-men; then match them with ours: Have put their whole drama and epic to flight; Lord Chefterfield wrote two effays, in the paper called the World, in a strain of compliment to the author. Johnfor treated this civility with difdain: his obfervation to Garrick, and others, was, "I have failed a long and difficult voyage round the world of the English language, and does he now send out his cock-boat to tow me into harbour?" Sir Thomas Robinson (commonly called Long Sir Thomas) endeavoured to bring about a reconciliation. He was commiffioned to apologize for Lord Chesterfield, and to make a tender of future friendship and pa-, The number of the French Academy employed in fettling their language. Cc 2 tronage. tronage. Sir Thomas added, that he himself, were he in greater affluence, would fettle an annuity of 500/ "Sir," faid Johnfon, "were the first peer in the kingdom to make me fuch an offer, I would fhew him the way down ftairs." Thus we fee Johnson proud of himself, and fierce with a fpirit of independence. He received, about this time, a polite Overture of friendship from Mr. Dodington, afterwards Lord Melcombe. It does not appear that this invitation was accepted: his pride led him to fhun the Great. It may be supposed that for all this ferocity there was fome foundation in his finances, and fince his Dictionary was finifhed, that money was to flow in upon him. The reverfe was the cafe. For his fubfiftence, during the progress of the work, he had received more than his contract, which was 15751. His receipts were produced at a taverndinner given by the bookfellers, and Johnfon had nothing left but the growing fame of his work. The author of a book called Lexiphanes, endeavoured to blaft his laurels, but in vain: the world applauded, and Johnfon never replied. His mind, indeed, ftrained and overlaboured, called for an interval of relaxation. He could not, however, afford to be altogether idle. Indolence was natural to him, but his neceffities required fome exertion of his talents. In or about 1756, he engaged in a publication called the Vifitor; and in the fubfequent year he became a Reviewer in the Literary Magazine, published by Mr. Newbery, and printed by Faden, who had been alfo printer of the Rambler. Among the books and monthly publications that paffed under his pen, Hanway's Journal attracted his attention. Mr. Hanway, in that work, happened to cenfure in ftrong terms the practice of drinking tea, which was Johnfon's favourite liquor. Between thefe two eminent men a controverfy enfued concerning the qualities of tea. Mr. Hanway begged quarter till his fecond edition fhould appear. Johnfon complied; but on the appearance of the fecond edition, the war was renewed. In the article of tea, Johnson defcribes himself as a hardened finner, who had for years diluted his meals with the infufion of that fafcinating plant; whofe tea-kettle had no time to cool; who with tea folaced the midnight hour, and with tea welcomed the morning. Of Hanway he faid, "He is a man whofe failings may well be pardoned for his virtues." Of the good Mr. Hanway, Sir John Hawkins fpeaks with more afperity: he had, fays the Biographer, a propenfity to write books, which for their tritenefs and inanity, no one can read. The remark, if true, will apply to a great many other writers. Before we clofe this year, 1756, we must acquaint the reader with a dreadful misfortune, which marks this unhappy æra. * Generally afcribed to Kenrick; but we have heard that the author's name was Campbell. The The chop-house club in Ivy-lane was diffolved: fome of the members were called to different parts of the world, and Sir John Hawkins found it convenient to spend his evenings at home. Johnson, however, furvived this calamity. His ftock of money arifing from the Dictionary being exhaufted, he quitted his houfe in Gough-fquare, and took chambers fomewhere in the Temple, and afterwards in Gray's Inn. Mrs. Williams went into lodgings. The bookfellers had been for fome time projecting a new edition of Shakespeare, and Johnson's name they thought would give celebrity to the work. He clofed with their propofals, and fubfcription tickets were iflued out. For undertaking this work, money, he confeffed, was the inciting motive: this, and not the defire of fame, he ufed freely to declare, was the moft cogent reafon for taking a pen in hand. His friends exerted themselves to promote the fubfcription, and, in the mean time, he engaged, under the auspices of Mr. Newbery, in a new work, called the Idler, which was publifhed in the Univerfal Chronicle, a paper fet on foot by Mr. Newbery, who was a man of a projecting head, good taffe, and great industry. The Idler began on the 15th of April 1758, and clofed on the 15th of April 1760. The profits of this work, and the fubfcriptions taken in for the edition of Shakespeare, together with fome fermons for lazy clergymen at a guinea each, were the means by which he fupported himfelf, till May or June 1762, when he was at length delivered from his diftrefs, by a penfion of 300l. per annum, extended to him by the royal bounty. In 1759, was published Raffelas, Prince of Abyffinia. The fory current at the time, was, that Johnfon wanted to let out on a journey to Lichfield, in order to pay the laft offices of filial duty to his mother, who, at the age of ninety, was then very near her diffolution. For this purpofe, money was neceflary. The late Mr. Dodfley was a man, whose heart at all times melted at diftrefs, and the prefent occafion awakened fenfations of the tendereft kind. He fled to the relief of a man, whom he loved and honoured, and either gave 100%. for the book (if it was then written), or advanced the money on the promise of a work that fhould be deemed equivalent. With this fupply, the affectionate fon fet out for Lichfield, but did not arrive in time to bid the last adieu, and close the eye of a parent whom he loved. He attended the funeral, and returned to London. Raffelas, it is said, was then written, and Mr. Dodfley thought himself amply repaid. This hiftory of the affair, we hope is true, for it does honour both to the Bookfeller and the Author. The Biographer's account of Mr. Baretti's being employed to hawk it among the bookfellers for the moft money, is related upon no better authority than that of hearfay. The character of this work, as expreffed by Sir John Hawkins, is curious in its kind: Confidered,' Cc 3 |