poetical monitors. The Reverend Dr. Douglas, now Bishop of Salisbury, to whom I am indebted for some obliging communications, was then a student at Oxford, and remembers well the effect which London produced. Everybody was delighted with it; and there being no name to it, the first buzz of the literary circles was, 'Here is an unknown poet, greater even than Pope.' And it is recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine of that year 1 that it got to the second edition in the course of a week.' One of the warmest patrons of this poem on its first appearance was General Oglethorpe, whose 'strong benevolence of soul' was unabated during the course of a very long life; though it is painful to think that he had but too much reason to become cold and callous, and discontented with the world, from the neglect which he experienced of his public and private worth by those in whose power it was to gratify so gallant a veteran with marks of distinction. This extraordinary person was as remarkable for his learning and taste as for his other eminent qualities; and no man was more prompt, active, and generous in encouraging merit. I have heard Johnson gratefully acknowledge, in his presence, the kind and effectual support which he gave to his London, though unacquainted with its author. Pope, who then filled the poetical throne without a rival, it may reasonably be presumed, must have been particularly struck by the sudden appearance of such a poet; and, to his credit, let it be remembered that his feelings and conduct on the occasion were 1 Page 269. candid and liberal. He requested Mr. Richardson, son of the painter, to endeavour to find out who this new author was. Mr. Richardson, after some inquiry, having informed him that he had discovered only that his name was Johnson, and that he was some obscure man, Pope said, 'He will soon be déterré.'1 We shall presently see, from a note written by Pope, that he was himself afterwards more successful in his inquiries than his friend. That in this justly celebrated poem may be found a few rhymes which the critical precision of English prosody at this day would disallow, cannot be denied ; but with this small imperfection, which in the general blaze of its excellence is not perceived, till the mind has subsided into cool attention, it is undoubtedly one of the noblest productions in our language, both for sentiment and expression. The nation was then in that ferment against the Court and the Ministry which some years after ended in the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole; and as it has been said that Tories are Whigs when out of place, and Whigs Tories when in place; so, as a Whig Administration ruled with what force it could, a Tory Opposition had all the animation and all the eloquence of resistance to power, aided by the common topics of patriotism, liberty, and independence! Accordingly we find in Johnson's London the most spirited invectives against tyranny and oppression, the warmest predilection for his own country, and the purest love of virtue; interspersed with traits of his own particular character and situation, not omitting his prejudices as a 'true-born 1 Sir Joshua Reynolds, from the information of the younger Richardson. Englishman,'1 not only against foreign countries, but against Ireland and Scotland. On some of these topics I shall quote a few passages :— "The cheated nation's happy fav'rites see; 'Has heaven reserved, in pity to the poor, "This mournful truth is everywhere confess'd, We may easily conceive with what feeling a great mind like his, cramped and galled by narrow circumstances, uttered this last line, which he marked by capitals. The whole of the poem is eminently excellent, and there are in it such proofs of a knowledge of the world, and of a mature acquaintance with life, as cannot be contemplated without wonder, when we consider that he was then only in his twenty-ninth year, and had yet been so little in the 'busy haunts of men.' Yet, while we admire the poetical excellence of this poem, candour obliges us to allow that the flame of patriotism and zeal for popular resistance with which it is fraught, had no just cause. There was, 1 It is, however, remarkable, that he uses the epithet which, un. doubtedly, since the union between England and Scotland, ought to denominate the natives of both parts of our island: 'Was early taught a BRITON's rights to prize. |