154 Osborne the bookseller. [A.D. 1742. celebrated collection of books, in which he displays the importance to literature of what the French call a catalogue raisonné, when the subjects of it are extensive and various, and it is executed with ability, cannot fail to impress all his readers with admiration of his philological attainments. It was afterwards prefixed to the first volume of the Catalogue, in which the Latin accounts of books were written by him. He was employed in this business by Mr. Thomas Osborne the bookseller, who purchased the library for 13,000l., a sum which Mr. Oldys' says, in one of his manuscripts, was not more than the binding of the books had cost; yet, as Dr. Johnson assured me, the slowness of the sale was such, that there was not much gained by it. It has been confidently related, with many embellishments, that Johnson one day knocked Osborne down in his shop, with a folio, and put his foot upon his neck. The simple truth I had from Johnson himself. Sir, he was impertinent to me, and I beat him. But it was not in his shop: it was in my own chamber?? A very diligent observer may trace him where we should not easily suppose him to be found. I have no doubt that he wrote the little abridgement entitled 'Foreign History,' in the Magazine for December. To prove it, I shall quote the Introduction. 'As this is that season of the year in which Nature may be said to command a suspension of hostilities, and which seems intended, by putting a short stop to violence and slaughter, to afford time for malice to relent, and animosity to subside; we can scarce expect any other accounts than of plans, negotiations and treaties, of proposals for peace, insult his memory, who wants his learning, his reason, or his wit.' Johnson's Works, v. 182. Bentley had died on July 14 of this year, and there can be little question that Bentley is meant. See post, end of 1744. 2 'There is nothing to tell, dearest lady, but that he was insolent and I beat him, and that he was a blockhead and told of it, which I should never have done. I have beat many a fellow, but the rest had the wit to hold their tongues.' Piozzi's Anec. p. 233. In the Life of Pope ... and preparations for war.' As Johnson thus mentions Osborne :Pope was ignorant enough of his own interest to make another change, and introduced Osborne contending for the prize among the booksellers [Dunciad, ii. 167]. Osborne was a man entirely destitute of shame, without sense of any disgrace but that of poverty. . . . The shafts of satire were directed equally in vain against Cibber and Osborne; being repelled by the impenetrable impudence of one, and deadened by the impassive dulness of the other.' Johnson's Works, viii. 302. also Aetat. 33.] A projected parliamentary history. 155 also this passage: 'Let those who despise the capacity of the Swiss, tell us by what wonderful policy, or by what happy conciliation of interests, it is brought to pass, that in a body made up of different communities and different religions, there should be no civil commotions', though the people are so warlike, that to nominate and raise an army is the same.' I am obliged to Mr. Astle2 for his ready permission to copy the two following letters, of which the originals are in his possession. Their contents shew that they were written about this time, and that Johnson was now engaged in preparing an historical account of the British Parliament. 'To MR. CAVE. 'SIR, [No date.] 'I believe I am going to write a long letter, and have therefore taken a whole sheet of paper. The first thing to be written about is our historical design. 'You mentioned the proposal of printing in numbers, as an alteration in the scheme, but I believe you mistook, some way or other, my meaning; I had no other view than that you might rather print too many of five sheets, than of five and thirty. 'With regard to what I shall say on the manner of proceeding, I would have it understood as wholly indifferent to me, and my opinion only, not my resolution. Emptoris sit eligere. 'I think the insertion of the exact dates of the most important events in the margin, or of so many events as may enable the reader to regulate the order of facts with sufficient exactness, the proper medium between a journal, which has regard only to time, and a history which ranges facts according to their dependence on each other, and postpones or anticipates according to the convenience of narration. I think the work ought to partake of the spirit of history, which is contrary to minute exactness, and of the regularity of a journal, which is inconsistent with spirit. For this reason, I neither admit numbers or dates, nor reject them. 'I am of your opinion with regard to placing most of the resolutions &c., in the margin, and think we shall give the most complete account of Parliamentary proceedings that can be contrived. The naked. papers, without an historical treatise interwoven, require some other 156 Payment for work. [A.D. 1742. As book to make them understood. I will date the succeeding facts with some exactness, but I think in the margin. You told me on Saturday that I had received money on this work, and found set down 137. 2s. 6d., reckoning the half guinea of last Saturday. you hinted to me that you had many calls for money, I would not press you too hard, and therefore shall desire only, as I send it in, two guineas for a sheet of copy; the rest you may pay me when it may be more convenient; and even by this sheet-payment I shall, for some time, be very expensive. 'The Life of Savage1 I am ready to go upon; and in Great Primer, and Pica notes, I reckon on sending in half a sheet a day; but the money for that shall likewise lye by in your hands till it is done. With the debates, shall not I have business enough? if I had but good pens. 'Towards Mr. Savage's Life what more have you got? I would willingly have his trial, &c., and know whether his defence be at Bristol, and would have his collection of poems, on account of the Preface.-The Plain Dealer2,-all the magazines that have anything of his, or relating to him. 'I thought my letter would be long, but it is now ended; and I am, Sir, 'Yours, &c. SAM. JOHNSON.' 'The boy found me writing this almost in the dark, when I could not quite easily read yours. 'I have read the Italian-nothing in it is well. 'I had no notion of having any thing for the Inscription 3. I hope you don't think I kept it to extort a price. I could think of nothing, till to day. If you could spare me another guinea for the history, I should take it very kindly, to night; but if you do not I shall not think it an injury.—I am almost well again.' 'SIR, 'To MR. CAVE. 'You did not tell me your determination about the 'Soldier's Letter,' which I am confident was never printed. I think it will not do by itself, or in any other place, so well as the Mag. Extraordinary. Aetat. 33.] Ad Lauram parituram Epigramma. 157 If you will have it at all, I believe you do not think I set it high, and I will be glad if what you give, you will give quickly. 'You need not be in care about something to print, for I have got the State Trials, and shall extract Layer, Atterbury, and Macclesfield from them, and shall bring them to you in a fortnight; after which I will try to get the South Sea Report.' [No date, nor signature.] I would also ascribe to him an 'Essay on the Description of China, from the French of Du Halde'.'† His writings in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1743, are, the 'Preface','† the 'Parliamentary Debates,'† 'Considerations on the Dispute between Crousaz3 and Warburton, on Pope's Essay on Man;' in which, while he defends Crousaz, he shews an admirable. metaphysical acuteness and temperance in controversy1; 'Ad Lauram parituram Epigramma5;'* and, ‘A Latin Translation of Pope's Verses on his Grotto';'* and, as he could employ his pen The This essay contains one sentiment eminently Johnsonian. writer had shown how patiently Confucius endured extreme indigence. He adds:This constancy cannot raise our admiration after his former conquest of himself; for how easily may he support pain who has been able to resist pleasure.' Gent. Mag. xii. 355. In this Preface there is a complaint that has been often repeated -All kinds of learning have given way to politicks.' In the Life of Pope (Johnson's Works, viii. 287) Johnson says that Crousaz, however little known or regarded here, was no mean antagonist.' It is not easy to believe that Boswell had read this essay, for there is nothing metaphysical in what Johnson wrote. Two-thirds of the paper are a translation from Crousaz. Boswell does not seem to have distinguished between Crousaz's writings and Johnson's. We have here a striking instance of the way in which Cave sometimes treated his readers. One-third of this essay is given in the number for March, the rest in the number for November. 5 Angliacas inter pulcherrima Laura puellas, Mox uteri pondus depositura grave, Adsit, Laura, tibi facilis Lucina Neve tibi noceat prænituisse Mr. Hector was present when this Epigram was made impromptu. The first line was proposed by Dr. James, and Johnson was called upon by the company to finish it, which he instantly did. BOSWELL. Macaulay (Essays, i. 364) criticises Mr. Croker's criticism of this epigram. The lines with which this poem is introduced seem to show that it cannot be Johnson's. He was not the man to allow that haste of performance was any plea for indulgence. They are as follows:-'Though several translations of Mr. Pope's verses on his Grotto have already appeared, we hope that the following attempt, which, we are assured, was 158 Friendship, an Ode. [A.D. 1743. with equal success upon a small matter as a great, I suppose him to be the authour of an advertisement for Osborne, concerning the great Harleian Catalogue1. But I should think myself much wanting, both to my illustrious friend and my readers, did I not introduce here, with more than ordinary respect, an exquisitely beautiful Ode, which has not been inserted in any of the collections of Johnson's poetry, written by him at a very early period, as Mr. Hector informs me, and inserted in the Gentleman's Magazine of this year. FRIENDSHIP, an ODE.* 'Friendship, peculiar boon of heav'n, While love, unknown among the blest, With bright, but oft destructive, gleam, Thy gentle flows of guiltless joys On fools and villains ne'er descend; Directress of the brave and just, O guide us through life's darksome way! On selfish bosoms only prey. the casual amusement of half an hour during several solicitations to proceed, will neither be unacceptable to our readers, nor (these circumstances considered) dishonour the persons concerned by a hasty publication.' Gent. Mag. xiii. 550. 1 See Gent. Mag. xiii. 560. I doubt whether this advertisement be from Johnson's hand. It is very unlikely that he should make the advertiser in one and the same paragraph when speaking of himself use us and mine. Boswell does not mention the Preface to vol. iii. of the Harleian Catalogue. It is included in Johnson's Works (v. 198). Its author, be he who he may, in speaking of literature, says: -‘I have idly hoped to revive a taste well-nigh extinguished.' Nor |
