1740] EPITAPH ON PHILIPS 101 him with astonishment, and actually imagined that this ideot had been at the moment inspired. Neither Hogarth nor Johnson were made known to each other at this interview. 6 1740 ÆTAT. 31.]-IN 1740 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine the 'Preface,'† 'Life of Sir Francis Drake,'* and the first parts of those of Admiral Blake,'* and of Philip Baretier, both which he finished the following year. He also wrote an Essay on Epitaphs,'† and an Epitaph on Philips, a Musician,'* which was afterwards published with some other pieces of his, in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies. This Epitaph is so exquisitely beautiful, that I remember even Lord Kames, strangely prejudiced as he was against Dr. Johnson, was compelled to allow it very high praise. It has been ascribed to Mr. Garrick, from its appearing at first with the signature G; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare, that it was written by Dr. Johnson, and give the following account of the manner in which it was composed. Johnson and he were sitting together; when, amongst other things, Garrick repeated an Epitaph upon this Philips by a Dr. Wilkes, in these words: Exalted soul! whose harmony could please The love-sick virgin, and the gouty ease; Johnson shook his head at these common-place funereal lines, and said to Garrick, 'I think, Davy, I can make a better.' Then, stirring about his tea for a little while, in a state of meditation, he almost extempore produced the following verses: 'Philips, whose touch harmonious could remove At the same time that Mr. Garrick favoured me with this anecdote, he repeated a very pointed Epigram by Johnson, on George the Second and Colley Cibber, which has never yet appeared, and of which I know not the exact date. Dr. Johnson afterwards gave it to me himself: 102 EPIGRAM ON CIBBER Augustus still survives in Maro's strain, [1741 In 1741 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine' the Preface,'* Conclusion of his lives of Drake and Baretier,'† 'A free translation of the Jests of Hierocles, with an Introduction;'† and, I think, the following pieces: Debate on the Proposal of Parliament to Cromwell, to assume the Title of King, abridged, modified, and digested;'† 'Translation of Abbé Guyon's Dissertation on the Amazons ;'† 'Translation of Fontenelle's Panegyrick on Dr. Morin.'† Two notes upon this appear to me undoubtedly his. He this year, and the two following, wrote the Parliamentary Debates. told me himself, that he was the sole composer of them for those three years only. He was not, however, precisely exact in his statement, which he mentioned from hasty recollection; for it is sufficiently evident, that his composition of them began November 19, 1740, and ended February 23, 1742-3. He It appears from some of Cave's letters to Dr. Birch, that Cave had better assistance for that branch of his Magazine, than has been generally supposed; and that he was indefatigable in getting it made as perfect as he could. Thus, 21st July, 1735. 'I trouble you with the inclosed, because you said you could easily correct what is here given for Lord C- -ld's speech. I beg you will do so as soon as you can for me, because the month is far advanced.' And 15th July, 1737. As you remember the debates so far as to perceive the speeches already printed are not exact, I beg the favour that you will peruse the inclosed, and, in the best manner your memory will serve, correct the mistaken passages, or add any thing that is omitted. I should be very glad to have something of the Duke of N-le's speech, which would be particularly of service. A gentleman has Lord Bathurst's speech to add something to.' And July 3, 1744. 'You will see what stupid, low, abominable stuff is put' upon your noble and learned friend's " 1 I suppose in another compilation of the same kind. 2 Doubtless, Lord Hardwick. 1741] CAVE'S PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 103 character, such as I should quite reject, and endeavour to do something better towards doing justice to the character. But as I cannot expect to attain my desires in that respect, it would be a great satisfaction, as well as an honour to our work to have the favour of the genuine speech. It is a method that several have been pleased to take, as I could show, but I think myself under a restraint. I shall say so far, that I have had some by a third hand, which I understood well enough to come from the first; others by pennypost, and others by the speakers themselves, who have been pleased to visit St. John's Gate, and show particular marks of their being pleased 1.' There is no reason, I believe, to doubt the veracity of Cave. It is, however, remarkable, that none of these letters are in the years during which Johnson alone furnished the Debates, and one of them is in the very year after he ceased from that labour. Johnson told me that as soon as he found that the speeches were thought genuine, he determined that he would write no more of them; for he would not be accessary to the propagation of falsehood.' And such was the tenderness of his conscience, that a short time before his death he expressed his regret for his having been the authour of fictions, which had passed for realities. He nevertheless agreed with me in thinking, that the debates which he had framed were to be valued as orations upon questions of publick importance. They have accordingly been collected in volumes, properly arranged, and recommended to the notice of parliamentary speakers by a preface, written by no inferior hand 2. I must, however, observe, that although there is in those debates a wonderful store of political information, and very powerful eloquence, I cannot agree that they exhibit the manner of each particular speaker, as Sir John Hawkins seems to think. But, indeed, what opinion can we have of his judgement, and taste in publick speaking, who presumes to give, as the characteristicks of two celebrated orators, the deep-mouthed rancour of Pulteney, and the yelping pertinacity of Pitt "." 1 Birch's MSS. in the British Museum, 4302. * I am assured that the editor is Mr. George Chalmers, whose commercial works are well known and esteemed. * Hawkins's Life of Johnson, p. 100. 104 IRENE READY FOR THE STAGE [1741 This year I find that his tragedy of Irene had been for some time ready for the stage, and that his necessities made him desirous of getting as much as he could for it, without delay; for there is the following letter from Mr. Cave to Dr. Birch, in the same volume of manuscripts in the British Museum, from which I copied those above quoted. They were most obligingly pointed out to me by Sir William Musgrave, one of the Curators of that noble repository. 'Sept. 9, 1741. 'I have put Mr. Johnson's play into Mr. Gray's1 hands, in order to sell it to him, if he is inclined to buy it; but I doubt whether he will or not. He would dispose of the copy, and whatever advantage may be made by acting it. Would your society, or any gentleman, or body of men that you know, take such a bargain? He and I are very unfit to deal with theatrical persons. Fleetwood was to have acted it last season, but Johnson's diffidence or 3 prevented it.' I have already mentioned that Irene was not brought into publick notice till Garrick was manager of Drury-lane theatre. 1742 ÆTAT. 33.]-IN 1742 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine the Preface,'t the Parliamentary Debates,** Essay on the Account of the conduct of the Duchess of Marlborough,'* then the popular topick of conversation. This Essay' is a short but masterly performance. We find him in No. 13 of his Rambler, censuring a profligate sentiment in that Account;' and again insisting upon it strenuously in conversation *. An account of the Life of Peter Burman,'* I believe chiefly taken from a foreign publication; as, indeed, he could not himself know much about Burman; Additions to his Life of Baretier ;' The Life of Sydenham,'* afterwards prefixed to Dr. Swan's edition of his works; 'Proposals for Printing Bibliotheca Harleiana, or 6 1 A bookseller of London. 2 Not the Royal Society; but the Society for the encouragement of learning, of which Dr. Birch was a leading member. Their object was to assist authors in printing expensive works. It existed from about 1735 to 1746, when having incurred a considerable debt, it was dissolved. 3 There is no erasure here, but a mere blank; to fill up which may be an exercise for ingenious conjecture. 4 Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 3rd edit. p. 167. [Sept. 10, 1773.] 1742] BIBLIOTHECA HARLEIANA 105 a Catalogue of the Library of the Earl of Oxford.'* His account of that 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, and preparations for war.' As 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. Astle 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. |