eloquence of resistance to power, aided by the common topicks of patriotism, liberty, and independence! Accordingly, we find in Johnfon's "London" the most spirited invectives against tyranny and oppreffion, the warmest predilection for his own country, and the pureft love of virtue; interspersed with traits of his own particular character and fituation, not omitting his prejudices as a "true-born Englishman," not only against foreign countries, but against Ireland and Scotland. On fome of these topicks I fhall quote a few paffages: "The cheated nation's happy favʼrites see ; "Mark whom the great carefs, who frown on me." "Has heaven referv'd, in pity to the poor, "How, when competitors like thefe contend, "This mournful truth is every where confefs'd, "SLOW RISES WORTH, BY POVERTY DEPRESS'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 fuch proofs of a knowledge of the world, and of a mature acquaintance with life, as cannot be contemplated without wonder, when we confider that he was then only in his twenty-ninth year, and had yet been fo little in the bufy haunts of men." Yet, while we adinire the poetical excellence of this poem, candour obliges us to allow, that the flame of patriotism and zeal for popular refiftance with which it is fraught, had no juft caufe. There was, in truth, no "oppreffion;" the "nation" was not "cheated." Sir Robert Walpole was a wife and a benevolent minister, who thought that the happinefs and profperity of a commercial country like ours, would be beft promoted by peace, which he 5 It is, however, remarkable, that he ufes the epithet, which, undoubtedly, fince 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." 3 accordingly 1738. accordingly maintained, with credit, during a very long period. Johnson himfelf afterwards honeftly acknowledged the merit of Walpole, whom he called "a Etat. 29. fixed ftar;" while he characterised his opponent, Pitt, as "a meteor." But Johnson's juvenile poem was naturally impregnated with the fire of oppofition, and upon every account was univerfally admired. Though thus elevated into fame, and confcious of uncommon powers, he had not that bustling confidence, or, I may rather fay, that animated ambition, which one might have fuppofed would have urged him to endeavour at rising in life. But fuch was his inflexible dignity of character, that he could not stoop to court the great; without which, hardly any man has made his way to high ftation. He could not expect to produce many fuch works as his "LONDON," and he felt the hardship of writing for bread; he was, therefore, willing to refume the office of a schoolmafter, fo as to have à fure, though moderate income for his life; and an offer being made to him of a school in Staffordshire', provided he could obtain the degree of Master of Arts, Dr. Adams was applied to, by a common friend, to know whether that could be granted him as a favour from the University of Oxford. But though he had made fuch a figure in the literary world, it was then thought too great a favour to be asked. Pope, without any knowledge of him but from his "London," recommended him to Earl Gower, who endeavoured to procure for him a degree from Dublin, by the following letter to a friend of Dean Swift: "SIR, "MR. SAMUEL JOHNSON (authour of London, a fatire, and fome other poetical pieces) is a native of this county, and much respected by fome worthy gentlemen in his neighbourhood, who are trustees of a charity school now vacant; the certain falary is fixty pounds a year, of which they are defirous to make him mafter; but, unfortunately, he is not capable of receiving their bounty, which would make him happy for life, by not being a Master of Arts; which, by the ftatutes of this fchool, the master of it must be. "Now these gentlemen do me the honour to think that I have interest enough in you, to prevail upon you to write to Dean Swift, to perfuade the In a billet written by Mr. Pope in the following year, this school is faid to have been in Shropshire; but as it appears from a letter from Earl Gower, that the truftees of it were "fome worthy gentlemen in Johnfon's neighbourhood," I conclude that Pope muft have, by mistake, written Shropshire instead of Staffordshire. 1738. Ætat. 29. University of Dublin to fend a diploma to me, conftituting this poor man Master of Arts in their Univerfity. They highly extol the man's learning and probity; and will not be perfuaded, that the University will make any difficulty of conferring fuch a favour upon a stranger, if he is recommended by the Dean. They fay he is not afraid of the strictest examination, though he is of fo long a journey; and will venture it, if the Dean thinks it neceffary; choofing rather to die upon the road, than be starved to death in tranflating for bookfellers; which has been his only fubfiftence for fome time past. "I fear there is more difficulty in this affair, than those good-natured gentlemen apprehend; efpecially as their election cannot be delayed longer than the 11th of next month. If you fee this matter in the fame light that it appears to me, I hope you will burn this, and pardon me for giving you fo much trouble about an impracticable thing; but, if you think there is a probability of obtaining the favour asked, I am fure your humanity, and propenfity to relieve merit in diftrefs, will incline you to ferve the poor man, without my adding any more to the trouble I have already given you, than affuring you that I am, with great truth, Sir,. "Your faithful humble fervant, "GOWER." "Trentham, Aug. 1, 1739." It was, perhaps no fmall disappointment to Johnson that this refpectable application had not the defired effect; yet how much reafon has there been, both for himself and his country, to rejoice that it did not fucceed, as he might probably have wafted in obfcurity thofe hours in which he afterwards produced his incomparable works.. About this time he made one other effort to emancipate himself from the drudgery of authourfhip. He applied to Dr. Adams, to confult Dr. Smalbroke of the Commons, whether a perfon might be permitted to practice as an advocate there, without a doctor's degree in Civil Law. "I am (faid he) a total ftranger to these ftudies; but whatever is a profeffion, and maintains numbers, must be within the reach of common abilities, and fome degree of industry." Dr. Adams was much pleased with Johnson's design to employ his talents in that manner, being confident he would have attained to great eminence. And, indeed, I cannot conceive a man better qualified to make a distinguished figure as a lawyer; for, he would have brought to his profeffion a rich ftore of various knowledge, an uncommon acutenefs, and a command of language, in which few could have equalled, and none have furpaffed furpaffed him. He who could difplay eloquence and wit in defence of the decifion of the Houfe of Commons upon Mr. Wilkes's election for Middlesex, and of the unconftitutional taxation of our fellow fubjects in America, must have been a powerful advocate in any cause. But here, alfo, the want of a degree was an infurmountable bar.. He was, therefore, under the neceffity of perfevering in that courfe, into which he had been forced; and we find, that his propofal from Greenwich to Mr. Cave, for a tranflation of Father Paul Sarpi's Hiftory, was accepted". Some sheets of this tranflation were printed off, but the defign was dropt; for it happened, oddly enough, that another perfon of the name of Samuel Johnson, Librarian of St. Martin's in the Fields, and Curate of that parish,. engaged in the fame undertaking, and was patronised by the Clergy, particularly by Dr. Pearce, afterwards Bishop of Rochefter. Several light fkirmishes paffed between the rival translators, in the newspapers of the day; and the confequence was, that they destroyed each other, for neither of them went on with the work. It is much to be regretted, that the able performance of that celebrated genius FRA PAOLO, loft the advantage of being incorporated into British literature by the mafterly hand of Johnfon. I have in my poffeffion, by the favour of Mr. John Nichols, a paper in Johnson's hand-writing, entitled "Account between Mr. Edward Cave and Sam. Johnson, in relation to a verfion of Father Paul, &c. begun Auguft the 2d, 1738" by which it appears, that from that day to the 21st of April, 7 In the Weekly Mifcellany, October 21, 1738, there appeared the following advertisement: "Juft published, Propofals for printing the Hiftory of the Council of Trent, tranflated from the Italian of Father Paul Sarpi; with the Authour's Life, and Notes theological, hiftorical, and critical, from the French edition of Dr. Le Courayer. To which are added, Obfervations on the Hiftory, and Notes and Illuftrations from various Authours, both printed and manufcript. By S. Johnfon. 1. The work will confift of two hundred sheets, and be two volumes in quarto, printed on good paper and letter. 2. The price will be 18s. each volume, to be paid, half a guinea. at the time of fubfcribing, half a guinea at the delivery of the first volume, and the reft at the delivery of the fecond volume in sheets. 3. Two-pence to be abated for every sheet lefs than two hundred. It may be had on a large paper, in three volumes, at the price of three guineas; one to be paid at the time of fubfcribing, another at the delivery of the firft, and the reft at the delivery of the other volumes. The work is now in the prefs, and will be diligently profecuted. Subscriptions are taken in by Mr. DodЛley in Pall-Mall, Mr. Rivington in St. Paul's Church-yard, by E. Cave at St. John's Gate, and the Tranflator, at No. 6 in Cakle-ftreet, by Cavendishfquare." Johnfon 1738. Atat. 29. 1738. Etat. 29. Johnson received for this work 49/. 75. in fums of one, two, three, and fometimes four guineas at a time, moft frequently two. And it is curious to obferve the minute and fcrupulous accuracy with which Johnson has pafted upon it a flip of paper, which he has entitled "Small Account," and which contains one article, " Sept. 9th, Mr. Cave laid down 2s. 6d." There is fubjoined to this account, a lift of fome fubfcribers to the work, partly in Johnson's hand-writing, partly in that of another perfon; and there follows a leaf or two on which are written a number of characters which have the appearance of a short hand, which, perhaps, Johnson was then trying to learn. <<< SIR, To Mr. CAVE. Wednesday. "I DID not care to detain your fervant while I wrote an answer to your letter, in which you seem to infinuate that I had promifed more than I am ready to perform. If I have raised your expectations by any thing that may have escaped my memory, I am forry; and if you remind me of it, shall thank you for the favour. If I made fewer alterations than ufual in the Debates, it was only because there appeared, and still appears to be, less need of alteration. The verfes to Lady Firebrace may be had when you please, for you know that such a subject neither deserves much thought, nor requires it. "The Chinese Stories may be had folded down when you please to fend, in which I do not recollect that you defired any alterations to be made. ୨ "An anfwer to another query I am very willing to write, and had confulted with you about it laft night if there had been time; for I think it the moft proper way of inviting fuch a correspondence as may be an advantage to the paper, not a load upon it. "As to the Prize Verfes, a backwardness to determine their degrees of merit is not peculiar to me. You may, if you pleafe, ftill have what I can fay; but I fhall engage with little spirit in an affair, which I fhall hardly end to my own fatisfaction, and certainly not to the fatisfaction of the parties. concerned'. "As to Father Paul, I have not yet been just to my proposal, but have met with impediments, which, I hope, are now at an end; and if you find They afterwards appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine with this title, "Verfes to Lady Firebrace, at Bury Affizes." Du Halde's Defcription of China was then publishing by Mr. Cave in weekly numbers, whence Johnson was to felect pieces for the embellishment of the Magazine. N. The premium of forty pounds propofed for the best poem on the Divine Attributes is here alluded to. N. the |