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 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 131. 2s. 6d. reckoning the half guinea of last Saturday. As 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 Savage 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 lie 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 Dealer," (1)—all the Magazines that have any thing 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. (2) 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." (1) ["The Plain Dealer" was a periodical paper, published in 1724, and written by Mr. Hill and Mr. Bond, whom Savage called the two contending powers of light and darkness. They wrote, by turns, each six essays; and the character of the work was observed regularly to rise in Mr. Hill's week, and fall in Mr. Bond's.-JOHNSON, Life of Savage.] (2) [Neither this Inscription nor the Soldier's Letter mentioned in the next letter have been discovered.] "SIR, 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. If you will have it 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 Crousaz and Warburton, on Pope's Essay on Man ;"+ in which, while he defends Crousaz, he shows an admirable metaphysical acuteness and temperance in controversy; Ad Lauram parituram Epigramma (1);” * (1) Angliacas inter pulcherrima Laura puellas, Neve tibi noceat prænituisse Deæ. 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. The following elegant Latin Ode, which appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine for 1743 (vol. xiii. p. 548.), was, many years ago, pointed out to James Bindley, Esq. as written by Johnson, and may safely be attributed to him: - and, “A Latin Translation of Pope's Verses on his Grotto: :”* and, as he could employ his pen with equal success upon a small matter as a great, I suppose him to be the author of an advertisement for Osborne, concerning the great Harleian Catalogue. 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, AD ORNATISSIMAM PUELLAM. Vanæ sit arti, sit studio modus, Mitte, supervacuosque cultus. Ut fortuitis verna coloribus Lenique fons cum murmure pulchrior Ducit aquas temerè sequentes : Ingeminant sine lege cantus: Nativa sic te gratia, te nitor Ergo fluentem tu malè sedula, Quales nec olim vel Ptolemæia Nec diva mater, cum similem tuæ 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 Heaven, "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. "Nor shall thine ardour cease to glow, When souls to blissful climes remove: What raised our virtue here below, Shall aid our happiness above." |