to have owned that he was such a mannerist, that the disposition of his pictures was all alike." "For hospitality, as formerly practised, there is no longer the same reason; heretofore the poorer people were more numerous, and from want of commerce, their means of getting a livelihood more difficult; therefore the supporting them was an act of great benevolence; now that the poor can find maintenance for themselves, and their labour is wanted, a general undiscerning hospitality tends to ill, by withdrawing them from their work to idleness and drunkenness. Then, formerly rents were received in kind, so that there was a great abundance of provisions in possession of the owners of the lands, which, since the plenty of money afforded by commerce, is no longer the case. 66 Hospitality to strangers and foreigners in our country is now almost at an end, since, from the increase of them that come to us, there have been a sufficient number of people that have found an interest in providing inns and proper accommodations, which is in general a more expedient method for the entertainment of travellers. Where the travellers and strangers are few, more of that hospitality subsists, as it DR. FARMER. has not been worth while to provide places of accommodation. In Ireland there is still hospitality to strangers, in some degree; in Hungary and Poland probably more.' 66 Colman, in a note on his translation of Terence, talking of Shakspeare's learning, asks, "What says Farmer to this? What says Johnson?' Upon this he observed, 'Sir, let Farmer answer for himself: I never engaged in this controversy. I always said Shakspeare had Latin enough to grammaticise his Eng "A clergyman, whom he characterised as one who loved to say little oddities, was affecting one day, at a bishop's table, a sort of slyness and freedom not in character, and repeated, as if part of The Old Man's Wish,' a song by Dr. Walter Pope, a verse bordering on licentiousness. Johnson rebuked him in the finest manner, by first showing that he did not know the passage he was aiming at, and thus humbling him: Sir, that is not the song it is thus. And he gave it right. Then looking steadfastly on him, Sir, there is a part of that song which I should wish to exemplify in my own life: 'May I govern my passions with absolute sway!'" "Being asked if Barnes1 knew a good deal of Greek, he answered, 'I doubt, Sir, he was unoculus inter cæcos. "He used frequently to observe, that men might be very eminent in a profession, without our perceiving any particular power of mind in them in conversation. It seems strange,' said he, that a man should see so far to the right, who sees so short a way to the left. Burke is the only man whose common conversation corresponds with the general fame which he has in the world. Take up whatever topic you please, he is ready to meet you.' 66 A gentleman, by no means deficient in literature, having discovered less acquaintance with one of the Classics than Johnson expected, when the gentleman left the room, he observed, You see, now, how little anybody reads.' Mr. Langton happening to mention his having read a good deal in Clenardus's Greek Grammar,' Why, Sir,' said he, who is there in this town who knows anything of Clenardus but you and I?' And upon Mr. Langton's mentioning that he had taken the pains to learn by heart the Epistle of St. Basil, which is given in that Grammar as a praxis, 'Sir,' said he, 'I never made such an effort to attain Greek.' "Of Dodsley's 'Public Virtue,' a poem, he said, 'It was fine blank; (meaning to express his usual contempt for blank verse :) however, this miserable poem did not sell, and my poor friend Doddy said, Public virtue was not a subject to interest the age. "Mr. Langton, when a very young man, read Dodsley's 'Cleone,' a tragedy, to him, not aware of his extreme impatience to be read to. As it went on he turned his face to the back of his chair, and put himself into various attitudes, which marked his uneasiness. At the end of an act, however, he said, 'Come, let's have some more, let's go into the slaughter-house again, Lanky. But I am afraid there is 1 The Rev. Joshua Barnes, the learned editor of Homer, Euripides, and Anacreon. He was author of " The Life of Edward III.," and published a poem "On the History of Esther." He was born in 1654, and died in 1712.-ED. 2 Johnson, in his Life of Milton, after mentioning that great poet's extraordinary fancy that the world was in its decay, and that his book was to be written in an age too late for heroic poesy, thus concludes: "However inferior to the heroes who were born in better ages, he might still be great among his contemporaries, with the hope of growing every day greater in the dwindle of posterity; he might still be a giant among the pigmies, the one-eyed monarch of the blind."-J. BOSWELL, JUN. 3 The name of Dodsley, as an intimate friend of Johnson, is frequently mentioned in the course of these memoirs. As an author and a bookseller he was one of the most remarkable characters of his time. He was born at Mansfield in 1703, and was originally apprenticed to a stocking weaver, which trade he left, and became footman to the Hon. Mrs. Lowther. While he was in this situation, he brought out a volume of poems, entitled "The Muse in Livery," and a dramatic satire, called "The Toyshop," which being patronized by Pope, and successfully brought out on the stage, enabled Dodsley to commence business as a bookseller in Pall Mall. He still continued his literary pursuits, and produced "Cleone," a tragedy, besides many light dramas and poems. He was the projector of "The Annual Register," which is still published by the trade. He died in 1764, having retired from business after a prosperous career.-ED. more blood than brains.' Yet he afterwards said, 'When I heard you read it I thought higher of its power of language: when I read it myself I was more sensible of its pathetic effect;' and then he paid it a compliment which many will think very extravagant. Sir,' said he, 'if Otway had written this play, no other of his pieces would have been remembered.' Dodsley himself, upon this being repeated to him, said, 'It was too much :' it must be remembered, that Johnson always appeared not to be sufficiently sensible of the merit of Otway.' "1 "Snatches of reading,' said he, will not make a Bentley or a Clarke. They are, however, in a certain degree advantageous. I would put a child into a library (where no unfit books are) and let him read at his choice. A child should not be discouraged from reading anything that he takes a liking to, from a notion that it is above his reach. If that be the case, the child will soon find it out and desist; if not, he of course gains the instruction; which is so much the more likely to come, from the inclination with which he takes up the study.'" 66 'Though he used to censure carelessness with great vehemence, he owned, that he once, to avoid the trouble of locking up five guineas, hid them, he forgot where, so that he could not find them.' "A gentleman who introduced his brother to Dr. Johnson, was earnest to recommend him to the Doctor's notice, which he did by saying, 'When we have sat together some time, you'll find my brother grow very entertaining.'- Sir,' said Johnson, I can "When the rumour was strong that we should have a war, because the French would assist the Americans, he rebuked a friend with some asperity for supposing it, saying, 'No, Sir, national faith is not yet sunk so low.' 6 "In the latter part of his life, in order to satisfy himself whether his mental faculties were impaired, he resolved that he would try to learn a new language, and fixed upon the Low Dutch for that purpose, and this he continued till he had read about one half of Thomas à Kempis;' and finding that there appeared no abatement of his power of acquisition, he then desisted, as thinking the experiment had been duly tried. Mr. Burke justly observed, that this was not the most vigorous trial, Low Dutch being a language so near to our own; had it been one of the languages entirely different, he might have been very soon satisfied.' "Mr. Langton and he having gone to see a Freemason's funeral procession, when they were at Rochester, and some solemn music being played on French horns, he said, This is the first time that I have 1 This assertion concerning Johnson's insensibility to the pathetic powers of Otway is too round. 1 once asked him, whether he did not think Otway frequently tender, when he answered," Sir, he is all tenderness."-BURNEY, ever been affected by musical sounds;' adding, that the impression made upon him was of a melancholy kind.' Mr. Langton saying that this effect was a fine one-JOHNSON: Yes, if it softens the mind so as to prepare it for the reception of salutary feelings, it may be good: but inasmuch as it is melancholy per se, it is bad.'"1 "Goldsmith had long a visionary project, that some time or other, when his circumstances should be easier, he would go to Aleppo, in order to acquire a knowledge, as far as might be, of any arts peculiar to the East, and introduce them into Britain. When this was talked of in Dr. Johnson's company, he said,' Of all men Goldsmith is the most unfit to go out upon such an inquiry; for he is utterly ignorant of such arts as we already possess, and consequently could not know what would be accessions to our present stock of mechanical knowledge. Sir, he would bring home a grinding barrow, which you see in every street in London, and think he had furnished a wonderful improvement."" 666 Greek, Sir,' said he, 'is like lace; every man gets as much of it as he 1112 can. "When Lord Charles Hay, after his return from America, was preparing his defence to be offered to the court-martial which he had demanded, having heard Mr. Langton as high in expressions of admiration of Johnson as he usually was, he requested that Dr. Johnson might be introduced to him; and Mr. Langton having mentioned it to Johnson, he very kindly and readily agreed, and being presented by Mr. Langton to his lordship, while under arrest, he saw him several times; upon one of which occasions Lord Charles read to him what he had prepared, which Johnson signified his approbation of, saying, 'It is a very good soldierly defence.' Johnson said, that he had advised his lordship, that as it was in vain to contend with those who were in possession of power, if they would offer him the rank of lieutenant-general, and a government, it would be better judged to desist from urging his complaints. It is well known that his lordship died before the sentence was made known." "Johnson one day gave high praise to Dr. Bentley's verses? in 1 The French horn, however, is so far from being melancholy per se, that when the strain is light, and in the field, there is nothing so cheerful! It was the funeral occasion, and probably the solemnity of the strain, that produced the plaintive effect here mentioned.-BURNEY. 2 It should be remembered, that this was said twenty-five or thirty years ago, when lace was very generally worn.-MALONE. 3 Dr. Johnson, in his Life of Cowley, says, that these are "the only English verses which Bentley is known to have written." I shall here insert them, and hope my readers will apply them. "Who strives to mount Parnassus' hill, And thence poetic laurels bring, [" Whe Dodsley's Collection, which he recited with his usual energy. Dr. Adam Smith, who was present, observed, in his decisive professorial manner, 'Very well-very well.' Johnson, however, added, 'Yes, they are very well, Sir; but you may observe in what manner they are well. They are the forcible verses of a man of a strong mind, but not accustomed to write verse; for there is some uncouthness in the expression.' Drinking tea one day at Garrick's with Mr. Langton, he was questioned if he was not somewhat of a heretic as to Shakspeare; said Garrick, I doubt he is a little of an infidel.''Sir,' said Johnson 66 "Who Nature's treasures would explore, Must stoop as delving Woodward low. "Who studies ancient laws and rites, Tongues, arts, and arms, and history; "Who travels in religious jars, (Truth mixt with error, shades with rays,) "But grant our hero's hope, long toil Yet what reward, or what renown? "Envy, innate in vulgar souls, Envy steps in and stops his rise; To college and old books confined; Great without patron, rich without South Sea."-BOSWELL. Ι A different and probably a more accurate copy of these spirited verses is to ho found in "The Grove, or a Collection of Original Poems and Translations," &c. 1721. In this miscellany the last stanza, which in Dodsley's copy is unquestionably uncouth, is thus exhibited: "Inglorious or by wants inthrall'd, To college and old books confined Dunces advanced, he's left behind."-J. BosWELL, JUN. 1 The difference between Johnson and Smith is apparent even in this slight instance. Smith was a man of extraordinary application, and had his mind crowded with all manner of subjects; but the force, acuteness, and vivacity of Johnson were not to be found there. He had book-making so much in his thoughts, and was so chary of what might be turned to account in that way, that he once said to Sir Joshua Reynolds that he made it a rule, when in company, never to talk of what he understood. Beauclerk had for a short time a pretty high opinion of Smith's conversation. Garrick, after listening to him for a while, as to one of whom his expectations had been raised, turned slily to a mend, and whispered him, "What say you to this?-eh? flabby, I think."-BOSWELL |