1759. Etat. 50. year paffes without my having read it through; and at every perufal, my admiration of the mind which produced it is so highly raised, that I can scarcely believe that I had the honour of enjoying the intimacy of fuch a man. I restrain myself from quoting paffages from this excellent work, or even referring to them, because I should not know what to felect, or, rather, what to omit. I fhall, however, transcribe one, as it fhews how well he could ftate the arguments of those who believe in the appearance of departed fpirits, a doctrine which it is a mistake to fuppofe that he himself ever pofitively held. "If all your fear be of apparitions, (faid the Prince,) I will promise you fafety: there is no danger from the dead; he that is once buried will be seen no more. "That the dead are feen no more (faid Imlac,) I will not undertake to maintain against the concurrent and unvaried testimony of all ages, and of all nations. There is no people, rude or learned, among whom apparitions of the dead are not related and believed. This opinion, which prevails as far as human nature is diffused, could become universal only by its truth; those that never heard of one another, would not have agreed in a tale which nothing but experience can make credible. That it is doubted by fingle cavillers, can very little weaken the general evidence; and fome who deny it with their tongues, confefs it by their fears." Notwithstanding the high admiration of Raffelas, I will not maintain that the "morbid melancholy" in Johnson's conftitution may not, perhaps, have made life appear to him more infipid and unhappy than it generally is; for I am fure that he had lefs enjoyment from it than I have. Yet, whatever additional fhade his own particular fenfations may have thrown on his reprefentation of life, attentive observation and close inquiry have convinced me, that there is too much of reality in the gloomy picture. The truth, however, is, that we judge of the happiness and mifery of life differently at different times, according to the ftate of our changeable frame. I always remember a remark made to me by a Turkish lady, educated in France, “Ma foi, Monfieur, notre bonheur depend du façon que notre fang circule." This have I learnt from a pretty hard courfe of experience, and would, from fincere benevolence, imprefs upon all who honour this book with a perufal, that until a steady conviction is obtained, that the prefent life is an imperfect state, and only a paffage to a better, if we comply with the divine scheme of progresfive improvement; and alfo that it is a part of the mysterious plan of Providence, that intellectual beings must "be made perfect through fuffering ;” there will be a continual recurrence of disappointment and uneafinefs. But 1759. if we walk with hope in "the mid-day fun" of revelation, our temper and difpofition will be fuch, that the comforts and enjoyments in our way will be Atat. 50. relished, while we patiently fupport the inconveniencies and pains. After much speculation and various reasonings, I acknowledge myself convinced of the truth of Voltaire's conclufion, "Apres tout c'est un monde passable." But we muft not think too deeply: "Where ignorance is blifs, 'tis folly to be wife," is, in many respects, more than poetically juft. Let us cultivate, under the command of good principles, " La theorie des fenfations agréables ;" and, as Mr. Burke once admirably counfelled a grave and anxious gentleman, "live pleasant." The effect of Raffelas, and of Johnson's other moral tales, is thus beautifully illuftrated by Mr. Courtenay: It will be recollected, that during all this year he carried on his IDLER 5, and, no doubt, was proceeding, though flowly, in his edition of Shakspeare. • Literary and moral Character of Dr. Johnson. He, 5 This paper was in such high estimation before it was collected into volumes, that it was seized on with avidity by various publishers of newspapers and magazines, to enrich their publications. Johnson, to put a stop to this unfair proceeding, wrote for the Univerfal Chronicle the following advertisement, in which there is, perhaps, more pomp of words than the occafion demanded : "London, January 5, 1759. Advertisement. The proprietors of the paper entitled The Idler,' having found that those essays are inferted in the newspapers and magazines with fo little regard to justice or decency, that the Univerfal Chronicle, in which they first appear, is not always mentioned, think it necessary to declare to the publishers of those collections, that however patiently they have hitherto endured these injuries, made yet more injurious by contempt, they have now determined to endure them no longer. They have already feen effays, for which a very large price is paid, transferred, with the most shameless rapacity, into the weekly or monthly compilations, and their right, at least for the prefent, alienated from them, before they could themselves be faid to enjoy it. But they would not willingly be thought to want tenderness, even for men by whom no tenderness hath been fhewn. The paft is without remedy, and shall be without Bb 2 refentment. 1759. Etat. 50. He, however, from that liberality which never failed, when called upon to affist other labourers in literature, found time to tranflate for Mrs. Lennox's English verfion of Brumoy, "A Differtation on the Greek Comedy,t" and the General Conclufion of the book.† I would ascribe to this year the following letter to a son of one of his early friends at Lichfield, Mr. Jofeph Simpson, Barrister and authour of a tract entitled "Reflections on the Study of the Law." " DEAR SIR, To JOSEPH SIMPSON, Efq. "YOUR father's inexorability not only grieves but amazes me: he is your father: he was always accounted a wife man; nor do I remember any thing to the difadvantage of his good nature; but in his refufal to affift you there is neither good-nature, fatherhood, nor wifdom. It is the practice of good-nature to overlook faults which have already, by the confequences, punished the delinquent. It is natural for a father to think more favourably than others of his children; and it is always wife to give affiftance while a little help will prevent the neceffity of greater. " If you married imprudently, you miscarried at your own hazard, at an age when you had a right of choice. It would be hard if the man might not choose his own wife, who has a right to plead before the Judges of his country. "If your imprudence has ended in difficulties and inconveniences, you are yourself to fupport them; and, with the help of a little better health, you would fupport them and conquer them. Surely, that want which accident and fickness produces, is to be fupported in every region of humanity, though there were neither friends nor fathers in the world. You have certainly from your father the highest claim of charity, though none of right; and therefore refentment. But those who have been thus bufy with their fickles in the fields of their neighbours, are henceforward to take notice, that the time of impunity is at an end. Whoever fhall, without our leave, lay the hand of rapine upon our papers, is to expect that we shall vindicate our due, by the means which juftice prescribes, and which are warranted by the immemorial prescriptions of honourable trade. We fhall lay hold, in our turn, on their copies, degrade them from the pomp of wide margin and diffuse typography, contract them into a narrow space, and fell them at an humble price; yet not with a view of growing rich by confifcations, for we think not much better of money got by punishment than by crimes. We fhall, therefore, when our loffes are repaid, give what profit fhall remain to the Magdalens; for we know not who can be more properly taxed for the fupport of penitent proftitutes, than proftitutes in whom there yet appears neither penitence nor fhame." I would 1759 I would counfel you to omit no decent nor manly degree of importunity. Your debts in the whole are not large, and of the whole but a fmall part is trouble- Etat. 50. fome. Small debts are like small fhot; they are rattling on every side, and can scarcely be efcaped without a wound: great debts are like cannon; of loud noife, but little danger. You muft, therefore, be enabled to discharge petty debts, that you may have leifure, with fecurity, to ftruggle with the reft. Neither the great nor little debts difgrace you. I am fure you have my esteem for the courage with which you contracted them, and the fpirit with which you endure them. I wish my esteem could be of more use. I have been invited, or have invited myfelf, to feveral parts of the kingdom; and will not incommode my dear Lucy by coming to Lichfield, while her present lodging is of any use to her. I hope in a few days to be at leifure, and to make vifits. Whither I fhall fly is matter of no importance. A man unconnected is at home every where; unless he may be faid to be at home no where. I am forry, dear Sir, that where you have parents, a man of your merits should not have an home. I wish I could give it you. I am, my dear Sir, "Affectionately your's, "SAM. JOHNSON." He now refreshed himself by an excurfion to Oxford, of which the following fhort characteristical notice, in his own words, is preferved: «*** is now making tea for me. I have been in my gown ever fince I came here. It was at my firft coming quite new and handfome. I have fwum thrice, which I had difused for many years. I have proposed to Vanfittart" climbing over the wall, but he has refused me. And I have clapped my hands till they are fore, at Dr. King's speech "." His negro fervant, Francis Barber, having left him, and been fome time at sea, not preffed as has been supposed, but with his own confent, it appears from a letter to John Wilkes, Efq. from Dr. Smollet, that his mafter kindly interested himself in procuring his release from a state of life of which Johnson always expreffed the utmost abhorrence. He faid, "No man will be a failor who has contrivance enough to get himfelf into a jail; for being in a fhip is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned." And at another time, "A man in a jail has more room, better food, and commonly better company "." • Dr. Robert Vanfittart, of the ancient and refpc&table family of that name in Berkshire. He was eminent for learning and worth, and much efteemed by Dr. Johnfon. 7 Gentleman's Magazine, April 1785. Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, 3d edit. p. 126. 9 Ibid. P. 251. The 1759. Etat. 50. The letter was as follows: DEAR SIR, Chelfea, March 16, 1759. "I AM again your petitioner, in behalf of that great chum' of literature Samuel Johnson. His black fervant, whofe name is Francis Barber, has been preffed on board the Stag Frigate, Captain Angel, and our lexicographer is in great diftrefs. He fays the boy is a fickly lad, of a delicate frame, and particularly fubject to a malady in his throat, which renders him very unfit for his Majesty's service. You know what matter of animofity the faid Johnson has against you; and I dare fay you defire no other opportunity of refenting it than that of laying him under an obligation. He was humble enough to defire my affistance on this occafion, though he and I were never cater-coufins; and I gave him to understand that I would make application to my friend Mr. Wilkes, who, perhaps, by his intereft with Dr. Hay and Mr. Elliott, might be able to procure the discharge of his lacquey. It would be fuperfluous to fay more on the fubject, which I leave to your own confideration; but I cannot let flip this opportunity of declaring that I am, with the most inviolable esteem and attachment, dear Sir, "Your affectionate obliged humble servant, "T. SMOLLET." Mr. Wilkes, who upon all occafions has acted, as a private gentleman, with most polite liberality, applied to his friend Sir George Hay, then one of the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty; and Francis Barber was discharged, as he has told me, without any wifh of his own. He recollects the precife time to be three days before King George II. died. He found his old master in chambers in the Inner Temple, and returned to his service. What particular new scheme of life Johnson had in view this year, I have not discovered; but that he meditated one of fome fort, is clear from his private devotions, in which we find, "the change of outward things which I am now to make;" and, "Grant me the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that the course which I am now beginning may proceed according to thy laws, and end in the enjoyment of thy favour." But he did not, in fact, make any external or visible change. ■ Had Dr. Smollet been bred at an English Univerfity, he would have known that a chum is a student who lives with another in a chamber common to them both. A chum of literature is nonsense, 2 Prayers and Meditations, p. 30 and 40. At |