Thus was Johnfon employed, during fome of the best years of his life, as a mere literary labourer " for gain, not glory," folely to obtain an honest fupport. He however indulged himself in occafional little fallies, which the French fo happily exprefs by the term jeux d'efprit, and which will be noticed in their order, in the progrefs of this work. But what first difplayed his tranfcendent powers, and "gave the world affurance of the MAN," was his "LONDON, a Poem, in Imitation of the Third Satire of Juvenal," which came out in May this year, and burft forth with a splendour, the rays of which will for ever encircle his name. Boileau had imitated the fame fatire with great fuccefs, applying it to Paris'; but an attentive comparison will fatisfy every reader, that he is much excelled by the English Juvenal. Oldham had alfo imitated it, and applied it to London; all which performances concur to prove, that great cities, in every age, and in every country, will furnish fimilar topicks of fatire. Whether Johnson had previously read Oldham's imitation, I do not know; but it is not a little remarkable, that there is fcarcely any coincidence found between the two performances, though upon the very fame fubject. The only instances are, in describing London as the fink of foreign worthlessness: 1738. Etat. 29. The particulars which Oldham has collected, both as exhibiting the horrours of London, and of the times, contrafted with better days, are different from thofe of Johnson, and in general well chosen, and well exprest3. There I own it pleased me to find amongst them one trait of the manners of the age in London, in the last century, to fhield from the fneer of English ridicule, what was some time ago too common a practice in my native city of Edinburgh: "If what I've faid can't from the town affright, "Confider other dangers of the night; I 2 es When 1738. Etat. 29. There are, in Oldham's imitation, many profaick verfes and bad rhymes, poem fets out with a ftrange inadvertent blunder: and his It is plain he was not going to leave his friend; his friend was going to. leave him. A young lady at once corrected this with good critical fagacity to "Tho' much concern'd to lose my dear old friend." There is one paffage in the original, better transfufed by Oldham than byJohnson : "Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in fe, which is an exquifite remark on the galling meannefs and contempt annexed "Of all the griefs that harrass the distreft, Where, or in what manner this poem was compofed, I am forry that I neglected to ascertain with precision, from Johnson's own authority. He has marked upon his corrected copy of the firft edition of it, "Written in 1738;" and, as it was published in the month of May in that year, it is evident that much time was not employed in preparing it for the prefs. The history of its publication I am enabled to give in a very fatisfactory manner; and judging from myself, and many of my friends, I trust that it will not be uninteresting to my readers. "When brickbats are from upper ftories thrown, And emptied chamberpots come pouring down "From garret windows.” We We may be certain, though it is not exprefsly named in the following letters to Mr. Cave in 1738, that they all relate to it: 1738. Etat. 29. To Mr. CAVE.. Caftle-ftreet, Wednesday morning.. " SIR, "WHEN I took the liberty of writing to you a few days ago, I' did not expect a repetition of the fame pleasure fo foon; for a pleasure I shall always think it, to converse in any manner with an ingenious and candid man; but having the inclofed poem in my hands to dispose of for the benefit of the authour, (of whofe abilities I fhall fay nothing, fince I fend you his performance,) I believed I could not procure more advantageous terms from any person than from you, who have so much distinguished yourself by your generous encouragement of poetry; and whose judgement of that art nothing but your commendation of my trifle can give me any occafion to call in queftion. I do not doubt but you will look over this poem with another eye, and reward it in a different manner, from a mercenary bookfeller, who counts the lines he is to purchase, and confiders nothing but the bulk. I cannot help taking notice, that, befides what the authour may hope for on account of his abilities, he has likewise another claim to your regard, as he lies at prefent under very disadvantageous circumstances of fortune. I beg, therefore, that you will favour me with a letter to-morrow, that I may know what you can afford to allow him, that he may either part with it to you, or find out (which I do not expect) fome other way more, to his fatisfaction. "I have only to add, that as I am fenfible I have transcribed it very coarsely, which, after having altered it, I was obliged to do, I will, if you please to tranfmit the fheets from the press, correct it for you; and take the trouble of altering any stroke of fatire which you may dislike. By exerting on this occafion your ufual generofity, you will not only encourage learning, and relieve distress, but (though it be in comparison of the other motives of very small account) oblige in a very fenfible manner, Sir, "Your very humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." 9 His Ode "Ad Urbanum" probably. N. To 1738. Etat. 29. " SIR, To Mr. CAVE. Monday, No. 6, Cafle-street. "I AM to return you thanks for the prefent you were fo kind as to fend by me, and to intreat that you will be pleased to inform me by the pennypoft, whether you refolve to print the poem. If you please to fend it me by the post, with a note to Dodfley, I will go and read the lines to him, that we may have his consent to put his name in the title-page. As to the printing, if it can be fet immediately about, I will be fo much the authour's friend, as not to content myself with mere folicitations in his favour. I propose, if my calculation be near the truth, to engage for the reimbursement of all that you fhall lose by an impreffion of 500, provided, as you very generously propose, that the profit, if any, be set aside for the authour's use, excepting the present you made, which, if he be a gainer, it is fit he should repay. I beg that you will let one of your fervants write an exact account of the expence of fuch an impreffion, and fend it with the poem, that I may know what I engage for. I am very fenfible, from your generofity on this occafion, of your regard to learning, even in its unhappiest ftate, and cannot but think fuch a temper deferving of the gratitude of those who fuffer fo often from a contrary difpofition. I am, Sir, "Your most humble fervant, To Mr. CAVE. "SAM. JOHNSON." [No date.] <<< SIR, "I WAITED on you to take the copy to Dodsley's: as I remember the number of lines which it contains, it will be longer than Eugenio, with the quotations, which must be fubjoined at the bottom of the page, part of the beauty of the performance (if any beauty be allowed it) confisting in adapting Juvenal's fentiments to modern facts and perfons. It will, with those additions, very conveniently make five sheets. And fince the expence will be no more, I fhall contentedly infure it, as I mentioned in my laft. If it be not therefore gone to Dodfley's, I beg it may be sent me by the penny-poft, that I may have it in the evening. I have compofed a Greek Epigram to Eliza', and think she ought to be celebrated in as many different languages as Lewis le Grand. Pray fend me word when you will begin upon The learned Mrs. Elizabeth Carter. the the poem, for it is a long way to walk. I would leave my Epigram, but have not day-light to tranfcribe it. I am, Sir, "Your's, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON." 1738. Etat. 29. SIR, To Mr. CAVE.. [No date.] "I AM extremely obliged by your kind letter, and will not fail to attend you to-morrow with IRENE, who looks upon you as one of her best friends.. "I was to day with Mr. Dodfley, who declares very warmly in favour of the paper you fent him, which he defires to have a fhare in, it being, as he fays, a creditable thing to be concerned in. I knew not what answer to make: till I had confulted you, nor what to demand on the authour's part, but am very willing that, if you please, he should have a part in it, as he will. undoubtedly be more diligent to difperfe and promote it. If you can fend me word to-morrow what I fhall fay to him, I will fettle matters, and bring the poem with me for the prefs, which as the town empties, we cannot be too quick with. I am, Sir, "Your's, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON." To us who have long known the manly force, bold fpirit, and mafterly verfification of this poem, it is a matter of curiofity to obferve the diffidence with which its authour brought it forward into publick notice, while he is fo cautious as not to avow it to be his own production; and with what humility he offers to allow the printer to "alter any stroke of fatire which he might diflike." That any fuch alteration was made, we do not know. If we did, we could not but feel an indignant regret; but how painful is it to see that a writer of fuch vigourous powers of mind was actually in fuch diftrefs, that the small profit which fo fhort a poem, however excellent, could yield, was courted as a "relief." It has been generally faid, I know not with what truth, that Johnfon offered his "LONDON" to feveral booksellers, none of whom would purchafe it. To this circumftance Mr. Derrick alludes in the following lines of his "FORTUNE, A RHAPSODY:" «. Will |