Etat. 30. 1739. defcription which Sydenham gives of that difeafe. This disorder is a kind of convulfion. It manifefts itself by halting or unfteadiness of one of the legs, which the patient draws after him like an ideot. If the hand of the same side be applied to the breaft, or any other part of the body, he cannot keep it a moment in the fame pofture, but it will be drawn into a different one by a convulfion, notwithstanding all his efforts to the contrary. Sir Joshua Reynolds, however, is of a different opinion, and has favoured me with the following paper. "Those motions or tricks of Dr. Johnfon are improperly called convulfions. He could fit motionless, when he was told fo to do, as well as any other man; my opinion is, that it proceeded from a habit he had indulged himself in, of accompanying his thoughts with certain untoward actions, and those actions always appeared to me as if they were meant to reprobate fome part of his paft conduct. Whenever he was not engaged in conversation, fuch thoughts were fure to rush into his mind; and, for this reason, any company, any employment whatever, he preferred to being alone. The great business of his life (he faid) was to escape from himself; this difpofition he confidered as the difeafe of his mind, which nothing cured but company. "One inftance of his abfence and particularity, as it is characteristick of the man, may be worth relating. When he and I took a journey together into the Weft, we vifited the late Mr. Banks, of Dorsetshire; the converfation turning upon pictures, which Johnfon could not well fee, he retired to a corner of the room, ftretching out his right leg as far as he could reach before him, then bringing up his left leg, and stretching his right still further on. The old gentleman obferving him, went up to him, and in a very courteous manner affured him, that though it was not a new house, the flooring was perfectly fafe. The Doctor started from his reverie, like a perfon waked out of his fleep, but spoke not a word.” While we are on this fubject, my readers may not be difpleafed with another anecdote, communicated to me by the fame friend, from the relation of Mr. Hogarth. Johnson used to be a pretty frequent vifiter at the house of Mr. Richardfon, authour of Clariffa, and other novels of extenfive reputation. Mr. Hogarth came one day to fee Richardfon, foon after the execution of Dr. Cameron, for having taken arms for the house of Stuart in 1745-6; and being a warm partifan of George the Second, he observed to Richardfon, that certainly there must have been fome very unfavourable circumstances lately difcovered in this particular cafe, which had induced the King to approve of an execution for for rebellion fo long after the time when it was committed, as this had the appearance of putting a man to death in cold blood, and was very unlike his Majesty's ufual clemency. While he was talking, he perceived a person standing at a window in the room, shaking his head, and rolling himself about in a strange ridiculous manner. He concluded that he was an ideot, whom his relations had put under the care of Mr. Richardfon, as a very good man. To his great furprize, however, this figure ftalked forwards to where he and Mr. Richardfon were fitting, and all at once took up the argument, and burst out into an invective against George the Second, as one, who, upon all occafions, was unrelenting and barbarous; mentioning many inftances, particularly, that when an officer of high rank had been acquitted by a Court Martial, George the Second had, with his own hand, ftruck his name off the lift. In fhort, he difplayed fuch a power of eloquence, that Hogarth looked at him with astonishment, and actually imagined that this ideot had been at the moment infpired. Neither Hogarth nor Johnson were made known to each other at this interview. an "Life 1740. Etat. 31. In 1740 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine the "Preface,t" of Admiral Drake,*" and the first parts of thofe of "Sir Francis Blake,*” and of " Philip Baretier, *" both which he finished the year after. He also wrote Effay on Epitaphs,t" and an " Epitaph on Philips, a Musician,*" which was afterwards published with fome other pieces of his, in Mrs. Williams's Mifcellanies. This Epitaph is fo exquifitely beautiful, that I remember even Lord Kames, ftrangely prejudiced as he was against Dr. Johnson, was compelled to allow it very high praife. It has been afcribed to Mr. Garrick, from its appearing at firft with the fignature G; but I have heard Mr. Garrick declare, that it was written by Dr. Johnson, and give the following account of the manner in which it was compofed. Johnson and he were fitting together; when, amongst other things, Garrick repeated an Epitaph upon this Philips by a Dr. Wilkes, in thefe words: 6 Impartial pofterity may, perhaps, be as little inclined as Dr. Johnson was to justify the uncommon rigour exercised in the cafe of Dr. Archibald Cameron. He was an amiable and truly honest man; and his offence was owing to a generous, though mistaken principle of duty. Being obliged, after 1746, to give up his profeffion as a phyfician, and go into foreign parts, he was honoured with the rank of Colonel, both in the French and Spanish fervice. He was a fon of the ancient and respectable family of Cameron, of Lochiel; and his brother, who was the Chief of that brave clan, diftinguished himself by moderation and humanity, while the Highland army marched victorious through Scotland. It is remarkable of this Chief, that though he had earnestly. remonftrated against the attempt as hopeless, he was of too heroick a spirit not to venture his life and fortune in the caufe, when perfonally asked by him whom he thought his Prince. "Exalted 1741. Etat. 32. "Exalted foul! whofe harmony could please "And meet thy bleffed Saviour in the skies." Johnson fhook his head at these common-place funereal lines, and faid to Garrick, “I think, Davy, I can make a better." Then, ftirring about his tea for a little while, in a ftate of meditation, he almost extempore produced the following verses: At the fame time that Mr. Garrick favoured me with this anecdote, he repeated a very pointed Epigram by Johnson, on George the Second and Colley Cibber, which has never yet appeared, and of which I know not the exact date. Dr. Johnfon afterwards gave it to me himself. Auguftus ftill furvives in Maro's ftrain, "For Nature form'd the Poet for the King." In 1741 he wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine " the Preface,t" "Conclufion of his Lives of Drake and Baretier,*" "A free Tranflation of the Jefts of Hierocles, with an Introduction ;t" and, I think, the following pieces: "Debate on the Propofal of Parliament to Cromwell, to affume the Title of King, abridged, methodised, and digested;+" "Translation of Abbé Guyon's Dissertation on the Amazons ;+" "Translation of Fontenelle's Panegyrick on Dr. Morin.t" Two notes upon this appear to me undoubtedly his. He this year, and the two following, wrote the Parliamentary Debates. He told me himself, that he was the fole compofer of them for those three years only. 1741. He was not, however, precifely exact in his statement, which he mentioned from hafty recollection; for it is fufficiently evident, that his compofition of Etat. 32. them began November 19, 1740, and ended February 23, 1742-3. It appears from fome of Cave's letters to Dr. Birch, that Cave had better affistance for that branch of his Magazine, than has been generally fupposed; and that he was indefatigable in getting it made as perfect as he could. Thus, 21st July, 1735, "I trouble you with the inclosed, because you faid you could easily correct what is herein given for Lord C-ld's fpeech. I beg you will do fo as foon as you can for me, because the month is far advanced." And, 15th July, 1737. "As you remember the Debates fo far as to perceive the speeches already printed are not exact, I beg the favour that you will perufe the inclosed, and, in the best manner your memory will ferve, correct the mistaken paffages, or add any thing that is omitted. I fhould be very glad to have fomething of the Duke of N-le's fpecch, which would be particularly of fervice. "A gentleman has Lord Bathurft's speech to add fomething to." And, July 3, 1744, "You will fee what ftupid, low, abominable stuff is put upon your noble and learned friend's character, fuch as I fhould quite reject, and endeavour to do fomething better towards doing juftice to the character. But as I cannot expect to attain my defires in that respect, it would be a great fatisfaction to me, as well as an honour to our work, to have the favour of the genuine fpeech. It is a method that several have been pleased to take, as I could fhew, but I think myself under a restraint. I shall fay fo far, that I have had fome by a third hand, which I understood well enough to come from the first; others by penny-poft, and others by the fpeakers themselves, who have been pleased to vifit St. John's Gate, and shew particular marks of their being pleafed "." There is no reason, I believe, to doubt the veracity of Cave. It is, however, remarkable, that none of thefe letters are in the years during which Johnfon alone furnished the Debates, and one of them is in the very year after he ceafed from that labour. Johnfon told me, that as foon as he found that the speeches were thought genuine, he determined that he would write no more of them, for "he would not be acceffary to the propagation of falfhood." And fuch was the tenderness of his confcience, that a fhort time before his 7 I fuppofe in another compilation of the fame kind. • Birch's MSS. in the British Museum, 4302. Doubtlefs, Lord Hardwick.. death 1741. Etat. 32. death he expreffed a regret for his having been the authour of fictions, which had paffed for realities. He nevertheless agreed with me in thinking, that the Debates which he had framed were to be valued as Orations upon questions of publick importance.. They have accordingly been collected in volumes, properly arranged, and recommended to the notice of parliamentary speakers by a Preface, written by no inferiour hand'. I muft, however, obferve, that although there is in thofe Debates a wonderful store of political information, and very powerful eloquence, I cannot agree that they exhibit the manner of each particular. fpeaker, as Sir John Hawkins feems to think. But, indeed, what opinion can we have of his judgement, and tafte in publick fpeaking, who prefumes to give, as the characteristicks of two celebrated orators, "the deep-mouthed rancour of Pulteney, and the yelping pertinacity of Pitt'." This year I find that his tragedy of IRENE had been for fome time ready for the ftage, and that his neceffities made him defirous of getting as much as he could for it, without delay; for there is the following letter from Mr. Cave to Dr. Birch, in the fame volume of manufcripts in the British Museum from whence I copied thofe above quoted. They were moft obligingly pointed out to me by Sir William Mufgrave, one of the Curators of that noble repofitory. "Sept. 9, 1741. "I HAVE put Mr. Johnfon's play into Mr. Gray's' hands, in order to fell it to him, if he is inclined to buy it; but I doubt whether he will or not. He would difpofe of the copy, and whatever advantage may be made by acting it. Would your fociety, or any gentleman or body of men that you know, take fuch a bargain? He and I are very unfit to deal with theatrical perfons. Fleetwood was to have acted it last season, but Johnson's diffidence or 5 prevented it." I have already mentioned that " Irene" was not brought into publick notice till Garrick was manager of Drury-lane theatre. • I am well affured, that the editor is Mr. George Chalmers, whofe commercial works are well known and efteeined. 2 Hawkins's Life of Johnson, p. 100. 3 A bookfeller of London. 4 It is ftrange, that a printer who knew so much as Cave, fhould conceive fo ludicrous a fancy as that the Royal Society would purchase a Play. 5 There is no erafure here, but a mere blank; to fill up which may be an exercife for ingenious conjecture. |