Boswell's Life of Johnson
of Master of Arts conferred upon him, his Dictionary published, his
correspondence animated, his benevolence exercised.
Mr. Charles Burney, who has since distinguished himself so much in the
science of Musick, and obtained a Doctor's degree from the University
of Oxford, had been driven from the capital by bad health, and was now
residing at Lynne Regis, in Norfolk. He had been so much delighted with
Johnson's Rambler and the Plan of his Dictionary, that when the great
work was announced in the news-papers as nearly finished,' he wrote
to Dr. Johnson, begging to be informed when and in what manner
his Dictionary would be published; intreating, if it should be by
subscription, or he should have any books at his own disposal, to be
favoured with six copies for himself and friends.
In answer to this application, Dr. Johnson wrote the following letter,
of which (to use Dr. Burney's own words) 'if it be remembered that
it was written to an obscure young man, who at this time had not much
distinguished himself even in his own profession, but whose name could
never have reached the authour of The Rambler, the politeness and
urbanity may be opposed to some of the stories which have been lately
circulated of Dr. Johnson's natural rudeness and ferocity.'
'TO MR. BURNEY, IN LYNNE REGIS, NORFOLK.
'SIR,--If you imagine that by delaying my answer I intended to shew any
neglect of the notice with which you have favoured me, you will neither
think justly of yourself nor of me. Your civilities were offered with
too much elegance not to engage attention; and I have too much pleasure
in pleasing men like you, not to feel very sensibly the distinction
which you have bestowed upon me.
'Few consequences of my endeavours to please or to benefit mankind have
delighted me more than your friendship thus voluntarily offered, which
now I have it I hope to keep, because I hope to continue to deserve it.
'I have no Dictionaries to dispose of for myself, but shall be glad
to have you direct your friends to Mr. Dodsley, because it was by his
recommendation that I was employed in the work.
'When you have leisure to think again upon me, let me be favoured
with another letter; and another yet, when you have looked into my
Dictionary. If you find faults, I shall endeavour to mend them; if you
find none, I shall think you blinded by kind partiality: but to have
made you partial in his favour, will very much gratify the ambition of,
Sir, your most obliged and most humble servant,
'SAM. JOHNSON.'
'Gough-square, Fleet-street, April 8,1755.'
The Dictionary, with a Grammar and History of the English Language,
being now at length published, in two volumes folio, the world
contemplated with wonder so stupendous a work achieved by one man,
while other countries had thought such undertakings fit only for
whole academies. Vast as his powers were, I cannot but think that his
imagination deceived him, when he supposed that by constant application
he might have performed the task in three years.
The extensive reading which was absolutely necessary for the
accumulation of authorities, and which alone may account for Johnson's
retentive mind being enriched with a very large and various store of
knowledge and imagery, must have occupied several years. The Preface
furnishes an eminent instance of a double talent, of which Johnson
was fully conscious. Sir Joshua Reynolds heard him say, 'There are two
things which I am confident I can do very well: one is an introduction
to any literary work, stating what it is to contain, and how it should
be executed in the most perfect manner; the other is a conclusion,
shewing from various causes why the execution has not been equal to what
the authour promised to himself and to the publick.'
A few of his definitions must be admitted to be erroneous. Thus,
Windward and Leeward, though directly of opposite meaning, are defined
identically the same way; as to which inconsiderable specks it is enough
to observe, that his Preface announces that he was aware there might be
many such in so immense a work; nor was he at all disconcerted when an
instance was pointed out to him. A lady once asked him how he came
to define Pastern the KNEE of a horse: instead of making an elaborate
defence, as she expected, he at once answered, 'Ignorance, madam,
pure ignorance.' His definition of Network* has been often quoted with
sportive malignity, as obscuring a thing in itself very plain. But to
these frivolous censures no other answer is necessary than that with
which we are furnished by his own Preface.
* Any thing reticulated or decussated, at equal distances,
with interstices between the intersections.'--ED.
His introducing his own opinions, and even prejudices, under general
definitions of words, while at the same time the original meaning of the
words is not explained, as his Tory, Whig, Pension, Oats, Excise,* and a
few more, cannot be fully defended, and must be placed to the account of
capricious and humorous indulgence. Talking to me upon this subject when
we were at Ashbourne in 1777, he mentioned a still stronger instance
of the predominance of his private feelings in the composition of this
work, than any now to be found in it. 'You know, Sir, Lord Gower forsook
the old Jacobite interest. When I came to the word Renegado, after
telling that it meant "one who deserts to the enemy, a revolter," I
added, Sometimes we say a GOWER. Thus it went to the press; but the
printer had more wit than I, and struck it out.'
* Tory. 'One who adheres to the ancient constitution or the
state and the apostolical hierarchy of the church or
England, opposed to a whig.' Whig. 'The name of a
faction.' Pension. 'An allowance made to any one without
an equivalent. In England it is generally understood to
mean pay given to a state hireling for treason to his
country.' Oats. 'A grain which in England is generally
given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people.'
Excise. 'A hateful tax levied upon commodities, and
adjudged not by the common judges of property, but wretches
hired by those to whom excise is paid.'--ED.
Let it, however, be remembered, that this indulgence does not display
itself only in sarcasm towards others, but sometimes in playful allusion
to the notions commonly entertained of his own laborious task. Thus:
'Grub-street, the name of a street in London, much inhabited by writers
of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems; whence any
mean production is called Grub-street.'--'Lexicographer, a writer of
dictionaries, a harmless drudge.'
It must undoubtedly seem strange, that the conclusion of his Preface
should be expressed in terms so desponding, when it is considered that
the authour was then only in his forty-sixth year. But we must ascribe
its gloom to that miserable dejection of spirits to which he was
constitutionally subject, and which was aggravated by the death of his
wife two years before. I have heard it ingeniously observed by a lady
of rank and elegance, that 'his melancholy was then at its meridian.'
It pleased GOD to grant him almost thirty years of life after this time;
and once, when he was in a placid frame of mind, he was obliged to own
to me that he had enjoyed happier days, and had many more friends, since
that gloomy hour than before.
It is a sad saying, that 'most of those whom he wished to please had
sunk into the grave;' and his case at forty-five was singularly unhappy,
unless the circle of his friends was very narrow. He said to Sir Joshua
Reynolds, 'If a man does not make new acquaintance as he advances
through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, Sir, should
keep his friendship in constant repair.'
In July this year he had formed some scheme of mental improvement, the
particular purpose of which does not appear. But we find in his Prayers
and Meditations, p. 25, a prayer entitled 'On the Study of Philosophy,
as an Instrument of living;' and after it follows a note, 'This study
was not pursued.'
On the 13th of the same month he wrote in his Journal the following
scheme of life, for Sunday:
'Having lived' (as he with tenderness of conscience expresses himself)
'not without an habitual reverence for the Sabbath, yet without that
attention to its religious duties which Christianity requires;
'1. To rise early, and in order to it, to go to sleep early on Saturday.
'2. To use some extraordinary devotion in the morning.
'3. To examine the tenour of my life, and particularly the last week;
and to mark my advances in religion, or recession from it.
'4. To read the Scripture methodically with such helps as are at hand.
'5. To go to church twice.
'6. To read books of Divinity, either speculative or practical.
'7. To instruct my family.
'8. To wear off by meditation any worldly soil contracted in the week.'
1756: AETAT. 47.]--In 1756 Johnson found that the great fame of his
Dictionary had not set him above the necessity of 'making provision for
the day that was passing over him.' No royal or noble patron extended
a munificent hand to give independence to the man who had conferred
stability on the language of his country. We may feel indignant that
there should have been such unworthy neglect; but we must, at the
same time, congratulate ourselves, when we consider that to this very
neglect, operating to rouse the natural indolence of his constitution,
we owe many valuable productions, which otherwise, perhaps, might never
have appeared.
He had spent, during the progress of the work, the money for which he
had contracted to write his Dictionary. We have seen that the reward of
his labour was only fifteen hundred and seventy-five pounds; and when
the expence of amanuenses and paper, and other articles are deducted,
his clear profit was very inconsiderable. I once said to him, 'I am
sorry, Sir, you did not get more for your Dictionary.' His answer was,
'I am sorry, too. But it was very well. The booksellers are generous,
liberal-minded men.' He, upon all occasions, did ample justice to
their character in this respect. He considered them as the patrons of
literature; and, indeed, although they have eventually been considerable
gainers by his Dictionary, it is to them that we owe its having been
undertaken and carried through at the risk of great expence, for they
were not absolutely sure of being indemnified.
He this year resumed his scheme of giving an edition of Shakspeare with
notes.* He issued Proposals of considerable length, in which he
shewed that he perfectly well knew what a variety of research such an
undertaking required; but his indolence prevented him from pursuing it
with that diligence which alone can collect those scattered facts that
genius, however acute, penetrating, and luminous, cannot discover by its
own force. It is remarkable, that at this time his fancied activity
was for the moment so vigorous, that he promised his work should be
published before Christmas, 1757. Yet nine years elapsed before it
saw the light. His throes in bringing it forth had been severe and
remittent; and at last we may almost conclude that the Caesarian
operation was performed by the knife of Churchill, whose upbraiding
satire, I dare say, made Johnson's friends urge him to dispatch.
'He for subscribers bates his hook,
And takes your cash; but where's the book?
No matter where; wise fear, you know,
Forbids the robbing of a foe;
But what, to serve our private ends,
Forbids the cheating of our friends?'
* First proposed in 1745--ED.
About this period he was offered a living of considerable value in
Lincolnshire, if he were inclined to enter into holy orders. It was