首页 >出版文学> Life of Johnsonl>第103章

第103章

  believehehimself,inhiscarelessnessconcerningworldlymatters,knewittobe,hadhetravelledupontheContinent,anaugmentationofhisincomewouldbynomeanshavebeenunnecessary。
  OnThursday,June24,IdinedwithhimatMr。Dilly’s,whereweretheRev。Mr。nowDr。Knox,masterofTunbridge-school,Mr。Smith,VicarofSouthill,Dr。Beattie,Mr。Pinkerton,authourofvariousliteraryperformances,andtheRev。Dr。Mayo。AtmydesireoldMr。
  Sheridanwasinvited,asIwasearnesttohaveJohnsonandhimbroughttogetheragainbychance,thatareconciliationmightbeeffected。Mr。Sheridanhappenedtocomeearly,andhavinglearnedthatDr。Johnsonwastobethere,wentaway;soIfound,withsincereregret,thatmyfriendlyintentionswerehopeless。I
  recollectnothingthatpassedthisday,exceptJohnson’squickness,who,whenDr。Beattieobserved,assomethingremarkablewhichhadhappenedtohim,thathehadchancedtoseebothNo。1,andNo。
  1000,ofthehackney-coaches,thefirstandthelast;’Why,Sir,saidJohnson,thereisanequalchanceforone’sseeingthosetwonumbersasanyothertwo。’
  OnFriday,June25,IdinedwithhimatGeneralPaoli’s,where,hesaysinoneofhisletterstoMrs。Thrale,’Ilovetodine。’Therewasavarietyofdishesmuchtohistaste,ofallwhichheseemedtometoeatsomuch,thatIwasafraidhemightbehurtbyit;andIwhisperedtotheGeneralmyfear,andbeggedhemightnotpresshim。’Alas!saidtheGeneral,seehowveryillhelooks;hecanlivebutaveryshorttime。Wouldyourefuseanyslightgratificationstoamanundersentenceofdeath?ThereisahumanecustominItaly,bywhichpersonsinthatmelancholysituationareindulgedwithhavingwhatevertheylikebesttoeatanddrink,evenwithexpensivedelicacies。’
  OnSunday,June27,Ifoundhimratherbetter。ImentionedtohimayoungmanwhowasgoingtoJamaicawithhiswifeandchildren,inexpectationofbeingprovidedforbytwoofherbrotherssettledinthatisland,oneaclergyman,andtheotheraphysician。JOHNSON。
  ’Itisawildscheme,Sir,unlesshehasapositiveanddeliberateinvitation。Therewasapoorgirl,whousedtocomeaboutme,whohadacousininBarbadoes,that,inalettertoher,expressedawishsheshouldcomeouttothatIsland,andexpatiatedonthecomfortsandhappinessofhersituation。Thepoorgirlwentout:
  hercousinwasmuchsurprised,andaskedherhowshecouldthinkofcoming。“Because,saidshe,youinvitedme。““NotI,“answeredthecousin。Theletterwasthenproduced。“Iseeitistrue,saidshe,thatIdidinviteyou:butIdidnotthinkyouwouldcome。“Theylodgedherinanout-house,whereshepassedhertimemiserably;andassoonasshehadanopportunityshereturnedtoEngland。Alwaystellthis,whenyouhearofpeoplegoingabroadtorelations,uponanotionofbeingwellreceived。Inthecasewhichyoumention,itisprobabletheclergymanspendsallhegets,andthephysiciandoesnotknowhowmuchheistoget。’
  WethisdaydinedatSirJoshuaReynolds’s,withGeneralPaoli,LordEliot,formerlyMr。Eliot,ofPortEliot,Dr。Beattie,andsomeothercompany。TalkingofLordChesterfield;——JOHNSON。’Hismannerwasexquisitelyelegant,andhehadmoreknowledgethanI
  expected。’BOSWELL。’Didyoufind,Sir,hisconversationtobeofasuperiourstyle?’JOHNSON。’Sir,intheconversationwhichI
  hadwithhimIhadthebestrighttosuperiority,foritwasuponphilologyandliterature。’LordEliot,whohadtravelledatthesametimewithMr。Stanhope,LordChesterfield’snaturalson,justlyobserved,thatitwasstrangethatamanwhoshewedhehadsomuchaffectionforhissonasLordChesterfielddid,bywritingsomanylongandanxiousletterstohim,almostallofthemwhenhewasSecretaryofState,whichcertainlywasaproofofgreatgoodnessofdisposition,shouldendeavourtomakehissonarascal。
  HisLordshiptoldus,thatFootehadintendedtobringonthestageafatherwhohadthustutoredhisson,andtoshewthesonanhonestmantoeveryoneelse,butpractisinghisfather’smaximsuponhim,andcheatinghim。JOHNSON。’Iammuchpleasedwiththisdesign;butIthinktherewasnooccasiontomakethesonhonestatall。No;heshouldbeaconsummaterogue:thecontrastbetweenhonestyandknaverywouldbethestronger。Itshouldbecontrivedsothatthefathershouldbetheonlysuffererbytheson’svillainy,andthustherewouldbepoeticaljustice。’
  Ayounggentlemanpresenttookuptheargumentagainsthim,andmaintainedthatnomaneverthinksoftheNOSEOFTHEMIND,notadvertingthatthoughthatfigurativesenseseemsstrangetous,asveryunusual,itistrulynotmoreforcedthanHamlet’s’InmyMIND’SEYE,Horatio。’Hepersistedmuchtoolong,andappearedtoJohnsonasputtinghimselfforwardashisantagonistwithtoomuchpresumption;uponwhichhecalledtohiminaloudtone,’Whatisityouarecontendingfor,ifyouBEcontending?’Andafterwardsimaginingthatthegentlemanretorteduponhimwithakindofsmartdrollery,hesaid,’Mr。*****itdoesnotbecomeyoutotalksotome。Besides,ridiculeisnotyourtalent;youhaveTHEREneitherintuitionnorsagacity。’Thegentlemanprotestedthathehadintendednoimproperfreedom,buthadthegreatestrespectforDr。
  Johnson。Afterashortpause,duringwhichweweresomewhatuneasy,——JOHNSON。’Givemeyourhand,Sir。Youweretootedious,andIwastooshort。’Mr。*****。’Sir,Iamhonouredbyyourattentioninanyway。’JOHNSON。’Come,Sir,let’shavenomoreofit。Weoffendedoneanotherbyourcontention;letusnotoffendthecompanybyourcompliments。’
  Henowsaid,’HewishedmuchtogotoItaly,andthathedreadedpassingthewinterinEngland。’Isaidnothing;butenjoyedasecretsatisfactioninthinkingthatIhadtakenthemosteffectualmeasurestomakesuchaschemepracticable。
  OnMonday,June28,IhadthehonourtoreceivefromtheLordChancellorthefollowingletter:——
  ’TOJAMESBOSWELL,ESQ。
  ’SIR,——Ishouldhaveansweredyourletterimmediately,ifbeingmuchengagedwhenIreceiveditIhadnotputitinmypocket,andforgottoopenittillthismorning。
  ’Iammuchobligedtoyouforthesuggestion;andIwilladoptandpressitasfarasIcan。Thebestargument,Iamsure,andIhopeitisnotlikelytofail,isDr。Johnson’smerit。Butitwillbenecessary,ifIshouldbesounfortunateastomissseeingyou,toconversewithSirJoshuaonthesumitwillbepropertoask,——inshort,uponthemeansofsettinghimout。Itwouldbeareflectiononusall,ifsuchamanshouldperishforwantofthemeanstotakecareofhishealth。Yours,&c。
  ’THURLOW。’
  Thislettergavemeaveryhighsatisfaction;InextdaywentandshewedittoSirJoshuaReynolds,whowasexceedinglypleasedwithit。HethoughtthatIshouldnowcommunicatethenegociationtoDr。Johnson,whomightafterwardscomplainiftheattentionwithwhichhehadbeenhonoured,shouldbetoolongconcealedfromhim。
  IintendedtosetoutforScotlandnextmorning;butSirJoshuacordiallyinsistedthatIshouldstayanotherday,thatJohnsonandImightdinewithhim,thatwethreemighttalkofhisItalianTour,and,asSirJoshuaexpressedhimself,’haveitallout。’I
  hastenedtoJohnson,andwastoldbyhimthathewasratherbetterto-day。BOSWELL。’Iamveryanxiousaboutyou,Sir,andparticularlythatyoushouldgotoItalyforthewinter,whichI
  believeisyourownwish。’JOHNSON。’Itis,Sir。’BOSWELL。’Youhavenoobjection,Ipresume,butthemoneyitwouldrequire。’
  JOHNSON。’Why,no,Sir。’UponwhichIgavehimaparticularaccountofwhathadbeendone,andreadtohimtheLordChancellor’sletter。Helistenedwithmuchattention;thenwarmlysaid,’Thisistakingprodigiouspainsaboutaman。’’O!Sir,saidI,withmostsincereaffection,yourfriendswoulddoeverythingforyou。’Hepaused,grewmoreandmoreagitated,tilltearsstartedintohiseyes,andheexclaimedwithferventemotion,’GOD
  blessyouall。’IwassoaffectedthatIalsoshedtears。Afterashortsilence,herenewedandextendedhisgratefulbenediction,’GODblessyouall,forJESUSCHRIST’Ssake。’Webothremainedforsometimeunabletospeak。Herosesuddenlyandquittedtheroom,quitemeltedintenderness。Hestaidbutashorttime,tillhehadrecoveredhisfirmness;soonafterhereturnedIlefthim,havingfirstengagedhimtodineatSirJoshuaReynolds’s,nextday。I
  neverwasagainunderthatroofwhichIhadsolongreverenced。
  OnWednesday,June30,thefriendlyconfidentialdinnerwithSirJoshuaReynoldstookplace,noothercompanybeingpresent。HadI
  knownthatthiswasthelasttimethatIshouldenjoyinthisworld,theconversationofafriendwhomIsomuchrespected,andfromwhomIderivedsomuchinstructionandentertainment,Ishouldhavebeendeeplyaffected。WhenInowlookbacktoit,Iamvexedthatasinglewordshouldhavebeenforgotten。
  BothSirJoshuaandIweresosanguineinourexpectations,thatweexpatiatedwithconfidenceontheliberalprovisionwhichweweresurewouldbemadeforhim,conjecturingwhethermunificencewouldbedisplayedinonelargedonation,orinanampleincreaseofhispension。Hehimselfcatchedsomuchofourenthusiasm,astoallowhimselftosupposeitnotimpossiblethatourhopesmightinonewayorotherberealised。Hesaidthathewouldratherhavehispensiondoubledthanagrantofathousandpounds;’For,saidhe,
  thoughprobablyImaynotlivetoreceiveasmuchasathousandpounds,amanwouldhavetheconsciousnessthatheshouldpasstheremainderofhislifeinsplendour,howlongsoeveritmightbe。’
  Consideringwhatamoderateproportionanincomeofsixhundredpoundsayearbearstoinnumerablefortunesinthiscountry,itisworthyofremark,thatamansotrulygreatshouldthinkitsplendour。
  Asaninstanceofextraordinaryliberalityoffriendship,hetoldus,thatDr。Brocklesbyhaduponthisoccasionofferedhimahundredayearforhislife。Agratefultearstartedintohiseye,ashespokethisinafaulteringtone。
  SirJoshuaandIendeavouredtoflatterhisimaginationwithagreeableprospectsofhappinessinItaly。’Nay,saidhe,Imustnotexpectmuchofthat;whenamangoestoItalymerelytofeelhowhebreathestheair,hecanenjoyverylittle。’
  Ourconversationturneduponlivinginthecountry,whichJohnson,whosemelancholymindrequiredthedissipationofquicksuccessivevariety,hadhabituatedhimselftoconsiderasakindofmentalimprisonment。’Yet,Sir,saidI,therearemanypeoplewhoarecontenttoliveinthecountry。’JOHNSON。’Sir,itisintheintellectualworldasinthephysicalworld;wearetoldbynaturalphilosophersthatabodyisatrestintheplacethatisfitforit;theywhoarecontenttoliveinthecountry,areFITforthecountry。’
  Talkingofvariousenjoyments,Iarguedthatarefinementoftastewasadisadvantage,astheywhohaveattainedtoitmustbeseldomerpleasedthanthosewhohavenonicediscrimination,andarethereforesatisfiedwitheverythingthatcomesintheirway。
  JOHNSON。’Nay,Sir;thatisapaltrynotion。Endeavourtobeasperfectasyoucanineveryrespect。’
  IaccompaniedhiminSirJoshuaReynolds’scoach,totheentryofBolt-court。HeaskedmewhetherIwouldnotgowithhimtohishouse;Ideclinedit,fromanapprehensionthatmyspiritswouldsink。Webadeadieutoeachotheraffectionatelyinthecarriage。
  Whenhehadgotdownuponthefoot-pavement,hecalledout,’Fareyouwell;’andwithoutlookingback,sprungawaywithakindofpathetickbriskness,ifImayusethatexpression,whichseemedtoindicateastruggletoconcealuneasiness,andimpressedmewithaforebodingofourlong,longseparation。
  Iremainedonedaymoreintown,tohavethechanceoftalkingovermynegociationwiththeLordChancellor;butthemultiplicityofhisLordship’simportantengagementsdidnotallowofit;soIleftthemanagementofthebusinessinthehandsofSirJoshuaReynolds。