wouldbehavetoanoblemanasIshouldexpecthewouldbehavetome,wereIanoblemanandheSam。Johnson。Sir,thereisoneMrs。
Macaulay*inthistown,agreatrepublican。OnedaywhenIwasatherhouse,Iputonaverygravecountenance,andsaidtoher,“Madam,Iamnowbecomeaconverttoyourwayofthinking。Iamconvincedthatallmankindareuponanequalfooting;andtogiveyouanunquestionableproof,Madam,thatIaminearnest,hereisaverysensible,civil,well-behavedfellow-citizen,yourfootman;I
desirethathemaybeallowedtositdownanddinewithus。“I
thus,Sir,shewedhertheabsurdityofthelevellingdoctrine。Shehasneverlikedmesince。Sir,yourlevellerswishtolevelDOWN
asfarasthemselves;buttheycannotbearlevellingUPtothemselves。Theywouldallhavesomepeopleunderthem;whynotthenhavesomepeopleabovethem?’Imentionedacertainauthourwhodisgustedmebyhisforwardness,andbyshewingnodeferencetonoblemenintowhosecompanyhewasadmitted。JOHNSON。’Supposeashoemakershouldclaimanequalitywithhim,ashedoeswithaLord;howhewouldstare。“Why,Sir,doyoustare?saystheshoemaker,Idogreatservicetosociety。’TistrueIampaidfordoingit;butsoareyou,Sir:andIamsorrytosayit,paidbetterthanIam,fordoingsomethingnotsonecessary。Formankindcoulddobetterwithoutyourbooks,thanwithoutmyshoes。“
Thus,Sir,therewouldbeaperpetualstruggleforprecedence,weretherenofixedinvariablerulesforthedistinctionofrank,whichcreatesnojealousy,asitisallowedtobeaccidental。’
*ThisONEMrs。Macaulaywasthesamepersonagewhoafterwardsmadeherselfsomuchknownasthecelebratedfemalehistorian。’——
BOSWELL。
HesaidhewouldgototheHebrideswithme,whenIreturnedfrommytravels,unlesssomeverygoodcompanionshouldofferwhenIwasabsent,whichhedidnotthinkprobable;adding,’TherearefewpeopletowhomItakesomuchtoasyou。’AndwhenItalkedofmyleavingEngland,hesaidwithaveryaffectionateair,’MydearBoswell,Ishouldbeveryunhappyatparting,didIthinkwewerenottomeetagain。’Icannottoooftenremindmyreaders,thatalthoughsuchinstancesofhiskindnessaredoubtlessveryflatteringtome;yetIhopemyrecordingthemwillbeascribedtoabettermotivethantovanity;fortheyaffordunquestionableevidenceofhistendernessandcomplacency,whichsome,whiletheywereforcedtoacknowledgehisgreatpowers,havebeensostrenuoustodeny。
Hemaintainedthataboyatschoolwasthehappiestofhumanbeings。Isupportedadifferentopinion,fromwhichIhaveneveryetvaried,thatamanishappier;andIenlargedupontheanxietyandsufferingswhichareenduredatschool。JOHNSON。’Ah!Sir,aboy’sbeingfloggedisnotsosevereasaman’shavingthehissoftheworldagainsthim。’
OnTuesday,July26,IfoundMr。Johnsonalone。Itwasaverywetday,andIagaincomplainedofthedisagreeableeffectsofsuchweather。JOHNSON。’Sir,thisisallimagination,whichphysiciansencourage;formanlivesinair,asafishlivesinwater;sothatiftheatmospherepressheavyfromabove,thereisanequalresistancefrombelow。Tobesure,badweatherisharduponpeoplewhoareobligedtobeabroad;andmencannotlaboursowellintheopenairinbadweather,asingood:but,Sir,asmithorataylor,whoseworkiswithindoors,willsurelydoasmuchinrainyweather,asinfair。Someverydelicateframes,indeed,maybeaffectedbywetweather;butnotcommonconstitutions。’
Wetalkedoftheeducationofchildren;andIaskedhimwhathethoughtwasbesttoteachthemfirst。JOHNSON。’Sir,itisnomatterwhatyouteachthemfirst,anymorethanwhatlegyoushallputintoyourbreechesfirst。Sir,youmaystanddisputingwhichisbesttoputinfirst,butinthemeantimeyourbreechisbare。
Sir,whileyouareconsideringwhichoftwothingsyoushouldteachyourchildfirst,anotherboyhaslearntthemboth。’
OnThursday,July28,weagainsuppedinprivateattheTurk’sHeadcoffee-house。JOHNSON。’Swifthasahigherreputationthanhedeserves。Hisexcellenceisstrongsense;forhishumour,thoughverywell,isnotremarkablygood。IdoubtwhetherTheTaleofaTubbehis;forheneverownedit,anditismuchabovehisusualmanner。’
’Thomson,Ithink,hadasmuchofthepoetabouthimasmostwriters。Everythingappearedtohimthroughthemediumofhisfavouritepursuit。Hecouldnothaveviewedthosetwocandlesburningbutwithapoeticaleye。’
’AstotheChristianreligion,Sir,besidesthestrongevidencewhichwehaveforit,thereisabalanceinitsfavourfromthenumberofgreatmenwhohavebeenconvincedofitstruth,afteraseriousconsiderationofthequestion。Grotiuswasanacuteman,alawyer,amanaccustomedtoexamineevidence,andhewasconvinced。
Grotiuswasnotarecluse,butamanoftheworld,whocertainlyhadnobiastothesideofreligion。SirIsaacNewtonsetoutaninfidel,andcametobeaveryfirmbeliever。’
HethiseveningrecommendedtometoperambulateSpain。IsaiditwouldamusehimtogetaletterfrommedatedatSalamancha。
JOHNSON。’IlovetheUniversityofSalamancha;forwhentheSpaniardswereindoubtastothelawfulnessoftheirconqueringAmerica,theUniversityofSalamanchagaveitastheiropinionthatitwasnotlawful。’Hespokethiswithgreatemotion,andwiththatgenerouswarmthwhichdictatedthelinesinhisLondon,againstSpanishencroachment。
IexpressedmyopinionofmyfriendDerrickasbutapoorwriter。
JOHNSON。’Tobesure,Sir,heis;butyouaretoconsiderthathisbeingaliterarymanhasgotforhimallthathehas。IthasmadehimKingofBath。Sir,hehasnothingtosayforhimselfbutthatheisawriter。Hadhenotbeenawriter,hemusthavebeensweepingthecrossingsinthestreets,andaskinghalfpencefromeverybodythatpast。’
Injusticehowever,tothememoryofMr。Derrick,whowasmyfirsttutorinthewaysofLondon,andshewedmethetowninallitsvarietyofdepartments,bothliteraryandsportive,theparticularsofwhichDr。Johnsonadvisedmetoputinwriting,itispropertomentionwhatJohnson,atasubsequentperiod,saidofhimbothasawriterandaneditor:’Sir,Ihaveoftensaid,thatifDerrick’slettershadbeenwrittenbyoneofamoreestablishedname,theywouldhavebeenthoughtveryprettyletters。’And,’IsentDerricktoDryden’srelationstogathermaterialsforhislife;andI
believehegotallthatImyselfshouldhavegot。’
Johnsonsaidoncetome,’Sir,IhonourDerrickforhispresenceofmind。Onenight,whenFloyd,anotherpoorauthour,waswanderingaboutthestreetsinthenight,hefoundDerrickfastasleepuponabulk;uponbeingsuddenlywaked,Derrickstartedup,“MydearFloyd,Iamsorrytoseeyouinthisdestitutestate;willyougohomewithmetoMYLODGINGS?“’
IagainbeggedhisadviceastomymethodofstudyatUtrecht。
’Come,saidheletusmakeadayofit。LetusgodowntoGreenwichanddine,andtalkofitthere。’ThefollowingSaturdaywasfixedforthisexcursion。
AswewalkedalongtheStrandto-night,arminarm,awomanofthetownaccostedus,intheusualenticingmanner。’No,no,mygirl,saidJohnsonitwon’tdo。’He,however,didnottreatherwithharshness,andwetalkedofthewretchedlifeofsuchwomen;andagreed,thatmuchmoremiserythanhappiness,uponthewhole,isproducedbyillicitcommercebetweenthesexes。
OnSaturday,July30,Dr。JohnsonandItookascullerattheTemple-stairs,andsetoutforGreenwich。IaskedhimifhereallythoughtaknowledgeoftheGreekandLatinlanguagesanessentialrequisitetoagoodeducation。JOHNSON。’Mostcertainly,Sir;forthosewhoknowthemhaveaverygreatadvantageoverthosewhodonot。Nay,Sir,itiswonderfulwhatadifferencelearningmakesuponpeopleeveninthecommonintercourseoflife,whichdoesnotappeartobemuchconnectedwithit。’’Andyet,saidIpeoplegothroughtheworldverywell,andcarryonthebusinessoflifetogoodadvantage,withoutlearning。’JOHNSON。’Why,Sir,thatmaybetrueincaseswherelearningcannotpossiblybeofanyuse;forinstance,thisboyrowsusaswellwithoutlearning,asifhecouldsingthesongofOrpheustotheArgonauts,whowerethefirstsailors。’Hethencalledtotheboy,’Whatwouldyougive,mylad,toknowabouttheArgonauts?’’Sir,saidtheboy,IwouldgivewhatIhave。’Johnsonwasmuchpleasedwithhisanswer,andwegavehimadoublefare。Dr。Johnsonthenturningtome,’Sir,saidheadesireofknowledgeisthenaturalfeelingofmankind;
andeveryhumanbeing,whosemindisnotdebauched,willbewillingtogiveallthathehastogetknowledge。’
WelandedattheOldSwan,andwalkedtoBillingsgate,wherewetookoars,andmovedsmoothlyalongthesilverThames。Itwasaveryfineday。Wewereentertainedwiththeimmensenumberandvarietyofshipsthatwerelyingatanchor,andwiththebeautifulcountryoneachsideoftheriver。
Italkedofpreaching,andofthegreatsuccesswhichthosecalledMethodistshave。JOHNSON。’Sir,itisowingtotheirexpressingthemselvesinaplainandfamiliarmanner,whichistheonlywaytodogoodtothecommonpeople,andwhichclergymenofgeniusandlearningoughttodofromaprincipleofduty,whenitissuitedtotheircongregations;apractice,forwhichtheywillbepraisedbymenofsense。Toinsistagainstdrunkennessasacrime,becauseitdebasesreason,thenoblestfacultyofman,wouldbeofnoservicetothecommonpeople:buttotellthemthattheymaydieinafitofdrunkenness,andshewthemhowdreadfulthatwouldbe,cannotfailtomakeadeepimpression。Sir,whenyourScotchclergygiveuptheirhomelymanner,religionwillsoondecayinthatcountry。’
Letthisobservation,asJohnsonmeantit,beeverremembered。
IwasmuchpleasedtofindmyselfwithJohnsonatGreenwich,whichhecelebratesinhisLondonasafavouritescene。Ihadthepoeminmypocket,andreadthelinesaloudwithenthusiasm:
’OnThames’sbanksinsilentthoughtwestood:
WhereGreenwichsmilesuponthesilverflood:
Pleas’dwiththeseatwhichgaveELIZAbirth,Wekneel,andkisstheconsecratedearth。’
Afterwardsheentereduponthebusinessoftheday,whichwastogivemehisadviceastoacourseofstudy。
WewalkedintheeveninginGreenwichPark。Heaskedme,I
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