Icannothelpthinkingthefirststanzaverygoodsolemnpoetry,asalsothethreefirstlinesofthesecond。Itslastlineisanexcellentburlesquesurpriseongloomysentimentalenquirers。And,perhaps,theadviceisasgoodascanbegiventoalow-spiriteddissatisfiedbeing:——’Don’ttroubleyourheadwithsicklythinking:
takeacup,andbemerry。’
Friday,September19,afterbreakfastDr。JohnsonandIsetoutinDr。Taylor’schaisetogotoDerby。Thedaywasfine,andweresolvedtogobyKeddlestone,theseatofLordScarsdale,thatI
mightseehisLordship’sfinehouse。Iwasstruckwiththemagnificenceofthebuilding;andtheextensivepark,withthefinestverdure,coveredwithdeer,andcattle,andsheep,delightedme。Thenumberofoldoaks,ofanimmensesize,filledmewithasortofrespectfuladmiration:foroneofthemsixtypoundswasoffered。Theexcellentsmoothgravelroads;thelargepieceofwaterformedbyhisLordshipfromsomesmallbrooks,withahandsomebargeuponit;thevenerableGothickchurch,nowthefamilychapel,justbythehouse;inshort,thegrandgroupofobjectsagitatedanddistendedmymindinamostagreeablemanner。
’OneshouldthinksaidI,thattheproprietorofallthisMUSTbehappy。’——’Nay,Sir,saidJohnson,allthisexcludesbutoneevil——
poverty。’
Ournamesweresentup,andawell-drestelderlyhousekeeper,amostdistinctarticulator,shewedusthehouse;whichIneednotdescribe,asthereisanaccountofitpublishedinAdam’sWorksinArchitecture。Dr。Johnsonthoughtbetterofitto-daythanwhenhesawitbefore;forhehadlatelyattackeditviolently,saying,’Itwoulddoexcellentlyforatown-hall。Thelargeroomwiththepillarssaidhe,woulddofortheJudgestositinattheassizes;thecircularroomforajury-chamber;andtheroomaboveforprisoners。’Stillhethoughtthelargeroomilllighted,andofnousebutfordancingin;andthebed-chambersbutindifferentrooms;andthattheimmensesumwhichitcostwasinjudiciouslylaidout。Dr。TaylorhadputhiminmindofhisAPPEARINGpleasedwiththehouse。’Butsaidhe,thatwaswhenLordScarsdalewaspresent。Politenessobligesustoappearpleasedwithaman’sworkswhenheispresent。Nomanwillbesoillbredastoquestionyou。Youmaythereforepaycomplimentswithoutsayingwhatisnottrue。IshouldsaytoLordScarsdaleofhislargeroom,“MyLord,thisisthemostCOSTLYroomthatIeversaw;“
whichistrue。’
Dr。Manningham,physicianinLondon,whowasvisitingatLordScarsdale’s,accompanyedusthroughmanyoftherooms,andsoonafterwardsmyLordhimself,towhomDr。Johnsonwasknown,appeared,anddidthehonoursofthehouse。WetalkedofMr。
Langton。Johnson,withawarmvehemenceofaffectionateregard,exclaimed,’TheearthdoesnotbearaworthiermanthanBennetLangton。’Wesawagoodmanyfinepictures,whichIthinkaredescribedinoneofYoung’sTours。Thereisaprintedcatalogueofthemwhichthehousekeeperputintomyhand;Ishouldliketoviewthematleisure。IwasmuchstruckwithDanielinterpretingNebuchadnezzar’sdreambyRembrandt。Wewereshownaprettylargelibrary。InhisLordship’sdressing-roomlayJohnson’ssmallDictionary:heshewedittome,withsomeeagerness,saying,’Look’ye!Quaeterranostrinonplenalaboris。’Heobserved,also,Goldsmith’sAnimatedNature;andsaid,’Here’sourfriend!
ThepoorDoctorwouldhavebeenhappytohearofthis。’
Inourway,Johnsonstronglyexpressedhisloveofdrivingfastinapost-chaise。’Ifsaidhe,Ihadnoduties,andnoreferencetofuturity,Iwouldspendmylifeindrivingbrisklyinapost-chaisewithaprettywoman;butsheshouldbeonewhocouldunderstandme,andwouldaddsomethingtotheconversation。’Iobserved,thatwewerethisdaytostopjustwheretheHighlandarmydidin1745。
JOHNSON。’Itwasanobleattempt。’BOSWELL。’Iwishwecouldhaveanauthentickhistoryofit。’JOHNSON。’Ifyouwerenotanidledogyoumightwriteit,bycollectingfromeverybodywhattheycantell,andputtingdownyourauthorities。’BOSWELL。’ButIcouldnothavetheadvantageofitinmylife-time。’JOHNSON。
’Youmighthavethesatisfactionofitsfame,byprintingitinHolland;andastoprofit,considerhowlongitwasbeforewritingcametobeconsideredinapecuniaryview。Barettisays,heisthefirstmanthateverreceivedcopy-moneyinItaly。’IsaidthatI
wouldendeavourtodowhatDr。JohnsonsuggestedandIthoughtthatImightwritesoastoventuretopublishmyHistoryoftheCivilWarinGreat-Britainin1745and1746,withoutbeingobligedtogotoaforeignpress。
WhenwearrivedatDerby,Dr。Butteraccompaniedustoseethemanufactoryofchinathere。Iadmiredtheingenuityanddelicateartwithwhichamanfashionedclayintoacup,asaucer,oratea-
pot,whileaboyturnedroundawheeltogivethemassrotundity。
Ithoughtthisasexcellentinitsspeciesofpower,asmakinggoodversesinITSspecies。YetIhadnorespectforthispotter。
Neither,indeed,hasamanofanyextentofthinkingforamereverse-maker,inwhosenumbers,howeverperfect,thereisnopoetry,nomind。Thechinawasbeautiful,butDr。Johnsonjustlyobserveditwastoodear;forthathecouldhavevesselsofsilver,ofthesamesize,ascheapaswhatwereheremadeofporcelain。
IfeltapleasureinwalkingaboutDerbysuchasIalwayshaveinwalkingaboutanytowntowhichIamnotaccustomed。Thereisanimmediatesensationofnovelty;andonespeculatesonthewayinwhichlifeispassedinit,which,althoughthereisasamenesseverywhereuponthewhole,isyetminutelydiversified。Theminutediversitiesineverythingarewonderful。TalkingofshavingtheothernightatDr。Taylor’s,Dr。Johnsonsaid,’Sir,ofathousandshavers,twodonotshavesomuchalikeasnottobedistinguished。’Ithoughtthisnotpossible,tillhespecifiedsomanyofthevarietiesinshaving;——holdingtherazormoreorlessperpendicular;——drawinglongorshortstrokes;——beginningattheupperpartoftheface,ortheunder;——attherightsideortheleftside。Indeed,whenoneconsiderswhatvarietyofsoundscanbeutteredbythewindpipe,inthecompassofaverysmallaperture,wemayheconvincedhowmanydegreesofdifferencetheremaybeintheapplicationofarazor。
WedinedwithDr。Butter,whoseladyisdaughterofmycousinSirJohnDouglas,whosegrandsonisnowpresumptiveheirofthenoblefamilyofQueensberry。Johnsonandhehadagooddealofmedicalconversation。Johnsonsaid,hehadsomewhereorothergivenanaccountofDr。Nichols’sdiscourseDeAnimiaMedica。Hetoldus’thatwhateveraman’sdistemperwas,Dr。Nicholswouldnotattendhimasaphysician,ifhismindwasnotatease;forhebelievedthatnomedicineswouldhaveanyinfluence。Heonceattendedamanintrade,uponwhomhefoundnoneofthemedicinesheprescribedhadanyeffect:heaskedtheman’swifeprivatelywhetherhisaffairswerenotinabadway?Shesaidno。Hecontinuedhisattendancesometime,stillwithoutsuccess。Atlengththeman’swifetoldhim,shehaddiscoveredthatherhusband’saffairsWERE
inabadway。WhenGoldsmithwasdying,Dr。Turtonsaidtohim,“Yourpulseisingreaterdisorderthanitshouldbe,fromthedegreeoffeverwhichyouhave:isyourmindatease?“Goldsmithanswereditwasnot。’
Dr。Johnsontoldusattea,thatwhensomeofDr。Dodd’spiousfriendsweretryingtoconsolehimbysayingthathewasgoingtoleave’awretchedworld,’hehadhonestyenoughnottojoininthecant:——’No,no,saidhe,ithasbeenaveryagreeableworldtome。’Johnsonadded,’IrespectDoddforthusspeakingthetruth;
for,tobesure,hehadforseveralyearsenjoyedalifeofgreatvoluptuousness。
Hetoldus,thatDodd’scityfriendsstoodbyhimso,thatathousandpoundswerereadytobegiventothegaoler,ifhewouldlethimescape。Headded,thatheknewafriendofDodd’s,whowalkedaboutNewgateforsometimeontheeveningbeforethedayofhisexecution,withfivehundredpoundsinhispocket,readytobepaidtoanyoftheturnkeyswhocouldgethimout:butitwastoolate;forhewaswatchedwithmuchcircumspection。Hesaid,Dodd’sfriendshadanimageofhimmadeofwax,whichwastohavebeenleftinhisplace;andhebelieveditwascarriedintotheprison。
JohnsondisapprovedofDr。Dodd’sleavingtheworldpersuadedthatTheConvict’sAddresstohisunhappyBrethrenwasofhisownwriting。’But,Sir,saidI,youcontributedtothedeception;
forwhenMr。SewardexpressedadoubttoyouthatitwasnotDodd’sown,becauseithadagreatdealmoreforceofmindinitthananythingknowntobehis,youanswered,——“Whyshouldyouthinkso?
Dependuponit,Sir,whenamanknowsheistobehangedinafortnight,itconcentrateshismindwonderfully。“’JOHNSON。Sir,asDoddgotitfrommetopassashisown,whilethatcoulddohimanygood,therewasanIMPLIEDPROMISEthatIshouldnotownit。
Toownit,therefore,wouldhavebeentellingalie,withtheadditionofbreachofpromise,whichwasworsethansimplytellingalietomakeitbebelieveditwasDodd’s。Besides,Sir,IdidnotDIRECTLYtellalie:Ileftthematteruncertain。PerhapsI
thoughtthatSewardwouldnotbelieveitthelesstobemineforwhatIsaid;butIwouldnotputitinhispowertosayIhadownedit。’
Hesaid,’Goldsmithwasaplantthatfloweredlate。Thereappearednothingremarkableabouthimwhenhewasyoung;thoughwhenhehadgothighinfame,oneofhisfriendsbegantorecollectsomethingofhisbeingdistinguishedatCollege。Goldsmithinthesamemannerrecollectedmoreofthatfriend’searlyyears,ashegrewagreaterman。’
ImentionedthatLordMonboddotoldme,heawakedeverymorningatfour,andthenforhishealthgotupandwalkedinhisroomnaked,withthewindowopen,whichhecalledtakinganairbath;afterwhichhewenttobedagain,andslepttwohoursmore。Johnson,whowasalwaysreadytobeatdownanythingthatseemedtobeexhibitedwithdisproportionateimportance,thusobserved:’Isuppose,Sir,thereisnomoreinitthanthis,heawakesatfour,andcannotsleeptillhechillshimself,andmakesthewarmthofthebedagratefulsensation。’
Italkedofthedifficultyofrisinginthemorning。Dr。Johnsontoldme,’thatthelearnedMrs。Carter,atthatperiodwhenshewaseagerinstudy,didnotawakeasearlyasshewished,andshethereforehadacontrivance,that,atacertainhour,herchamber-
lightshouldburnastringtowhichaheavyweightwassuspended,whichthenfellwithastrongsuddennoise:thisrousedherfromsleep,andthenshehadnodifficultyingettingup。’ButIsaidTHATwasmydifficulty;andwishedtherecouldbesomemedicineinventedwhichwouldmakeonerisewithoutpain,whichIneverdid,unlessafterlyinginbedaverylongtime。
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