anecdotes of the late samuel johnson-第19章

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　grieved　herself　to　death　for　the　loss　of　her　husband〃She　was　rich；　and　wanted　employment；〃　says　Johnson；　〃so　she　cried　till　she　lost　all　power　of　restraining　her　tears：　　other　women　are　forced　to　outlive　their　husbands；　who　were　just　as　much　beloved；　depend　on　it；　but　they　have　no　time　for　grief：　　and　I　doubt　not；　if　we　had　put　my　Lady　Tavistock　into　a　small　chandler's　shop；　and　given　her　a　nurse…child　to　tend；　her　life　would　have　been　saved。　　The　poor　and　the　busy　have　no　leisure　for　sentimental　sorrow。〃　　We　were　speaking　of　a　gentleman　who　loved　his　friend〃Make　him　Prime　Minister；〃　says　Johnson；　〃and　see　how　long　his　friend　will　be　remembered。〃　　But　he　had　a　rougher　answer　for　me；　when　I　commended　a　sermon　preached　by　an　intimate　acquaintance　of　our　own　at　the　trading　end　of　the　town。　　〃What　was　the　subject；　madam？〃　says　Dr。　Johnson。　〃Friendship；　sir；〃　replied　I。　　〃Why；　now；　is　it　not　strange　that　a　wise　man；　like　our　dear　little　Evans；　should　take　it　in　his　head　to　preach　on　such　a　subject；　in　a　place　where　no　one　can　be　thinking　of　it？〃　　〃Why；　what　are　they　thinking　upon；　sir？〃　said　I。　　〃Why；　the　men　are　thinking　on　their　money；　I　suppose；　and　the　women　are　thinking　of　their　mops。〃

Dr。　Johnson's　knowledge　and　esteem　of　what　we　call　low　or　coarse　life　was　indeed　prodigious；　and　he　did　not　like　that　the　upper　ranks　should　be　dignified　with　the　name　of　THE　WORLD。　　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds　said　one　day　that　nobody　WORE　laced　coats　now；　and　that　once　everybody　wore　them。　　〃See；　now；〃　says　Johnson；　〃how　absurd　that　is；　as　if　the　bulk　of　mankind　consisted　of　fine　gentlemen　that　came　to　him　to　sit　for　their　pictures。　　If　every　man　who　wears　a　laced　coat　（that　he　can　pay　for）　was　extirpated；　who　would　miss　them？〃　　With　all　this　haughty　contempt　of　gentility；　no　praise　was　more　welcome　to　Dr。　Johnson　than　that　which　said　he　had　the　notions　or　manners　of　a　gentleman：　　which　character　I　have　heard　him　define　with　accuracy；　and　describe　with　elegance。　　〃Officers；〃　he　said；　〃were　falsely　supposed　to　have　the　carriage　of　gentlemen；　whereas　no　profession　left　a　stronger　brand　behind　it　than　that　of　a　soldier；　and　it　was　the　essence　of　a　gentleman's　character　to　bear　the　visible　mark　of　no　profession　whatever。〃　　He　once　named　Mr。　Berenger　as　the　standard　of　true　elegance；　but　some　one　objecting　that　he　too　much　resembled　the　gentleman　in　Congreve's　comedies；　Mr。　Johnson　said；　〃We　must　fix　them　upon　the　famous　Thomas　Hervey；　whose　manners　were　polished　even　to　acuteness　and　brilliancy；　though　he　lost　but　little　in　solid　power　of　reasoning；　and　in　genuine　force　of　mind。〃　　Mr。　Johnson　had；　however；　an　avowed　and　scarcely　limited　partiality　for　all　who　bore　the　name　or　boasted　the　alliance　of　an　Aston　or　a　Hervey；　and　when　Mr。　Thrale　once　asked　him　which　had　been　the　happiest　period　of　his　past　life？　he　replied；　〃It　was　that　year　in　which　he　spent　one　whole　evening　with　M…y　Asn。　　That；　indeed；〃　said　he；　〃was　not　happiness；　it　was　rapture；　but　the　thoughts　of　it　sweetened　the　whole　year。〃　　I　must　add　that　the　evening　alluded　to　was　not　passed　tete…a…tete；　but　in　a　select　company；　of　which　the　present　Lord　Killmorey　was　one。　〃Molly；〃　says　Dr。　Johnson；　〃was　a　beauty　and　a　scholar；　and　a　wit　and　a　Whig；　and　she　talked　all　in　praise　of　liberty：　　and　so　I　made　this　epigram　upon　her。　　She　was　the　loveliest　creature　I　ever　saw！！！

　　　　　〃'Liber　ut　esse　velim；　suasisti　pulchra　Maria；　　　　　　　　Ut　maneam　liberpulchra　Maria；　vale！'〃

〃Will　it　do　this　way　in　English；　sir？〃　said　I。

　　　　　〃Persuasions　to　freedom　fall　oddly　from　you；　　　　　　　If　freedom　we　seekfair　Maria；　adieu！〃

〃It　will　do　well　enough；‘　replied　he；　〃but　it　is　translated　by　a　lady；　and　the　ladies　never　loved　M…y　Asn。〃　　I　asked　him　what　his　wife　thought　of　this　attachment？　　〃She　was　jealous；　to　be　sure；〃　said　he；　〃and　teased　me　sometimes　when　I　would　let　her；　and　one　day；　as　a　fortune…telling　gipsy　passed　us　when　we　were　walking　out　in　company　with　two　or　three　friends　in　the　country；　she　made　the　wench　look　at　my　hand；　but　soon　repented　her　curiosity；　'for；'　says　the　gipsy；　'your　heart　is　divided；　sir；　between　a　Betty　and　a　Molly：　　Betty　loves　you　best；　but　you　take　most　delight　in　Molly's　company。'　　When　I　turned　about　to　laugh；　I　saw　my　wife　was　crying。　Pretty　charmer！　she　had　no　reason！〃

It　was；　I　believe；　long　after　the　currents　of　life　had　driven　him　to　a　great　distance　from　this　lady；　that　he　spent　much　of　his　time　with　Mrs。　F…tzhbt；　of　whom　he　always　spoke　with　esteem　and　tenderness；　and　with　a　veneration　very　difficult　to　deserve。　　〃That　woman；〃　said　he；　〃loved　her　husband　as　we　hope　and　desire　to　be　loved　by　our　guardian　angel。　　F…tzhb…　…t　was　a　gay；　good…humoured　fellow；　generous　of　his　money　and　of　his　meat；　and　desirous　of　nothing　but　cheerful　society　among　people　distinguished　in　SOME　way；　in　ANY　WAY；　I　think；　for　Rousseau　and　St。　Austin　would　have　been　equally　welcome　to　his　table　and　to　his　kindness。　　The　lady；　however；　was　of　another　way　of　thinking：　　her　first　care　was　to　preserve　her　husband's　soul　from　corruption；　her　second；　to　keep　his　estate　entire　for　their　children：　　and　I　owed　my　good　reception　in　the　family　to　the　idea　she　had　entertained；　that　I　was　fit　company　for　F…tzhbt；　whom　I　loved　extremely。　　'They　dare　not；'　said　she；　'swear；　and　take　other　conversation…liberties　before　YOU。'〃　　I　asked　if　her　husband　returned　her　regard？　　〃He　felt　her　influence　too　powerfully；〃　replied　Mr。　Johnson；　〃no　man　will　be　fond　of　what　forces　him　daily　to　feel　himself　inferior。　　She　stood　at　the　door　of　her　paradise　in　Derbyshire；　like　the　angel　with　a　flaming　sword；　to　keep　the　devil　at　a　distance。　　But　she　was　not　immortal；　poor　dear！　she　died；　and　her　husband　felt　at　once　afflicted　and　released。〃　I　inquired　if　she　was　handsome？　　〃She　would　have　been　handsome　for　a　queen；〃　replied　the　panegyrist；　〃her　beauty　had　more　in　it　of　majesty　than　of　attraction；　more　of　the　dignity　of　virtue　than　the　vivacity　of　wit。〃　The　friend　of　this　lady；　Miss　Bthby；　succeeded　her　in　the　management　of　Mr。　F…tzhbt's　family；　and　in　the　esteem　of　Dr。　Johnson；　though　he　told　me　she　pushed　her　piety　to　bigotry；　her　devotion　to　enthusiasm；　that　she　somewhat　disqualified　herself　for　the　duties　of　THIS　life；　by　her　perpetual　aspirations　after　the　NEXT。　　Such　was；　however；　the　purity　of　her　mind；　he　said；　and　such　the　graces　of　her　manner；　that　Lord　Lyttelton　and　he　used　to　strive　for　her　preference　with　an　emulation　that　occasioned　hourly　disgust；　and　ended　in　lasting　animosity。　　〃You　may　see；〃　said　he　to　me；　when　the　〃Poets'　Lives〃　were　printed；　〃that　dear　Bthby　is　at　my　heart　still。　　She　WOULD　delight　in　that　fellow　Lyttelton's　company　though；　all　that　I　could　do；　and　I　cannot　forgive　even　his　memory　the　preference　given　by　a　mind　like　hers。〃　　I　have　heard　Baretti　say　that　when　this　lady　died；　Dr。　Johnson　was　almost　distracted　with　his　grief；　and　that　the　friends　about　him　had　much　ado　to　calm　the　violence　of　his　emotion。　　Dr。　Taylor；　too；　related　once　to　Mr。　Thrale　and　me；　that　when　he　lost　his　wife；　the　negro　Francis　ran　away；　though　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　to　Westminster；　to　fetch　Dr。　Taylor　to　his　master；　who　was　all　but　wild　with　excess　of　sorrow；　and　scarce　knew　him　when　he　arrived。　　After　some　minutes；　however；　the　Doctor　proposed　their　going　to　prayers；　as　the　only　rational　method　of　calming　the　disorder　this　misfortune　had　occasioned　in　both　their　spirits。　　Time；　and　resignation　to　the　will　of　God；　cured　every　breach　in　his　heart　before　I　made　acquaintance　with　him；　though　he　always　persisted　in　saying　he　never　rightly　recovered　the　loss　of　his　wife。　　It　is　in　allusion　to　her　that　he　records　the　observation　of　a　female　critic；　as　he　calls　her；　in　Gay's　〃Life；〃　and　the　lady　of　great　beauty　and　elegance；　mentioned　in　the　criticisms　upon　Pope's　epitaphs；　was　Miss　Molly　Aston。　　The　person　spoken　of　in　his　strictures　upon　Young's　poetry　is　the　writer　of　these　anecdotes；　to　whom　he　likewise　addressed　the　following　verses　when　he　was　in　the　Isle　of　Skye　with　Mr。　Boswell。　　The　letters　written　in　his　journey；　I　used　to　tell　him；　were　better　than　the　printed　book；　and　he　was　not　displeased　at　my　having　taken　the　pains　to　copy　them　all　over。　　Here　is　the　Latin　ode：

　　　　　〃Permeo　terras；　ubi　nuda　rupes