anecdotes of the late samuel johnson-第8章

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ng　of　Denmark　was　in　England　one　of　his　noblemen　was　brought　by　Mr。　Colman　to　see　Dr。　Johnson　at　our　country　house；　and　having　heard；　he　said；　that　he　was　not　famous　for　Greek　literature；　attacked　him　on　the　weak　side；　politely　adding　that　he　chose　that　conversation　on　purpose　to　favour　himself。　　Our　Doctor；　however；　displayed　so　copious；　so　compendious　a　knowledge　of　authors；　books；　and　every　branch　of　learning　in　that　language；　that　the　gentleman　appeared　astonished。　　When　he　was　gone　home；　says　Johnson；　〃Now；　for　all　this　triumph　I　may　thank　Thrale's　Xenophon　here；　as　I　think；　excepting　that　ONE；　I　have　not　looked　in　a　Greek　book　these　ten　years；　but　see　what　haste　my　dear　friends　were　all　in；〃　continued　he；　〃to　tell　this　poor　innocent　foreigner　that　I　know　nothing　of　Greek！　　Oh；　no；　he　knows　nothing　of　Greek！〃　with　a　loud　burst　of　laughing。

When　Davies　printed　the　〃Fugitive　Pieces〃　without　his　knowledge　or　consent；　〃How；〃　said　I；　〃would　Pope　have　raved；　had　he　been　served　so！〃　　〃We　should　never；〃　replied　he；　〃have　heard　the　last　on't；　to　be　sure；　but　then　Pope　was　a　narrow　man。　　I　will；　however；〃　added　he；　〃storm　and　bluster　MYSELF　a　little　this　time；〃　so　went　to　London　in　all　the　wrath　he　could　muster　up。　At　his　return　I　asked　how　the　affair　ended。　　〃Why；〃　said　he；　〃I　was　a　fierce　fellow；　and　pretended　to　be　very　angry；　and　Thomas　was　a　good…natured　fellow；　and　pretended　to　be　very　sorry；　so　THERE　the　matter　ended。　　I　believe　the　dog　loves　me　dearly。　　Mr。　Thrale；〃　turning　to　my　husband；　〃what　shall　you　and　I　do　that　is　good　for　Tom　Davies？　　We　will　do　something　for　him；　to　be　sure。〃

Of　Pope　as　a　writer　he　had　the　highest　opinion；　and　once　when　a　lady　at　our　house　talked　of　his　preface　to　Shakespeare　as　superior　to　Pope's；　〃I　fear　not；　madam；〃　said　he；　〃the　little　fellow　has　done　wonders。〃　　His　superior　reverence　of　Dryden；　notwithstanding；　still　appeared　in　his　talk　as　in　his　writings；　and　when　some　one　mentioned　the　ridicule　thrown　on　him　in　the　'Rehearsal；'　as　having　hurt　his　general　character　as　an　author；　〃On　the　contrary；〃　says　Mr。　Johnson；　〃the　greatness　of　Dryden's　reputation　is　now　the　only　principle　of　vitality　which　keeps　the　Duke　of　Buckingham's　play　from　putrefaction。〃

It　was　not　very　easy；　however；　for　people　not　quite　intimate　with　Dr。　Johnson　to　get　exactly　his　opinion　of　a　writer's　merit；　as　he　would　now　and　then　divert　himself　by　confounding　those　who　thought　themselves　obliged　to　say　to…morrow　what　he　had　said　yesterday；　and　even　Garrick；　who　ought　to　have　been　better　acquainted　with　his　tricks；　professed　himself　mortified　that　one　time　when　he　was　extolling　Dryden　in　a　rapture　that　I　suppose　disgusted　his　friend；　Mr。　Johnson　suddenly　challenged　him　to　produce　twenty　lines　in　a　series　that　would　not　disgrace　the　poet　and　his　admirer。　Garrick　produced　a　passage　that　he　had　once　heard　the　Doctor　commend；　in　which　he　NOW　found；　if　I　remember　rightly；　sixteen　faults；　and　made　Garrick　look　silly　at　his　own　table。　　When　I　told　Mr。　Johnson　the　story；　〃Why；　what　a　monkey　was　David　now；〃　says　he；　〃to　tell　of　his　own　disgrace！〃　　And　in　the　course　of　that　hour's　chat　he　told　me　how　he　used　to　tease　Garrick　by　commendations　of　the　tomb…scene　in　Congreve's　'Mourning　Bride；'　protesting；　that　Shakespeare　had　in　the　same　line　of　excellence　nothing　as　good。　　〃All　which　is　strictly　TRUE；〃　said　he；　〃but　that　is　no　reason　for　supposing　Congreve　is　to　stand　in　competition　with　Shakespeare：　　these　fellows　know　not　how　to　blame；　nor　how　to　commend。〃　　I　forced　him　one　day；　in　a　similar　humour；　to　prefer　Young's　description　of　〃Night〃　to　the　so　much　admired　ones　of　Dryden　and　Shakespeare；　as　more　forcible　and　more　general。　　Every　reader　is　not　either　a　lover　or　a　tyrant；　but　every　reader　is　interested　when　he　hears　that

　　　　　〃Creation　sleeps；　'tis　as　the　general　pulse　　　　　　　Of　life　stood　still；　and　nature　made　a　pause；　　　　　　　An　awful　pauseprophetic　of　its　end。〃

〃This；〃　said　he；　〃is　true；　but　remember　that；　taking　the　compositions　of　Young　in　general；　they　are　but　like　bright　stepping…stones　over　a　miry　road。　　Young　froths　and　foams；　and　bubbles　sometimes　very　vigorously；　but　we　must　not　compare　the　noise　made　by　your　tea…kettle　here　with　the　roaring　of　the　ocean。〃

Somebody　was　praising　Corneille　one　day　in　opposition　to　Shakespeare。　〃Corneille　is　to　Shakespeare；〃　replied　Mr。　Johnson；　〃as　a　clipped　hedge　is　to　a　forest。〃　　When　we　talked　of　Steele's　Essays；　〃They　are　too　thin；〃　says　our　critic；　〃for　an　Englishman's　taste：　　mere　superficial　observations　on　life　and　manners；　without　erudition　enough　to　make　them　keep；　like　the　light　French　wines；　which　turn　sour　with　standing　awhile　for　want　of　BODY；　as　we　call　it。〃

Of　a　much…admired　poem；　when　extolled　as　beautiful；　he　replied；　〃That　it　had　indeed　the　beauty　of　a　bubble。　　The　colours　are　gay；〃　said　he；　〃but　the　substance　slight。〃　　Of　James　Harris's　Dedication　to　his　〃Hermes；〃　I　have　heard　him　observe　that；　though　but　fourteen　lines　long；　there　were　six　grammatical　faults　in　it。　　A　friend　was　praising　the　style　of　Dr。　Swift；　Mr。　Johnson　did　not　find　himself　in　the　humour　to　agree　with　him：　　the　critic　was　driven　from　one　of　his　performances　to　the　other。　　At　length；　〃You　MUST　allow　me；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃that　there　are　STRONG　FACTS　in　the　account　of　'The　Four　Last　Years　of　Queen　Anne。'〃　　〃Yes；　surely；　sir；〃　replies　Johnson；　〃and　so　there　are　in　the　Ordinary　of　Newgate's　account。〃　This　was　like　the　story　which　Mr。　Murphy　tells；　and　Johnson　always　acknowledged：　　how　Mr。　Rose　of　Hammersmith；　contending　for　the　preference　of　Scotch　writers　over　the　English；　after　having　set　up　his　authors　like　ninepins；　while　the　Doctor　kept　bowling　them　down　again；　at　last；　to　make　sure　of　victory；　he　named　Ferguson　upon　〃Civil　Society；〃　and　praised　the　book　for　being　written　in　a　NEW　manner。　　〃I　do　not；〃　says　Johnson；　〃perceive　the　value　of　this　new　manner；　it　is　only　like　Buckinger；　who　had　no　hands；　and　so　wrote　with　his　feet。〃　　Of　a　modern　Martial；　when　it　came　out：　　〃There　are　in　these　verses；〃　says　Dr。　　Johnson；　〃too　much　folly　for　madness；　I　think；　and　too　much　madness　for　folly。〃　　If；　however；　Mr。　Johnson　lamented　that　the　nearer　he　approached　to　his　own　times；　the　more　enemies　he　should　make；　by　telling　biographical　truths　in　his　〃Lives　of　the　Later　Poets；〃　what　may　I　not　apprehend；　who；　if　I　relate　anecdotes　of　Mr。　Johnson；　am　obliged　to　repeat　expressions　of　severity；　and　sentences　of　contempt？　　Let　me　at　least　soften　them　a　little　by　saying　that　he　did　not　hate　the　persons　he　treated　with　roughness；　or　despise　them　whom　he　drove　from　him　by　apparent　scorn。　　He　really　loved　and　respected　many　whom　he　would　not　suffer　to　love　him。　　And　when　he　related　to　me　a　short　dialogue　that　passed　between　himself　and　a　writer　of　the　first　eminence　in　the　world；　when　he　was　in　Scotland；　I　was　shocked　to　think　how　he　must　have　disgusted　him。　　〃Dr。　　asked　me；〃　said　he；　〃why　I　did　not　join　in　their　public　worship　when　among　them？　for；〃　said　he；　〃I　went　to　your　churches　often　when　in　England。〃　　〃So；〃　replied　Johnson；　〃I　have　read　that　the　Siamese　sent　ambassadors　to　Louis　Quatorze；　but　I　never　heard　that　the　King　of　France　thought　it　worth　his　while　to　send　ambassadors　from　his　court　to　that　of　SIAM。〃　　He　was　no　gentler　with　myself；　or　those　for　whom　I　had　the　greatest　regard。　　When　I　one　day　lamented　the　loss　of　a　first　cousin　killed　in　America；　〃Prithee；　my　dear；〃　said　he；　〃have　done　with　canting。　　How　would　the　world　be　worse　for　it；　I　may　ask；　if　all　your　relations　were　at　once　spitted　like　larks；　and　roasted　for　Presto's　supper？〃　　Presto　was　the　dog　that　lay　under　the　table　while　we　talked。　　When　we　went　into　Wales　together；　and　spent　some　time　at　Sir　Robert　Cotton's；　at　Lleweny；　one　day　at　dinner　I　meant　to　please　Mr。　Johnson　particularly　with　a　dish　of　very　young　peas。　　〃Are　not　they　charming？〃　said　I　to　him；　while　he　was　eating　them。　　〃Perhaps；〃　said　he；　〃they　would　be　soto　a　PIG。〃　I　only　instance　these　replies；　to　excuse　my　mentioning　those　he　made　to　others。

When　a　well…known　author　published　his　poems　in　the　year　1777：　　〃Such　a　one's　verses　are　come　out；〃　said　I。　　〃Yes；〃　replied　Johnson；　〃and　this　frost　has　struck　them　in　again。　　Here　are　some　lines　I　have　written　to　ridicule　the