EIAT. 58. CASE OF MRS. HEELY. 15 LETTER 104. TO THE SAME. "Johnson's Court, Fleet Street, Oct. 24. 1767. "SIR,- I returned this week from the country, after an absence of near six months, and found your letter with many others, which I should have answered sooner, if I had sooner seen them. "Dr. Robertson's opinion was surely right. Men should not be told of the faults which they have mended. I am glad the old language is taught, and honour the translator, as a man whom God has distinguished by the high office of propagating his word. "I must take the liberty of engaging you in an office of charity. Mrs. Heely, the wife of Mr. Heely, who had lately some office in your theatre, is my near relation, and now in great distress. They wrote me word of their situation some time ago, to which I returned them an answer which raised hopes of more than it is proper for me to give them. Their representation of their affairs I have discovered to be such as cannot be trusted; and at this distance, though their case requires haste, I know not how to act. She, or her daughters, may be heard of at Canongate-head. I must beg, Sir, that you will inquire after them, and let me know what is to be done. I am willing to go to ten pounds, and will transmit you such a sum, if upon examination you find it likely to be of use. If they are in immediate want, advance them what you think proper. What I could do I would do for the woman, having no great reason to pay much regard to Heely himself. (1) (1) This is the person concerning whom Sir John Hawkins has thrown out very unwarrantable reflections both against Dr. Johnson and Mr. Francis Barber. - B. Hawkins wished to persuade the world that Dr. Johnson acted unjustifiably in preferring (in the disposal of his property) Barber to this man, whom Sir John and his daughter, in her Memoirs, call Johnson's relation, but who, in fact, had only married his relation. She was dead, and Heely had married another woman, at the time when Hawkins affected to think that he had claims to be Dr. Johnson's heir. — C. "I believe you may receive some intelligence from Mrs. Baker of the theatre, whose letter I received at the same time with yours; and to whom, if you see her, you will make my excuse for the seeming neglect of answering her. "Whatever you advance within ten pounds shall be immediately returned to you, or paid as you shall order. I trust wholly to your judgment. I am, Sir, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON." Mr. Cuthbert Shaw (1), alike distinguished by his genius, misfortunes, and misconduct, published this year a poem, called "The Race, by Mercurius Spur, Esq." in which he whimsically made the living poets of England contend for pre-eminence of fame by running: "Prove by their heels the prowess of the head.” In this poem there was the following portrait of Johnson: "Here Johnson comes, -unblest with outward grace, His rigid morals stamp'd upon his face; While strong conceptions struggle in his brain; To view him, porters with their loads would res The Nine, with terror struck, who ne'er had seen Debating whether they should stay or run, Nor stain his glories in the doubtful field; (1) [Cuthbert Shaw was born in 1738 or 1739, and died, overoaded with complicated distress, in Titchfield Street, Oxford Market, Sept. 1. 1771.] ÆTAT. 58. THE HON. T. HERVEY. But wrapt in conscious worth, content sit down, 17 The Hon. Thomas Hervey (1) and his lady having unhappily disagreed, and being about to separate, Johnson interfered as their friend, and wrote him a letter of expostulation, which I have not been able to find; but the substance of it is ascertained by a letter to Johnson in answer to it, which Mr. Hervey printed. The occasion of this correspondence between Dr. Johnson and Mr. Hervey, was thus related to me by Mr. Beauclerk. "Tom Hervey had a great liking for Johnson, and in his will had left him a legacy of fifty pounds. One day he said to me, 'Johnson may want this money now, more than afterwards. I have a mind to give it him directly. Will you be so good as to carry a fifty pound note from me to him?' This I positively refused to do, as he might, perhaps, have knocked me down for insulting him, and have afterwards put the note in his pocket. But I said, if Hervey would write him a letter, and enclose a fifty pound note, I should take care to deliver it. He accordingly did write him a letter, mentioning that he was only paying a legacy a little sooner. To his letter he added, 'P.S. I am (1) The Hon. Thomas Hervey, whose "Letter to Sir Thomas Hanmer" in 1742, was much read at that time. He was the second son of John, first Earl of Bristol, and one of the brothers of Johnson's early friend, Henry Hervey. He [was born in 1698,] married, in 1744, Anne, daughter of Francis Coughlan, Esq., and died Jan. 20. 1775. M. going to part with my wife.' Johnson then wrote to him, saying nothing of the note, but remonstrating with him against parting with his wife." When I mentioned to Johnson this story, in as delicate terms as I could, he told me that the fifty pound note was given (') to him by Mr. Hervey in consideration of his having written for him a pamphlet against Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, who, Mr. Hervey imagined, was the author of an (1) This is not inconsistent with Mr. Beauclerk's account. It may have been in consideration of this pamphlet that Hervey left Johnson the fifty pounds in his will, and on second thoughts he may have determined to send it to him. It were, however, to be wished, that the story had stood on its original ground. The acceptance of an anticipated legacy from a friend would have had nothing objectionable in it; but can so much be said for the employment of one's pen for hire, in the disgusting squabbles of so mischievous and profligate a madman as Mr. Thomas Hervey? "He was well known," says the gentle biographer of the Peerage, "for his genius and eccentricities." The Letter to Sir Thomas Hanmer, above mentioned, was the first, it is believed, of the many appeals which Mr. Hervey made to the public, relative to his private concerns. The subject is astonishing. Lady Hanmer eloped from her husband with Mr. Hervey, and made, it seems, a will, in his favour, of certain estates, of which Sir Thomas had a life possession. Hervey's letter avows the adultery, and assigns very strange reasons for the lady's leaving her husband, and then goes on to complain, that Sir Thomas was cutting timber on the estate which had belonged to "our wife," so he calls her, and of which the reversion was his, and begging that, if he did sell any more timber, he would give him, Hervey, the refusal of it. All this is garnished and set off by extravagant flights of fine writing, the most cutting sarcasms, the most indecent details, and the most serious expressions of the writer's conviction, that his conduct was natural and delicate, and such as every body must approve; and that, finally, in Heaven, Lady Hanmer, in the distribution of wives (suam cuique), would be considered as his. -Johnson, as we shall see hereafter, characterised his friend, Tom Hervey, as he had already done (antè, Vol. I. p. 116.) his brother Henry, as very vicious. Alas! it is but too probable, that both were disordered in mind, and that what was called vice was, in truth, disease, and required a madhouse rather than a prison. — CROXXR. ETAT. 58. LIBRARY AT BUCKINGHAM HOUSE. 19 attack upon him; but that it was afterwards discovered to be the work of a garreteer (1), who wrote "The Fool:" the pamphlet therefore against Sir Charles was not printed. In February, 1767, there happened one of the most remarkable incidents of Johnson's life, which gratified his monarchical enthusiasm, and which he loved to relate with all its circumstances, when requested by his friends. This was his being honoured by a private conversation with his Majesty, in the library at the Queen's house. He had frequently visited those splendid rooms and noble collection of books (2), which he used to say was more numerous and curious than he supposed any person could have made in the time which the King had employed. Mr. Barnard, the librarian, took care that he should have every accommodation that could contribute to his ease and convenience, while in (1) Some curiosity would naturally be felt as to who the garreteer was, who wrote a pamphlet, which was attributed to Sir C. H. Williams, the wittiest man of his day, and to answer which, the wild and sarcastic genius of Hervey required the assistance of Dr. Johnson. His name was William Horsley, but his acknowledged works are poor productions. — C. — [Sir C. H. Williams's clever but often indecent poems were collected into three volumes in 1822, and are discussed at length in the Quarterly Review, vol. xxviii. p. 46. He was born in 1709, and died in a state of insanity, it has been said by his own hands, Nov. 2. 1759.] (2) Dr. Johnson had the honour of contributing his assistance towards the formation of this library; for I have read a long letter from him to Mr. Barnard, giving the most masterly instructions on the subject. I wished much to have gratified my readers with the perusal of this letter, and have reason to think that his Majesty would have been graciously pleased to permit its publication; but Mr. Barnard, to whom I applied, declined it "on his own account."- B.-[See this Letter, post, May 28. 1768.1 |