the nation has long been satisfied that his life was sacrificed to the political fervour of the times. In the vault belonging to the Torrington family, in the church of Southill, in Bedfordshire, there is the following epitaph upon his monument, which I have transcribed: review of Soame Jenyns was pos Magazine," and indeed anywhere, is his Jenyns's "Inquiry into the Origin of Evil." sessed of lively talents, and a style eminently pure and easy, and could very happily play with a light subject, either in prose that his testimony was cited as the best proof of the Admiral's innocence (Ibid., p. 431). Byng was shot on board the St. George, March 14, 1757. In a letter to Thiriot (Ibid., p. 440), Voltaire mentions: "que j'avais connu ce pauvre Amiral Byng à Londres dans sa jeunesse ;" and that Byng had charged his executor to forward to Voltaire "un mémoire justificatif qu'il a donné ordre en mourant de me faire parvenir.”— Editor. L Nothing can be more unfounded than the assertion that Byng fell a martyr to " political persecution." It is impossible to read the trial without being convinced that he had misconducted himself; and the extraordinary proceedings in both Houses of Parliament subsequent to his trial, prove, at once, the zeal of his friends to invalidate the finding of the courtmartial, and the absence of any reason for doing so. By a strange coincidence of circumstances, it happened that there was a total change of ministry between the accusation and the sentence, so that one party prepared the trial and the other directed the execution: there can be no stronger proof that he was not a political martyr. See this subject treated at large in the Quarterly Review for April, 1822.-Croker. or verse: but when he speculated on that most difficult and excruciating question, the Origin of Evil, he "ventured far beyond his depth," and, accordingly, was exposed by Johnson, both with acute argument and brilliant wit. I remember when the late Mr. Bicknell's humorous performance, entitled "The Musical Travels of Joel Collyer," in which a slight attempt is made to ridicule Johnson, was ascribed to Soame Jenyns, Ha! (said Johnson) I thought I had given him enough of it." His triumph over Jenyns is thus described by my friend Mr. Courtenay, in his "Poetical Review of the literary and moral character of Dr. Johnson;" a performance of such merit, that had I not been honoured with a very kind and partial notice in it, I should echo the sentiments of men of the first taste loudly in its praise : "When specious sophists with presumption scan To rival St. John and his scholar Pope : Though metaphysics spread the gloom of night, By reason's star he guides our aching sight; The bounds of knowledge marks, and points the way Where, like a farthing link-boy, Jenyns stands, 1 Some time after Dr. Johnson's death, there appeared in the newspapers and magazines an illiberal and petulant attack upon him, in the form of an Epitaph, under the name of Mr. Soame Jenyns, very unworthy of that gentleman, who had quietly submitted to the critical lash while Johnson lived. It assumed, as characteristics of him, all the vulgar circumstances of abuse which had circulated amongst the ignorant. It was an unbecoming indulgence of puny resentment, at a time when he himself was at a very advanced age, and had a near prospect of descending to the grave. I was truly sorry for it; for he was then become an avowed and (as my Lord Bishop of London, who had a serious conversation with him on the subject, assures me) a sincere Christian. He could not expect that Johnson's numerous friends would patiently bear to have the memory of their master stigmatized by no mean pen, but that, at least, one would be found to retort. Accordingly, this unjust and sarcastic epitaph was met in the same public * This year Mr. William Payne, brother of the respectable bookseller of that name, published "An Introduction to the Game of Draughts," to which Johnson contributed a Dedication to the Earl of Rochford,* and a Preface, both of which are admirably adapted to the treatise to which they are prefixed. Johnson, I believe, did not play at draughts after leaving College; by which he suffered; for it would have afforded him an innocent soothing relief from the melancholy which distressed him so often. I have heard him regret that he had not learnt to play at cards; and the game of draughts field by an answer, in terms by no means soft, and such as wanton provocation only could justify : "EPITAPH "Prepared for a creature not quite dead yet. "Here lies a little ugly nauseous elf, Who, judging only from its wretched self, The 'Origin of Evil' to explain. A mighty Genius at this elf displeased, With a strong critic grasp the urchin squeezed. For thirty years its coward spleen it kept, Till in the dust the mighty Genius slept; Then stunk and fretted in expiring snuff, And blinked at JOHNSON with its last poor puff." The answer was no doubt by Mr. Boswell himself, and does more credit to his zeal than his poetical talents. This Review was so successful that Johnson republished it in a separate pamphlet. Jenyns was born in 1705, and died in 1787. He was for near forty years in Parliament, and published some poetry; but his best known work is his Source of the Nile; also, Evidences of the Christian Religion, published in 1774. Of this work, the seriousness and sincerity was much questioned, which is the occasion of Mr. Boswell's observation as to his being "a sincere Christian.”— Croker. The Epitaph in question, on Johnson, conspicuous only for its insipid coarseness, may be found by the curious reader in vol. i., p. 222, of the collected Works of Soame Jenyns, in 4 vols., 8vo, London, 1790; but the curious reader will search in vain through these four volumes for what Mr. Croker terms "his best known work, his Source of the Nile." Soame Jenyns never wrote a line on the subject.-Editor. we know is peculiarly calculated to fix the attention without straining it. There is a composure and gravity in draughts which insensibly tranquillises the mind; and, accordingly, the Dutch are fond of it, as they are of smoking, of the sedative influence of which, though he himself never smoked, he had a high opinion. Besides, there is in draughts some exercise of the faculties; and accordingly, Johnson, wishing to dignify the subject in his Dedication with what is most estimable in it, observes, "Triflers may find or make anything a trifle: but since it is the great characteristic of a wise man to see events in their causes, to obviate consequences, and ascertain contingencies, your lordship will think nothing a trifle by which the mind is inured to caution, foresight, and circumspection." As one of the little occasional advantages which he did not disdain to take by his pen, as a man whose profession was literature, he this year accepted of a guinea from Mr. Robert Dodsley, for writing the Introduction to "The London Chronicle," an evening newspaper; and even in so slight a performance exhibited peculiar talents. This "Chronicle" still subsists, and from what I observed, when I was abroad, has a more extensive circulation upon the continent than any the English newspapers. It was constantly read by Johnson himself; and it is but just to observe, that it has all along been distinguished for good sense, accuracy, moderation, and delicacy. of Another instance of the same nature has been communicated to me by the Reverend Dr. Thomas Campbell," who has done himself considerable credit by his own writings. "Sitting with Dr. Johnson one morning alone, he asked me if I had known Dr. Madden, who was author of the premiumscheme in Ireland. On my answering in the affirmative, and 1 1 Hawkins heard Johnson say, that insanity had grown more frequent since smoking had gone out of fashion.—Croker. 2 The London Chronicle, or Universal Evening Post, was published three times a week. The first number, containing Johnson's Introduction, appeared Jan. 1, 1757. Mr. Boswell often wrote in this journal.-Croker. 3 The Irish Dr. Campbell, of whom we shall hear more.-Editor. 4 In the College of Dublin, four quarterly examinations of the students S also that I had for some years lived in his neighbourhood, &c., he begged of me that when I returned to Ireland, I would endeavour to procure for him a poem of Dr. Madden's called 'Boulter's Monument.'' The reason (said he) why I wish for it, is this when Dr. Madden came to London, he submitted that work to my castigation; and I remember I blotted a great many lines, and might have blotted many more without making the poem worse. However, the Doctor was very thankful, and very generous, for he gave me ten guineas, which was to me at that time a great sum." 2 He this year resumed his scheme of giving an edition of Shakspeare with notes. He issued Proposals of considerable length,' in which he shewed that he perfectly well knew what are held in each year, in various prescribed branches of literature and science; and premiums, consisting of books impressed with the College Arms, are adjudged by examiners (composed generally of the Junior Fellows), to those who have most distinguished themselves in the several classes, after a very rigid trial, which lasts two days. This regulation, which has subsisted about seventy years, has been attended with the most beneficial effects. Dr. Samuel Madden was the first proposer of those premiums. They were instituted about the year 1734. He was also one of the founders of the Dublin Society for the Encouragement of Arts and Agriculture. In addition to the premiums which were and are still annually given by that society for this purpose, Dr. Madden gave others from his own fund. Hence he was usually called "Premium Madden."— Malone. ' Dr. Hugh Boulter, Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of Ireland. He died Sept. 27, 1742, at which time he was, for the thirteenth time, one of the Lords Justices of that kingdom. Johnson speaks of him in high terms of commendation, in his Life of Ambrose Philips. 2 Hawkins's Life, pp. 391-92. "About this time, as it is supposed, for sundry beneficed clergymen that requested him, he composed pulpit discourses, and for these, he made no scruple of confessing, he was paid; his price, I am informed, was a moderate one-a guinea; and such was his notion of justice, that having been paid, he considered them so absolutely the property of the purchaser, as to renounce all claim to them. He reckoned that he had written about forty sermons; but, except as to some, knew not in what hands they were. "I have," said he, "been paid for them, and have no right to inquire about them.”—Croker. 3 They have been reprinted by Mr. Malone, in the Preface to his edition of Shakspeare.—Note in third edition, vol. i. p. 281. |