ETAT. 58. LEXIPHANES. 31 "From that time, by abstinence, I have had more I have read five books of Homer, and hope to end the sixth to-night. I have given Mrs. ease. guinea. a "By abstinence from wine and suppers, I obtained sudden and great relief, and had freedom of mind restored to me; which I have wanted for all this year, without being able to find my means of obtaining it." He, however, furnished Mr. Adams with a Dedication* to the King of that ingenious gentleman's "Treatise on the Globes," conceived and expressed in such a manner as could not fail to be very grateful to a monarch, distinguished for his love of the sciences. This year was published a ridicule of his style, under the title of "Lexiphanes." Sir John Hawkins ascribes it to Dr. Kenrick; but its author was one Campbell, a Scotch purser in the navy. The ridicule consisted in applying Johnson's "words of large meaning," to insignificant matters, as if one should put the armour of Goliath upon a dwarf. The contrast might be laughable; but the dignity of the armour must remain the same in all considerate minds. This malicious drollery (1), therefore, it may easily be supposed, could do no harm to its illustrious object. (1) It may have been malicious, but it certainly is not droll. It is so overcharged, as to have neither resemblance nor pleasantry. Sir J. Hawkins, in his second edition, attributed it to Campbell.-C. [This effusion of sportive malignity was the production of Archibald Campbell, the son of Professor Archibald Campbell, of St. Andrew's. He was also author of "The Sale of Authors; a Dialogue, in imitation of Lucian." - ANDERSON.] LETTER 106. TO BENNET LANGTON, ESQ. At Mr. Rothwell's, Perfumer, in New Bond Street. "Lichfield, Oct. 10. 1767. "DEAR SIR, -That you have been all summer in London is one more reason for which I regret my long stay in the country. I hope that you will not leave the town before my return. We have here only the chance of vacancies in the passing carriages, and I have bespoken one that may, if it happens, bring me to town on the fourteenth of this month; but this is not certain. It will be a favour if you communicate this to Mrs. Williams I long to see all my friends. I am, dear Sir, your most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." LETTER 107. TO MRS. ASTON. (1) "Nov. 17. 1767. "MADAM, If you impute it to disrespect or inattention, that I took no leave when I left Lichfield, you will do me great injustice. I know you too well not to value your friendship. "When I came to Oxford I inquired after the product of our walnut-tree, but it had, like other trees this year, but very few nuts, and for those few I came too late. The tree, as I told you, madam, we cannot find to be more than thirty years old, and, upon measuring it, I found it, at about one foot from the ground, seven feet in circumference, and at the height of about seven feet, the circumference is five feet and a half; it would have been, I believe, still bigger, but that it has been lopped. The nuts are small, such as they call single nuts; whether this nut is of quicker growth than better I have not yet inquired; such as they are, I hope to send them next year. (1) Parker MSS. Elizabeth, one of the younger daughters of Sir Thomas Aston: see antè, Vol. I. p. 85. n. — C. ETAT. 58. MRS. ASTON. 33 "You know, dear madam, the liberty I took of hinting, that I did not think your present mode of life very pregnant with happiness. Reflection has not yet changed my opinion. Solitude excludes pleasure, and does not always secure peace. Some communication of sentiments is commonly necessary to give vent to the imagination, and discharge the mind of its own flatulencies. Some lady surely might be found, in whose conversation you might delight, and in whose fidelity you might repose. The world, says Locke, has people of all sorts. You will forgive me this obtrusion of my opinion; I am sure I wish you well. "Poor Kitty has done what we have all to do, and Lucy has the world to begin anew: I hope she will find some way to more content than I left her possessing. "Be pleased to make my compliments to Mrs. Hinckley and Miss Turton. I am, Madam, your most obliged and most humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." VOL. III. D CHAPTER II. 1768. State of Johnson's Mind. Visit to Town-malling. Prologue to Goldsmith's "Good-natured Man.' Boswell publishes his "Account of Corsica." - Practice of the Law. Novels and Comedies. The Douglas Cause. - Reading MSS. St. Kilda. — Oxford.-Guthrie. Hume. - Robertson. -Future Life of Brutes. Scorpions.-Maupertuis.-Wood cocks. Swallows. Bell's Travels. Chastity.Choice of a Wife. - Baretti's Italy. - Liberty. Kenrick. Thomson. Monsey. Swift. Lord Eglintoune.-Letter on the Formation of a Library. Boswell at the Stratford Jubilee. Opinion of the "Account of Corsica." Johnson's IT appears from his notes of the state or his mind, that he suffered great perturbation and distraction in 1768. "Town-malling, in Kent, (1) 18th Sept. 1768, at night. I have now begun the sixtieth year of my life. How the last year has past, I am unwilling to terrify myself with thinking. This day has been past in great perturbation: I was distracted at church in an uncommon degree, and my distress has had very little intermission. I have found myself somewhat relieved by reading, which I therefore intend to practise when I am able. This day it came into my mind to write the history of my melancholy. On this I purpose to deli (1) [At Town-malling Johnson occasionally visited Mr Brooke. See post, August 23. 1777.] ÆTAT. 59. ACCOUNT OF CORSICA. 35 berate; I know not whether it may not too much disturb me." Nothing of his writings was given to the public this year, except the Prologue* to his friend Goldsmith's comedy of "The Good-natured Man." The first lines of this Prologue are strongly characteristical of the dismal gloom of his mind; which in his case, as in the case of all who are distressed with the same malady of imagination, transfers to others its own feelings. Who could suppose it was to introduce a comedy, when Mr. Bensley solemnly began, "Press'd with the load of life, the weary mind Surveys the general toil of human kind." But this dark ground might make Goldsmith's humour shine the more. (1) In the spring of this year, having published my "Account of Corsica, with the Journal of a Tour to that Island," I returned to London, very desirous to see Dr. Johnson, and hear him upon the subject. I found he was at Oxford, with his friend Mr. Chambers, who was now Vinerian Professor, and lived in New-Inn Hall. Having had no letter from him since that in which he criticised the Latinity of my Thesis, and having been told by somebody that he was offended at my having put into my book an (1) In this prologue, after the line-"And social sorrow loses half its pain," the following couplet was inserted: "Amidst the toils of this returning year, Our little bard without complaint may share So the prologue appeared in the Public Advertiser. probably thought that the lines printed in Italic characters might give offence, and therefore prevailed on Johnson to omit them. The epithet little, which perhaps the author thought night diminish his dignity, was also changed to anxious.-M. |