Life of Johnson Volume II Part 2

"Spemque _gregemque simul_,"

for the lambs and the sheep. Yet it is also used to express any thing on which we have a present dependence, and is well applied to a man of distinguished influence, our support, our refuge, our _praesidium_, as Horace calls Maecenas. So, aeneid xii. l. 57, Queen Amata addresses her son-in-law Turnus:--"Spes _tu nunc una_:" and he was then no future hope, for she adds,

"... _decus imperiumque Latini Te penes_;"

which might have been said of my Lord Bute some years ago. Now I consider the present Earl of Bute to be '_Excelsae familiae de Bute_ spes prima;' and my Lord Mountstuart, as his eldest son, to be '_spes altera_.' So in aeneid xii. l. 168, after having mentioned Pater aeneas, who was the _present_ spes, the _reigning_ spes, as my German friends would say, the _spes prima_, the poet adds,

"_Et juxta Ascanius, magnae_ spes altera _Romae_."

'You think _alterae_ ungrammatical, and you tell me it should have been _alteri_. You must recollect, that in old times _alter_ was declined regularly; and when the ancient fragments preserved in the _Juris Civilis Fontes_ were written, it was certainly declined in the way that I use it. This, I should think, may protect a lawyer who writes _alterae_ in a dissertation upon part of his own science. But as I could hardly venture to quote fragments of old law to so cla.s.sical a man as Mr.

Johnson, I have not made an accurate search into these remains, to find examples of what I am able to produce in poetical composition. We find in Plaut. Rudens, act iii. scene 4,

"_Nam Jiuic alters patria qua: sit profecto nescio_."

Plautus is, to be sure, an old comick writer: but in the days of Scipio and Lelius, we find, Terent. Heautontim. act ii. scene 3,

".... hoc ipsa in itinere alterae Dum narrat, forte audivi."

'You doubt my having authority for using _genus_ absolutely, for what we call _family_, that is, for _ill.u.s.trious extraction_. Now I take _genus_ in Latin, to have much the same signification with _birth_ in English; both in their primary meaning expressing simply descent, but both made to stand [Greek: kat exochaen] n.o.ble descent. _Genus_ is thus used in Hor. lib. ii. Sat. v. 1. 8,

"_Et genus et virtus, nisi c.u.m re, vilior alga est_."

'And in lib. i. Epist. vi. 1. 37,

"_Et genus et forinam Regina pecunia donat_."

'And in the celebrated contest between Ajax and Ulysses, Ovid's Metamorph. lib. xiii. 1. 140,

"_Nam genus et proavos, et quae--non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco_."

'_Homines nullius originis_, for _nullis orti majoribus_, or _nullo loco nati_, is, you are "afraid, barbarous."

'_Origo_ is used to signify extraction, as in Virg. aeneid i. 1. 286,

"_Nascetur pulchrd Troja.n.u.s_ origine _Caesar_."

And in aeneid x. 1. 618,

"_Ille tamen nostra deducit_ origine _nomen_"

And as _nullus_ is used for obscure, is it not in the genius of the Latin language to write _nullius originis_, for obscure extraction?

'I have defended myself as well as I could.

'Might I venture to differ from you with regard to the utility of vows?

I am sensible that it would be very dangerous to make vows rashly, and without a due consideration. But I cannot help thinking that they may often be of great advantage to one of a variable judgement and irregular inclinations. I always remember a pa.s.sage in one of your letters to our Italian friend Baretti; where talking of the monastick life, you say you do not wonder that serious men should put themselves under the protection of a religious order, when they have found how unable they are to take care of themselves.[69] For my own part, without affecting to be a Socrates, I am sure I have a more than ordinary struggle to maintain with _the Evil Principle_; and all the methods I can devise are little enough to keep me tolerably steady in the paths of rect.i.tude.

'I am ever, with the highest veneration, 'Your affectionate humble servant, 'JAMES BOSWELL.'

It appears from Johnson's diary, that he was this year at Mr. Thrale's, from before Midsummer till after Michaelmas, and that he afterwards pa.s.sed a month at Oxford. He had then contracted a great intimacy with Mr. Chambers of that University, afterwards Sir Robert Chambers, one of the Judges in India.[70]

He published nothing this year in his own name; but the n.o.ble dedication[71][*] to the King, of Gwyn's _London and Westminster Improved_, was written by him; and he furnished the Preface,[Dagger] and several of the pieces, which compose a volume of _Miscellanies_ by Mrs.

Anna Williams, the blind lady who had an asylum in his house. Of these, there are his 'Epitaph on Philips,'[72][*] 'Translation of a Latin Epitaph on Sir Thomas Hanmer,'[73][Dagger] 'Friends.h.i.+p, an Ode,'[74][*]

and, 'The Ant,'[*] a paraphrase from the Proverbs, of which I have a copy in his own hand-writing; and, from internal evidence, I ascribe to him, 'To Miss ----, on her giving the Authour a gold and silk net-work Purse of her own weaving'[75]; [Dagger] and, 'The happy Life.'[76][Dagger]

Most of the pieces in this volume have evidently received additions from his superiour pen, particularly 'Verses to Mr. Richardson, on his Sir Charles Grandison;' 'The Excursion;' 'Reflections on a Grave digging in Westminster Abbey.'[77] There is in this collection a poem 'On the Death of Stephen Grey, the Electrician;'[*] which, on reading it, appeared to me to be undoubtedly Johnson's. I asked Mrs. Williams whether it was not his. 'Sir, (said she, with some warmth,) I wrote that poem before I had the honour of Dr. Johnson's acquaintance.' I, however, was so much impressed with my first notion, that I mentioned it to Johnson, repeating, at the same time, what Mrs. Williams had said. His answer was, 'It is true, Sir, that she wrote it before she was acquainted with me; but she has not told you that I wrote it all over again, except two lines.'[78] 'The Fountains,'[dagger] a beautiful little Fairy tale in prose, written with exquisite simplicity, is one of Johnson's productions; and I cannot with-hold from Mrs. Thrale the praise of being the authour of that admirable poem, 'The Three Warnings.'

He wrote this year a letter, not intended for publication, which has, perhaps, as strong marks of his sentiment and style, as any of his compositions. The original is in my possession. It is addressed to the late Mr. William Drummond, bookseller in Edinburgh, a gentleman of good family, but small estate, who took arms for the house of Stuart in 1745; and during his concealment in London till the act of general pardon came out obtained the acquaintance of Dr. Johnson, who justly esteemed him as a very worthy man. It seems, some of the members of the society in Scotland for propagating Christian knowledge, had opposed the scheme of translating the holy scriptures into the Erse or Gaelick language, from political considerations of the disadvantage of keeping up the distinction between the Highlanders and the other inhabitants of North-Britain. Dr. Johnson being informed of this, I suppose by Mr.

Drummond, wrote with a generous indignation as follows:

'To MR. WILLIAM DRUMMOND.

'SIR,

'I did not expect to hear that it could be, in an a.s.sembly convened for the propagation of Christian knowledge, a question whether any nation uninstructed in religion should receive instruction; or whether that instruction should be imparted to them by a translation of the holy books into their own language. If obedience to the will of G.o.d be necessary to happiness, and knowledge of his will be necessary to obedience, I know not how he that with-holds this knowledge, or delays it, can be said to love his neighbour as himself. He that voluntarily continues ignorance, is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces; as to him that should extinguish the tapers of a light-house, might justly be imputed the calamities of s.h.i.+pwrecks. Christianity is the highest perfection of humanity; and as no man is good but as he wishes the good of others, no man can be good in the highest degree who wishes not to others the largest measures of the greatest good. To omit for a year, or for a day, the most efficacious method of advancing Christianity, in compliance with any purposes that terminate on this side of the grave, is a crime of which I know not that the world has yet had an example, except in the practice of the planters of America,[79] a race of mortals whom, I suppose, no other man wishes to resemble.[80]

'The Papists have, indeed, denied to the laity the use of the bible; but this prohibition, in few places now very rigorously enforced, is defended by arguments, which have for their foundation the care of souls. To obscure, upon motives merely political, the light of revelation, is a practice reserved for the reformed; and, surely, the blackest midnight of popery is meridian suns.h.i.+ne to such a reformation.

I am not very willing that any language should be totally extinguished.

The similitude and derivation of languages afford the most indubitable proof of the traduction of nations, and the genealogy of mankind.[81]

They add often physical certainty to historical evidence; and often supply the only evidence of ancient migrations, and of the revolutions of ages which left no written monuments behind them.

'Every man's opinions, at least his desires, are a little influenced by his favourite studies. My zeal for languages may seem, perhaps, rather over-heated, even to those by whom I desire to be well-esteemed. To those who have nothing in their thoughts but trade or policy, present power, or present money, I should not think it necessary to defend my opinions; but with men of letters I would not unwillingly compound, by wis.h.i.+ng the continuance of every language, however narrow in its extent, or however incommodious for common purposes, till it is reposited in some version of a known book, that it may be always hereafter examined and compared with other languages, and then permitting its disuse. For this purpose, the translation of the bible is most to be desired. It is not certain that the same method will not preserve the Highland language, for the purposes of learning, and abolish it from daily use.

When the Highlanders read the Bible, they will naturally wish to have its obscurities cleared, and to know the history, collateral or appendant. Knowledge always desires increase: it is like fire, which must first be kindled by some external agent, but which will afterwards propagate itself. When they once desire to learn, they will naturally have recourse to the nearest language by which that desire can be gratified; and one will tell another that if he would attain knowledge, he must learn English.

'This speculation may, perhaps, be thought more subtle than the grossness of real life will easily admit. Let it, however, be remembered, that the efficacy of ignorance has been long tried, and has not produced the consequence expected. Let knowledge, therefore, take its turn; and let the patrons of privation stand awhile aside, and admit the operation of positive principles.

'You will be pleased, Sir, to a.s.sure the worthy man who is employed in the new translation,[82] that he has my wishes for his success; and if here or at Oxford I can be of any use, that I shall think it more than honour to promote his undertaking.

'I am sorry that I delayed so long to write.

'I am, Sir, 'Your most humble servant, 'SAM. JOHNSON.'

'Johnson's-court, Fleet-street, Aug. 13, 1766.'

The opponents of this pious scheme being made ashamed of their conduct, the benevolent undertaking was allowed to go on[83].

The following letters, though not written till the year after, being chiefly upon the same subject, are here inserted.

'TO MR. WILLIAM DRUMMOND.

'DEAR SIR,

'That my letter should have had such effects as you mention, gives me great pleasure. I hope you do not flatter me by imputing to me more good than I have really done. Those whom my arguments have persuaded to change their opinion, shew such modesty and candour as deserve great praise.

'I hope the worthy translator goes diligently forward. He has a higher reward in prospect than any honours which this world can bestow. I wish I could be useful to him.

'The publication of my letter, if it could be of use in a cause to which all other causes are nothing, I should not prohibit. But first, I would have you consider whether the publication will really do any good; next, whether by printing and distributing a very small number, you may not attain all that you propose; and, what perhaps I should have said first, whether the letter, which I do not now perfectly remember, be fit to be printed.