To the fame. "DEAR SIR, "IN a day or two after I had written the last discontented letter, I received my box, which was very welcome. But ftill I must entreat you to haften Dr. Webster, and continue to pick up what you can that may be useful. "Mr. Oglethorpe was with me this morning. You know his errand. He was not unwelcome. "Tell Mrs. Bofwell that my good intentions towards her ftill continue. I fhould be glad to do any thing that would either benefit or please her. "Chambers is not yet gone, but fo hurried, or so negligent, or so proud, that I rarely fee him. I have, indeed, for fome weeks past, been very ill of a cold and cough, and have been at Mrs. Thrale's, that I might be taken care of. I am much better, novæ redeunt in prælia vires; but I am yet tender, and easily disordered. How happy it was that neither of us were ill in the Hebrides. "The question of Literary Property is this day before the Lords. Murphy drew up the appellants' cafe, that is, the plea against the perpetual right. I have not feen it, nor heard the decifion. I would not have the right. perpetual. "I will write to you as any thing occurs, and do you send me something about my Scottish friends. I have very great kindness for them. Let me know likewise how fees come in, and when we are to fee you. I am, Sir, "London, Feb. 7, 1774. "Yours affectionately, SAM. JOHNSON." 1774. Etat. 65. He wrote the following letters to Mr. Steevens, his able affociate in editing. Shakspeare: « SIR, To GEORGE STEEVENS, Efq. in Hampstead. "IF I am asked when I have feen Mr. Steevens, you know what answer I must give; if I am asked when I fhall fee him, I wish you would tell me what to fay. " If you have Lesley's Hiftory of Scotland,' or any other book about Scotland, except Boetius and Buchanan, it will be a kindness if you fend them to, Sir, Feb. 7, 1774. "Your humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON." Το 1 “WE are thinking to augment our club, and I am defirous of nominating you, if you care to ftand the ballot, and can attend on Friday nights at leaft twice in five weeks: less than that is too little, and rather more will be expected. Be pleased to let me know before Friday. I am, Sir, "LAST night you became a member of the club; if you call on me on Friday, I will introduce you. A gentleman, proposed after you, was rejected. "I thank you for Neander, but wish he were not fo fine. I will take care of him. I am, Sir, « March 5, 1774. "DEAR SIR, "Your humble fervant, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. SAM. JOHNSON.". "DR. WEBSTER'S informations were much lefs exact and much less determinate than I expected: they are, indeed, much less positive than, if he can trust his own book which he laid before me, he is able to give. But I believe it will always be found, that he who calls much for information will advance his work but flowly. "I am, however, obliged to you, dear Sir, for your endeavours to help me, and hope, that between us fomething will fome time be done, if not on this, on fome occafion. "Chambers is either married, or almost married, to Mifs Wilton, a girl of fixteen, exquifitely beautiful, whom he has, with his lawyer's tongue, perfuaded to take her chance with him in the Eaft. 3 A manufcript account drawn up by Dr. Webfter of all the parishes in Scotland, afcertaining their length, breadth, number of inhabitants, and distinguishing Proteftants and Roman Catholicks. This book had been transmitted to government, and Dr. Johnson saw a copy of it in Dr. Webster's poffeffion. << We "We have added to the club, Charles Fox, Sir Charles Bunbury, Dr. Fordyce, and Mr. Steevens. "Return my thanks to Dr. Webster. Tell Dr. Robertson that I have not much to reply to his cenfure of my negligence; and tell Dr. Blair that fince he has written hither what I said to him, we must now consider ourselves as even, forgive one another, and begin again. I care not how foon, for he is a very pleasing man. Pay my compliments to all my friends, and remind Lord Elibank of his promise to give me all his works. "I hope Mrs. Bofwell and little Mifs are well.-When shall I see them again? She is a fweet lady, only she was fo glad to fee me go, that I have almost a mind to come again, that she may again have the fame pleasure. Enquire if it be practicable to fend a small present of a cafk of porter to Dunvegan, Rafay, and Col. I would not wish to be thought forgetful of civilities. I am, Sir, "March 5, 1774. "Your humble servant, SAM. JOHNSON." On the 5th of March I wrote to him, requesting his counsel whether I fhould this spring come to London. I stated to him on the one hand some pecuniary embarraffments, which, together with my wife's fituation at that time, made me hefitate; and, on the other, the pleasure and improvement which my annual vifit to the metropolis always afforded me; and particularly mentioned a peculiar fatisfaction which I experienced in celebrating the festival of Eafter in St. Paul's cathedral; that to my fancy it appeared like going up to Jerufalem at the feaft of the Paffover; and that the ftrong devotion which I felt on that occafion diffused its influence on my mind through the reft of the year. "DEAR SIR, To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq. [Not dated, but written about the 15th of March.] "I AM ashamed to think that fince I received your lettter I have passed so many days without answering it. "I think there is no great difficulty in refolving your doubts. The reasons for which you are inclined to vifit London, are, I think, not of fufficient strength to answer the objections. That you should delight to come once a 1774. Etat. 65. 1774. Etat. 65. year to the fountain of intelligence and pleasure, is very natural; but both information and pleasure must be regulated by propriety. Pleasure, which cannot be obtained but by unfeasonable or unfuitable expence, must always end in pain; and pleasure, which must be enjoyed at the expence of another's pain, can never be fuch as a worthy mind can fully delight in. "What improvement you might gain by coming to London, you may eafily fupply, or eafily compenfate, by enjoining yourself some particular study at home, or opening fome new avenue to information. Edinburgh is not yet exhausted; and I am fure you will find no pleasure here which can deserve either that you should anticipate any part of your future fortune, or that you fhould condemn yourself and your lady to penurious frugality for the rest of the year. "I need not tell you what regard you owe to Mrs. Bofwell's entreaties ; or how much you ought to study the happiness of her who studies yours with fo much diligence, and of whose kindness you enjoy fuch good effects. Life cannot subsist in society but by reciprocal conceffions. She permitted you to ramble last year, you must permit her now to keep you at home. you, when you "Your laft reafon is fo ferious, that I am unwilling to oppofe it. Yet you must remember, that your image of worshipping once a year in a certain place, in imitation of the Jews, is but a comparison, and fimile non eft idem ; if the annual refort to Jerufalem was a duty to the Jews, it was a duty because it was commanded; and you have no fuch command, therefore no fuch duty. It may be dangerous to receive too readily, and indulge too fondly, opinions, from which, perhaps, no pious mind is wholly difengaged, of local fanctity and local devotion. You know what strange effects they have produced over a great part of the Chriftian world. I am now writing, and read this, are reading under the Eye of Omniprefence. "To what degree fancy is to be admitted into religious offices, it would require much deliberation to determine. I am far from intending totally to exclude it. Fancy is a faculty bestowed by our Creator, and it is reasonable that all his gifts fhould be used to his glory, that all our faculties fhould cooperate in his worship; but they are to co-operate according to the will of him that gave them, according to the order which his wifdom has established. As ceremonies prudential or convenient are lefs obligatory than pofitive ordinances, as bodily worship is only the token to others or ourfelves of mental adoration, fo Fancy is always to act in fubordination to Reafon. We may take Fancy for a companion, but muft follow Reafon as our guide. We may allow allow Fancy to fuggeft certain ideas in certain places, but Reafon must always be heard, when she tells us, that those ideas and those places have no natural or neceffary relation. When we enter a church we habitually recal to mind. the duty of adoration, but we must not omit adoration for want of a temple; because we know, and ought to remember, that the Universal Lord is every where prefent; and that, therefore, to come to Jona, or to Jerufalem, though be useful, cannot be necessary. it may "Thus I have answered your letter, and have not anfwered it negligently. I love you too well to be careless when you are ferious. "I think I fhall be very diligent next week about our travels, which I have too long neglected. I am, dear Sir, "Your moft, &c. "Compliments to Madam and Mifs." "SAM. JOHNSON. 1774. Ætat. 65. To the fame. "DEAR SIR, "THE lady who delivers this has a law-fuit, in which she defires to make use of your fkill and eloquence, and fhe feems to think that she shall have something more of both for a recommendation from me; which, though I know how little you want any external incitement to your duty, I could not refuse her, because I know that at least it will not hurt her, to tell you that I wish her well. I am, Sir, "LORD HAILES has begged of me to offer you his best respects, and to tranfmit to you specimens of Annals of Scotland, from the Acceffion of Malcolm Kenmore to the Death of James V.' in drawing up which, his Lordship has been engaged for fome time. His Lordship writes to me thus: 'If I could procure Dr. Johnson's criticisms, they would be of great use to me in the prosecution of my work, as they would be judicious and true. I have no right to ask that favour of him. If you could, it would highly oblige me." |