We may be certain, though it is not exprefsly named in the following letters to Mr. Cave in 1738, that they all relate to it: 1738. Etat. 29. Ta Mr. CAVE. Caftle-ftreet, Wednesday morning. "SIR, "WHEN I took the liberty of writing to you a few days ago, I did not expect a repetition of the fame pleasure fo foon; for a pleasure I fhall always think it, to converse in any manner with an ingenious and candid man; but having the inclofed poem in my hands to. difpofe of for the benefit of the authour, (of whofe abilities I fhall fay nothing, fince I fend you his performance,) I believed I could not procure more advantageous terms from any person than from you, who have fo much diftinguished yourself by your generous encouragement of poetry; and whofe judgement of that art nothing but your commendation of my trifle can give me any occafion to call in queftion. I do not doubt but you will look over this poem with another eye, and reward it in a different manner, from a mercenary bookfeller, who - counts the lines he is to purchase, and confiders nothing but the bulk. I cannot help taking notice, that, befides what the authour may hope for on account of his abilities, he has likewise another claim to your regard, as he lies at present under very difadvantageous circumstances of fortune. I beg, therefore, that you will favour me with a letter to-morrow, that I may know what you can afford to allow him, that he may either part with it to you, or find out (which I do not expect) fome other way more to his fatisfaction. "I have only to add, that as I am fenfible I have tranfcribed it very coarfely, which, after having altered it, I was obliged to do, I will, if you please to tranfmit the fheets from the prefs, correct it for you; and take the trouble of altering any stroke of fatire which you may diflike. By exerting on this occafion your ufual generofity, you will not only encourage learning, and relieve distress, but (though it be in comparison of the other motives of very fmall account) oblige in a very fenfible manner, Sir, "Your very humble fervant,. "SAM. JOHNSON." His Ode "Ad Urbanum" probably.. N. Τα 1738. Ætat. 29. << SIR, To Mr. CAVE. Monday, No. 6, Caftle-freet. "I AM to return you thanks for the prefent you were fo kind as to fend by me, and to intreat that you will be pleased to inform me by the pennypost, whether you refolve to print the poem. If you please to fend it me by the poft, with a note to Dodfley, I will go and read the lines to him, that we may have his confent to put his name in the title-page. As to the printing, if it can be fet immediately about, I will be fo much the authour's friend, as not to content myself with mere folicitations in his favour. I propofe, if my calculation be near the truth, to engage for the reimbursement of all that you fhall lofe by an impreffion of 500, provided, as you very generously propose, that the profit, if any, be set aside for the authour's use, excepting the present you made, which, if he be a gainer, it is fit he should repay. I beg that you will let one of your fervants write an exact account of the expence of fuch an impreffion, and fend it with the poem, that I may know what I engage for. I am very fenfible, from your generofity on this occafion, of your regard to learning, even in its unhappieft ftate, and cannot but think fuch a temper deferving of the gratitude of thofe who fuffer fo often from a contrary difpofition. I am, Sir, "Your moft humble fervant, To Mr. CAVE. "SAM. JOHNSON." [No date.] " SIR, "I WAITED on you to take the copy to Dodley's: as I remember the number of lines which it contains, it will be longer than Eugenio, with the quotations, which must be fubjoined at the bottom of the page, part of the beauty of the performance (if any beauty be allowed it) confifting in adapting Juvenal's fentiments to modern facts and perfons. It will, with thofe additions, very conveniently make five sheets. And fince the expence will be no more, I fhall contentedly infure it, as I mentioned in my laft. If it be not therefore gone to Dodsley's, I beg it may be sent me by the penny-poft, that I may have it in the evening. I have compofed a Greek Epigram to Eliza', and think she ought to be celebrated in as many different languages as Lewis le Grand. Pray send me word when you will begin upon The learned Mrs. Elizabeth Carter. the the poem, for it is a long way to walk. I would leave my Epigram, but have not day-light to tranfcribe it. I am, Sir, 1738. Etat. 29. "Your's, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON." To Mr. CAVÉ. "SIR, [No date.] "I AM extremely obliged by your kind letter, and will not fail to attend you to-morrow with IRENE, who looks upon you as one of her best friends. "I was to day with Mr. Dodfley, who declares very warmly in favour of the paper you fent him, which he defires to have a fhare in, it being, as he fays, a creditable thing to be concerned in. I knew not what answer to make till I had confulted you, nor what to demand on the authour's part, but am very willing that, if you please, he fhould have a part in it, as he will undoubtedly be more diligent to difperfe and promote it. If you can send me word to-morrow what I fhall fay to him, I will fettle matters, and bring the poem with me for the prefs, which as the town empties, we cannot be too quick with. I am, Sir, "Your's, &c. "SAM. JOHNSON." To us who have long known the manly force, bold fpirit, and masterly verfification of this poem, it is a matter of curiofity to obferve the diffidence with which its authour brought it forward into publick notice, while he is fo cautious as not to avow it to be his own production; and with what humility he offers to allow the printer to "alter any stroke of fatire which he might dislike." That any fuch alteration was made, we do not know. If we did, we could not but feel an indignant regret; but how painful is it to see that a writer of fuch vigourous powers of mind was actually in such distress, that the small profit which fo fhort a poem, however excellent, could yield, was courted as a "relief." It has been generally said, I know not with what truth, that Johnson offered his "LONDON" to feveral bookfellers, none of whom would purchafe it. To this circumftance Mr. Derrick alludes in the following lines of his "FORTUNE, A RHAPSODY:" 1738. Etat. 29. "Will no kind patron JOHNSON OWN? "The offspring of his happy Muse?" But we have feen that the worthy, modeft, and ingenious Mr. Robert Dodfley had tafte enough to perceive its uncommon merit, and thought it creditable to have a share in it. The fact is, that, at a future conference, he bargained for the whole property of it, for which he gave Johnson ten guineas, who told me, "I might, perhaps, have accepted of lefs; but that Paul Whitehead had a little before got ten guineas for a poem; and I would not take lefs than Paul Whitehead." I may here observe, that Johnson appeared to me to undervalue Paul Whitehead upon every occafion when he was mentioned, and, in my opinion, did not do him juftice; but when it is confidered that Paul Whitehead was a member of a riotous and profane club, we may account for Johnson's having a prejudice against him. Paul Whitehead was, indeed, unfortunate in being not only flighted by Johnson, but violently attacked by Churchill, who utters the following imprecation: yet I fhall never be perfuaded to think meanly of the authour of fo brilliant and pointed a fatire as "MANNERS." Johnson's "London" was published in May, 1738; and it is remarkable, that it came out on the fame morning with Pope's fatire, entitled "1738;" fo that England had at once its Juvenal and Horace as poetical monitors. The Reverend Dr. Douglas, now Bishop of Carlisle, to whom I am indebted for fome obliging communications, was then a ftudent at 2 Sir John Hawkins, p. 86, tells us "The event is antedated, in the poem of London ;' but in every particular, except the difference of a year, what is there faid of the departure of Thales, must be understood of Savage, and looked upon as true history." This conjecture is, I believe, entirely groundless. I have been affured, that Johnson faid he was not fo much as acquainted with Savage when he wrote his "London." If the departure mentioned in it was the departure of Savage, the event was not antedated but foreseen; for "London" was published in May, 1738, and Savage did not fet out for Wales till July, 1739. However well Johnson could defend the credibility of fecond fight, he did not pretend that he himself was poffeffed of that faculty. Oxford, Oxford, and remembers well the effect which "London" produced. Every body was delighted with it; and there being no name to it, the first buz of the literary circles was "here is an unknown poet, greater even than Pope.” And it is recorded in the Gentleman's Magazine of that year, that it " got to the fecond edition in the course of a week." One of the warmest patrons of this poem on its firft appearance was General OGLETHORPE, whofe " ftrong benevolence of foul" was unabated during the course of a very long life; though it is painful to think, that he had but too much reason to become cold and callous, and difcontented with the world, from the neglect which he experienced of his publick and private worth, by those in whose power it was to gratify fo gallant a veteran with marks of distinction. This extraordinary person was as remarkable for his learning and taste, as for his other eminent qualities; and no man was more prompt, active, and generous in encouraging merit. I have heard Johnson gratefully acknowledge, in his prefence, the kind and effectual fupport which he gave to his "London," though unacquainted with its authour. POPE, who then filled the poetical throne without a rival, it may reasonably be presumed, must have been particularly struck by the fudden appearance of such a poet; and, to his credit, let it be remembered, that his feelings and conduct on the occafion were candid and liberal. He requested Mr. Richardson, son of the painter, to endeavour to find out who this new authour Mr. Richardson, after fome inquiry, having informed him that he had discovered only that his name was Johnson, and that he was fome obfcure man, Pope faid, "He will foon be deterré." We shall presently fee, from a note written by Pope, that he was himself afterwards more fuccefsful in his inquiries than his friend. was. That in this juftly-celebrated poem may be found a few rhymes which the critical precision of English profody at this day would difallow, cannot be denied; but with this small imperfection, which in the general blaze of its excellence is not perceived, till the mind has fubfided into cool attention, it is, undoubtedly, one of the nobleft productions in our language, both for fentiment and expreffion. The nation was then in that ferment against the court and the miniftry, which fome years after ended in the downfall of Sir Robert Walpole; and as it has been faid, that Tories are Whigs when out of place, and Whigs, Tories when in place; fo, as a whig administration ruled with what force it could, a tory oppofition had all the animation and all the 3 P. 263. Sir Joshua Reynolds, from the information of the younger Richardfon. K eloquence 1738. Etat. 29. |