62 A story of Addison and Steele. A.D. 1781. Biographia Britannica, the authenticity of this anecdote is denied. But Mr. Malone has obliged me with the following note concerning it : 'Many persons having doubts concerning this fact, I applied to Dr. Johnson to learn on what authority he asserted it. He told me, he had it from Savage, who lived in intimacy with Steele, and who mentioned, that Steele told him the story with tears in his eyes. Ben Victor', Dr. Johnson said, likewise informed him of this remarkable transaction, from the relation of Mr. Wilkes' the comedian, who was also an intimate of Steele's.-Some in defence of Addison, have said, that "the act was done with the good natured view of rousing Steele, and correcting that profusion which always made him necessitous."—"If that were the case, (said Johnson,) and that he only wanted to alarm Steele, he would afterwards have returned the money to his friend, which it is not pretended he did."-"This too, (he added,) might be retorted by an advocate for Steele, who might alledge, that he did not repay the loan intentionally, merely to see whether Addison would be mean and ungenerous enough to make use of legal process to recover it. But of such speculations there is no end: we cannot dive into the hearts of men; but their actions are open to observation3." 'I then mentioned to him that some people thought that Mr. Addison's character was so pure, that the fact, though true, ought to have been suppressed'. He saw no reason for this". "If nothing but the bright side of characters should be shewn, we should sit down in despondency, and think it utterly impossible to imitate them in any thing. The sacred writers, (he observed,) related the vicious as well as the virtuous actions of men; which had this moral effect, that it kept mankind from despair, into which otherwise they would naturally fall, were they not supported by the recollection that others had offended like themselves, and by 'Benjamin Victor published in 1722, a Letter to Steele, and in 1776, Letters, Dramatic Pieces, and Poems. Brit. Mus. Catalogue. 2 Mr. Wilks. See ante, i. 193, note I. 4 See post, iv. 106, and Macaulay's Essay on Addison (ed. 1874, iv. 207). 'A better and more Christian man scarcely ever breathed than Joseph Addison. If he had not that little weakness for wine—why we could scarcely have found a fault with him, and could not have liked him as we do.' Thackeray's English Humourists, ed. 1858, p. 94. See ante, i. 35, and iii. 175. penitence Aetat. 72.] Johnson's epitaph on Parnell. 63 penitence and amendment of life had been restored to the favour of Heaven." 'E. M.' 'March 15, 1782.' The last paragraph of this note is of great importance; and I request that my readers may consider it with particular attention. It will be afterwards referred to in this work'. Various Readings in the Life of ADDISON. "[But he was our first great example] He was, however, one of our earliest examples of correctness. 'And [overlook] despise their masters. 'His instructions were such as the [state] character of his [own time] readers made [necessary] proper. 'His purpose was to [diffuse] infuse literary curiosity by gentle and unsuspected conveyance [among] into the gay, the idle, and the wealthy. 'Framed rather for those that [wish] are learning to write. 'Domestick [manners] scenes.' In his Life of PARNELL, I wonder that Johnson omitted to insert an Epitaph which he had long before composed for that amiable man, without ever writing it down, but which he was so good as, at my request, to dictate to me, by which means it has been preserved. 'Hic requiescit THOMAS PARNELL, S. T. P. Ut neque sacerdoti suavitas poetæ, Nec poeta sacerdotis sanctitas, deesset.' Various Readings in the Life of PARNELL. 'About three years [after] afterwards. '[Did not much want] was in no great need of improvement. 'But his prosperity did not last long [was clouded by that which took away all his powers of enjoying either profit or pleasure, the 'See post, under Dec. 2, 1784. 2 Parnell drank to excess.' See ante, iii. 176. death 64 THE LIFE OF BLACKMORE. [A.D. 1781. death of his wife, whom he is said to have lamented with such sorrow, as hastened his end'.] His end, whatever was the cause, was now approaching. 'In the Hermit, the [composition] narrative, as it is less airy, is less pleasing.' In the Life of BLACKMORE, we find that writer's reputation generously cleared by Johnson from the cloud of prejudice which the malignity of contemporary wits had raised around it'. In this spirited exertion of justice, he has been imitated by Sir Joshua Reynolds, in his praise of the architecture of Vanburgh'. We trace Johnson's own character in his observations on Blackmore's 'magnanimity as an authour.' 'The incessant attacks of his enemies, whether serious or merry, are never discovered to have disturbed his quiet, or to have lessened his confidence in himself.' Johnson, I recollect, once told me, laughing heartily, that he understood it had been said of him, 'He appears not to feel; but when he is alone, depend upon it, he suffers sadly.' I am as certain as I can be of any man's real sentiments, that he enjoyed the perpetual shower of little hostile arrows as evidences of his fame. 1 I should have thought that Johnson, who had felt the severe affliction from which Parnell never recovered, would have preserved this passage. Boswell. ' Mrs. Thrale wrote to Johnson in May, 1780:- Blackmore will be rescued from the old wits who worried him much to your disliking; so, a little for love of his Christianity, a little for love of his physic, a little for love of his courage—and a little for love of contradiction, you will save him from his malevolent critics, and perhaps do him the honour to devour him yourself.' Piozzi Letters, ii. 122. See ante, ii. 124. This is a tribute which a painter owes to an architect who composed like a painter; and was defrauded of the due reward of his merit by the wits of his time, who did not understand the principles of composition in.poetry better than he did; and who knew little, or nothing, of what he understood perfectly, the general ruling principles of architecture and painting.' Reynolds's Thirteenth Discourse. Various Aetat. 72.] Readings in various LIVES. Various Readings in the Life of BLACKMORE. 'To [set] engage poetry [on the side] in the cause of virtue. 65 'His practice, which was once [very extensive] invidiously great. 'There is scarcely any distemper of dreadful name [of] which he has not [shewn] taught his reader how [it is to be opposed] to oppose. 'Of this [contemptuous] indecent arrogance. "[He wrote] but produced likewise a work of a different kind. At least [written] compiled with integrity. 'Faults which many tongues [were desirous] would have made haste to publish. 'But though he [had not] could not boast of much critical knowledge. "He [used] waited for no felicities of fancy. 'Or had ever elevated his [mind] views to that ideal perfection which every [mind] genius born to excel is condemned always to pursue and never overtake. 'The [first great] fundamental principle of wisdom and of virtue.' Various Readings in the Life of PHILIPS. 'His dreaded [rival] antagonist Pope. "They [have not often much] are not loaded with thought. 'In his translations from Pindar, he [will not be denied to have reached] found the art of reaching all the obscurity of the Theban bard.' Various Readings in the Life of Congreve. 'Congreve's conversation must surely have been at least equally pleasing with his writings. 'It apparently [requires] pre-supposes a familiar knowledge of many characters. 'Reciprocation of [similes] conceits. 'The dialogue is quick and [various] sparkling. 'Love for Love; a comedy [more drawn from life] of nearer alliance to life. 'The general character of his miscellanies is, that they shew little wit and [no] little virtue. "[Perhaps] certainly he had not the fire requisite for the higher species of lyrick poetry.' IV. 5 Various 66 THE LIFE OF LYTTELTON. Various Readings in the Life of TICKELL. '[Longed] long wished to peruse it. 'At the [accession] arrival of King George. [A.D. 1781. 'Fiction [unnaturally] unskilfully compounded of Grecian deities and Gothick fairies.' Various Readings in the Life of AKENSIDE. 'For [another] a different purpose. "[A furious] an unnecessary and outrageous zeal. 'His rage [for liberty] of patriotism. 'Mr. Dyson with [a zeal] an ardour of friendship.' In the Life of LYTTELTON, Johnson seems to have been not favourably disposed towards that nobleman'. Mrs. Thrale suggests that he was offended by Molly Aston's preference of his Lordship to him. I can by no means 'Johnson had not wished to write Lyttelton's Life. He wrote to Lord Westcote, Lyttelton's brother, 'My desire is to avoid offence, and be totally out of danger. I take the liberty of proposing to your lordship, that the historical account should be written under your direction by any friend you may be willing to employ, and I will only take upon myself to examine the poetry.' Croker's Boswell, p. 650. ' It was not Molly Aston (ante, i. 96) but Miss Hill Boothby (¿b.) of whom Mrs. Thrale wrote. She says (Anec. p. 160):-'Such was the purity of her mind, Johnson said, and such the graces of her manner, that Lord Lyttelton and he used to strive for her preference with an emulation that occasioned hourly disgust, and ended in lasting animosity.' There is surely much exaggeration in this account. Let not my readers smile to think of Johnson's being a candidate for female favour; Mr. Peter Garrick assured me, that he was told by a lady, that in her opinion Johnson was 'a very seducing man.' Disadvantages of person and manner may be forgotten, where intellectual pleasure is communicated to a susceptible mind; and that Johnson was capable of feeling the most delicate and disinterested attachment, appears from the following letter, which is published by Mrs. Thrale (Piozzi Letters, ii. 391), with some others to the same person, of which the excellence is not so apparent : |