1735.

Though Mrs. Porter was double the age of Johnson, and her person and Etat. 26. manner, as defcribed to me by the late Mr. Garrick, were by no means pleasing to others, she must have had a fuperiority of understanding and talents, as fhe certainly inspired him with a more than ordinary passion; and she having fignified her willingness to accept of his hand, he went to Lichfield. to ask his mother's confent to the marriage, which he could not but be conscious was a very imprudent scheme, both on account of their disparity of years, and her want of fortune. But Mrs. Johnfon knew too well the ardour of her fon's temper, and was too tender a parent to oppofe his

inclinations.

I know not for what reafon the marriage ceremony was not performed at Birmingham; but a refolution was taken that it fhould be at Derby, for which place the bride and bridegroom set out on horseback, I suppose in very good humour. But though Mr. Topham Beauclerk used archly to mention Johnson's having told him, with much gravity, "Sir, it was a love-marriage upon both fides," I have had from my illuftrious friend the following curious 9th July. account of their journey to church upon the nuptial morn. "Sir, fhe had read the old romances, and had got into her head the fantastical notion that a woman of spirit fhould use her lover like a dog. So, Sir, at first she told me that I rode too faft, and fhe could not keep up with me; and, when I rode a little flower, fhe paffed me, and complained that I lagged behind. I was not to be made the flave of caprice; and I refolved to begin as I meant to end. I therefore pushed on brifkly, till I was fairly out of her fight. The road lay between two hedges, fo I was fure she could not miss it; and I contrived that she should foon come up with me. When she did, I obferved

her to be in tears.'

This, it must be allowed, was a fingular beginning of connubial felicity; but there is no doubt that Johnson, though he thus fhewed a manly firmness, proved a most affectionate and indulgent husband to the last moment of Mrs. Johnson's life; and in his "Prayers and Meditations," we find very remarkable evidence that his regard and fondnefs for her never ceafed, even after her death.

He now fet up a private academy, for which purpofe he hired a large houfe, well fituated near his native city. In the Gentleman's Magazine for 1736, there is the following advertisement: "At Edial, near Lichfield, in Staffordshire, young gentlemen are boarded and taught the Latin and Greek languages, by SAMUEL JOHNSON." But the only pupils that were put under his care were the celebrated David Garrick and his brother George, and a Mr.

Mr. Offely, a young gentleman of good fortune, who died early. As yet,
his name had nothing of that celebrity which afterwards commanded the
highest attention and refpect of mankind. Had fuch an advertisement
appeared after the publication of his LONDON, or his RAMBLER, or his
DICTIONARY, how would it have burft upon the world! with what eagerness
would the great and the wealthy have embraced an opportunity of putting
their fons under the learned tuition of SAMUEL JOHNSON. The truth, how-
ever, is, that he was not fo well qualified for being a teacher of elements,
and a conductor in learning by regular gradations, as men of inferiour powers
of mind. His own acquifitions had been made by fits and starts, by violent
irruptions into the regions of knowledge; and it could not be expected that
his impatience would be fubdued, and his impetuofity restrained, fo as to fit
him for a quiet guide to novices. The art of communicating instruction, of
whatever kind, is much to be valued; and I have ever thought that those
who devote themselves to this employment, and do their duty with diligence
and fuccefs, are entitled to very high respect from the community, as Johnson
himself often maintained. Yet I am of opinion, that the greatest abilities are
not only not required for this office, but render a man less fit for it.
While we acknowledge the juftnefs of Thomson's beautiful remark,

"Delightful tafk! to rear the tender thought,
"And teach the young idea how to shoot!"

we must consider that this delight is perceptible only by "a mind at ease,”
a mind at once calm and clear; but that a mind gloomy and impetuous like
that of Johnson, cannot be fixed for any length of time in minute attention,
and must be so frequently irritated by unavoidable flowness and errour in the
advances of scholars, as to perform the duty with little pleasure to the teacher,
and no great advantage to the pupils. Good temper is a most effential requi-
fite in a preceptor. Horace paints the character as bland:

"Ut pueris olim dant cruftula blandi

"Doctores, elementa velint ut difcere prima."

Johnson was not more fatisfied with his fituation as the mafter of an academy, than with that of the usher of a school; we need not wonder, therefore, that he did not keep his academy above a year and a half. From Mr. Garrick's account he did not appear to have been profoundly reverenced by his pupils. His oddities of manner, and uncouth gefticulations, could not but be the fubject of merriment to them; and, in particular, the young rogues used to listen at the door of his bed-chamber, and peep through the

1735.

Ætat. 26.

key

1735.

key-hole, that they might turn into ridicule his tumultuous and aukward fondnefs for Mrs. Johnfon, whom he used to name by the familiar appellation of Tetty or Tetfy, which, like Betty or Betfy, is provincially used as a D contraction for Elizabeth, her christian name, but which to us feems ludicrous, when applied to a woman of her age and appearance. Mr. Garrick described her to me as very fat, with a bofom of more than ordinary protuberance, with fwelled cheeks, of a florid red, produced by thick painting, and increased by the liberal use of cordials; flaring and fantastick in her dress, and affected both in her speech and her general behaviour. I have seen Garrick exhibit her, by his exquifite talent for mimickry, fo as to excite the heartieft bursts of laughter; but he, probably, as is the cafe in all fuch reprefentations, confiderably aggravated the picture.

That Johnson well knew the most proper course to be pursued in the inftruction of youth, is authentically ascertained by the following paper in his own hand-writing, given about this period to a relation, and now in the poffeffion of Mr. John Nichols :

"SCHEME for the CLASSES of a GRAMMAR SCHOOL.

"WHEN the introduction, or formation of nouns and verbs, is perfectly mastered, let them learn

"Corderius by Mr. Clarke, beginning at the fame time to translate out of the introduction, that by this means they may learn the fyntax. Then let them proceed to

"Erafmus, with an English translation, by the fame authour.

"Class II. Learns Eutropius and Cornelius Nepos, or Justin, with the tranflation.

"N. B. The first class gets for their part every morning the rules which they have learned before, and in the afternoon learns the Latin rules, of the nouns and verbs.

"They are examined in the rules which they have learned every Thursday and Saturday.

"The fecond clafs doth the fame whilft they are in Eutropius; afterwards their part is in the irregular nouns and verbs, and in the rules for making and scanning verses. They are examined as the first.

"Class III. Ovid's Metamorphofes in the morning, and Cæfar's Commentaries in the afternoon.

"Practise in the Latin rules till they are perfect in them, afterwards in Mr. Leeds's Greek Grammar. Examined as before.

"Afterwards

"Afterwards they proceed to Virgil, beginning at the fame time to write

1735.

themes and verfes, and to learn Greek; from thence paffing on to Horace, Atat. 26. &c. as fhall feem moft proper.

"I know not well what books to direct you to, because you have not informed me what study you will apply yourself to. I believe it will be moft for your advantage to apply yourself wholly to the languages, till you go to the University. The Greek authours I think it beft for you to read are these : "Cebes.

«. Ælian.

}

Attick.

Ionick.

Dorick.

Attick and Dorick.

"Thus you will be tolerably skilled in all the dialects, beginning with the Attick, to which the rest must be referred.

"In the study of Latin, it is proper not to read the latter authours, till you are well verfed in thofe of the pureft ages; as, Terence, Tully, Cæfar, Salluft, Nepos, Velleius Paterculus, Virgil, Horace, Phædrus.

"The greatest and most necessary task still remains, to attain a habit of expreffion, without which knowledge is of little ufe. This is neceffary in Latin, and more neceffary in English; and can only be acquired by a daily imitation of the beft and correcteft authours.

"SAM. JOHNSON."

While Johnfon kept his academy, there can be no doubt that he was infenfibly furnishing his mind with various knowledge; but I have not discovered that he wrote any thing except a great part of his tragedy of IRENE. Mr. Peter Garrick, the elder brother of David, told me that he remembered Johnson's borrowing the Turkish History of him, in order to form his play from it. When he had finished fome part of it, he read what he had done to Mr. Walmfley, who objected to his having already brought his heroine into great distress, and asked him "how can you poffibly contrive to plunge her into deeper calamity?" Johnson, in fly allufion to the supposed oppreffive pro-ceedings of the court of which Mr. Walmsley was regifter, replied, " “Sir, I can put her into the Spiritual Court!"

Mr. Walmsley, however, was well pleafed with this proof of Johnson's abilities as a dramatick writer, and advised him to finish the tragedy, and produce it on the stage.

Johnson

1737.

Johnson now thought of trying his fortune in London, the great field of Etat. 28. genius and exertion, where talents of every kind have the fullest scope, and the highest encouragement. It is a memorable circumftance that his pupil David Garrick went thither at the fame time, with intention to complete his education, and follow the profeffion of the law, from which he was soon diverted by his decided preference for the stage.

This joint expedition of thofe two eminent men to the metropolis, was many years afterwards noticed in an allegorical poem on Shakspeare's Mulberry Tree, by Mr. Lovibond, the ingenious authour of "The Tears of Old May-day."

They were recommended to Mr. Colfon, an eminent mathematician and master of an academy, by the following letter from Mr. Walmsley:

To the Reverend Mr. COLSON.

DEAR SIR,

Lichfield, March 2, 1737.

"I had the favour of yours, and am extremely obliged to you; but I cannot say I had a greater affection for you upon it than I had before, being long fince fo much endeared to you, as well by an early friendship, as by your many excellent and valuable qualifications; and, had I a fon of my own, it would be my ambition, instead of sending him to the University, to dispose of him as this young gentleman is.

"He, and another neighbour of mine, one Mr. Samuel Johnson, fet out this morning for London together. Davy Garrick is to be with you early the next week, and Mr. Johnson to try his fate with a tragedy, and to fee to get himself employed in fome tranflation, either from the Latin or the French. Johnfon is a very good scholar and poet, and I have great hopes will turn out a fine tragedy-writer. If it fhould any way lie in your way, doubt not but you would be ready to recommend and affift your countryman. "G. WALMSLEY."

How he employed himself upon upon his first coming to London is not particularly known. I never heard that he found any protection or encouragement by the means of Mr. Colfon, to whose academy David Garrick went. Mrs. Lucy Porter told me, that Mr. Walmsley gave him a letter of introduction to Lintot his bookfeller, and that Johnson wrote fome things for him; but I imagine this to be a mistake, for I have discovered no trace of it, and I am pretty fure he told me, that Mr. Cave was the first publisher by whom his pen was engaged in London.

He