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1743.

Etat. 34.

I would also ascribe to him an "Effay on the Defcription of China, from the French of Du Halde.t"

His writings in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1743, are, the Preface,† the Parliamentary Debates,† "Confiderations on the Difpute between Croufaz and Warburton, on Pope's Effay on Man,†" in which, while he defends Croufaz, he fhews an admirable metaphyfical acutenefs and temperance in controversy; " Ad Lauram parituram Epigramma7;*" and, " A LatinTranslation of Pope's Verses on his Grotto;*" and, as he could employ his pen with equal fuccefs upon a small matter as a great, I fuppofe him to be the authour of an advertisement for Ofborn, concerning the great HarleianCatalogue.

But I should think myself much wanting, both to my illuftrious friend and my readers, did I not introduce here, with more than ordinary respect, an exquifitely beautiful Ode, which has not been inferted in any of the collections of Johnson's poetry, written by him at a very early period, as Mr. Hector informs me, and inferted in the Gentleman's Magazine of this year.

FRIENDSHIP, an ODE.*

FRIENDSHIP, peculiar boon of heaven,
The noble mind's delight and pride,

To men and angels only given,

To all the lower world deny'd.

While love, unknown among the bleft,
Parent of thousand wild defires,
The favage and the human breast
Torments alike with raging fires.

With bright, but oft deftructive, gleam,
Alike o'er all his lightnings fly;
Thy lambent glories only beam
Around the fav'rites of the fky.

7 Angliacas inter pulcherrima Laura puellas,

Mox uteri pondus depofitura grave,

Adfit, Laura, tibi facilis Lucina dolenti,

Neve tibi noceat præenituiffe Dea.

Mr. Hector was prefent when this Epigram was made impromptu. The firft line was proposed

by Dr. James, and Johnson was called upon by the company to finish it, which he instantly did.

Thy

1743.

Etat. 34

Thy gentle flows of guiltless joys

On fools and villains ne'er defcend;

In vain for thee the tyrant sighs,

And hugs a flatterer for a friend.

Directress of the brave and juft,

O guide us through life's darksome way!
And let the tortures of mistrust

On selfish bofoms only prey.

Nor fhall thine ardours ceafe to glow,

When fouls to blifsful climes remove:
What rais'd our virtue here below,

Shall aid our happiness above.

Johnson had now an opportunity of obliging his schoolfellow Dr. James, of whom he once observed, "no man brings more mind to his profeffion.” James published this year his "Medicinal Dictionary," in three volumes folio. Johnson, as I understood from him, had written, or affifted in writing, the proposals for this work; and being very fond of the ftudy of physick, in which James was his mafter, he furnished fome of the articles. He, however, certainly wrote for it the Dedication to Dr. Mead,† which is conceived with great addrefs, to conciliate the patronage of that very eminent man 8.

It has been circulated, I know not with what authenticity, that Johnson confidered Dr. Birch as a dull writer, and faid of him, "Tom Birch is as brisk as a bee in converfation; but no fooner does he take a pen in his hand, than

SIR,

8 To Dr. MEAD.

THAT the Medicinal Dictionary is dedicated to you, is to be imputed only to your reputation for fuperiour skill in those fcier.ces which I have endeavoured to explain and facilitate : and you are, therefore, to confider this address, if it be agreeable to you, as one of the rewards of merit; and, if otherwife, as one of the inconveniencies of eminence.

"However you shall receive it, my defign cannot be disappointed; because this publick appeal to your judgement will fhew that I do not found my hopes of approbation upon the ignorance of my readers, and that I fear his cenfure least, whofe knowledge is most extensive.

"I am, Sir,

"Your most obedient humble servant,

་་

"R. JAMES."

it

1743.

Etat. 34.

it becomes a torpedo to him, and benumbs all his faculties." That the literature of this country is much indebted to Birch's activity and diligence, must certainly be acknowledged. We have feen that Johnson honoured him with a Greek Epigram; and his correfpondence with him, during many years, proves that he had no mean opinion of him.

To Dr. BIRCH.

"SIR,

Thursday, Sept. 29, 1743.

"I HOPE you will excufe me for troubling you on an occafion on which I know not whom elfe I can apply to; I am at a lofs for the Lives and Characters of Earl Stanhope, the two Craggs, and the Minister Sunderland 1; and beg that you will inform [me] where I may find them, and fend any pamphlets, &c. relating to them to Mr. Cave, to be perused for a few days by, Sir,

"Your most humble fervant,

"SAM. JOHNSON."

His circumftances were at this time much embarraffed; yet his affection for his mother was fo warm, and fo liberal, that he took upon himself a debt of hers, which, though small in itself, was then confiderable to him. This appears from the following letter which he wrote to Mr. Levett, of Lichfield, the original of which lies now before me.

"SIR,

To Mr. LEVETT, in Lichfield.

December 1, 1743.

"I AM extremely forry that we have encroached fo much upon your forbearance with refpect to the intereft, which a great perplexity of affairs hindered me from thinking of with that attention that I ought, and which I am not immediately able to remit to you, but will pay it (I think twelve pounds,) in two months. I look upon this, and on the future intereft of that mortgage, as my own debt; and beg that you will be pleafed to give me directions how to pay it, and not mention it to my dear mother. If it be neceffary to pay this in lefs time, I believe I can do it; but I take two months for certainty, and beg an answer whether you can allow me fo much time. I think myself very much obliged to your forbearance, and shall efteem it a great happiness to be able to ferve you. I have great opportu

nities of difperfing any thing that you may think it proper to make publick.

1744.

I will give a note for the money, payable at the time mentioned, to any one Etat. 35. here that you fhall appoint. I am, Sir,

"Your most obedient

"And most humble fervant,

"SAM. JOHNSON,

"At Mr. Ofborne's, bookfeller, in Gray's Inn."

It does not appear that he wrote any thing in 1744 for the Gentleman's Magazine, but the Preface.† His life of Baretier was now re-published in a pamphlet by itself. But he produced one work this year, fully fufficient to maintain the high reputation which he had acquired. This was "THE LIFE OF RICHARD SAVAGE;*" a man, of whom it is difficult to speak impartially, without wondering that he was for fome time the intimate companion of Johnfon; for his character was marked by profligacy, infolence, and ingratitude: yet, as he undoubtedly had a warm and vigorous, though unregulated mind, had feen life in all its varieties, and been much in the company of the statesmen and wits of his time, he could communicate to Johnson an abundant fupply of fuch materials as his philofophical curiosity most eagerly defired; and as Savage's misfortunes and mifconduct had reduced him to the lowest state of wretchednefs as a writer for bread, his vifits to St. John's Gate naturally brought Johnson and him together'.

. It

9 As a specimen of his temper, I infert the following letter from him to a noble Lord, to whom he was under great obligations, but who, on account of his bad conduct, was obliged to discard him. The original is in the hands of one of his Majefty's Counsel learned in the Law:

"Right Honourable BRUTE, and BooBY,

"I FIND you want (as Mr. is pleased to hint,) to swear away my life, that is, the life of your creditor, because he asks you for a debt.-The publick fhall foon be acquainted with this, to judge whether you are not fitter to be an Irish Evidence, than to be an Irish Peer.I defy and despise you. I am,

Your determined adversary,

"R. S."

Sir John Hawkins gives the world to underftand, that Johnfon "being an admirer of genteel manners, was captivated by the address and demeanour of Savage, who, as to his exterior, was, to a remarkable degree, accomplished."-Hawkins's Life, p. 52. But Sir John's notions of gentility muft appear fomewhat ludicrous, from his ftating the following circumftance as prefumptive evidence that Savage was a good fwordfman: "That he understood the exercife of a gentleman's weapon, may be inferred from the ufe made of it in that rash encounter which is related in his life." The dexterity here alluded to was, that Savage, in a nocturnal fit of drunkenness, stabbed a man at a

coffee

1744.

Etat. 35.

It is melancholy to reflect, that Johnfon and Savage were fometimes in fuch extreme indigence, that they could not pay for a lodging; fo that they have wandered together whole nights in the ftreets. Yet in these almost incredible scenes of diftrefs, we may fuppofe that Savage mentioned many of the anecdotes with which Johnfon afterwards enriched the life of his unhappy companion, and thofe of other Poets.

He mentioned to Sir Joshua Reynolds, that one night in particular, when Savage and he walked round St. James's-fquare for want of a lodging, they were not at all depreffed by their fituation, but in high spirits and brimful of patriotism, traversed the fquare for feveral hours, inveighed against the minister, and “ refolved they would stand by their country."

I am afraid, however, that by affociating with Savage, who was habituated to the diffipation and licentioufnefs of the Town, Johnson, though his good principles remained steady, did not entirely preferve that conduct, for which, in days of greater fimplicity, he was remarked by his friend Mr. Hector; but was imperceptibly led into fome indulgences which occafioned much diftrefs to his virtuous mind.

That Johnson was anxious that an authentick and favourable account of his extraordinary friend should first get poffeffion of the publick attention, is evident from a letter which he wrote in the Gentleman's Magazine for August of the year preceding its publication.

"Mr. URBAN,

" AS your collections fhow how often you have owed the ornaments of your poetical pages to the correfpondence of the unfortunate and ingenious Mr. Savage, I doubt not but you have so much regard to his memory as to encourage any design that may have a tendency to the preservation of it from infults or calumnies; and therefore, with fome degree of affurance,

coffee-house, and killed him; for which he was tried at the Old-Bailey, and found guilty of murder.

Johnfon, indeed, defcribes him as having "a grave and manly deportment, a folemn dignity of mien; but which, upon a nearer acquaintance, softened into an engaging eafiness of manners.” How highly Johnson admired him for that knowledge which he himself so much cultivated, and what kindness he entertained for him, appears from the following lines in the Gentleman's Magazine for April, 1738, which I am affured were written by Johnson :

Ad RICARDUM SAVAGE.

"Humani ftudium generis cui pectore fervet,
‹ O colat humanum te foveatque genus."

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