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1754

Ætat. 45.

Johnfon this year found an interval of leisure to make an excursion to Oxford, for the purpose of confulting the libraries there. Of this, and of many interefting circumstances concerning him, during a part of his life when he conversed but little with the world, I am enabled to give a particular account, by the liberal communications of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Warton, who has obligingly furnished me with feveral of our common friend's letters, which he has illuftrated with notes. These I shall infert in their proper places.

" SIR,

To the Reverend Mr. THOMAS WARTON.

" IT is but an ill return for the book with which you were pleased to favour me3, to have delayed my thanks for it till now. I am too apt to be negligent; but I can never deliberately shew my disrepect to a man of your character: and I now pay you a very honeft acknowledgement, for the advancement of the literature of our native country. You have shewn to all, who shall hereafter attempt the study of our ancient authours, the way to success; by directing them to the perusal of the books which those authours had read. Of this method, Hughes, and men much greater than Hughes, seem never to have thought. The reason why the authours, which are yet read, of the fixteenth century, are so little understood, is, that they are read alone; and no help is borrowed from those who lived with them, or before them. Some part of this ignorance I hope to remove by my books, which now draws towards its end; but which I cannot finish to my mind, without visiting the libraries of Oxford, which I, therefore, hope to fee in a fortnight. I know not how long I shall stay, or where I shall lodge; but shall be fure to look for you at my arrival, and we shall easily fettle the rest. I am, dear Sir,

"Your most obedient, &c.

" [London,] July 16, 1754.

SAM. JOHNSON."

Of his conversation while at Oxford at this time, Mr. Warton has preferved and communicated to me the following memorial, which, though not written

3 " Observations on Spenser's Fairy Queen, the first edition of which was now just published." 4 ، Hughes published an edition of Spenser."

5 " His Dictionary."

" He came to Oxford within a fortnight, and stayed about five weeks. He lodged at a house called Kettel-hall, near Trinity College. But during this vifit at Oxford, he collected nothing in the libraries for his Dictionary."

1754

with all the care and attention which that learned and elegant writer bestows on those compositions which he intends for the publick eye, is so happily Etat. 45. expressed in an easy style, that I should injure it by any alteration :

" When Johnson came to Oxford in 1754, the long vacation was beginning, and most people were leaving the place. This was the first time of his being there, after quitting the University. The next morning after his arrival, he wished to fee his old College, Pembroke. I went with him. He was highly pleased to find all the College-fervants which he had left there still remaining, particularly a very old butler; and expressed great fatisfaction at being recognised by them, and conversed with them familiarly. He waited on the master, Dr. Radcliffe, who received him very coldly. Johnfon at least expected, that the mafter would order a copy of his Dictionary, now near publication: but the master did not choose to talk on the subject, never asked Johnfon to dine, nor even to visit him, while he stayed at Oxford. After we had left the Lodgings, Johnson said to me, 'There lives a man, who lives by the revenues of literature, and will not move a finger to support it. If I come to live at Oxford, I shall take up my abode at Trinity.' We then called on the Reverend Mr. Meeke, one of the fellows, and of Johnson's standing. Here was a most cordial greeting on both sides. On leaving him, Johnson said, 'I used to think Meeke had excellent parts, when we were boys together at the College: but, alas!

Loft in a convent's folitary gloom!'

• I remember, at the classical lecture in the Hall, I could not bear Meeke's superiority, and I tried to fit as far from him as I could, that I might not hear him conftrue.'

" As we were leaving the College, he faid, 'Here I translated Pope's Meffiah. Which do you think is the best line in it? My own favourite is,

' Vallis aromaticas fundit Saronica nubes.'

I told him, I thought it a very fonorous hexameter. I did not tell him, it was not in the Virgilian style. He much regretted that his first tutor was dead; for whom he seemed to retain the greatest regard. He said, 'I once had been a whole morning sliding [skating] in Chrift-Church Meadow, and missed his lecture in logick. After dinner, he fent for me to his room. I expected a sharp rebuke for my idleness, and went with a beating heart. When we were feated, he told me he had fent for me to drink a glass of wine with him, and

1754

Etat. 45.

to tell me, he was not angry with me for missing his lecture. This was, in fact, a most severe reprimand. Some more of the boys were then fent for, and we spent a very pleasant afternoon.' Besides Mr. Meeke, there was only one other Fellow of Pembroke now resident: from both of whom Johnfon received the greatest civilities during this visit, and they pressed him very much to have a room in the College.

" In the course of this vifit (1754), Johnson and I walked, three or four times, to Ellsfield, a village beautifully situated about three miles from Oxford, to fee Mr. Wife, Radclivian librarian, with whom Johnson was much pleased. At this place, Mr. Wife had fitted up a house and gardens, in a fingular manner, but with great taste. Here was an excellent library; particularly, a valuable collection of books in Northern literature, with which Johnson was often very busy. One day Mr. Wife read to us a dissertation which he was preparing for the press, intitled, 'A History and Chronology of the fabulous Ages.' Some old divinities of Thrace, related to the Titans, and called the CABIRI, made a very important part of the theory of this piece; and in conversation afterwards, Mr. Wife talked much of his CABIRI. As we returned to Oxford in the evening, I out-walked Johnson, and he cried out Sufflamina, a Latin word which came from his mouth with peculiar grace, and was as much as to say, Put on your drag-chain. Before we got home, I again walked too fast for him; and he now cried out, Why, you walk as if you were pursued by all the CABIRI in a body.' In an evening, we frequently took long walks from Oxford into the country, returning to fupper. Once, in our way home, we viewed the ruins of the abbies of Ofeney and Rewley, near Oxford. After at least half an hour's filence, Johnfon faid, 'I viewed them with indignation! We had then a long conversation on Gothick buildings; and in talking of the form of old halls, he said, 'In these halls, the fire-place was anciently always in the middle of the room, till the Whigs removed it on one fide.'-About this time there had been an execution of two or three criminals at Oxford on a Monday. Soon afterwards, one day at dinner, I was saying that Mr. Swinton the chaplain of the gaol, and alfo a frequent preacher before the University, a learned man, but often thoughtless and abfent, preached the condemnation-fermon on repentance, before the convicts, on the preceding day, Sunday: and that in the close he told his audience, that he should give them the remainder of what he had to say on the fubject, the next Lord's Day. Upon which, one of our company, a Doctor of Divinity, and a plain matter-of-fact-man, by way of offering an apology for Mr. Swinton, gravely remarked, that he had probably preached the Yes, Sir, (says Johnson) but the

1754

Ætat. 45.

the fame fermon before the University:
University were not to be hanged the next morning.'

"I forgot to observe before, that when he left Mr. Meeke, (as I have told above) he added, 'About the fame time of life, Meeke was left behind at Oxford to feed on a Fellowship, and I went to London to get my living: now, Sir, fee the difference of our literary characters!"

The following letter was written by Dr. Johnfon to Mr. Chambers, of Lincoln College, now Sir Robert Chambers, one of the Judges in India 7:

"DEAR SIR,

To Mr. CHAMBERS, of Lincoln College.

"THE commission which I delayed to trouble you with at your departure, I am now obliged to fend you; and beg that you will be so kind as to carry it to Mr. Warton, of Trinity, to whom I should have written immediately, but that I know not if he be yet come back to Oxford.

" In the Catalogue of MSS. of Gr. Brit. fee vol. I. pag. 18. MSS. Bodl. MARTYRIUM xv. martyrum fub Juliano, auctore Theophylacto.

" It is defired that Mr. Warton will inquire, and fend word, what will be the cost of transcribing this manufcript.

" Vol. II. pag. 32. Num. 1022. 58. COLL. Nov.-Commentaria in Alta Apostol. Comment. in Septem Epiftolas Catholicas.

" He is defired to tell what is the age of each of these manufcripts; and what it will cost to have a transcript of the two first pages of each.

" If Mr. Warton be not in Oxford, you may try if you can get it done by any body else; or stay till he comes, according to your own convenience. It is for an Italian literato.

" The answer is to be directed to his Excellency Mr. Zon, Venetian Refident, Soho-square.

" I hope, dear Sir, that you do not regret the change of London for - Oxford. Mr. Baretti is well, and Miss Williams; and we shall all be glad to hear from you, whenever you shall be so kind as to write to, Sir,

"Nov. 21, 1754

"Your most humble servant,

SAM. JOHNSON."

The

? Communicated by the Reverend Mr. Thomas Warton, who has the original. 8 " I presume she was a relation of Mr. Zachariah Williams, who died in his eighty-third year, July 12, 1755. When Dr. Johnson was with me at Oxford, in 1755, he gave to the Bodleian

1

:

1754.

Altat. 45.

The degree of Master of Arts, which, it has been observed, could not be obtained for him at an early period of his life, was now confidered as an honour of confiderable importance, in order to grace the title-page of his Dictionary; and his character in the literary world being by this time deservedly high, his friends thought that if proper exertions were made, the University of Oxford would pay him the compliment.

To the Reverend Mr. THOMAS WARTON.

"DEAR SIR,

" I AM extremely obliged to you and to Mr. Wife, for the uncommon care which you have taken of my interest: if you can accomplish your kind design, I shall certainly take me a little habitation among you.

" The books which I promised to Mr. Wife', I have not been able to procure: but I shall send him a Finnick Dictionary, the only copy, perhaps, in England, which was presented me by a learned Swede: but I keep it back, that it may make a fet of my own books of the new edition, with which I shall accompany it, more welcome. You will affure him of my gratitude.

"Poor dear Collins!-Would a letter give him any pleasure? I have a mind to write.

" I am glad of your hindrance in your Spenserian design, yet I would not have it delayed. Three hours a day stolen from fleep and amusement will

L

Bodleian Library a thin quarto of twenty-one pages, a work in Italian, with an English tranflation on the oppofite page. The English title-page is this: An Account of an Attempt to afcertain the Longitude at Sea, by an exact Variation of the Magnetical Needle, &c. By Zachariah Williams. London, printed for Dodsley, 1755.' The English tranflation, from the strongest internal marks, is unquestionably the work of Johnson. In a blank leaf, Johnson has written the age, and time of death, of the authour Z. Williams, as I have faid above. On another blank leaf, is pasted a paragraph from a newspaper, of the death and character of Williams, which is plainly written by Johnson. He was very anxious about placing this book in the Bodleian: and, for fear of any omiffion or mistake, he entered, in the great Catalogue, the title-page of it, with his own hand."

9" In procuring him the degree of Master of Arts by diploma at Oxford."

* " Lately Fellow of Trinity College, and at this time Radclivian librarian, at Oxford. He was a man of very confiderable learning, and eminently skilled in Roman and Anglo-Saxon antiquities. He died in 1767."

2 " Collins (the poet) was at this time at Oxford, on a visit to Mr. Warton; but labouring under the most deplorable languor of body, and dejection of mind."

3 " Of publishing a volume of Observations on the best of Spenser's works. It was hindered by my taking pupils in this College."

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