第7章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Life of Johnsonl",免费读到尾

  ’AtEdial,nearLichfield,inStaffordshire,younggentlemenareboardedandtaughttheLatinandGreeklanguages,bySAMUEL

  JOHNSON。’

  ButtheonlypupilsthatwereputunderhiscarewerethecelebratedDavidGarrickandhisbrotherGeorge,andaMr。Offely,ayounggentlemanofgoodfortunewhodiedearly。Thetruthis,thathewasnotsowellqualifiedforbeingateacherofelements,andaconductorinlearningbyregulargradations,asmenofinferiourpowersofmind。Hisownacquisitionshadbeenmadebyfitsandstarts,byviolentirruptionsintotheregionsofknowledge;anditcouldnotbeexpectedthathisimpatiencewouldbesubdued,andhisimpetuosityrestrained,soastofithimforaquietguidetonovices。

  Johnsonwasnotmoresatisfiedwithhissituationasthemasterofanacademy,thanwiththatoftheusherofaschool;weneednotwonder,therefore,thathedidnotkeephisacademyaboveayearandahalf。FromMr。Garrick’saccounthedidnotappeartohavebeenprofoundlyreverencedbyhispupils。Hisodditiesofmanner,anduncouthgesticulations,couldnotbutbethesubjectofmerrimenttothem;and,inparticular,theyoungroguesusedtolistenatthedoorofhisbed-chamber,andpeepthroughthekey-

  hole,thattheymightturnintoridiculehistumultuousandawkwardfondnessforMrs。Johnson,whomheusedtonamebythefamiliarappellationofTettyorTetsey,which,likeBettyorBetsey,isprovinciallyusedasacontractionforElisabeth,herchristianname,butwhichtousseemsludicrous,whenappliedtoawomanofherageandappearance。Mr。Garrickdescribedhertomeasveryfat,withabosomofmorethanordinaryprotuberance,withswelledcheeksofafloridred,producedbythickpainting,andincreasedbytheliberaluseofcordials;flaringandfantastickinherdress,andaffectedbothinherspeechandhergeneralbehaviour。

  IhaveseenGarrickexhibither,byhisexquisitetalentofmimickry,soastoexcitetheheartiestburstsoflaughter;buthe,probably,asisthecaseinallsuchrepresentations,considerablyaggravatedthepicture。

  JohnsonnowthoughtoftryinghisfortuneinLondon,thegreatfieldofgeniusandexertion,wheretalentsofeverykindhavethefullestscope,andthehighestencouragement。ItisamemorablecircumstancethathispupilDavidGarrickwentthitheratthesametime,*withintentiontocompletehiseducation,andfollowtheprofessionofthelaw,fromwhichhewassoondivertedbyhisdecidedpreferenceforthestage。

  *BothofthemusedtotalkpleasantlyofthistheirfirstjourneytoLondon。Garrick,evidentlymeaningtoembellishalittle,saidonedayinmyhearing,’werodeandtied。’AndtheBishopofKillaloeinformedme,thatatanothertime,whenJohnsonandGarrickwerediningtogetherinaprettylargecompany,Johnsonhumorouslyascertainingthechronologyofsomething,expressedhimselfthus:’thatwastheyearwhenIcametoLondonwithtwo-

  pencehalf-pennyinmypocket。’Garrickoverhearinghim,exclaimed,’eh?whatdoyousay?withtwo-pencehalf-pennyinyourpocket?’——JOHNsON,’Whyyes;whenIcamewithtwo-pencehalf-pennyinMYpocket,andthou,Davy,withthreehalf-penceinthine。’——

  BOSWELL。

  TheywererecommendedtoMr。Colson,aneminentmathematicianandmasterofanacademy,bythefollowingletterfromMr。Walmsley:

  ’TOTHEREVERENDMR。COLSON。

  ’Lichfield,March2,1737。

  ’DearSir,Ihadthefavourofyours,andamextremelyobligedtoyou;butIcannotsayIhadagreateraffectionforyouuponitthanIhadbefore,beinglongsincesomuchendearedtoyou,aswellbyanearlyfriendship,asbyyourmanyexcellentandvaluablequalifications;and,hadIasonofmyown,itwouldbemyambition,insteadofsendinghimtotheUniversity,todisposeofhimasthisyounggentlemanis。

  ’He,andanotherneighbourofmine,oneMr。SamuelJohnson,setoutthismorningforLondontogether。DavyGarrickistobewithyouearlythenextweek,andMr。Johnsontotryhisfatewithatragedy,andtoseetogethimselfemployedinsometranslation,eitherfromtheLatinortheFrench。Johnsonisaverygoodscholarandpoet,andIhavegreathopeswillturnoutafinetragedy-writer。Ifitshouldanywaylieinyourway,doubtnotbutyouwouldbereadytorecommendandassistyourcountryman。

  ’G。WALMSLEY。’

  HowheemployedhimselfuponhisfirstcomingtoLondonisnotparticularlyknown。’

  *OnecuriousanecdotewascommunicatedbyhimselftoMr。JohnNichols。Mr。Wilcox,thebookseller,onbeinginformedbyhimthathisintentionwastogethislivelihoodasanauthour,eyedhisrobustframeattentively,andwithasignificantlook,said,’Youhadbetterbuyaporter’sknot。’Hehoweveradded,’Wilcoxwasoneofmybestfriends。’——BOSWELL。

  Hehadalittlemoneywhenhecametotown,andheknewhowhecouldliveinthecheapestmanner。HisfirstlodgingswereatthehouseofMr。Norris,astaymaker,inExeter-street,adjoiningCatharine-street,intheStrand。’Idinedsaidheverywellforeight-pence,withverygoodcompany,atthePineAppleinNew-

  street,justby。Severalofthemhadtravelled。Theyexpectedtomeeteveryday;butdidnotknowoneanother’snames。Itusedtocosttherestashilling,fortheydrankwine;butIhadacutofmeatforsix-pence,andbreadforapenny,andgavethewaiterapenny;sothatIwasquitewellserved,nay,betterthantherest,fortheygavethewaiternothing。’Heatthistime,Ibelieve,abstainedentirelyfromfermentedliquors:apracticetowhichherigidlyconformedformanyyearstogether,atdifferentperiodsofhislife。

  HisOfellusintheArtofLivinginLondon,Ihaveheardhimrelate,wasanIrishpainter,whomheknewatBirmingham,andwhohadpractisedhisownpreceptsofoeconomyforseveralyearsintheBritishcapital。HeassuredJohnson,who,Isuppose,wasthenmeditatingtotryhisfortuneinLondon,butwasapprehensiveoftheexpence,’thatthirtypoundsayearwasenoughtoenableamantolivetherewithoutbeingcontemptible。Heallowedtenpoundsforclothesandlinen。Hesaidamanmightliveinagarretateighteen-penceaweek;fewpeoplewouldinquirewherehelodged;

  andiftheydid,itwaseasytosay,“Sir,Iamtobefoundatsuchaplace。“Byspendingthree-penceinacoffeehouse,hemightbeforsomehourseverydayinverygoodcompany;hemightdineforsix-pence,breakfastonbreadandmilkforapenny,anddowithoutsupper。Onclean-shirt-dayhewentabroad,andpaidvisits。’I

  haveheardhimmorethanoncetalkofthisfrugalfriend,whomherecollectedwithesteemandkindness,anddidnotliketohaveonesmileattherecital。’Thismansaidhe,gravelywasaverysensibleman,whoperfectlyunderstoodcommonaffairs:amanofagreatdealofknowledgeoftheworld,freshfromlife,notstrainedthroughbooks。Heamusedhimself,Iremember,bycomputinghowmuchmoreexpencewasabsolutelynecessarytoliveuponthesamescalewiththatwhichhisfrienddescribed,whenthevalueofmoneywasdiminishedbytheprogressofcommerce。Itmaybeestimatedthatdoublethemoneymightnowwithdifficultybesufficient。’

  Amidstthiscoldobscurity,therewasonebrilliantcircumstancetocheerhim;hewaswellacquaintedwithMr。HenryHervey,oneofthebranchesofthenoblefamilyofthatname,whohadbeenquarteredatLichfieldasanofficerofthearmy,andhadatthistimeahouseinLondon,whereJohnsonwasfrequentlyentertained,andhadanopportunityofmeetinggenteelcompany。Notverylongbeforehisdeath,hementionedthis,amongotherparticularsofhislife,whichhewaskindlycommunicatingtome;andhedescribedthisearlyfriend,’HarryHervey,’thus:’Hewasaviciousman,butverykindtome。IfyoucalladogHERVEY,Ishalllovehim。’

  HetoldmehehadnowwrittenonlythreeactsofhisIrene,andthatheretiredforsometimetolodgingsatGreenwich,whereheproceededinitsomewhatfurther,andusedtocompose,walkinginthePark;butdidnotstaylongenoughatthatplacetofinishit。

  InthecourseofthesummerhereturnedtoLichfield,wherehehadleftMrs。Johnson,andthereheatlastfinishedhistragedy,whichwasnotexecutedwithhisrapidityofcompositionuponotheroccasions,butwasslowlyandpainfullyelaborated。Afewdaysbeforehisdeath,whileburningagreatmassofpapers,hepickedoutfromamongthemtheoriginalunformedsketchofthistragedy,inhisownhand-writing,andgaveittoMr。Langton,bywhosefavouracopyofitisnowinmypossession。

  Johnson’sresidenceatLichfield,onhisreturntoitatthistime,wasonlyforthreemonths;andashehadasyetseenbutasmallpartofthewondersoftheMetropolis,hehadlittletotellhistownsmen。Herelatedtomethefollowingminuteanecdoteofthisperiod:’Inthelastage,whenmymotherlivedinLondon,thereweretwosetsofpeople,thosewhogavethewall,andthosewhotookit;thepeaceableandthequarrelsome。WhenIreturnedtoLichfield,afterhavingbeeninLondon,mymotheraskedme,whetherIwasoneofthosewhogavethewall,orthosewhotookit。NOWitisfixedthateverymankeepstotheright;or,ifoneistakingthewall,anotheryieldsit;anditisneveradispute。’

  HenowremovedtoLondonwithMrs。Johnson;butherdaughter,whohadlivedwiththematEdial,wasleftwithherrelationsinthecountry。HislodgingswereforsometimeinWoodstock-street,nearHanover-square,andafterwardsinCastle-street,nearCavendish-

  square。

  Histragedybeingbythistime,ashethought,completelyfinishedandfitforthestage,hewasverydesirousthatitshouldbebroughtforward。Mr。PeterGarricktoldme,thatJohnsonandhewenttogethertotheFountaintavern,andreaditover,andthatheafterwardssolicitedMr。Fleetwood,thepatenteeofDrury-lanetheatre,tohaveitactedathishouse;butMr。Fleetwoodwouldnotacceptit,probablybecauseitwasnotpatronizedbysomemanofhighrank;anditwasnotactedtill1749,whenhisfriendDavidGarrickwasmanagerofthattheatre。

  TheGentleman’sMagazine,begunandcarriedonbyMr。EdwardCave,underthenameofSYLVANUSURBAN,hadattractedthenoticeandesteemofJohnson,inaneminentdegree,beforehecametoLondonasanadventurerinliterature。Hetoldme,thatwhenhefirstsawSt。John’sGate,theplacewherethatdeservedlypopularmiscellanywasoriginallyprinted,he’behelditwithreverence。’

点击下载App,搜索"Life of Johnsonl",免费读到尾