the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第16章

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　editions　were　published　for　the　Scotch　and　Irish　markets。　　A　large　party　pronounced　the　style　perfect；　so　absolutely　perfect　that　in　some　essays　it　would　be　impossible　for　the　writer　himself　to　alter　a　single　word　for　the　better。　　Another　party；　not　less　numerous；　vehemently　accused　him　of　having　corrupted　the　purity　of　the　English　tongue。　　The　best　critics　admitted　that　his　diction　was　too　monotonous；　too　obviously　artificial；　and　now　and　then　turgid　even　to　absurdity。　　But　they　did　justice　to　the　acuteness　of　his　observations　on　morals　and　manners；　to　the　constant　precision　and　frequent　brilliancy　of　his　language；　to　the　weighty　and　magnificent　eloquence　of　many　serious　passages；　and　to　the　solemn　yet　pleasing　humour　of　some　of　the　lighter　papers。　　On　the　question　of　precedence　between　Addison　and　Johnson；　a　question　which；　seventy　years　ago；　was　much　disputed；　posterity　has　pronounced　a　decision　from　which　there　is　no　appeal。　　Sir　Roger；　his　chaplain　and　his　butler；　Will　Wimble　and　Will　Honeycomb；　the　Vision　of　Mirza；　the　Journal　of　the　Retired　Citizen；　the　Everlasting　Club；　the　Dunmow　Flitch；　the　Loves　of　Hilpah　and　Shalum；　the　Visit　to　the　Exchange；　and　the　Visit　to　the　Abbey；　are　known　to　everybody。　　But　many　men　and　women；　even　of　highly　cultivated　minds；　are　unacquainted　with　Squire　Bluster　and　Mrs　Busy；　Quisquilius　and　Venustulus；　the　Allegory　of　Wit　and　Learning；　the　Chronicle　of　the　Revolutions　of　a　Garret；　and　the　sad　fate　of　Aningait　and　Ajut。　The　last　Rambler　was　written　in　a　sad　and　gloomy　hour。　　Mrs　Johnson　had　been　given　over　by　the　physicians。　　Three　days　later　she　died。　　She　left　her　husband　almost　broken…hearted。　　Many　people　had　been　surprised　to　see　a　man　of　his　genius　and　learning　stooping　to　every　drudgery；　and　denying　himself　almost　every　comfort；　for　the　purpose　of　supplying　a　silly；　affected　old　woman　with　superfluities；　which　she　accepted　with　but　little　gratitude。　　But　all　his　affection　had　been　concentrated　on　her。　　He　had　neither　brother　nor　sister；　neither　son　nor　daughter。　　To　him　she　was　beautiful　as　the　Gunnings；　and　witty　as　Lady　Mary。　　Her　opinion　of　his　writings　was　more　important　to　him　than　the　voice　of　the　pit　of　Drury　Lane　Theatre　or　the　judgment　of　the　Monthly　Review。　　The　chief　support　which　had　sustained　him　through　the　most　arduous　labour　of　his　life　was　the　hope　that　she　would　enjoy　the　fame　and　the　profit　which　he　anticipated　from　his　Dictionary。　　She　was　gone；　and　in　that　vast　labyrinth　of　streets；　peopled　by　eight　hundred　thousand　human　beings；　he　was　alone。　　Yet　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　set　himself；　as　he　expressed　it；　doggedly　to　work。　　After　three　more　laborious　years；　the　Dictionary　was　at　length　complete。　It　had　been　generally　supposed　that　this　great　work　would　be　dedicated　to　the　eloquent　and　accomplished　nobleman　to　whom　the　prospectus　had　been　addressed。　　He　well　knew　the　value　of　such　a　compliment；　and　therefore；　when　the　day　of　publication　drew　near；　he　exerted　himself　to　soothe；　by　a　show　of　zealous　and　at　the　same　time　of　delicate　and　judicious　kindness；　the　pride　which　he　had　so　cruelly　wounded。　　Since　the　Ramblers　had　ceased　to　appear；　the　town　had　been　entertained　by　a　journal　called　the　World；　to　which　many　men　of　high　rank　and　fashion　contributed。　　In　two　successive　numbers　of　the　World　the　Dictionary　was；　to　use　the　modern　phrase；　puffed　with　wonderful　skill。　　The　writings　of　Johnson　were　warmly　praised。　　It　was　proposed　that　he　should　be　invested　with　the　authority　of　a　Dictator；　nay；　of　a　Pope；　over　our　language；　and　that　his　decisions　about　the　meaning　and　the　spelling　of　words　should　be　received　as　final。　　His　two　folios；　it　was　said；　would　of　course　be　bought　by　everybody　who　could　afford　to　buy　them。　　It　was　soon　known　that　these　papers　were　written　by　Chesterfield。　　But　the　just　resentment　of　Johnson　was　not　to　be　so　appeased。　　In　a　letter　written　with　singular　energy　and　dignity　of　thought　and　language；　he　repelled　the　tardy　advances　of　his　patron。　　The　Dictionary　came　forth　without　a　dedication。　　In　the　preface　the　author　truly　declared　that　he　owed　nothing　to　the　great；　and　described　the　difficulties　with　which　he　had　been　left　to　struggle　so　forcibly　and　pathetically　that　the　ablest　and　most　malevolent　of　all　the　enemies　of　his　fame；　Horne　Tooke；　never　could　read　that　passage　without　tears。　The　public；　on　this　occasion；　did　Johnson　full　justice；　and　something　more　than　justice。　　The　best　lexicographer　may　well　be　content　if　his　productions　are　received　by　the　world　with　cold　esteem。　　But　Johnson's　Dictionary　was　hailed　with　an　enthusiasm　such　as　no　similar　work　has　ever　excited。　　It　was　indeed　the　first　dictionary　which　could　be　read　with　pleasure。　　The　definitions　show　so　much　acuteness　of　thought　and　command　of　language；　and　the　passages　quoted　from　poets；　divines；　and　philosophers　are　so　skilfully　selected；　that　a　leisure　hour　may　always　be　very　agreeably　spent　in　turning　over　the　pages。　　The　faults　of　the　book　resolve　themselves；　for　the　most　part；　into　one　great　fault。　　Johnson　was　a　wretched　etymologist。　　He　knew　little　or　nothing　of　any　Teutonic　language　except　English；　which　indeed；　as　he　wrote　it；　was　scarcely　a　Teutonic　language；　and　thus　he　was　absolutely　at　the　mercy　of　Junius　and　Skinner。　The　Dictionary；　though　it　raised　Johnson's　fame；　added　nothing　to　his　pecuniary　means。　　The　fifteen　hundred　guineas　which　the　booksellers　had　agreed　to　pay　him　had　been　advanced　and　spent　before　the　last　sheets　issued　from　the　press。　　It　is　painful　to　relate　that；　twice　in　the　course　of　the　year　which　followed　the　publication　of　this　great　work；　he　was　arrested　and　carried　to　spunging…houses；　and　that　he　was　twice　indebted　for　his　liberty　to　his　excellent　friend　Richardson。　　It　was　still　necessary　for　the　man　who　had　been　formally　saluted　by　the　highest　authority　as　Dictator　of　the　English　language　to　supply　his　wants　by　constant　toil。　　He　abridged　his　Dictionary。　　He　proposed　to　bring　out　an　edition　of　Shakspeare　by　subscription；　and　many　subscribers　sent　in　their　names　and　laid　down　their　money；　but　he　soon　found　the　task　so　little　to　his　taste　that　he　turned　to　more　attractive　employments。　　He　contributed　many　papers　to　a　new　monthly　journal；　which　was　called　the　Literary　Magazine。　　Few　of　these　papers　have　much　interest；　but　among　them　was　the　very　best　thing　that　he　ever　wrote；　a　masterpiece　both　of　reasoning　and　of　satirical　pleasantry；　the　review　of　Jenyn's　Inquiry　into　the　Nature　and　Origin　of　Evil。　In　the　spring　of　1758　Johnson　put　forth　the　first　of　a　series　of　essays；　entitled　the　Idler。　　During　two　years　these　essays　continued　to　appear　weekly。　　They　were　eagerly　read；　widely　circulated；　and　indeed；　impudently　pirated；　while　they　were　still　in　the　original　form；　and　had　a　large　sale　when　collected　into　volumes。　　The　Idler　may　be　described　as　a　second　part　of　the　Rambler；　somewhat　livelier　and　somewhat　weaker　than　the　first　part。　While　Johnson　was　busied　with　his　Idlers；　his　mother；　who　had　accomplished　her　ninetieth　year；　died　at　Lichfield。　　It　was　long　since　he　had　seen　her；　but　he　had　not　failed　to　contribute　largely；　out　of　his　small　means；　to　her　comfort。　　In　order　to　defray　the　charges　of　her　funeral；　and　to　pay　some　debts　which　she　had　left；　he　wrote　a　little　book　in　a　single　week；　and　sent　off　the　sheets　to　the　press　without　reading　them　over。　　A　hundred　pounds　were　paid　him　for　the　copyright；　and　the　purchasers　had　great　cause　to　be　pleased　with　their　bargain；　for　the　book　was　Rasselas。　The　success　of　Rasselas　was　great；　though　such　ladies　as　Miss　Lydia　Languish　must　have　been　grievously　disappointed　when　they　found　that　the　new　volume　from　the　circulating　library　was　little　more　than　a　dissertation　on　the　author's　favourite　theme；　the　Vanity　of　Human　Wishes；　that　the　Prince　of　Abyssinia　was　without　a　mistress；　and　the　princess　without　a　lover；　and　that　the　story　set　the　hero　and　the　heroine　down　exactly　where　it　had　taken　them　up。　　The　style　was　the　subject　of　much　eager　controversy。　　The　Monthly　Review　and　the　Critical　Review　took　different　sides。　　Many　readers　pronounced　the　writer　a　pompous　pedant；　who　would　never　use　a　word　of　two　syllables　where　it　was　possible　to　use　a　word　of　six；　and　who　could　not　make　a　waiting　woman　relate　her　adventures　without　balancing　every　noun　with　another　noun；　and　every　epithet　with　another　epithet。　　Another　party；　not　less　zealous；　cited　with　delight　numerous　passages　in　which　weighty　meaning　was　expressed　with　accuracy　and　illustrated　with　splendour。　　And　both　the　censure　and　the　praise　were　merited。　About　the　plan　of　Rasselas　little　was　said　by　the　critics；　and　yet　the　faults　of　the　plan　might　seem　to　invite　severe　criticism。　　Johnson　has　frequently　blamed　Shakspeare　for　neglecting　the　proprieties　of　time　and　place；　and　for　ascribing　to　one　age　or　nation　the　manners　and　opinions　of　another。　　Yet　Shakspeare　has　not　sinned　in　this　way　more　grievously　than　Johnson。　　Rasselas　and　Imlac；　Nekayah　and　Pekuah；　are　evidently　meant　to　be　Abyssinians　of　the　eighteenth　century：　　for　the　Europe　which　Imlac　describes　is　the　Europe　of　the　eighteenth　century；　and　the　inmates　of　the　Happy　Valley　talk　familiarly　of　that　law　of　gravitation　which　Newton　discovered；　and　which　was　not　fully　received　even　at　Cambridge　till