W CHAPTER X DOCTOR JOHNSON HILE Adam Smith, Blackstone, and Paley wrote chiefly for British statesmen, lawyers, and theologians, the celebrated Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), living mostly in London, addressed English people generally, like Addison, through literary magazines, as well as separate works. His "Lounger and "Rambler,” however, never had The Spectator's previous popularity. His best and most lasting works, beside his Dictionary, are his "Lives of the Poets," and the short poems, "London," and "Vanity of Human Wishes." His edition of " Shakespeare," though valuable when published and made a college prize-book, has been completely surpassed in value by recent English and German versions. His "Preface to Shakespeare," once much admired, defends the poet from ignorant or frivolous attacks. He truly remarks that "the stream of time passes without injury by the adamant of Shakespeare." This opinion literary history has proved correct ever since Johnson's day. For many years Shakespeare has needed no defender. His merits have been praised with increased enthusiasm by both English and German commentators, while Johnson's "notes have lost nearly all interest and are of unequal merit. His opinion, for instance, of the old Danish statesman, Polonius, in "Hamlet," once wise but "sinking into dotage," is admired even by Johnson's rather rigid critic, Macaulay, but many of his other remarks, like calling the brave, shrewd Hotspur merely a courageous, quarrelsome soldier, show that he had not studied Shakespeare's characters with the attention they have received since his time. As a rule, and owing probably to political history, readers of Shakespeare were seldom found among the admirers of Milton for a long period. These two greatest of English poets were, for some years, almost exclusively appreciated by opposing political parties. The gay, lively, often intemperate Royalists or Cavaliers and London playgoers were Shakespeare's chief students, while Milton's poetry alone extorted reluctant praise from loyal Prelatists, who viewed his prose works and political opinions with utter de testation. It was among Dr. Johnson's literary efforts to examine and review the masterpieces of both; but though his edition of "Shakespeare" and "Life of Milton" were admired and trusted for a time, posterity has, in many respects, disapproved of them. Neither is often referred to or consulted of late years by readers of Shakespeare and Milton. Yet his "Lives of the Poets," save perhaps when politics are men tioned, prove more of Johnson's sense and wisdom than any of his works, except, indeed, his amusing and instructive conversations, recalled in his "Life' by his faithful admirer, Boswell. This excellent biography bequeathed much of Johnson's practical wisdom, like a valuable legacy, to the British nation, and was highly praised by learned literary men. Johnson, though resembling Addison in his style of addressing the British public at large, and earnestly wishing to improve all whom he could influence, was yet a man of far bolder nature. He thoroughly enjoyed society, which Addison disliked and avoided. He drew around him in London a delightful circle of literary, artistic, and thoughtful men. Among these, though rather imperiously, he diffused and acquired immense information on various subjects, yet always with a moral, practical purpose. His influence over the English intellect was great, useful, and permanent. Like Addison and Paley, he was an earnest Christian, but though belonging to the Established Church, he expresses rather more religious than political toleration. He shows little prejudice against any religious denomination, but his horror of revolution was so excessive that he sometimes disparaged those who possessed more liberal views than his own. His favourite saying that patriotism was the last resource of a scoundrel, though verified by some historical instances, from its obvious exaggeration, * See Macaulay's Essay on this work. showed him to be hardly reliable as a political authority. But even his prejudices, like his sometimes saying, even to friends, "Sir, I perceive you are a vile Whig," &c., usually aroused friendly argument, and seldom real anger, between him and opponents. The Jacobite revolts in his lifetime evidently perplexed his generous yet shrewd and sensible mind. While pitying the defeated party, he well knew that the intellect, wealth, and real interests of Britain favoured the existing government. He earnestly pleaded in behalf of Jacobite prisoners, but without success. He apparently had little if any political influence. His sound sense and generosity doubtless made great impression on British minds, and prepared them, perhaps, for the yet more useful and extensive influence of Walter Scott. But it was clearly beyond Johnson's power or that of any literary man of his time to diminish political severity, when sanctioned by approved or existing legislation. Johnson, whose courage, humanity, and wisdom made him in the literary world rather like the national John Bull in the political, dreaded the republicanism arising in France.2 He shrewdly perceived that many leading French 1 Boswell's "Life of Johnson," where, despite the latter's Tory feelings, he owned that he could not "hold up his hand" for Charles Edward, in whose behalf some British Tories were risking life and fortune at the time. 2 Arnold's remarks on Johnson's moral influence in opposing French revolutionary ideas in England." Manual of English Literature," p. 293. republicans, while praising Voltaire, had none of the humane, enlightened spirit which made that eminent man's attacks on religion so perplexing to some devout believers. Few Englishmen, probably, except the Jacobites, were more devoted to monarchy than Dr. Johnson. He doubtless did good service to it in the London literary world, but it fell to the lot of his illustrious Irish friend, Edmund Burke, who survived him, to attack French republicanism with many of Johnson's sentiments, perhaps, in his mind, but expressed with his own peculiar, fervent eloquence. The religious as well as political French revolution at the end of the 18th century was, perhaps, the most complete revolt, in every sense, that is recorded in history. It avowedly, even enthusiastically, abolished all public worship with the monarchy, under severe penalties. Both "God and the King," often associated together by eager monarchists as alike entitled to obedience, were dethroned as far as human energy could do so. The revolution seemed more like the realised fantastic dream of a nervous monarchist than a practical change effected by rational men. Atheistical ideas, perhaps rather like those of the old Greek and Roman Aristodemus and Lucretius, now appeared in French literature, public speeches, legal acts, and theatrical performances.2 Voltaire's name was often See Macaulay's remark on Voltaire's sneers at Christianity, while advocating many of its moral principles.-Essay on "Ranke's History." 2 Macaulay's description of Paris during the Revolution-Essay ΙΟ |