the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第17章

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oom　with　a　woman　of　real　fashion；　his　Titty；　as　he　called　her；　was　the　most　beautiful；　graceful；　and　accomplished　of　her　sex。　　That　his　admiration　was　unfeigned　cannot　be　doubted；　for　she　was　as　poor　as　himself。　　She　accepted；　with　a　readiness　which　did　her　little　honour；　the　addresses　of　a　suitor　who　might　have　been　her　son。　　The　marriage；　however；　in　spite　of　occasional　wranglings；　proved　happier　than　might　have　been　expected。　　The　lover　continued　to　be　under　the　illusions　of　the　wedding…day　till　the　lady　died　in　her　sixty…fourth　year。　　On　her　monument　he　placed　an　inscription　extolling　the　charms　of　her　person　and　of　her　manners；　and　when；　long　after　her　decease；　he　had　occasion　to　mention　her；　he　exclaimed；　with　a　tenderness　half　ludicrous；　half　pathetic；　〃Pretty　creature！〃　His　marriage　made　it　necessary　for　him　to　exert　himself　more　strenuously　than　he　had　hitherto　done。　　He　took　a　house　in　the　neighbourhood　of　his　native　town；　and　advertised　for　pupils。　　But　eighteen　months　passed　away；　and　only　three　pupils　came　to　his　academy。　　Indeed；　his　appearance　was　so　strange；　and　his　temper　so　violent；　that　his　schoolroom　must　have　resembled　an　ogre's　den。　　Nor　was　the　tawdry　painted　grandmother　whom　he　called　his　Titty　well　qualified　to　make　provision　for　the　comfort　of　young　gentlemen。　　David　Garrick；　who　was　one　of　the　pupils；　used；　many　years　later；　to　throw　the　best　company　of　London　into　convulsions　of　laughter　by　mimicking　the　endearments　of　this　extraordinary　pair。　At　length　Johnson；　in　the　twenty…eighth　year　of　his　age；　determined　to　seek　his　fortune　in　the　capital　as　a　literary　adventurer。　　He　set　out　with　a　few　guineas；　three　acts　of　the　tragedy　of　Irene　in　manuscript；　and　two　or　three　letters　of　introduction　from　his　friend　Walmesley。　Never；　since　literature　became　a　calling　in　England；　had　it　been　a　less　gainful　calling　than　at　the　time　when　Johnson　took　up　his　residence　in　London。　　In　the　preceding　generation　a　writer　of　eminent　merit　was　sure　to　be　munificently　rewarded　by　the　government。　　The　least　that　he　could　expect　was　a　pension　or　a　sinecure　place；　and；　if　he　showed　any　aptitude　for　politics；　he　might　hope　to　be　a　member　of　parliament；　a　lord　of　the　treasury；　an　ambassador；　a　secretary　of　state。　　It　would　be　easy；　on　the　other　hand；　to　name　several　writers　of　the　nineteenth　century　of　whom　the　least　successful　has　received　forty　thousand　pounds　from　the　booksellers。　　But　Johnson　entered　on　his　vocation　in　the　most　dreary　part　of　the　dreary　interval　which　separated　two　ages　of　prosperity。　　Literature　had　ceased　to　flourish　under　the　patronage　of　the　great；　and　had　not　begun　to　flourish　under　the　patronage　of　the　public。　　One　man　of　letters；　indeed；　Pope；　had　acquired　by　his　pen　what　was　then　considered　as　a　handsome　fortune；　and　lived　on　a　footing　of　equality　with　nobles　and　ministers　of　state。　　But　this　was　a　solitary　exception。　　Even　an　author　whose　reputation　was　established；　and　whose　works　were　popular；　such　an　author　as　Thomson；　whose　Seasons　were　in　every　library；　such　an　author　as　Fielding；　whose　Pasquin　had　had　a　greater　run　than　any　drama　since　The　Beggar's　Opera；　was　sometimes　glad　to　obtain；　by　pawning　his　best　coat；　the　means　of　dining　on　tripe　at　a　cookshop　underground；　where　he　could　wipe　his　hands；　after　his　greasy　meal；　on　the　back　of　a　Newfoundland　dog。　　It　is　easy；　therefore；　to　imagine　what　humiliations　and　privations　must　have　awaited　the　novice　who　had　still　to　earn　a　name。　　One　of　the　publishers　to　whom　Johnson　applied　for　employment　measured　with　a　scornful　eye　that　athletic　though　uncouth　frame；　and　exclaimed；　〃You　had　better　get　a　porter's　knot；　and　carry　trunks。〃　　Nor　was　the　advice　bad；　for　a　porter　was　likely　to　be　as　plentifully　fed；　and　as　comfortably　lodged；　as　a　poet。　Some　time　appears　to　have　elapsed　before　Johnson　was　able　to　form　any　literary　connection　from　which　he　could　expect　more　than　bread　for　the　day　which　was　passing　over　him。　　He　never　forgot　the　generosity　with　which　Hervey；　who　was　now　residing　in　London；　relieved　his　wants　during　this　time　of　trial。　　〃Harry　Hervey；〃　said　the　old　philosopher　many　years　later；　〃was　a　vicious　man；　but　he　was　very　kind　to　me。　　If　you　call　a　dog　Hervey　I　shall　love　him。〃　　At　Hervey's　table　Johnson　sometimes　enjoyed　feasts　which　were　made　more　agreeable　by　contrast。　　But　in　general　he　dined；　and　thought　that　he　dined　well；　on　sixpenny　worth　of　meat；　and　a　pennyworth　of　bread；　at　an　alehouse　near　Drury　Lane。　The　effect　of　the　privations　and　sufferings　which　he　endured　at　this　time　was　discernible　to　the　last　in　his　temper　and　his　deportment。　　His　manners　had　never　been　courtly。　　They　now　became　almost　savage。　　Being　frequently　under　the　necessity　of　wearing　shabby　coats　and　dirty　shirts；　he　became　a　confirmed　sloven。　　Being　often　very　hungry　when　he　sat　down　to　his　meals；　he　contracted　a　habit　of　eating　with　ravenous　greediness。　　Even　to　the　end　of　his　life；　and　even　at　the　tables　of　the　great；　the　sight　of　food　affected　him　as　it　affects　wild　beasts　and　birds　of　prey。　　His　taste　in　cookery；　formed　in　subterranean　ordinaries　and　alamode　beefshops；　was　far　from　delicate。　　Whenever　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　have　near　him　a　hare　that　had　been　kept　too　long；　or　a　meat　pie　made　with　rancid　butter；　he　gorged　himself　with　such　violence　that　his　veins　swelled；　and　the　moisture　broke　out　on　his　forehead。　　The　affronts　which　his　poverty　emboldened　stupid　and　low…minded　men　to　offer　to　him　would　have　broken　a　mean　spirit　into　sycophancy；　but　made　him　rude　even　to　ferocity。　　Unhappily　the　insolence　which；　while　it　was　defensive；　was　pardonable；　and　in　some　sense　respectable；　accompanied　him　into　societies　where　he　was　treated　with　courtesy　and　kindness。　　He　was　repeatedly　provoked　into　striking　those　who　had　taken　liberties　with　him。　　All　the　sufferers；　however；　were　wise　enough　to　abstain　from　talking　about　their　beatings；　except　Osborne；　the　most　rapacious　and　brutal　of　booksellers；　who　proclaimed　everywhere　that　he　had　been　knocked　down　by　the　huge　fellow　whom　he　had　hired　to　puff　the　Harleian　Library。　About　a　year　after　Johnson　had　begun　to　reside　in　London；　he　was　fortunate　enough　to　obtain　regular　employment　from　Cave；　an　enterprising　and　intelligent　bookseller；　who　was　proprietor　and　editor　of　the　〃Gentleman's　Magazine。〃　　That　journal；　just　entering　on　the　ninth　year　of　its　long　existence；　was　the　only　periodical　work　in　the　kingdom　which　then　had　what　would　now　be　called　a　large　circulation。　　It　was；　indeed；　the　chief　source　of　parliamentary　intelligence。　　It　was　not　then　safe；　even　during　a　recess；　to　publish　an　account　of　the　proceedings　of　either　House　without　some　disguise。　　Cave；　however；　ventured　to　entertain　his　readers　with　what　he　called　〃Reports　of　the　Debates　of　the　Senate　of　Lilliput。〃　　France　was　Blefuscu；　London　was　Mildendo：　　pounds　were　sprugs：　　the　Duke　of　Newcastle　was　the　Nardac　secretary　of　State：　　Lord　Hardwicke　was　the　Hurgo　Hickrad：　　and　William　Pulteney　was　Wingul　Pulnub。　　To　write　the　speeches　was；　during　several　years；　the　business　of　Johnson。　　He　was　generally　furnished　with　notes；　meagre　indeed；　and　inaccurate；　of　what　had　been　said；　but　sometimes　he　had　to　find　arguments　and　eloquence　both　for　the　ministry　and　for