the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第20章

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rs；　and　literature。　　This　species　of　composition　had　been　brought　into　fashion　by　the　success　of　the　Tatler；　and　by　the　still　more　brilliant　success　of　the　Spectator。　　A　crowd　of　small　writers　had　vainly　attempted　to　rival　Addison。　　The　Lay　Monastery；　the　Censor；　the　Freethinker；　the　Plain　Dealer；　the　Champion；　and　other　works　of　the　same　kind；　had　had　their　short　day。　　None　of　them　had　obtained　a　permanent　place　in　our　literature；　and　they　are　now　to　be　found　only　in　the　libraries　of　the　curious。　　At　length　Johnson　undertook　the　adventure　in　which　so　many　aspirants　had　failed。　　In　the　thirty…sixth　year　after　the　appearance　of　the　last　number　of　the　Spectator　appeared　the　first　number　of　the　Rambler。　　From　March　1750　to　March　1752　this　paper　continued　to　come　out　every　Tuesday　and　Saturday。　From　the　first　the　Rambler　was　enthusiastically　admired　by　a　few　eminent　men。　　Richardson；　when　only　five　numbers　had　appeared；　pronounced　it　equal；　if　not　superior；　to　the　Spectator。　　Young　and　Hartley　expressed　their　approbation　not　less　warmly。　　Bubb　Doddington；　among　whose　many　faults　indifference　to　the　claims　of　genius　and　learning　cannot　be　reckoned；　solicited　the　acquaintance　of　the　writer。　　In　consequence　probably　of　the　good　offices　of　Doddington；　who　was　then　the　confidential　adviser　of　Prince　Frederic；　two　of　his　Royal　Highness's　gentlemen　carried　a　gracious　message　to　the　printing　office；　and　ordered　seven　copies　for　Leicester　House。　　But　these　overtures　seem　to　have　been　very　coldly　received。　　Johnson　had　had　enough　of　the　patronage　of　the　great　to　last　him　all　his　life；　and　was　not　disposed　to　haunt　any　other　door　as　he　had　haunted　the　door　of　Chesterfield。　By　the　public　the　Rambler　was　at　first　very　coldly　received。　　Though　the　price　of　a　number　was　only　twopence；　the　sale　did　not　amount　to　five　hundred。　　The　profits　were　therefore　very　small。　　But　as　soon　as　the　flying　leaves　were　collected　and　reprinted　they　became　popular。　　The　author　lived　to　see　thirteen　thousand　copies　spread　over　England　alone。　　Separate　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；