the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第12节

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　poem　appeared；　which　will；　as　long　as　our　language　lasts；　associate　the　names　of　his　two　illustrious　friends　with　his　own。　　It　has　already　been　mentioned　that　he　sometimes　felt　keenly　the　sarcasm　which　his　wild　blundering　talk　brought　upon　him。　　He　was；　not　long　before　his　last　illness；　provoked　into　retaliating。　　He　wisely　betook　himself　to　his　pen；　and　at　that　weapon　he　proved　himself　a　match　for　all　his　assailants　together。　　Within　a　small　compass　he　drew　with　a　singularly　easy　and　vigorous　pencil　the　characters　of　nine　or　ten　of　his　intimate　associates。　　Though　this　little　work　did　not　receive　his　last　touches；　it　must　always　be　regarded　as　a　masterpiece。　　It　is　impossible；　however；　not　to　wish　that　four　or　five　likenesses　which　have　no　interest　for　posterity　were　wanting　to　that　noble　gallery；　and　that　their　places　were　supplied　by　sketches　of　Johnson　and　Gibbon；　as　happy　and　vivid　as　the　sketches　of　Burke　and　Garrick。　Some　of　Goldsmith's　friends　and　admirers　honoured　him　with　a　cenotaph　in　Westminster　Abbey。　　Nollekens　was　the　sculptor；　and　Johnson　wrote　the　inscription。　　It　is　much　to　be　lamented　that　Johnson　did　not　leave　to　posterity　a　more　durable　and　a　more　valuable　memorial　of　his　friend。　　A　life　of　Goldsmith　would　have　been　an　inestimable　addition　to　the　Lives　of　the　Poets。　　No　man　appreciated　Goldsmith's　writings　more　justly　than　Johnson；　no　man　was　better　acquainted　with　Goldsmith's　character　and　habits；　and　no　man　was　more　competent　to　delineate　with　truth　and　spirit　the　peculiarities　of　a　mind　in　which　great　powers　were　found　in　company　with　great　weaknesses。　　But　the　lists　of　poets　to　whose　works　Johnson　was　requested　by　the　booksellers　to　furnish　prefaces　ended　with　Lyttleton；　who　died　in　1773。　　The　line　seems　to　have　been　drawn　expressly　for　the　purpose　of　excluding　the　person　whose　portrait　would　have　most　fitly　closed　the　series。　　Goldsmith；　however；　has　been　fortunate　in　his　biographers。　　Within　a　few　years　his　life　has　been　written　by　Mr　Prior；　by　Mr　Washington　Irving；　and　by　Mr　Forster。　　The　diligence　of　Mr　Prior　deserves　great　praise；　the　style　of　Mr　Washington　Irving　is　always　pleasing；　but　the　highest　place　must；　in　justice；　be　assigned　to　the　eminently　interesting　work　of　Mr　Forster。　。。。

SAMUEL　JOHNSON。　（December　1856。）　Samuel　Johnson；　one　of　the　most　eminent　English　writers　of　the　eighteenth　century；　was　the　son　of　Michael　Johnson；　who　was；　at　the　beginning　of　that　century；　a　magistrate　of　Lichfield；　and　a　bookseller　of　great　note　in　the　midland　counties。　　Michael's　abilities　and　attainments　seem　to　have　been　considerable。　　He　was　so　well　acquainted　with　the　contents　of　the　volumes　which　he　exposed　to　sale；　that　the　country　rectors　of　Staffordshire　and　Worcestershire　thought　him　an　oracle　on　points　of　learning。　　Between　him　and　the　clergy；　indeed；　there　was　a　strong　religious　and　political　sympathy。　　He　was　a　zealous　churchman；　and；　though　he　had　qualified　himself　for　municipal　office　by　taking　the　oaths　to　the　sovereigns　in　possession；　was　to　the　last　a　Jacobite　in　heart。　　At　his　house；　a　house　which　is　still　pointed　out　to　every　traveller　who　visits　Lichfield；　Samuel　was　born　on　the　18th　of　September　1709。　　In　the　child；　the　physical；　intellectual；　and　moral　peculiarities　which　afterwards　distinguished　the　man　were　plainly　discernible；　great　muscular　strength　accompanied　by　much　awkwardness　and　many　infirmities；　great　quickness　of　parts；　with　a　morbid　propensity　to　sloth　and　procrastination；　a　kind　and　generous　heart；　with　a　gloomy　and　irritable　temper。　　He　had　inherited　from　his　ancestors　a　scrofulous　taint；　which　it　was　beyond　the　power　of　medicine　to　remove。　　His　parents　were　weak　enough　to　believe　that　the　royal　touch　was　a　specific　for　this　malady。　　In　his　third　year　he　was　taken　up　to　London；　inspected　by　the　court　surgeon；　prayed　over　by　the　court　chaplains；　and　stroked　and　presented　with　a　piece　of　gold　by　Queen　Anne。　　One　of　his　earliest　recollections　was　that　of　a　stately　lady　in　a　diamond　stomacher　and　a　long　black　hood。　　Her　hand　was　applied　in　vain。　　The　boy's　features；　which　were　originally　noble　and　not　irregular；　were　distorted　by　his　malady。　　His　cheeks　were　deeply　scarred。　　He　lost　for　a　time　the　sight　of　one　eye；　and　he　saw　but　very　imperfectly　with　the　other。　　But　the　force　of　his　mind　overcame　every　impediment。　　Indolent　as　he　was；　he　acquired　knowledge　with　such　ease　and　rapidity　that　at　every　school　to　which　he　was　sent　he　was　soon　the　best　scholar。　　From　sixteen　to　eighteen　he　resided　at　home；　and　was　left　to　his　own　devices。　　He　learned　much　at　this　time；　though　his　studies　were　without　guidance　and　without　plan。　　He　ransacked　his　father's　shelves；　dipped　into　a　multitude　of　books；　read　what　was　interesting；　and　passed　over　what　was　dull。　　An　ordinary　lad　would　have　acquired　little　or　no　useful　knowledge　in　such　a　way：　　but　much　that　was　dull　to　ordinary　lads　was　interesting　to　Samuel。　　He　read　little　Greek：　　for　his　proficiency　in　that　language　was　not　such　that　he　could　take　much　pleasure　in　the　masters　of　Attic　poetry　and　eloquence。　　But　he　had　left　school　a　good　Latinist；　and　he　soon　acquired；　in　the　large　and　miscellaneous　library　of　which　he　now　had　the　command；　an　extensive　knowledge　of　Latin　literature。　　That　Augustan　delicacy　of　taste　which　is　the　boast　of　the　great　public　schools　of　England　he　never　possessed。　　But　he　was　early　familiar　with　some　classical　writers　who　were　quite　unknown　to　the　best　scholars　in　the　sixth　form　at　Eton。　　He　was　peculiarly　attracted　by　the　works　of　the　great　restorers　of　learning。　　Once；　while　searching　for　some　apples；　he　found　a　huge　folio　volume　of　Petrarch's　works。　　The　name　excited　his　curiosity；　and　he　eagerly　devoured　hundreds　of　pages。　　Indeed；　the　diction　and　versification　of　his　own　Latin　compositions　show　that　he　had　paid　at　least　as　much　attention　to　modern　copies　from　the　antique　as　to　the　original　models。　While　he　was　thus　irregularly　educating　himself；　his　family　was　sinking　into　hopeless　poverty。　　Old　Michael　Johnson　was　much　better　qualified　to　pore　upon　books；　and　to　talk　about　them；　than　to　trade　in　them。　　His　business　declined；　his　debts　increased；　it　was　with　difficulty　that　the　daily　expenses　of　his　household　were　defrayed。　　It　was　out　of　his　power　to　support　his　son　at　either　university；　but　a　wealthy　neighbour　offered　assistance；　and；　in　reliance　on　promises　which　proved　to　be　of　very　little　value；　Samuel　was　entered　at　Pembroke　College；　Oxford。　　When　the　young　scholar　presented　himself　to　the　rulers　of　that　society；　they　were　amazed　not　more　by　his　ungainly　figure　and　eccentric　manners　than　by　the　quantity　of　extensive　and　curious　information　which　he　had　picked　up　during　many　months　of　desultory　but　not　unprofitable　study。　　On　the　first　day　of　his　residence　he　surprised　his　teachers　by　quoting　Macrobius；　and　one　of　the　most　learned　among　them　declared　that　he　had　never　known　a　freshman　of　equal　attainments。　At　Oxford；　Johnson　resided　during　about　three　years。　　He　was　poor；　even　to　raggedness；　and　his　appearance　excited　a　mirth　and　a　pity　which　were　equally　intolerable　to　his　haughty　spirit。　　He　was　driven　from　the　quadrangle　of　Christ　Church　by　the　sneering　looks　which　the　members　of　that　aristocratical　society　cast　at　the　holes　in　his　shoes。　　Some　charitable　person　placed　a　new　pair　at　his　door；　but　he　spurned　them　away　in　a　fury。　　Distress　made　him；　not　servile；　but　reckless　and　ungovernable。　　No　opulent　gentleman　commoner；　panting　for　one…and…twenty；　could　have　treated　the　academical　authorities　with　more　gross　disrespect。　　The　needy　scholar　was　generally　to　be　seen　under　the　gate　of　Pembroke；　a　gate　now　adorned　with　his　effigy；　haranguing　a　circle　of　lads；　over　whom；　in　spite　of　his　tattered　gown　and　dirty　linen；　his　wit　and　audacity　gave　him　an　undisputed　ascendency。　　In　every　mutiny　against　the　discipline　of　the　college　he　was　the　ringleader。　　Much　was　pardoned；　however；　to　a　youth　so　highly　distinguished　by　abilities　and　acquirements。　　He　had　early　made　himself　known　by　turning　Pope's　Messiah　into　Latin　verse。　　The　style　and　rhythm；　indeed；　were　not　exactly　Virgilian；　but　the　translation　found　many　admirers；　and　was　read　with　pleasure　by　Pope　himself。　The　time　drew　near　at　which　Johnson　would；　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things；　have　become　a　Bachelor　of　Arts：　　but　he　was　at　the　end　of　his　resources。　　Those　promises　of　support　on　which　he　had　relied　had　not　been　kept。　　His　family　could　do　nothing　for　him。　　His　debts　to　Oxford　tradesmen　were　small　indeed；　yet　larger　than　he　could　pay。　　In　the　autumn　of　1731；　he　was　under　the　necessity　of　quitting　the　university　without　a　degree。　　In　the　following　winter　his　father　died。　　The　old　man　left　but　a　pittance；　and　of　that　pittance　almost　the　whole　was　appropriated　to　the　support　of　his　widow。　　The　property　to　which　Samuel　succeeded　amounted　to　no　more　than　twenty　pounds。　His　life；　during　the　thirty　years　which　followed；　was　one　hard　struggle　with　poverty。　　The　misery　of　that　struggle　needed　no　aggravation；　but　was　aggravated　by　the　sufferings　of　an　unsound　body　and　an　unsound　mind。　　Before　the　young　man　left　the　university；　his　hereditary　malady　had　broken　forth　in　a　singularly　cruel　form。　　He　had　become　an　incurable　hypochondriac。　He　said　long　after　that　he　had　been