the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第18节

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est　order。　　He　had　strong　sense；　quick　discernment；　wit；　humour；　immense　knowledge　of　literature　and　of　life；　and　an　infinite　store　of　curious　anecdotes。　　As　respected　style；　he　spoke　far　better　than　he　wrote。　　Every　sentence　which　dropped　from　his　lips　was　as　correct　in　structure　as　the　most　nicely　balanced　period　of　the　Rambler。　　But　in　his　talk　there　was　no　pompous　triads；　and　little　more　than　a　fair　proportion　of　words　in　〃osity〃　and　〃ation〃。　　All　was　simplicity；　ease；　and　vigour。　　He　uttered　his　short；　weighty；　and　pointed　sentences　with　a　power　of　voice；　and　a　justness　and　energy　of　emphasis；　of　which　the　effect　was　rather　increased　than　diminished　by　the　rollings　of　his　huge　form；　and　by　the　asthmatic　gaspings　and　puffings　in　which　the　peals　of　his　eloquence　generally　ended。　　Nor　did　the　laziness　which　made　him　unwilling　to　sit　down　to　his　desk　prevent　him　from　giving　instruction　or　entertainment　orally。　　To　discuss　questions　of　taste；　of　learning；　casuistry；　in　language　so　exact　and　so　forcible　that　it　might　have　been　printed　without　the　alteration　of　a　word；　was　to　him　no　exertion；　but　a　pleasure。　　He　loved；　as　he　said；　to　fold　his　legs　and　have　his　talk　out。　　He　was　ready　to　bestow　the　overflowings　of　his　full　mind　on　anybody　who　would　start　a　subject；　on　a　fellow…passenger　in　a　stage　coach；　or　on　the　person　who　sate　at　the　same　table　with　him　in　an　eating…house。　　But　his　conversation　was　nowhere　so　brilliant　and　striking　as　when　he　was　surrounded　by　a　few　friends；　whose　abilities　and　knowledge　enabled　them；　as　he　once　expressed　it；　to　send　him　back　every　ball　that　he　threw。　　Some　of　these；　in　1764；　formed　themselves　into　a　club；　which　gradually　became　a　formidable　power　in　the　commonwealth　of　letters。　　The　verdicts　pronounced　by　this　conclave　on　new　books　were　speedily　known　over　all　London；　and　were　sufficient　to　sell　off　a　whole　edition　in　a　day；　or　to　condemn　the　sheets　to　the　service　of　the　trunk…maker　and　the　pastry…cook。　　Nor　shall　we　think　this　strange　when　we　consider　what　great　and　various　talents　and　acquirements　met　in　the　little　fraternity。　　Goldsmith　was　the　representative　of　poetry　and　light　literature；　Reynolds　of　the　arts；　Burke　of　political　eloquence　and　political　philosophy。　　There；　too；　were　Gibbon；　the　greatest　historian；　and　Jones；　the　greatest　linguist；　of　the　age。　　Garrick　brought　to　the　meetings　his　inexhaustible　pleasantry；　his　incomparable　mimicry；　and　his　consummate　knowledge　of　stage　effect。　　Among　the　most　constant　attendants　were　two　high…born　and　high…bred　gentlemen；　closely　bound　together　by　friendship；　but　of　widely　different　characters　and　habits；　Bennet　Langton；　distinguished　by　his　skill　in　Greek　literature；　by　the　orthodoxy　of　his　opinions；　and　by　the　sanctity　of　his　life；　and　Topham　Beauclerk；　renowned　for　his　amours；　his　knowledge　of　the　gay　world；　his　fastidious　taste；　and　his　sarcastic　wit。　　To　predominate　over　such　a　society　was　not　easy。　　Yet　even　over　such　a　society　Johnson　predominated。　　Burke　might　indeed　have　disputed　the　supremacy　to　which　others　were　under　the　necessity　of　submitting。　　But　Burke；　though　not　generally　a　very　patient　listener；　was　content　to　take　the　second　part　when　Johnson　was　present；　and　the　club　itself；　consisting　of　so　many　eminent　men；　is　to　this　day　popularly　designated　as　Johnson's　Club。　Among　the　members　of　this　celebrated　body　was　one　to　whom　it　has　owed　the　greater　part　of　its　celebrity；　yet　who　was　regarded　with　little　respect　by　his　brethren；　and　had　not　without　difficulty　obtained　a　seat　among　them。　　This　was　James　Boswell；　a　young　Scotch　lawyer；　heir　to　an　honourable　name　and　a　fair　estate。　　That　he　was　a　coxcomb　and　a　bore；　weak；　vain；　pushing；　curious；　garrulous；　was　obvious　to　all　who　were　acquainted　with　him。　　That　he　could　not　reason；　that　he　had　no　wit；　no　humour；　no　eloquence；　is　apparent　from　his　writings。　　And　yet　his　writings　are　read　beyond　the　Mississippi；　and　under　the　Southern　Cross；　and　are　likely　to　be　read　as　long　as　the　English　exists；　either　as　a　living　or　as　a　dead　language。　　Nature　had　made　him　a　slave　and　an　idolater。　　His　mind　resembles　those　creepers　which　the　botanists　call　parasites；　and　which　can　subsist　only　by　clinging　round　the　stems　and　imbibing　the　juices　of　stronger　plants。　　He　must　have　fastened　himself　on　somebody。　　He　might　have　fastened　himself　on　Wilkes；　and　have　become　the　fiercest　patriot　in　the　Bill　of　Rights　Society。　　He　might　have　fastened　himself　on　Whitfield；　and　have　become　the　loudest　field　preacher　among　the　Calvinistic　Methodists。　　In　a　happy　hour　he　fastened　himself　on　Johnson。　　The　pair　might　seem　ill　matched。　　For　Johnson　had　early　been　prejudiced　against　Boswell's　country。　　To　a　man　of　Johnson's　strong　understanding　and　irritable　temper；　the　silly　egotism　and　adulation　of　Boswell　must　have　been　as　teasing　as　the　constant　buzz　of　a　fly。　　Johnson　hated　to　be　questioned；　and　Boswell　was　eternally　catechising　him　on　all　kinds　of　subjects；　and　sometimes　propounded　such　questions　as　〃What　would　you　do；　sir；　if　you　were　locked　up　in　a　tower　with　a　baby？〃　　Johnson　was　a　water　drinker；　and　Boswell　was　a　wine…bibber；　and　indeed　little　better　than　a　habitual　sot。　　It　was　impossible　that　there　should　be　perfect　harmony　between　two　such　companions。　　Indeed；　the　great　man　was　sometimes　provoked　into　fits　of　passion　in　which　he　said　things　which　the　small　man；　during　a　few　hours；　seriously　resented。　　Every　quarrel；　however；　was　soon　made　up。　　During　twenty　years　the　disciple　continued　to　worship　the　master：　　the　master　continued　to　scold　the　disciple；　to　sneer　at　him；　and　to　love　him。　　The　two　friends　ordinarily　resided　at　a　great　distance　from　each　other。　　Boswell　practised　in　the　Parliament　House　of　Edinburgh；　and　could　pay　only　occasional　visits　to　London。　　During　those　visits　his　chief　business　was　to　watch　Johnson；　to　discover　all　Johnson's　habits；　to　turn　the　conversation　to　subjects　about　which　Johnson　was　likely　to　say　something　remarkable；　and　to　fill　quarto　note　books　with　minutes　of　what　Johnson　had　said。　　In　this　way　were　gathered　the　materials　out　of　which　was　afterwards　constructed　the　most　interesting　biographical　work　in　the　world。　Soon　after　the　club　began　to　exist；　Johnson　formed　a　connection　less　important　indeed　to　his　fame；　but　much　more　important　to　his　happiness；　than　his　connection　with　Boswell。　　Henry　Thrale；　one　of　the　most　opulent　brewers　in　the　kingdom；　a　man　of　sound　and　cultivated　understanding；　rigid　principles；　and　liberal　spirit；　was　married　to　one　of　those　clever；　kind…hearted；　engaging；　vain；　pert　young　women；　who　are　perpetually　doing　or　saying　what　is　not　exactly　right；　but　who；　do　or　say　what　they　may；　are　always　agreeable。　　In　1765　the　Thrales　became　acquainted　with　Johnson；　and　the　acquaintance　ripened　fast　into　friendship。　　They　were　astonished　and　delighted　by　the　brilliancy　of　his　conversation。　　They　were　flattered　by　finding　that　a　man　so　widely　celebrated；　preferred　their　house　to　any　other　in　London。　　Even　the　peculiarities　which　seemed　to　unfit　him　for　civilised　society；　his　gesticulations；　his　rollings；　his　puffings；　his　mutterings；　the　strange　way　in　which　he　put　on　his　clothes；　the　ravenous　eagerness　with　which　he　devoured　his　dinner；　his　fits　of　melancholy；　his　fits　of　anger；　his　frequent　rudeness；　his　occasional　ferocity；　increased　the　interest　which　his　new　associates　took　in　him。　　For　these　things　were　the　cruel　marks　left　behind　by　a　life　which　had　been　one　long　conflict　with　disease　and　with　adversity。　　In　a　vulgar　hack　writer　such　oddities　would　have　excited　only　disgust。　　But　in　a　man　of　genius；　learning；　and　virtue　their　effect　was　to　add　pity　to　admiration　and　esteem。　　Johnson　soon　had　an　apartment　at　the　brewery　in　Southwark；　and　a　still　more　pleasant　apartment　at　the　villa　of　his　friends　on　Streatham　Common。　　A　large　part　of　every　year　he　passed　in　those　abodes；　abodes　which　must　have　seemed　magnificent　and　luxurious　indeed；　when　compared　with　the　dens　in　which　he　had　generally　been　lodged。　　But　his　chief　pleasures　were　derived　from　what　the　astronomer　of　his　Abyssinian　tale　called　〃the　endearing　elegance　of　female　friendship。〃　　Mrs　Thrale　rallied　him；　soothed　him；　coaxed　him；　and；　if　she　sometimes　provoked　him　by　her　flippancy；　made　ample　amends　by　listening　to　his　reproofs　with　angelic　sweetness　of　temper。　　When　he　was　diseased　in　body　and　in　mind；　she　was　the　most　tender　of　nurses。　　No　comfort　that　wealth　could　purchase；　no　contrivance　that　womanly　ingenuity；　set　to　work　by　womanly　compassion；　could　devise；　was　wanting　to　his　sick…room。　　He　requited　her　kindness　by　an　affection　pure　as　the　affection　of　a　father；　yet　delicately　tinged　with　a　gallantry；　which；　though　awkward；　must　have　been　more　flattering　than　the　attentions　of　a　crowd　of　the　fools　who　gloried　in　the　names；　now　obsolete；　of　Buck　and　Maccaroni。　　It　should　seem　that　a　full　half　of　Johnson's　life；　during　about　sixteen　years；　was　passed　under　the　roof　of　the　Thrales。　　He　accompanied　the　family　sometimes　to　Bath；　and　sometimes　to　Brighton；　once　to　Wales；　and　once　to　Paris。　　But　he　had　at　the　same　time　a　house　in　one　of　the　narrow　and　gloomy　courts　on　the　north　of　Fleet　Street。　　In　the　garrets　was　his　library；　a　large　and　miscellaneous　collection　of　books；　falling　to　pieces　and　begrimed　w