man of exemplary piety. I hold you, as Hamlet has it, 'in my heart of hearts,' and therefore, it is little to say, that I am, Sir, your affectionate humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "London, Aug. 30, 1775. "SIR, "If in these papers there is little alteration attempted, do not suppose me negligent. I have read them perhaps more closely than the rest; but I find nothing worthy of an objection. Write to me soon, and write often, and tell me all your honest heart. I am, Sir, yours affectionately, "SAM. JOHNSON." TO THE SAME. 66 Sept. 14, 1775. "MY DEAR SIR, "I now write to you, lest in some of your freaks and humours you should fancy yourself neglected. Such fancies I must entreat you never to admit, at least never to indulge; for my regard for you is so radicated and fixed, that it is become part of my mind, and cannot be effaced but by some cause uncommonly violent; therefore, whether I write or not, set your thoughts at rest. I now write to tell you that I shall not very soon write again, for I am to set out to-morrow on another journey. Your friends are all well at Streatham, and in Leicester Fields.2 Make my compliments to Mrs. Boswell, if she is in good humour with me. I am, Sir, &c., "SAM. JOHNSON." What he mentions in such light terms as, "I am to set out to-morrow on another journey," I soon afterwards discovered was no less than a tour to France with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale. This was the only time in his life that he went upon the Continent. Another parcel of Lord Hailes's Annals of Scotland. 2 Where Sir Joshua Reynolds lived. "DEAR SIR, TO MR. ROBERT LEVETT. "Calais, Sept. 18, 1775. "We are here in France, after a very pleasing passage of no more than six hours. I know not when I shall write again, and therefore I write now, though you cannot suppose that I have much to say. You have seen France yourself. From this place we are going to Rouen, and from Rouen to Paris, where Mr. Thrale designs to stay about five or six weeks. We have a regular recommendation to the English resident, so we shall not be taken for vagabonds. We think to go one way and return another, and see as much as we can. I will try to speak a little French; I tried hitherto but little, but I spoke sometimes. If I heard better, I suppose I should learn faster. I am, Sir, your humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON." TO THE SAME. "Paris, Oct. 22, 1775. us. "DEAR SIR, "We are still here, commonly very busy in looking about We have been to-day at Versailles. You have seen it, and I shall not describe it. We came yesterday from Fontainbleau, where the court is now. We went to see the king and queen at dinner, and the queen was so impressed by Miss,' that she sent one of the gentlemen to inquire who she was. I find all true that you have ever told me of Paris. Mr. Thrale is very liberal, and keeps us two coaches, and a very fine table; but I think our cookery very bad. Mrs. Thrale got into a convent of English nuns, and I talked with her through the grate, and I am very kindly used by the English Benedictine friars. But upon the whole I cannot make much acquaintance here; and though the churches, palaces, and some private houses are very magnificent, there is no very great pleasure after having seen many, in seeing more; at least the pleasure, whatever it be, must some 1 Miss Thrale. time have an end, and we are beginning to think when we shall come home. Mr. Thrale calculates that as we left Streatham on the 15th of September, we shall see it again about the 15th of November. "I think I had not been on this side of the sea five days before I found a sensible improvement in my health. I ran a race in the rain this day, and beat Baretti. Baretti is a fine fellow, and speaks French, I think, quite as well as English. "Make my compliments to Mrs. Williams; and give my love to Francis; and tell my friends that I am not lost. I am, dear Sir, your affectionate humble, &c., "SAM. JOHNSON." TO DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON. "MY DEAR SIR, Edinburgh, Oct. 24, 1775. "If I had not been informed that you were at Paris, you should have had a letter from me by the earliest opportunity, announcing the birth of my son, on the 9th instant; I have named him Alexander,' after my father. I now write, as I suppose your fellow-traveller, Mr. Thrale, will return to London this week, to attend his duty in parliament, and that you will not stay behind him. "I send another parcel of Lord Hailes's 'Annals.' I have undertaken to solicit you for a favour to him, which he thus requests in a letter to me: 'I intend soon to give you the Life of Robert Bruce, which you will be pleased to transmit to Dr. Johnson. I wish that you could assist me in a fancy which I have taken, of getting Dr. Johnson to draw a character of Robert Bruce, from the account that I give of that prince. If he finds materials for it in my work, it will be a proof that I have been fortunate in selecting the most striking incidents.' 1 I had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He was a high-spirited, clever, and amiable gentleman; and, like his father, of a frank and social disposition, and high tory principles; but it is said that he did not relish the recollections of our author's devotion to Dr. Johnson: and, like old Lord Auchinleck, seemed to think it a kind of derogation. He was created a Baronet in 1821. He left issue a son and two daughters, one of whom, Lady Elliot of Stobbs, I had the pleasure of also knowing. -Croker. "I suppose by The Life of Robert Bruce,' his Lordship means that part of his 'Annals' which relates the history of that prince, and not a separate work. “Shall we have 'A Journey to Paris' from you in the winter? You will, I hope, at any rate, be kind enongh to give me some account of your French travels very soon, for I am very impatient. What a different scene have you viewed this autumn, from that which you viewed in autumn 1773! I ever am, my dear Sir, your much obliged and affectionate humble servant, "JAMES BOSWELL." "DEAR SIR, TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ. "London, Nov. 16, 1775. "I am glad that the young laird is born, and an end, as I hope, put to the only difference that you can ever have with Mrs. Boswell.' I know that she does not love me; but I intend to persist in wishing her well till I get the better of her. "Paris is, indeed, a place very different from the Hebrides, but it is to a hasty traveller not so fertile of novelty, nor affords so many opportunities of remark. I cannot pretend to tell the public anything of a place better known to many of my readers than to myself. We can talk of it when we meet. "I shall go next week to Streatham, from whence I purpose to send a parcel of the History' every post. Concerning the character of Bruce, I can only say, that I do not see any great reason for writing it; but I shall not easily deny what Lord Hailes and you concur in desiring. "I have been remarkably healthy all the journey, and hope you and your family have known only that trouble and danger which has so happily terminated. Among all the congratulations that you may receive, I hope you believe none more warm or sincere than those of, dear Sir, your most affectionate, "SAM. JOHNSON." 1 This alludes to my old feudal principle of preferring male to female succession. TO MRS. LUCY PORTER,' in Lichfield. "DEAR MADAM, "This week I came home from Paris. "Nov. 16, 1775. I have brought you a little box, which I thought pretty; but I know not whether it is properly a snuff-box, or a box for some other use. I will send it, when I can find an opportunity. I have been through the whole journey remarkably well. My fellow-travellers were the same whom you saw at Lichfield, only we took Baretti with us. Paris is not so fine a place as you would expect. The palaces and churches, however, are very splendid and magnificent ; and what would please you, there are many very fine pictures; but I do not think their way of life commodious or pleasant. "Let me know how your health has been all this while. I hope the fine summer has given you strength sufficient to encounter the winter. "Make my compliments to all my friends; and, if your fingers will let you, write to me, or let your maid write, if it be troublesome to you. I am, dear Madam, your most affectionate humble servant, "SAM. JOHNSON," "DEAR MADAM, TO THE SAME. "Dec. 17, 1775. "Some weeks ago I wrote to you, to tell you that I was just come home from a ramble, and hoped that I should have heard from you. I am afraid winter has laid hold on your fingers, and hinders you from writing. However, let somebody write, if you cannot, and tell me how you do, and a little of what I There can be no doubt that mamy years previous to 1775, he corresponded with this lady, who was his stepdaughter, but none of his earlier letters to her have been preserved. Several of his letters to this lady, both before and after 1775, which were recovered by Malone and Croker, will be found in various places in this edition.-Editor. |