III. MACAULAY ON JOHNSON.

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MACAULAY wrote two articles on Samuel Johnson, twenty-five years apart, and very different in character. The first appeared in the Edinburgh Review in September, 1831, as a review of J. W. Croker's edition of Boswell's Life of Johnson." Croker1 was one of Macaulay's political opponents in the House of Commons, twenty years his senior, and a bitter personal enemy. He had ability, was

Secretary to the Admiralty, and an enthusiatic student of history and literature; but he was an unamiable man, and in one of his speeches had spoken of Macaulay's orations as "vague generalities handled with that brilliant imagination which tickles the ear and amuses the fancy without satisfying the reason." The purpose and temper of Macaulay's review of Croker's edition of "Boswell," may be best learned from several passages in Macaulay's letters. Three months before Croker's book appeared, Macaulay wrote to the editor of the Edinburgh Review, "I will certainly review Croker's Boswell when it comes out." One week after the book was published he wrote to his sister: "I am to review Croker's edition of Bozzy. It is wretchedly ill done. The notes are poorly written and shamefully inaccurate." A few weeks later, after making an extemporaneous speech in the House of Commons, he wrote: “I ought to tell you that Peel was very civil, and cheered me loudly; and that impudent, leering Croker congratulated the House on the proof which I had given of my readiness. . See whether I do not dust that varlet's jacket for him in the next number of the Blue and Yellow.2 I detest him more than cold boiled veal."

'See Mr. Miller's edition of Southey's Life of Nelson, in this series, p. xxi., and Southey's dedication, p. 3.

2 The cover of the Edinburgh Review was dark blue, with a yellow back.

On October 17, 1831, after his article appeared, he wrote: 66 Croker looks across the House of Commons at me with a leer of hatred which I repay with a gracious smile of pity."

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It is evident that a review inspired by this personal quarrel can have little permanent interest, and the first forty paragraphs of the essay on "Boswell's Life of Johnson" are omitted in the present volume. They treat only of Croker's edition of Boswell's celebrated book, and smack strongly of personal animosity. In them the reviewer dwells at length and with relish on certain errors in Croker's dates and genealogies, ascribing to them an exaggerated importance, and exposing them in a way to humiliate Croker and make him out a dunce. He says Croker's book is " as bad as bad could be; " maintains that the notes absolutely swarm with misstatements; comments in detail on the monstrous blunders and scandalous inaccuracy; " and declares Croker to be "entitled to no confidence whatever." Macaulay's criticism is founded on fact, but it is unjust in tone and emphasis A more just, though still an unfavorable, review of Croker's "Boswell will be found in Carlyle's Essay on the same subject. The rest of Macaulay's "Essay on Boswell's Johnson," reprinted in this volume, consists of two parts. The The first treats at length of the character of Boswell, the second discusses Doctor Johnson himself. These parts of the "Essay" are marked by all the vigor and vivacity of Macaulay's early style. The eccentricities of both Boswell and Johnson are set forth with unexampled clearness and power; but combined with these brilliant qualities of style is a tendency to exaggeration, a lack of insight into character, and a superficial treatment of difficult problems, which make the "Essay" unjust to both Johnson and his satellite. atellite.

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The second of Macaulay's articles on Johnson, and by far the best, is the "Life of Samuel Johnson," written in

1856 for the "Encyclopædia Britannica," and retained in the present edition of that standard work. In this "Life," written when his style was matured and when his resources were in all their fulness, we have Macaulay at his very best. The tone is moderate, the language is chaste, and though there is little appreciation of Johnson's inner character, the external husk of the man is delineated in a masterly way.

SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHERS AND

STUDENTS

MACAULAY'S "Life of Johnson" is a sketch of the central literary figure of the eighteenth century, by one of the most accomplished literary artists of the nineteenth; both its subject-matter and its form, therefore, demand the careful attention of the student of English literature. Persons of disciplined mind and trained judgment may study both at once, but young students, with whom all reading is more or less difficult, cannot well attend to more than one thing at a time. If they are required to spend their little store of mental energy on unfamiliar words, historical and literary allusions, and still to follow the progress of the author's thought, observe his plan, and note the details of his diction, they are almost sure to do nothing well, and, even worse than that, to grow weary of literary study —a sorry outcome of a course of training the object of which is to foster love for good reading. That all things may be done well, it seems best to do one thing at a time; the notes in this volume have therefore been separated into two groups: Explanatory Notes, for use in the student's first reading, and a Critical Note, for use in later readings. The following suggestions are offered to those who may have no better plan of their own.

I. The first step in the study of such a piece of writing as Macaulay's "Life of Samuel Johnson," is to make the acquaintance of the author. This can most satisfactorily be done from one or more of the biographies of Macaulay

mentioned below, and teachers who have time and opportunity will do well to require as supplementary reading either Trevelyan's "Life and Letters," or Mr. Morrison's brief ،، Life." When this is not practicable, at least as much of Macaulay's life and work as is contained in the Introduction to the present volume should be mastered by the student before he takes up the "Life of Johnson." At least one recitation period may well be used in an examination, oral or written, on the chief points in Macaulay's life, and the general merits and faults which his writing may be expected to disclose.

II. When the student has made the acquaintance of Macaulay, he is ready to begin the "Life of Johnson." Here, obviously, the first thing to do is to read the text so as to understand it; for clear understanding must come before critical appreciation. During this first reading, immature students should not be bothered with literary criticism beyond what their own taste or judgment may suggest to them. They should be left alone with Macaulay's style, just as Agassiz used to leave his pupils alone with the bit of nature which they were studying, and for much the same reason; namely, that their own critical faculties may have room for development. In order that their time may not be dissipated, and they themselves wearied and disheartened by laborious and often fruitless searches after the meaning of allusions and names the relative importance of which they do not know, a certain amount of assistance in following Macaulay's numerous references to history and literature is given in the Explanatory Notes. Macaulay wrote primarily, not for school-boys, but for readers of mature culture; and the average student in secondary schools, even after he has received the help of the Explanatory Notes, which treat only of historical and literary allusions, will find enough of difficulty remaining to occupy his time, train his own thinking faculties,