anecdotes of the late samuel johnson-第28部分

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It　is　usual；　I　know　not　why；　when　a　character　is　given；　to　begin　with　a　description　of　the　person。　　That　which　contained　the　soul　of　Mr。　Johnson　deserves　to　be　particularly　described。　　His　stature　was　remarkably　high；　and　his　limbs　exceedingly　large。　　His　strength　was　more　than　common；　I　believe；　and　his　activity　had　been　greater；　I　have　heard；　than　such　a　form　gave　one　reason　to　expect。　　His　features　were　strongly　marked；　and　his　countenance　particularly　rugged；　though　the　original　complexion　had　certainly　been　fair；　a　circumstance　somewhat　unusual。　　His　sight　was　near；　and　otherwise　imperfect；　yet　his　eyes；　though　of　a　light　grey　colour；　were　so　wild；　so　piercing；　and　at　times　so　fierce；　that　fear　was；　I　believe；　the　first　emotion　in　the　hearts　of　all　his　beholders。　　His　mind　was　so　comprehensive；　that　no　language　but　that　he　used　could　have　expressed　its　contents；　and　so　ponderous　was　his　language；　that　sentiments　less　lofty　and　less　solid　than　his　were　would　have　been　encumbered；　not　adorned　by　it。

Mr。　Johnson　was　not　intentionally；　however；　a　pompous　converser；　and　though　he　was　accused　of　using　big　words；　as　they　are　called；　it　was　only　when　little　ones　would　not　express　his　meaning　as　clearly；　or　when；　perhaps；　the　elevation　of　the　thought　would　have　been　disgraced　by　a　dress　less　superb。　He　used　to　say；　〃that　the　size　of　a　man's　understanding　might　always　be　justly　measured　by　his　mirth；〃　and　his　own　was　never　contemptible。　　He　would　laugh　at　a　stroke　of　genuine　humour；　or　sudden　sally　of　odd　absurdity；　as　heartily　and　freely　as　I　ever　yet　saw　any　man；　and　though　the　jest　was　often　such　as　few　felt　besides　himself；　yet　his　laugh　was　irresistible；　and　was　observed　immediately　to　produce　that　of　the　company；　not　merely　from　the　notion　that　it　was　proper　to　laugh　when　he　did；　but　purely　out　of　want　of　power　to　forbear　it。　　He　was　no　enemy　to　splendour　of　apparel　or　pomp　of　equipage。　　〃Life；〃　he　would　say；　〃is　barren　enough　surely　with　all　her　trappings；　let　us　therefore　be　cautious　how　we　strip　her。〃　　In　matters　of　still　higher　moment　he　once　observed；　when　speaking　on　the　subject　of　sudden　innovation；　〃He　who　plants　a　forest　may　doubtless　cut

down　a　hedge；　yet　I　could　wish；　methinks；　that　even　he　would　wait　till　he　sees　his　young　plants　grow。〃

With　regard　to　common　occurrences；　Mr。　Johnson　had；　when　I　first　knew　him；　looked　on　the　still…shifting　scenes　of　life　till　he　was　weary；　for　as　a　mind　slow　in　its　own　nature；　or　unenlivened　by　information；　will　contentedly　read　in　the　same　book　for　twenty　times；　perhaps；　the　very　act　of　reading　it　being　more　than　half　the　business；　and　every　period　being　at　every　reading　better　understood；　while　a　mind　more　active　or　more　skilful　to　comprehend　its　meaning　is　made　sincerely　sick　at　the　second　perusal；　so　a　soul　like　his；　acute　to　discern　the　truth；　vigorous　to　embrace；　and　powerful　to　retain　it；　soon　sees　enough　of　the　world's　dull　prospect；　which　at　first；　like　that　of　the　sea；　pleases　by　its　extent；　but　soon；　like　that；　too；　fatigues　from　its　uniformity；　a　calm　and　a　storm　being　the　only　variations　that　the　nature　of　either　will　admit。

Of　Mr。　Johnson's　erudition　the　world　has　been　the　judge；　and　we　who　produce　each　a　score　of　his　sayings；　as　proofs　of　that　wit　which　in　him　was　inexhaustible；　resemble　travellers　who；　having　visited　Delhi　or　Golconda；　bring　home　each　a　handful　of　Oriental　pearl　to　evince　the　riches　of　the　Great　Mogul。　　May　the　public　condescend　to　accept　my　ILL…STRUNG　selection　with　patience　at　least；　remembering　only　that　they　are　relics　of　him　who　was　great　on　all　occasions；　and；　like　a　cube　in　architecture；　you　beheld　him　on　each　side；　and　his　size　still　appeared　undiminished。

As　his　purse　was　ever　open　to　almsgiving；　so　was　his　heart　tender　to　those　who　wanted　relief；　and　his　soul　susceptible　of　gratitude；　and　of　every　kind　impression：　　yet　though　he　had　refined　his　sensibility　he　had　not　endangered　his　quiet；　by　encouraging　in　himself　a　solicitude　about　trifles；　which　he　treated　with　the　contempt　they　deserve。

It　was　well　enough　known　before　these　sheets　were　published；　that　Mr。　Johnson　had　a　roughness　in　his　manner　which　subdued　the　saucy；　and　terrified　the　meek；　this　was；　when　I　knew　him；　the　prominent　part　of　a　character　which　few　durst　venture　to　approach　so　nearly；　and　which　was　for　that　reason　in　many　respects　grossly　and　frequently　mistaken；　and　it　was　perhaps　peculiar　to　him；　that　the　lofty　consciousness　of　his　own　superiority　which　animated　his　looks；　and　raised　his　voice　in　conversation；　cast　likewise　an　impenetrable　veil　over　him　when　he　said　nothing。　　His　talk；　therefore；　had　commonly　the　complexion　of　arrogance；　his　silence　of　superciliousness。　　He　was；　however；　seldom　inclined　to　be　silent　when　any　moral　or　literary　question　was　started；　and　it　was　on　such　occasions　that；　like　the　sage　in　〃Rasselas；〃　he　spoke；　and　attention　watched　his　lips；　he　reasoned；　and　conviction　closed　his　periods；　if　poetry　was　talked　of；　his　quotations　were　the　readiest；　and　had　he　not　been　eminent　for　more　solid　and　brilliant　qualities；　mankind　would　have　united　to　extol　his　extraordinary　memory。　　His　manner　of　repeating　deserves　to　be　described；　though　at　the　same　time　it　defeats　all　power　of　description；　but　whoever　once　heard　him　repeat　an　ode　of　Horace　would　be　long　before　they　could　endure　to　hear　it　repeated　by　another。

His　equity　in　giving　the　character　of　living　acquaintance　ought　not　undoubtedly　to　be　omitted　in　his　own；　whence　partiality　and　prejudice　were　totally　excluded；　and　truth　alone　presided　in　his　tongue；　a　steadiness　of　conduct　the　more　to　be　commended；　as　no　man　had　stronger　likings　or　aversions。　　His　veracity　was；　indeed；　from　the　most　trivial　to　the　most　solemn　occasions；　strict；　even　to　severity；　he　scorned　to　embellish　a　story　with　fictitious　circumstances；　which；　he　used　to　say；　took　off　from　its　real　value。　　〃A　story；〃　says　Johnson；　〃should　be　a　specimen　of　life　and　manners；　but　if　the　surrounding　circumstances　are　false；　as　it　is　no　more　a　representation　of　reality；　it　is　no　longer　worthy　our　attention。〃

For　the　restthat　beneficence　which　during　his　life　increased　the　comforts　of　so　many　may　after　his　death　be；　perhaps；　ungratefully　forgotten；　but　that　piety　which　dictated　the　serious　papers　in　the　〃Rambler〃　will　be　for　ever　remembered；　for　ever；　I　think；　revered。　　That　ample　repository　of　religious　truth；　moral　wisdom；　and　accurate　criticism；　breathes；　indeed；　the　genuine　emanations　of　its　great　author's　mind；　expressed；　too；　in　a　style　so　natural　to　him；　and　so　much　like　his　common　mode　of　conversing；　that　I　was　myself　but　little　astonished　when　he　told　me　that　he　had　scarcely　read　over　one　of　those　inimitable　essays　before　they　went　to　the　press。

I　will　add　one　or　two　peculiarities　more　before　I　lay　down　my　pen。　　Though　at　an　immeasurable　distance　from　content　in　the　contemplation　of　his　own　uncouth　form　and　figure；　he　did　not　like　another　man　much　the　less　for　being　a　coxcomb。　　I　mentioned　two　friends　who　were　particularly　fond　of　looking　at　themselves　in　a　glass。　　〃They　do　not　surprise　me　at　all　by　so　doing；〃　said　Johnson；　〃they　see；　reflected　in　that　glass；　men　who　have　risen　from　almost　the　lowest　situations　in　life；　one　to　enormous　riches；　the　other　to　everything　this　world　can　giverank；　fame；　and　fortune。　　They　see；　likewise；　men　who　have　merited　their　advancement　by　the　exertion　and　improvement　of　those　talents　which　God　had　given　them；　and　I　see　not　why　they　should　avoid　the　mirror。〃

The　other　singularity　I　promised　to　record　is　this：　　That　though　a　man　of　obscure　birth　himself；　his　partiality　to　people　of　family　was　visible　on　every　occasion；　his　zeal　for　subordination　warm　even　to　bigotry；　his　hatred　to　innovation；　and　reverence　for　the　old　feudal　times；　apparent；　whenever　any　possible　manner　of　showing　them　occurred。　　I　have　spoken　of　his　piety；　his　charity；　and　his　truth；　the　enlargement　of　his　heart；　and　the　delicacy　of　his　sentiments；　and　when　I　search　for　shadow　to　my　portrait；　none　can　I　find　but　what　was　formed　by　pride；　differently　modified　as　different　occasions　showed　it；　yet　never　was　pride　so　purified　as　Johnson's；　at　once　from　meanness　and　from　vanity。　　The　mind　of　this　man　was；　indeed；　expanded　beyond　the　common　limits　of　human　nature；　and　stored　with　such　variety　of　knowledge；　that　I　used　to　think　it　resembled　a　royal　pleasure　ground；　where　every　plant；　of　every　name　and　nation；　flourished　in　the　full　perfection　of　their　powers；　and　where；　though　lofty　woods　and　falling　cataracts　first　caught　the　eye；　and　fixed　the　earliest　attention　of　beholders；　yet　neither　the　trim　parterre　nor　the　pleasing　shrubbery；　nor　even　the　antiquated　evergreens；　were　denied　a　place　in　some　fit　corner　of　the　happy　valley。




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