anecdotes of the late samuel johnson-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


eye　was　perfectly　useless　to　him；　that　defect；　however；　was　not　observable；　the　eyes　looked　both　alike。　　As　Mr。　Johnson　had　an　astonishing　memory；　I　asked　him　if　he　could　remember　Queen　Anne　at　all？　　〃He　had；〃　he　said；　〃a　confused；　but　somehow　a　sort　of　solemn；　recollection　of　a　lady　in　diamonds；　and　a　long　black　hood。〃

The　christening　of　his　brother　he　remembered　with　all　its　circumstances；　and　said　his　mother　taught　him　to　spell　and　pronounce　the　words　'little　Natty；'　syllable　by　syllable；　making　him　say　it　over　in　the　evening　to　her　husband　and　his　guests。　　The　trick　which　most　parents　play　with　their　children；　that　of　showing　off　their　newly…acquired　accomplishments；　disgusted　Mr。　Johnson　beyond　expression。　　He　had　been　treated　so　himself；　he　said；　till　he　absolutely　loathed　his　father's　caresses；　because　he　knew　they　were　sure　to　precede　some　unpleasing　display　of　his　early　abilities；　and　he　used；　when　neighbours　came　o'　visiting；　to　run　up　a　tree　that　he　might　not　be　found　and　exhibited；　such；　as　no　doubt　he　was；　a　prodigy　of　early　understanding。　　His　epitaph　upon　the　duck　he　killed　by　treading　on　it　at　five　years　old

　　　　〃Here　lies　poor　duck　　　　　　　　　That　Samuel　Johnson　trod　on；　　　　　　If　it　had　liv'd　it　had　been　good　luck；　　　　　　　　　For　it　would　have　been　an　odd　one〃

is　a　striking　example　of　early　expansion　of　mind　and　knowledge　of　language；　yet　he　always　seemed　more　mortified　at　the　recollection　of　the　bustle　his　parents　made　with　his　wit　than　pleased　with　the　thoughts　of　possessing　it。　〃That；〃　said　he　to　me　one　day；　〃is　the　great　misery　of　late　marriages；　the　unhappy　produce　of　them　becomes　the　plaything　of　dotage。　　An　old　man's　child；〃　continued　he；　〃leads　much　such　a　life。　　I　think；　as　a　little　boy's　dog；　teased　with　awkward　fondness；　and　forced；　perhaps；　to　sit　up　and　beg；　as　we　call　it；　to　divert　a　company；　who　at　last　go　away　complaining　of　their　disagreeable　entertainment。〃　　In　consequence　of　these　maxims；　and　full　of　indignation　against　such　parents　as　delight　to　produce　their　young　ones　early　into　the　talking　world；　I　have　known　Mr。　Johnson　give　a　good　deal　of　pain　by　refusing　to　hear　the　verses　the　children　could　recite；　or　the　songs　they　could　sing；　particularly　one　friend　who　told　him　that　his　two　sons　should　repeat　Gray's　〃Elegy〃　to　him　alternately；　that　he　might　judge　who　had　the　happiest　cadence。　　〃No；　pray；　sir；〃　said　he；　〃let　the　dears　both　speak　it　at　once；　more　noise　will　by　that　means　be　made；　and　the　noise　will　be　sooner　over。〃　　He　told　me　the　story　himself；　but　I　have　forgot　who　the　father　was。

Mr。　Johnson's　mother　was　daughter　to　a　gentleman　in　the　country；　such　as　there　were　many　of　in　those　days；　who　possessing；　perhaps；　one　or　two　hundred　pounds　a　year　in　land；　lived　on　the　profits；　and　sought　not　to　increase　their　income。　　She　was；　therefore；　inclined　to　think　higher　of　herself　than　of　her　husband；　whose　conduct　in　money　matters　being　but　indifferent；　she　had　a　trick　of　teasing　him　about　it；　and　was；　by　her　son's　account；　very　importunate　with　regard　to　her　fears　of　spending　more　than　they　could　afford；　though　she　never　arrived　at　knowing　how　much　that　was；　a　fault　common；　as　he　said；　to　most　women　who　pride　themselves　on　their　economy。　　They　did　not；　however；　as　I　could　understand；　live　ill　together　on　the　whole。　　〃My　father；〃　says　he；　〃could　always　take　his　horse　and　ride　away　for　orders　when　things　went　badly。〃　　The　lady's　maiden　name　was　Ford；　and　the　parson　who　sits　next　to　the　punch…bowl　in　Hogarth's　〃Modern　Midnight　Conversation〃　was　her　brother's　son。　　This　Ford　was　a　man　who　chose　to　be　eminent　only　for　vice；　with　talents　that　might　have　made　him　conspicuous　in　literature；　and　respectable　in　any　profession　he　could　have　chosen。　　His　cousin　has　mentioned　him　in　the　lives　of　Fenton　and　of　Broome；　and　when　he　spoke　of　him　to　me　it　was　always　with　tenderness；　praising　his　acquaintance　with　life　and　manners；　and　recollecting　one　piece　of　advice　that　no　man　surely　ever　followed　more　exactly：　　〃Obtain；〃　says　Ford；　〃some　general　principles　of　every　science；　he　who　can　talk　only　on　one　subject；　or　act　only　in　one　department；　is　seldom　wanted；　and　perhaps　never　wished　for；　while　the　man　of　general　knowledge　can　often　benefit；　and　always　please。〃　　He　used　to　relate；　however；　another　story　less　to　the　credit　of　his　cousin's　penetration；　how　Ford　on　some　occasion　said　to　him；　〃You　will　make　your　way　the　more　easily　in　the　world；　I　see；　as　you　are　contented　to　dispute　no　man's　claim　to　conversation　excellence；　they　will；　therefore；　more　willingly　allow　your　pretensions　as　a　writer。〃　　Can　one；　on　such　an　occasion；　forbear　recollecting　the　predictions　of　Boileau's　father；　when　stroking　the　head　of　the　young　satirist？〃Ce　petit　bon　homme；〃　says　he；　〃n'a　point　trop　d'esprit；　MAIS　IL　ne　dira　jamais　mal　de　personne。〃　　Such　are　the　prognostics　formed　by　men　of　wit　and　sense；　as　these　two　certainly　were；　concerning　the　future　character　and　conduct　of　those　for　whose　welfare　they　were　honestly　and　deeply　concerned；　and　so　late　do　those　features　of　peculiarity　come　to　their　growth；　which　mark　a　character　to　all　succeeding　generations。

Dr。　Johnson　first　learned　to　read　of　his　mother　and　her　old　maid　Catharine；　in　whose　lap　he　well　remembered　sitting　while　she　explained　to　him　the　story　of　St。　George　and　the　Dragon。　　I　know　not　whether　this　is　the　proper　place　to　add　that　such　was　his　tenderness；　and　such　his　gratitude；　that　he　took　a　journey　to　Lichfield　fifty…seven　years　afterwards　to　support　and　comfort　her　in　her　last　illness；　he　had　inquired　for　his　nurse；　and　she　was　dead。　　The　recollection　of　such　reading　as　had　delighted　him　in　his　infancy　made　him　always　persist　in　fancying　that　it　was　the　only　reading　which　could　please　an　infant；　and　he　used　to　condemn　me　for　putting　Newbery's　books　into　their　hands　as　too　trifling　to　engage　their　attention。　　〃Babies　do　not　want；〃　said　he；　〃to　hear　about　babies；　they　like　to　be　told　of　giants　and　castles；　and　of　somewhat　which　can　stretch　and　stimulate　their　little　minds。〃　　When　in　answer　I　would　urge　the　numerous　editions　and　quick　sale　of　〃Tommy　Prudent〃　or　〃Goody　Two…Shoes。〃　　〃Remember　always；〃　said　he；　〃that　the　parents　BUY　the　books；　and　that　the　children　never　read　them。〃　Mrs。　Barbauld；　however；　had　his　best　praise；　and　deserved　it；　no　man　was　more　struck　than　Mr。　Johnson　with　voluntary　descent　from　possible　splendour　to　painful　duty。

At　eight　years　old　he　went　to　school；　for　his　health　would　not　permit　him　to　be　sent　sooner；　and　at　the　age　of　ten　years　his　mind　was　disturbed　by　scruples　of　infidelity；　which　preyed　upon　his　spirits　and　made　him　very　uneasy；　the　more　so　as　he　revealed　his　uneasiness　to　no　one；　being　naturally；　as　he　said；　〃of　a　sullen　temper　and　reserved　disposition。〃　　He　searched；　however；　diligently　but　fruitlessly；　for　evidences　of　the　truth　of　revelation；　and　at　length；　recollecting　a　book　he　had　once　seen　in　his　father's　shop；　entitled　〃De　Veritate　Religionis；〃　etc。；　he　began　to　think　himself　highly　culpable　for　neglecting　such　a　means　of　information；　and　took　himself　severely　to　task　for　this　sin；　adding　many　acts　of　voluntary；　and　to　others　unknown；　penance。　　The　first　opportunity　which　offered；　of　course；　he　seized　the　book　with　avidity；　but　on　examination；　not　finding　himself　scholar　enough　to　peruse　its　contents；　set　his　heart　at　rest；　and；　not　thinking　to　inquire　whether　there　were　any　English　books　written　on　the　subject；　followed　his　usual　amusements；　and　considered　his　conscience　as　lightened　of　a　crime。　　He　redoubled　his　diligence　to　learn　the　language　that　contained　the　information　he　most　wished　for；　but　from　the　pain　which　guilt　had　given　him　he　now　began　to　deduce　the　soul's　immortality；　which　was　the　point　that　belief　first　stopped　at；　and　from　that　moment；　resolving　to　be　a　Christian；　became　one　of　the　most　zealous　and　pious　ones　our　nation　ever　produced。　　When　he　had　told　me　this　odd　anecdote　of　his　childhood；　〃I　cannot　imagine；〃　said　he；　〃what　makes　me　talk　of　myself　to　you　so；　for　I　really　never　mentioned　this　foolish　story　to　anybody　except　Dr。　Taylor；　not　even　to　my　DEAR；　DEAR　Bathurst；　whom　I　loved　better　than　ever　I　loved　any　human　creature；　but　poor　Bathurst　is　dead！〃　　Here　a　long　pause　and　a　few　tears　ensued。