SIR, TO THE REV. JAMES COMPTON '. Your business, I suppose, is in a way of as easy progress as such business ever has. It is seldom that event keeps pace with expectation. The scheme of your book I cannot say that I fully comprehend. I would not have you ask less than an hundred guineas, for it seems a large octavo. Go to Mr. Davies in Russel Street 2, shew him this letter, and shew him the book if he desires to see it. He will tell you what hopes you may form, and to what Bookseller you should apply. If you succeed in selling your book, you may do better than by dedicating it to me. You may perhaps obtain permission to dedicate it to the Bishop of London, or to Dr. Vyse 3, and make way by your book to more advantage than I can procure you. Please to tell Mrs. Williams that I grow better, and that I wish to know how she goes on. You, Sir, may write for her to, Sir, Oct. 24, 1782. Your most humble Servant, SAM: JOHNSON. To the Reverend Mr. Compton. To be sent to Mrs. Williams. DEAR MADAM, TO MISS REYNOLDS". Instead of having me at your table, which cannot, I fear, I From the facsimile in Scribner's Magazine, September, 1894, p. 344; published also in Underbrush by James T. Fields, Boston, 5th ed., p. 17. Mr. Fields found this letter in a copy of Rasselas purchased at a second-hand bookshop. For an account of Compton, whom Johnson had known in Paris as a Benedictine monk, see Letters, ii. 271, 290. His book, it seems, was never published. There is no mention of it in the Catalogue of the British Museum, or of him in the Dictionary of National Biography. 2 Ante, i. 427; ii. 61. 3 Rector of Lambeth. Letters, ii. 14. 4 From the original in the possession of Messrs. J. Pearson & Co., 5 Pall Mall Place, London. quickly quickly happen, come, if you can, to dine this day with me. It will give pleasure to a sick friend'. I am very much displeased with myself for my negligence on Monday. I had totally forgotten my engagement to you and Mr., for which I desire you to make my apologies to Mr. ——————, and tell him that if he will give me leave to repay his visit, I will take the first opportunity of waiting on him. You are accustomed to consider Advertisements, and to observe what stile has most effect upon the Publick. I shall Johnson wrote to Sastres on August 21, 1784:—‘I am glad that a letter has at last reached you; what became of the two former, which were directed to Mortimer instead of Margaret-street, I have no means of knowing.' Ib. ii. 414. 5 From the European Magazine for September, 1798, p. 163. think it a favour if you will be pleased to take the trouble of digging twelve lines of common sense out of this strange scribble, and insert it three times in The Daily Advertiser, at the expence of, Oct. 9. Please to return me the paper. Sir, Your humble servant, SAM: JOHNSON. TO MISS REYNOLDS, Enclosing a letter to be sent in her name to Sir Joshua Reynolds'. DEAR BROTHER, [Undated.] I know that complainers are never welcome yet you must allow me to complain of your unkindness, because it lies heavy • From the original in the possession of Lady Colomb. Miss Reynolds for many years kept house for her brother. Northcote, in 1771, writing to his brother during Reynolds's absence from home, says:-' He never writes to her, and, between ourselves, I believe but seldom converses as we used to do in our family. I found she knew nothing of his having invited me to be his scholar and live in the house till I told her of it. She has the command of the household and the servants as much as he has.' He knew that Johnson had written a letter in her name, which, he said, must have been detected from the diction. It began :-'I am well aware that complaints are always odious, but complain I must.' As it is unlikely that Johnson wrote two letters Northcote's memory was too weak or his imagination too strong to give a correct report. Her character was the opposite of her brother's. Mme. D'Arblay describes her as 'living in an habitual perplexity of mind and irresolution of conduct, which to herself was restlessly tormenting, and to all around her was teasingly wearisome.' She describes her excessive oddness and absurdity.' After leaving her brother's house she returned to Devonshire. 'In a rough draft of one of her letters she says:-"The height of my desire is to be able to spend a few months in the year near the arts and sciences, but if you think that it will rather bring my character in question, for my brother to be in London, and I not at his house, I will content myself with residing at Windsor." In the end she lodged with Hoole, the translator of Ariosto. Northcote's Reynolds, i. 203; Taylor's Reynolds, i. 91, 416; Mme. D'Arblay's Diary, ii. 219. Reynolds seems to have had but little sympathy with his sisters. Lady Colomb has the original of the following letter written to him by one of them : 'Thy soul is a shocking spectacle of poverty. When thy outside is, as at at my heart and because I am not conscious that I ever deserved it. I have not perhaps been always careful enough to please but you can charge me, and I can charge myself with no offence which a Brother may not forgive. If you ask me what I suffer from you, I can answer that I suffer too much in the loss of your notice; but to that is added the neglect of the world which is the consequence of yours. If you ask what will satisfy me, I shall be satisfied with such a degree of attention when I visit you, as may set me above the contempt of your servants, with your calling now and then at my lodgings and with your inviting me from time to time with such parties as I may properly appear in. This is not much for a sister who has at least done you no harm, and this I hope you will promise by your answer to this letter; for a refusal will give me more pain than you can desire or intend to inflict. DEAR MADAM, I am, &c. This is my letter, which at least I like better than yours. But take your choice, and if you like mine alter any thing that you think not ladylike. I shall call at about one. SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS TO MISS REYNOLDS'. DEAR SISTER, Richmond 2. I am very much obliged to you for your kind and generous thy inside now is, as I told thee ten From thy best friend Nov. 8th, 1776.' She declined his offer to receive into his house one of her sons 'who had shown some talent in drawing.' Taylor's Reynolds, i. 461. From the original in the possession of Lady Colomb. This letter is endorsed by Miss Reynolds:-'I believe in '81.' 2 On Aug. 25, 1780, Johnson wrote to Mrs. Thrale :-'I have not dined out for some time but with Renny [Miss Reynolds] or Sir Joshua; and next week Sir Joshua goes to Devonshire, and Renny to Richmond, and I am left by myself.' Letters, ii. 201. Sir Joshua's house is delightfully situated, almost at the top of Richmond Hill.' Mme. D'Arblay's Diary, ii. 143. offer offer in regard to the house at Richmond, not only in giving me leave to use it occasionally but even as long as I live, provided I will give it to you, but as I have no such thought at present I can only thank you for your kindness. Tho I am much older than you I hope I am not yet arrived to dotage as you seem to think I am, voluntarily to put myself in the situation of receiving the favour of living in my own house instead of conferring the favour of letting you live in it. I am your most affectionate Brother, I have enclosed a Bank Bill of ten Pounds 1. FROM JAMES BOSWELL TO SIR JOSHUA Reynolds 2. MY DEAR SIR, Edinburgh, 6 February, 1784. 4 I long exceedingly to hear from you. Sir William Forbes 3 brought me good accounts of you, and Mr. Temple * sent me very pleasing intelligence concerning the fair Palmeria 5. or two from yourself is the next thing to seeing you. But a line My anxiety about Dr. Johnson is truly great. I had a letter from him within these six weeks, written with his usual acuteness and vigour of mind. But he complained sadly of the state of his health; and I have been informed since, that he is worse. I intend to be in London next month, chiefly to attend upon him with respectful affection. But in the mean time, it will be a great favour done me, if you who know him so well, will be kind enough to let me know particularly how he is. ''In a rough draft of one of her letters she adverts to the income allowed her by her brother, as sufficient to keep her within the sphere of gentility, "without pecuniary schemes to raise it higher." He left her £2,500 in the Funds for life; to his niece Mrs. Gwatkin he left four times as much absolutely, while Miss Palmer inherited nearly £100,000. Taylor's Reynolds, i. 92; ii. 635. 2 From the original in the possession of Lady Colomb. 3 Ante, ii. 195; Life, v. 24. The grandfather of the Archbishop of Canterbury. Life, i. 436. 5 Probably Sir Joshua's niece Mary Palmer. 6 Ib. iv. 248. 7 Johnson wrote to Boswell on Feb. 11:-'I hear of many enquiries which your kindness has disposed you to make after me.' Ib. iv. 259. |