The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell [476]
JOHNSON. ‘O! Mr. Dilly – you must know that an English Benedictine Monk807 at Paris has translated The Duke of Berwick’s Memoirs, from the original French, and has sent them to me to sell. I offered them to Strahan, who sent them back with this answer: – “That the first book he had published was the Duke of Berwick’s Life, by which he had lost: and he hated the name.” – Now I honestly tell you, that Strahan has refused them; but I also honestly tell you, that he did it upon no principle, for he never looked into them.’ DILLY. ‘Are they well translated, Sir?’ JOHNSON. ‘Why, Sir, very well – in a style very current and very clear. I have written to the Benedictine to give me an answer upon two points – What evidence is there that the letters are authentick? (for if they are not authentick they are nothing;) – And how long will it be before the original French is published? For if the French edition is not to appear for a considerable time, the translation will be almost as valuable as an original book. They will make two volumes in octavo; and I have undertaken to correct every sheet as it comes from the press.’ Mr. Dilly desired to see them, and said he would send for them. He asked Dr. Johnson if he would write a Preface to them. JOHNSON. ‘No, Sir. The Benedictines were very kind to me, and I’ll do what I undertook to do; but I will not mingle my name with them. I am to gain nothing by them. I’ll turn them loose upon the world, and let them take their chance.’ Dr. MAYO. ‘Pray, Sir, are Ganganelli’s letters authentick?’ JOHNSON. ‘No, Sir. Voltaire put the same question to the editor of them, that I did to Macpherson – Where are the originals?’
MRS. KNOWLES affected to complain that men had much more liberty allowed them than women. JOHNSON. ‘Why, Madam, women have all the liberty they should wish to have. We have all the labour and the danger, and the women all the advantage. We go to sea, we build houses, we do everything, in short, to pay our court to the women.’ MRS. KNOWLES. ‘The Doctor reasons very wittily, but not convincingly. Now, take the instance of building; the mason’s wife, if she is ever seen in liquor, is ruined; the mason may get himself drunk as often as he pleases, with little loss of character; nay, may let his wife and children starve.’ JOHNSON. ‘Madam, you must consider, if the mason does get himself drunk, and let his wife and children starve, the parish will oblige him to find security for their maintenance. We have different modes of restraining evil. Stocks for the men, a ducking-stool for women, and a pound for beasts. If we require more perfection from women than from ourselves, it is doing them honour. And women have not the same temptations that we have: they may always live in virtuous company; men must mix in the world indiscriminately. If a woman has no inclination to do what is wrong being secured from it is no restraint to her. I am at liberty to walk into the Thames; but if I were to try it, my friends would restrain me in Bedlam, and I should be obliged to them.’ Mrs. Knowles. ‘Still, Doctor, I cannot help thinking it a hardship that more indulgence is allowed to men than to women. It gives a superiority to men, to which I do not see how they are entitled.’ JOHNSON. ‘It is plain, Madam, one or other must have the superiority. As Shakspeare says, “If two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind.”’808 DILLY. ‘I suppose, Sir, MRS. KNOWLES would have them to ride in panniers, one on each side.’ JOHNSON. ‘Then, Sir, the horse would throw them both.’ Mrs. Knowles. ‘Well, I hope that in another world the sexes will be equal.’ BOSWELL. ‘That is being too ambitious, Madam. We might as well desire to be equal with the angels. We shall all, I hope, be happy in a future state, but we must not expect to be all happy in the same degree. It is enough if we