The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell [642]
‘When I consider life, ’tis all a cheat,
Yet fool’d with hope, men favour the deceit:
Trust on, and think to-morrow will repay;
To-morrow’s falser than the former day; Lies worse; and while it says we shall be blest
With some new joys, cuts off what we possest.
Strange cozenage! none would live past years again;
Yet all hope pleasure in what yet remain;
And from the dregs of life think to receive,
What the first sprightly running could not give.’a
It was observed to Dr. Johnson, that it seemed strange that he, who has so often delighted his company by his lively and brilliant conversation, should sayhewas miserable. Johnson. ‘Alas!it is all outside; I maybecracking my joke, and cursing the sun. Sun, how I hate thy beams!’1180 I knew not well what to think of this declaration; whether to hold it as a genuine picture of his mind,b or as the effect of his persuading himself contrary to fact, that the position whichhe had assumedas to human unhappiness, was true. We may apply to him a sentence in Mr. Greville’s Maxims, Characters, and Reflections;c a book which is entitled to much more praise than it has received: ‘Aristarchus is charming: how full of knowledge, of sense, of sentiment. You get him with difficulty to your supper; and after having delighted every body and himself for a few hours, he is obliged to return home; – he is finishing his treatise, to prove that unhappiness is the portion of man.’
On Sunday, June 13, our philosopher was calm at breakfast. There was something exceedingly pleasing in our leading a College life, without restraint, and with superiour elegance, in consequence of our living in the Master’s house, and having the company of ladies. Mrs. Kennicot related, in his presence, a lively saying of Dr. Johnson to Miss Hannah More, who had expressed a wonder that the poet who had written Paradise Lost should write such poor Sonnets: – ‘Milton, Madam, was a genius that could cut a Colossus from a rock; but could not carve heads upon cherry-stones.’
We talked of the casuistical question, Whether it was allowable at any time to depart from Truth? Johnson. ‘The general rule is, that Truth should never be violated, because it is of the utmost importance to the comfort of life, that we should have a full security by mutual faith; and occasional inconveniencies should be willingly suffered that we may preserve it. There must, however, be some exceptions. If, for instance, a murderer should ask you which way a man is gone, you may tell him what is not true, because you are under a previous obligation not to betray a man to a murderer.’ BOSWELL. ‘Supposing the person who wrote Junius were asked whether he was the authour, might he deny it?’ JOHNSON. ‘I don’t know what to say to this. If you were sure that he wrote Junius, would you, if he denied it, think as well of him afterwards? Yet it may be urged, that what a man has no right to ask, you may refuse to communicate; and there is no other effectual mode of preserving a secret, and an important secret, the discovery of which may be very hurtful to you, but a flat denial; for if you are silent, or hesitate, or evade, it will be held equivalent to a confession. But stay, Sir; here is another case. Supposing the authour had told me confidentially that he had written Junius, and I were asked if he had, I should hold myself at liberty to deny it, as being under a previous promise, express or implied, to conceal it. Now what I ought to do for the authour, may I not do for myself? But I deny the lawfulness of telling a lie to a sick man for fear of alarming him. You have no business with consequences; you aretotell the truth. Besides, you are not sure what effect your telling him that heis indanger may have. It may bring his distemper to a crisis, and that may cure