The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell [67]
But what first displayed his transcendent powers, and ‘gave the world assurance of the Man,’ was his London, a Poem, in Imitation of the Third Satire of Juvenal: which came out in May this year, and burst forth with a splendour, the rays of which will for ever encircle his name. Boileau had imitated the same satire with great success, applying it to Paris; but an attentive comparison will satisfy every reader, that he is much excelled by the English Juvenal. Oldham had also imitated it, and applied it to London; all which performances concur to prove, that great cities, in every age, and in every country, will furnish similar topicks of satire. Whether Johnson had previously read Oldham’s imitation, I do not know; but it is not a little remarkable, that there is scarcely any coincidence found between the two performances, though upon the very same subject. The only instances are, in describing London as the sink of foreign worthlessness:
‘––––––the common shore,
Where France does all her filth and ordure pour.’ OLDHAM.
‘The common shore of Paris and of Rome.’ JOHNSON.
and,
‘No calling or profession comes amiss,
A needy monsieur can be what he please.’ OLDHAM.
‘All sciences a fasting monsieur knows.’ JOHNSON.
The particulars which Oldham has collected, both as exhibiting the horrours of London, and of the times, contrasted with better days, are different from those of Johnson, and in general well chosen, and well exprest.a
There are, in Oldham’s imitation, many prosaick verses and bad rhymes, and his poem sets out with a strange inadvertent blunder:
‘Tho’ much concern’d to leave my dear old friend,
I must, however, his design commend
Of fixing in the country–––––.’
It is plain he was not going to leave his friend; his friend was going to leave him. A young lady at once corrected this with good critical sagacity, to
‘Tho’ much concern’d to lose my dear old friend.’
There is one passage in the original, better transfused by Oldham than by Johnson:
‘Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se,
Quam quod ridiculos homines facit.’
which is an exquisite remark on the galling meanness and contempt annexed to poverty: Johnson’s imitation is:
‘Of all the griefs that harass the distrest,
Sure the most bitter is a scornful jest.’
OLDHAM’s, though less elegant, is more just:
‘Nothing in poverty so ill is borne,
As its exposing men to grinning scorn.’
Where, or in what manner this poem was composed, I am sorry that I neglected to ascertain with precision, from Johnson’s own authority. He has marked upon his corrected copy of the first edition of it, ‘Written in 1738;’ and, as it was published in the month of May in that year, it is evident that much time was not employed in preparing it for the press. The history of its publication I am enabled to give in a very satisfactory manner; and judging from myself, and many of my friends, I trust that it will not be uninteresting to my readers.
We may be certain, though it is not expressly named in the following letters to Mr. Cave, in 1738, that they all relate to it:
‘To MR. CAVE
‘Castle-street, Wednesday Morning.
[Nodate.1738.]
‘SIR,
‘When I took the liberty of writing to you a few days ago, I did not expect a repetition of the same pleasure so soon; for a pleasure I shall always think it, to converse in any manner with an ingenious and candid man; but having the inclosed Poem in my hands to dispose of for the benefit of the authour, (of whose abilities I shall say nothing, since I send you his performance,) I believed I could Not procuremoreadv antageous terms from any person than from you, whohave so much distinguished yourself by your generous encouragement of poetry; and whose judgement of that art nothing but your commendation of my triflea can givemeany Occasion to call in question. Idonot doubt butyou willlook overthis poem with another eye, and reward