The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell [895]
His legacy of two hundred pounds to the representatives of Mr. Innys, bookseller, in St. Paul’s Church-yard, proceeded from a very worthy motive. He told Sir John Hawkins, that his father having become a bankrupt, Mr. Innys had assisted him with money or credit to continue his business. ‘This, (said he,) I consider as an obligation on me to be grateful to his descendants.’
The amount of his property proved to be considerably more than he had supposed it to be. Sir John Hawkins estimates the bequest to Francis Barber at a sum little short of fifteen hundred pounds, including an annuity of seventy pounds to be paid to him by Mr. Langton, in consideration of seven hundred and fifty pounds, which Johnson had lent to that gentleman. Sir John seems not a little angry at this bequest, and mutters ‘a caveat against ostentatious bounty and favour to negroes.’ But surely when a man has money entirely of his own acquisition, especially when he has no near relations, he may, without blame, dispose of it as he pleases, and with great propriety to a faithful servant. Mr. Barber, by the recommendation of his master, retired to Lichfield, where he might pass the rest of his days in comfort.
It has been objected that Johnson has omitted many of his best friends, when leaving bookstoseveralastokensofhis last remembrance. The namesofDr. Adams, Dr. Taylor, Dr. Burney, Mr. Hector, Mr. Murphy, the Authour of this Work, and others who were intimate with him, are nottobefoundinhis Will. This maybeaccounted For by considering, that as he was very near his dissolution at the time, he probably mentioned such as happened tooccur to him; and thathe may have recollected, that he had formerly shewn others such proofs of his regard, that it was not necessary to crowd his Will with their names. Mrs. Lucy Porter was much displeased that nothing was left to her; but besides what I have now stated, she should have considered, that she had left nothing to Johnson by her Will, which was made during his life-time, as appeared at her decease.
His enumerating several persons in one group, and leaving them ‘each a book at their election,’ might possibly have given occasion to a curious question as to the order of choice, had they not luckily fixed on different books. His library, though by no means handsome in its appearance, was sold by Mr. Christie, for two hundred and forty-seven pounds, nine shillings; many people being desirous to have a book which had belonged to Dr. Johnson. In many of them he had written little notes: sometimes tender memorials of his departed wife; as, ‘This was dear Tetty’s book;’ sometimes occasional remarks of different sorts. Mr. Lysons, of Clifford’s Inn, has favoured me with the two following:
In Holy Rules and Helps to Devotion, byBryan Duppa, Lord Bishop of Winton, ‘Preces quidam (? quidem)videtur diligenter tractasse; spero non inauditus(? inauditas).’1275
In The Rosicrucian infallible Axiomata, by John Heydon, Gent., prefixed to which are some verses addressed to the authour, signed Ambr. Waters, A. M. Coll. Ex. Oxon. ‘These Latin verses were written to Hobbes by Bathurst, upon his Treatise on Human Nature, and have no relation to the book. –An odd fraud.’
a One of these volumes, Sir John Hawkins informs us, he put into his pocket; for which the excuse he states is, that he meant to preserve it from falling into the hands of a person1276 whom he describes so as to make it sufficiently clear who is meant; ‘having strong reasons (said he,) to suspect that this man might find and make an ill use of the