The Life of Samuel Johnson - James Boswell [917]
159. the unfortunate battle of Fontenoy: A battle fought on 11 May 1745 between French forces under the Count de Saxe, and allied forces drawn from England, Hanover, Holland and Austria under the Duke of Cumberland. It resulted in a famous victory for the French, who went on to conquer Flanders.
160. Apollo: In Greek mythology Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto, and was the god of medicine, music, archery, prophecy and the sun.
161. the Aonian fount: The seat of the nine Muses (see n. 28).
162. But Shakspeare’s magick… but he: John Dryden, ‘Prologue’ to The Tempest: or, The Enchanted Island (1670), ll. 19–20.
163. The Jealous Wife: George Colman the elder, The Jealous Wife (1761).
164. the Peruvian bark: Quinine, used medicinally to reduce fever, as a tonic and to prevent the periodic recurrence of diseases or symptoms.
165. Charlotte: Charlotte Cotterell, married to Dean Lewis.
166. pensioners: Johnson defined ‘pensioner’ as ‘One who is supported by an allowance paid at the will of another; a dependant’.
167. The Commissioner of the Dock-yard: Sir Frederick Rogers.
168. native wood-note wild: John Milton, ‘L’Allegro’ (composed? i63i, first published 1645), l. 134.
169. Nam vos mutastis: ‘For you have wrought the change’ – Ovid, Metamorphoses, i.2.
170. a man who disliked him: James Macpherson.
171. The Elements of Criticism: Henry Home, Lord Kames, The Elements of Criticism (1762).
172. one who… family: John Wilkes.
173. tcedium vitce: The irksomeness of life.
174. Verily… reward: Matthew 6:2, 5 and 16.
175. reasoning à priori: Reasoning or arguing from causes to effects, from abstract notions to their conditions or consequences, from propositions or assumed axioms (and not from experience) (OED).
176. Dr. Pearson: In fact Bishop Zachary Pearce.
177. Ham, who was cursed: Ham was one of the three sons of Noah, and was cursed by Noah because he saw Noah naked when drunk – Genesis 9:20–27.
178. fabulous tale… linnet: In a classical fable a wren conceals itself on the back of an eagle, and then claims to have flown higher than the eagle.
179. Ruin seize thee… wait: Thomas Gray, ‘The Bard’ (1757), ll. 1-2.
180. a Ghost in Cock-lane. See n. 13.
181. the ‘Change of London: The Royal Exchange.
182. The subject of this beautiful poem: In Greek mythology, Telemachus was the son of Odysseus and Penelope. The conflict which Telemachus suffers in Graham’s masque (1763 and based on book seven of Fenelon’s Les Aventures de Telemaque (1699)) is that between his duty to continue searching for his father Odysseus and the erotic pleasure which surrounds him when he finds himself shipwrecked on the island of Ogygia, the home of the goddess Calypso, where Odysseus himself was detained for seven years (Homer, Odyssey, v).
183. Nihil… ornavit: ‘He touched nothing that he did not adorn.’
184. un etourdi: A scatterbrain; a distracted person.
185. Fantoccini: A drama performed by puppets.
186. a Dignitary of the Church: Probably Bishop Percy.
187. assafoetida: A concreted resinous gum, with a strong garlic and onion odour, used in medicine as an antispasmodic, and as a flavouring in made dishes (OED).
188. an impudent fellow from Scotland: James Macpherson.
189. Ita feri… emori: ‘Strike so that he can feel himself dying’ – Suetonius, Caligula, xxx.1.
190. July 18: It was in fact the 19th.
191. Jargonnant… barbare: Babbling barbaric French.
192. cceteris paribus: Other things being equal.
193. a gentleman who was mentioned: George Dempster.
194. a noted infidel writer: David Hume.
195. plenum: A space completely filled with matter (OED).
196. a certain authour: William Robertson.
197. A writer of deserved eminence: Thomas Warton the elder.
198. The Tale of a Tub: Jonathan Swift, A Tale of a Tub (1704); now securely attributed to Swift.
199. —: Edmund Burke.
200. a young man: James Boswell.
201. Eblana… light of day: ‘An Ode to Eblana, on entering the Harbour of Dublin, after a long Absence’, in Samuel Derrick, A Collection of Original Poems (1755), p. 153.
202. bulk: A part of a building jutting out (Johnson).