how singularly mr. burney merited encouragement himself, cannot more aptly be exemplified than by portraying the genuine ardour with which he sought to stimulate the exertions of genius in others, and to promote their golden as well as literary laurels.
mr. burney was one of the first and most fervent admirers of those luminous periodical essays upon morals, literature, and human nature, that adorned the eighteenth century, and immortalized their author, under the vague and inadequate titles of the rambler and the idler. he took them both in; he read them to all his friends; and was the first to bring them to a bookish little coterie that assembled
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weekly at mrs. stephen allen’s. and the charm expanded over these meetings, by the original lecture of these refined and energetic lessons of life, conduct, and opinions, when breathed through the sympathetic lips of one who felt every word with nearly the same force with which every word had been dictated, excited in that small auditory a species of enthusiasm for the author, that exalted him at once in their ideas, to that place which the general voice of his country has since assigned him, of the first writer of the age.
mr. bewley more than joined in this literary idolatry; and the works, the character, and the name of dr. johnson, were held by him in a reverence nearly enthusiastic.
at haughton, at felbrig, at rainham, at sir a. wodehouse’s, at major mackenzie’s, and wherever his judgment had weight, mr. burney introduced and recommended these papers. and when, in 1755, the plan of dr. johnson’s dictionary reached norfolk, mr. burney, by the zeal with which he spread the fame of that lasting monument of the doctor’s matchless abilities, was enabled to collect orders for a norfolk packet of half a dozen copies of that noble work.
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this empowered him to give some vent to his admiration; and the following letter made the opening to a connection that he always considered as one of the greatest honours of his life.[20]
mr. burney to mr. johnson.
“sir,
“though i have never had the happiness of a personal knowledge of you, i cannot think myself wholly a stranger to a man with whose sentiments i have so long been acquainted; for it seems to me as if the writer, who was sincere, had effected the plan of that philosopher who wished men had windows at their breasts, through which the affections of their hearts might be viewed.
“it is with great self-denial that i refrain from giving way to panegyric in speaking of the pleasure and instruction i have received from your admirable writings; but knowing that transcendent merit shrinks more at praise, than either vice or dulness at
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censure, i shall compress my encomiums into a short compass, and only tell you that i revere your principles and integrity, in not prostituting your genius, learning, and knowledge of the human heart, in ornamenting vice or folly with those beautiful flowers of language due only to wisdom and virtue. i must add, that your periodical productions seem to me models of true genius, useful learning, and elegant diction, employed in the service of the purest precepts of religion, and the most inviting morality.
“i shall waive any further gratification of my wish to tell you, sir, how much i have been delighted by your productions, and proceed to the business of this letter; which is no other than to beg the favour of you to inform me, by the way that will give you the least trouble, when, and in what manner, your admirably planned, and long wished-for dictionary will be published? if it should be by subscription, or you should have any books at your own disposal, i shall beg of you to favour me with six copies for myself and friends, for which i will send you a draft.
“i ought to beg pardon of the public as well as yourself, sir, for detaining you thus long from your useful labours; but it is the fate of men of eminence to be persecuted by insignificant friends as well as enemies; and the simple cur who barks through fondness and affection, is no less troublesome than if stimulated by anger and aversion.
“i hope, however, that your philosophy will incline you to forgive the intemperance of my zeal and impatience in making these inquiries; as well as my ambition to subscribe myself, with very great regard,
“sir, your sincere admirer, and most humble servant,
“charles burney.”
“lynn regis, 16th feb. 1755.”
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within two months of the date of this letter, its writer was honoured with the following answer.
“to mr. burney, in lynn regis, norfolk.
“sir,
“if you imagine that by delaying my answer i intended to shew any neglect of the notice with which you have favoured me, you will neither think justly of yourself nor of me. your civilities were offered with too much elegance not to engage attention; and i have too much pleasure in pleasing men like you, not to feel very sensibly the distinction which you have bestowed upon me.
“few consequences of my endeavours to please or to benefit mankind, have delighted me more than your friendship thus voluntarily offered; which, now i have it, i hope to keep, because i hope to continue to deserve it.
“i have no dictionaries to dispose of for myself; but shall be glad to have you direct your friends to mr. dodsley, because it was by his recommendation that i was employed in the work.
“when you have leisure to think again upon me, let me be favoured with another letter, and another yet, when you have looked into my dictionary. if you find faults, i shall endeavour to mend them: if you find none, i shall think you blinded by kind partiality: but to have made you partial in his favour will very much gratify the ambition of,
“sir,
“your most obliged
“and most humble servant,
“sam. johnson.”
“gough-square, fleet-street,
“april 8, 1755.”
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a reply so singularly encouraging, demanding “another letter,” and yet “another,” raised the spirits, and flattered the hopes—it might almost be said the foresight—of mr. burney, with a prospect of future intimacy, that instigated the following unaffected answer.
“sir,
“that you should think my letter worthy of notice was what i began to despair of; and, indeed, i had framed and admitted several reasons for your silence, more than sufficient for your exculpation. but so highly has your politeness overrated my intentions, that i find it impossible for me to resist accepting the invitation with which you have honoured me, of writing to you again, though conscious that i have nothing to offer that can by any means merit your attention.
“it is with the utmost impatience that i await the possession of your great work, in which every literary difficulty will he solved, and curiosity gratified, at least as far as english literature is concerned: nor am i fearful of letting expectation rise to the highest summit in which she can accompany reason.
“from what you are pleased to say concerning mr. dodsley, i shall ever think myself much his debtor; but yet i cannot help suspecting that you intended him a compliment when you talked of recommendation. is it possible that the world should be so blind, or booksellers so stupid, as to need other recommendation than your own? indeed, i shall honour both, world and booksellers, so far as to substitute solicitation in the place of the above humiliating term.
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“perhaps you will smile when i inform you, that since first the rumour of your dictionary’s coming abroad this winter was spread, i have been supposed to be marvellously deep in politics: not a sun has set since the above time without previously lighting me to the coffee-house; nor risen, without renewing my curiosity. but time, the great revealer of secrets, has at length put an end to my solicitude; for, if there be truth in book men, i can now, by cunning calculation, foretell the day and hour when it will arrive at lynn.
“if, which is probable, i should fix my future abode in london, i cannot help rejoicing that i shall then be an inhabitant of the same town, and exulting that i shall then be a fellow citizen with mr. johnson; and were it possible i could be honoured with a small share of his esteem, i should regard it as the most grateful circumstance of my life. and—shall i add, that i have a female companion, whose intellects are sufficiently masculine to enter into the true spirit of your writings, and, consequently, to have an enthusiastic zeal for them and their author? how happy would your presence make us over our tea, so often meliorated by your productions!
“if, in the mean time, your avocations would permit you to bestow a line or two upon me, without greatly incommoding yourself, it would communicate the highest delight to
“sir,
“your most obedient,
“and most humble servant,
“chas. burney.”
“have you, sir, ever met with a little french book, entitled, ‘synonimes françois, par m. l’abbé girard?’ i am inclined to imagine, if you have not seen it, that it would afford you, as
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a philologer, some pleasure, it being written with great spirit, and, i think, accuracy: but i should rejoice to have my opinion either confirmed or corrected by yours. if you should find any difficulty in procuring the book, mine is wholly at your service.”
“lynn regis, april 14th, 1755.”
to this letter there was little chance of any answer, the demanded “another,” relative to the dictionary, being still due.
that splendid, and probably, from any single intellect, unequalled work, for vigour of imagination and knowledge amidst the depths of erudition, came out in 1756. and, early in 1757, mr. burney paid his faithful homage to its author.
“to mr. johnson, gough-square.
“sir,
“without exercising the greatest self-denial, i should not have been able thus long to withhold from you my grateful acknowledgments for the delight and instruction you have afforded me by means of your admirable dictionary—a work, i believe, not yet equalled in any language; for, not to mention the accuracy, precision, and elegance of the definitions, the illustrations of words are so judiciously and happily selected as to render it a repository, and, i had almost said, universal register of whatever is sublime or beautiful in english literature. in looking for words, we constantly find things. the road,
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indeed, to the former, is so flowery as not to be travelled with speed, at least by me, who find it impossible to arrive at the intelligence i want, without bating by the way, and revelling in collateral entertainment. were i to express all that i think upon this subject, your dictionary would be stript of a great part of its furniture: but as praise is never gratefully received by the justly deserving till a deduction is first made of the ignorance or partiality of him who bestows it, i shall support my opinion by a passage from a work of reputation among our neighbours, which, if it have not yet reached you, i shall rejoice at being the first to communicate, in hopes of augmenting the satisfaction arising from honest fame, and a conviction of having conferred benefits on mankind: well knowing with how parsimonious and niggard a hand men administer comfort of the kind to modest merit.
“‘le savant et ingenieux m. samuel johnson, qui, dans l’incomparable feuille periodique intitulée le rambler, apprenoit à ses compatriotes à penser avec justesse sur les matières les plus interessantes, vient de leur fournir des secours pour bien parler, et pour écrire correctement; talens que personne, peut être, ne possede dans un degré plus eminent que lui. il n’y a qu’une voix sur le succés de l’auteur pour epurer, fixer, et enricher une langue dont son rambler montre si admirablement l’abondance et la force, l’elegance et l’harmonie.’
“bibliotheque des savans. tom. iii. p. 482.
“though i had constantly in my remembrance the encouragement with which you flattered me in your reply to my first letter, yet knowing that civility and politeness seem often to countenance actions which they would not perform, i could
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hardly think myself entitled to the permission you gave me of writing to you again, had i not lately been apprised of your intention to oblige the admirers of shakespeare with a new edition of his works by subscription. but, shall i venture to tell you, notwithstanding my veneration for you and shakespeare, that i do not partake of the joy which the selfish public seem to feel on this occasion?—so far from it, i could not but be afflicted at reflecting, that so exalted, so refined a genius as the author of the rambler, should submit to a task so unworthy of him as that of a mere editor: for who would not grieve to see a palladio, or a jones, undergo the dull drudgery of carrying rubbish from an old building, when he should be tracing the model of a new one? but i detain you too long from the main subject of this letter, which is to beg a place in the subscription for,
the right hon. the earl of orford,
miss mason,
brigs carey, esq.
archdale wilson, esq.
richard fuller, esq.
“and for, sir,
“your most humble, and extremely devoted servant,
“charles burney.”
“lynn regis,
28th march, 1757.”
it was yet some years later than this last date of correspondence, before mr. burney found an opportunity of paying his personal respects to dr. johnson; who then, in 1760, resided in chambers
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at the temple. no account, unfortunately, remains of this first interview, except an anecdote that relates to mr. bewley.
while awaiting the appearance of his revered host, mr. burney recollected a supplication from the philosopher of massingham, to be indulged with some token, however trifling or common, of his friend’s admission to the habitation of this great man. vainly, however, mr. burney looked around the apartment for something that he might innoxiously purloin. nothing but coarse and necessary furniture was in view; nothing portable—not even a wafer, the cover of a letter, or a split pen, was to be caught; till, at length, he had the happiness to espie an old hearth broom in the chimney corner. from this, with hasty glee, he cut off a bristly wisp, which he hurried into his pocket-book; and afterwards formally folded in silver paper, and forwarded, in a frank, to lord orford, for mr. bewley; by whom the burlesque offering was hailed with good-humoured acclamation, and preserved through life.
