'
Johnson, however, was not to be propitiated by those 'honeyed words.' He
wrote a letter couched in what he called 'civil terms,' to Chesterfield,
from which we extract the following passages:
'When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your lordship, I
was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your
address; and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself
_vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre_--that I might obtain that regard
for which I saw the world contending; but I found my attendance so
little encouraged, that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to
continue it. When I had once addressed your lordship in publick, I had
exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar
can possess. I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to
have his all neglected, be it ever so little.
'Seven years, my lord, have now past, since I waited in your outward
room, or was repulsed from your door, during which time I have been
pushing on my work through difficulties, of which it is useless to
complain, and have brought it, at last, to the verge of publication
without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile
of favour: such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a patron
before.
Pages:
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426