LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHNSON.

GRUB-STREET AND ITS INHABITANTS.

JOHNSO

society the word patron had a real and specific signification; but the age of legitimate patronage had now passed away never to return. Literature, in common with the other retainers and sycophants at baronial halls, had been turned out, and cast upon its own resources; but, like most abandoned pensioners, it was slow to learn the arts of self-reliance, and to develop the spirit of a manly independence. From their late lordly abodes, where they dwelt in liveried and pampered slavery, the devotees of the Muses now fled to garrets, and visiting no longer, except in poetic dreams, the groves, and lawns, and sacred shades, where sentimental poets love to roam, they took up their abodes in obscure streets and out-of-the-way courts of the metropolis. The emancipation of literature by the cessation of patronage abolished the guild by which the art and profession had been restricted to a favored few, and opened the portals of the temple of Apollo to any whom either vanity might entice into it, or necessity drive thither. The train of the Muses was never before so large as now, when they had nothing but barren bays with which to reward their devotees.

OHNSON had passed more than seventeen years in London before the publication of his Dictionary raised him to that height of literary fame that he ever afterward occupied. His personal history for those years has been briefly sketched in the preceding pages; but to enable one to form a just estimate of the whole subject, so as to embrace in the view his "times" as well as his "life," a more extended survey of cotemporary affairs seems to be necessary. Each age has its own peculiarities, which require to be studied in order to obtain an intelligent notion of its affairs; and especially is the literature and literary history of each age marked by their own characteristics, which often differ so widely from those of other times that no system of generalization can be safely applied in investigating them. The condition of the republic of letters in England a hundred years ago must be studied by itself in order to be understood. The materials for such an investigation are abundant and unusually valuable. During the greater part of that chaotic night which preceded the brighter dawn- New facts and phenomena call for a ing in which Johnson's star was in the new nomenclature, and so the peculiar ascendant, the genius of Pope beamed terminology of the "Dunciad" and kindred forth with a clear, but baneful light. Cor- productions was brought into use to meet rect and delicate taste, where there is but the requirements of the case. Foremost little to gratify it, and much to offend, is, among these newly-coined expressions is at best, a faculty of but doubtful utility; "Grub-street," the celebrated locality of though probably few that possess it would the men of letters of that age. "Grubwillingly be deprived of it. In another street," says Johnson in his great Dictionage, and among more favorable circum- ary, " is a street in London, much inhabited stances, the cruel satires of the " Dunciad" by writers of small histories, dictionaries, might have given place to the fellowships and temporary poems, whence any mean of kindred wits and the amenities of liter-production is called Grub-street." Few ary recreations; and, in that case, the genius that was expended in uttering invectives against the prevailing dullness and false taste, might have been exercised in leading the age to loftier achievement in polite literature. But, as matters were, we have the "Dunciad," the best thing that the age could afford-a life-picture of the dark side of affairs as they then existed in the British world of letters.

The mutations of things that surely, but silently, occur with the steady lapse of time, are nowhere else more decidedly experienced than in literature. There was a time, and that not very remote from that under notice, when even in English

of the adventitious terms of the language have become more really and specifically significant than this. As a term used in the natural history of the genus litterateur, it is strictly and definitely specific. The species, however, though numerous, and for a while wonderfully prolific, had but a temporary existence, passing insensibly into other developments, as the creeping myriads of spring assume other forms with the progress of the season. It was of the period of the full tide of Grub-street life that the great master of English verse, comparing its numerous race to the progeny of Berecynthia paying their "homage to the mother of the sky," wrote:

LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHNSON.

"Not less with glory mighty Dullness crown'd,
Now took through Grub-street her triumphant
round;

And her Parnassus, glancing o'er at once,
Beheld a hundred sons, and each a dunce."

But Grub-street formed a link in the
chain of English literature, and as such
answered a valuable purpose. It covered
a transition period, and though unlovely
in itself, it was a stage in the movement
toward a better state of things. Though
somewhat changed in character, the Grub-
street race still existed, when, by the
death of Pope and his own advancement
in dignified authorship, Johnson was ad-
mitted to the first place among literary
men in England. As in the lowest con-
ditions of society there are often found
the elements of a higher life, which in
due time are seen manifesting themselves
by elevating the entire social body, so the
Grub-street fraternity not only from time
to time gave some of its own members to
the higher walks of literature, but also
rose in a body from the low estate in
which its career began. The period now
immediately under notice was an age of
magazines- less corpulent, indeed, and
perhaps less elaborate than their success-
ors of the present time-of reviews, such
as they were, and of all forms of fugitive
literature. "If literature had anything to
hope from such exertions," says an elegant
modern writer, relative to this period, "its
If strength, sub-
halcyon days had come.
sistence, and respect, lay in employment
of the multitudinous force of Grub-street;
if demand and supply were law sufficient
for its highest interest, literature was
prosperous at last, and might laugh at all
of Pope's prophecies. Every week had
its spawn of periodical publications; fee-
ble, but of desperate fecundity."

To supply the requisite matter for these
multitudinous weeklies and monthlies was
the business and livelihood of a corps of
professional writers, of names indeed but
little known to fame, but of prolific pens,
because they wrote to live. Among these
'Johnson had long lived and written. From
the lowest step of the causeway that leads
from the deepest depression of the condi-
tion of authorship for bread, he had fought
his way upward to his present proud
eminence. But though he was among
the Grub-street herd, he was never prop-
erly of them; and while there, as poor as
the poorest, he was still sustained by a

consciousness that he deserved a better
fate, and by the assurance that a brighter
day was yet in his future.

It is in mercy rather than from neces-
sity that the names of the genuine Grub-
street literati are given up to oblivion.
To the delvers among old volumes, the
Belzonis and Layards of literature, their
names are still sufficiently familiar; and
to such, certain obscure allusions and
meaningless names found in the works of
standard writers are all plain and intelli-
gible. When Goldsmith satirized "Ned
Purdon" in an epitaph, he was throwing a
gilded arrow at a veritable "bookseller's
hack," whose history would justify the
presumed dread of terrestrial existence.
The Kendricks, Kelleys, and Woodfalls,
whose names occur so strangely com-
mingled with those of the most renowned
ones of their times, were not less real
than these, though the present generation
knows nothing of them. Johnson's own
history brings us into contact with the
Sheils, the Guthries, the Ralphs, (a quon-
dam friend of Dr. Franklin,) and the
Whiteheads; to say nothing of those whom,
like Savage, he rescued from oblivion, or
such as Goldsmith, who, following his
great predecessor, forced his way upward
to a more elevated grade of authorship.
All these, with their nameless compeers,
were the miners in literature of the times
of Grub-street's glory; each brought his
contributions to his patron, the publisher,
and as the pay was generally proportioned
to the amount, each strove to make the
amount as large as possible.

When literature fled to the garrets of London, the booksellers and publisherswhich callings were then blended-became the chief patrons of the starving followers of the Muses. It would seem that at this time there was an unusual number of distinguished members of the trade in the metropolis, and, in spite of the mutterings of their ill-fed and ill-clad dependents, the evidence leaks out by the way that they were, for the most part, men of good abilities, and of much generA client who is incapable osity of spirit. of caring for himself, and of directing his affairs with even tolerable discretion, will pretty certainly be dissatisfied with the patron who may kindly restrain his follies, and deny him the facilities for injuring himself. To this cause, no doubt, may be referred a large share of the invectives

against the booksellers with which the thorship become mandatory, and the writliterature of the first half of the last cen-er's fabrics must be fashioned to the wishes tury abounds. Nor were the favors of of purchasers. The temptation to venalthe gentlemen of the trade always unap-ity in such circumstances is obvious; but preciated, nor yet always unrewarded by it is less than in the case of the pampered the denizens of the garret. But for the dependents of greatness. It is creditable pen of Johnson, the memory of Cave to the profession of letters, that, as to the would have perished with his own gener- better class of writers, though in the ation; and even Dodsley, the generous, depths of poverty and social depression, great-souled Dodsley, is known to the it has generally been the case, while their present age, and his memory is cherished wares were in the market, their principles among us because he was the friend and and personal independence were not for companion of the author of the English sale. When Walpole, to uphold his adDictionary. What though Osborne was ministration, was annually scattering a left sprawling on his shop-floor, as the re- hundred and fifty thousand pounds among ward of his impertinence, and though mercenary writers, on the whole list of Griffith is forever gibbeted in infamy on his hireling band was not a single man account of his meanness toward Gold- now favorably known in English literature. smith, and Wilkie is pitied or laughed at To write for a subsistence is not less honbecause he failed to detect the latent worth est or honorable than to follow any other of the man who could "write like an pursuit for the same purpose, and he angel," yet even Goldsmith learned that who by his pen can produce merchantit was "better for men of letters to live able fabrics is surely free to use his powby the labors of their hands till more ers to his own advantage. But as no original labor should become popular with one is at liberty to prostitute his abilities trading patrons, than to wait with their to vile purposes, the powers of genius hands across till great men should come to especially should be sacred to truth and feed them;" and when the lord lieutenant right. So thought Johnson; for while he of Ireland suggested the hope of advance- confessed that the price was with him the ment in his native island, he only com- great incitement to literary labors, no man mended his brother, a poor clergyman of might dictate to him the matter and senti"forty pounds a year," to the favor of the ments of his compositions. As a further viceroy, as he was himself sufficiently result of the new state of things in literaprovided for by his best friends, the book-ture, authorship at length became an indesellers. It is through his connection with "poor Goldsmith," that we have come to think kindly of the bustling consequence of Newberry, and for the same cause the name of Mundell is immortalized in the "Vicar of Wakefield," more honorably as well as more effectually than had it been emblazoned on brass or marble in Westminster Abbey. In the person of Davies the two characters were blended; but the author was not more favored by the bookseller than contrariwise; and when the bankrupt man of trade saw only starving want before him, the friendship of Johnson and the favors of Drury Lane theater restored him to authorship and to independ

ence.

Among the further changes effected by the changed state of things, was the establishment of a commercial value for literary productions. They who write to live must live by writing; and as the demands of hunger are both constant and imperious, so the calls to the toils of au

pendent and self-relying profession. The Grub-street mine from time to time afforded specimens of more precious metal than its ordinary leaden geniuses; and these with others who became authors from choice, and were sustained by their chosen profession, constituted in Johnson's time a considerably large and respectable body of men of letters. Among these Johnson now took his place, not by favor, but of right, and stood forth the acknowledged leader of the professional writers of the kingdom. Nor was this preeminence conceded to him for the want of distinguished rivals. Leaving his own writings out of the account, his age was far from being a barren one in literature; and its literary history brings us into contact with many a name of more than an ephemeral interest. A hasty reference to some of these may be at once pertinent to the subject and acceptable to the reader.

Foremost among these must be placed the name of SAMUEL RICHARDSON, who