Apophthegms, Sentiments
��He is said to have very frequently made sermons for clergy men at a guinea a-piece z ; that delivered by Dr. Dodd, in the chapel of Newgate, was written by him, as was also his Defence, spoken at the bar of the Old Bailey 2 .
Of a certain lady's entertainments, he said, What signifies going thither ? there is neither meat, drink, nor talk 3 .
He advised Mrs. Siddons to play the part of Queen Catherine in Henry VIII. 4 and said of her, that she appeared to him to be one of the few persons that the great corruptors of mankind, money and reputation, had not spoiled s .
He had a great opinion of the knowledge procured by
��1 'Johnson was never greedy of money, but without money could not be stimulated to write. I have been told by a clergyman with whom he had been long acquainted, that, being to preach on a particular occasion, he applied to him for help. " I will write a sermon for thee," said John son, " but thou must pay me for it." ' Hawkins, p. 84. See ante, i. 82, and Life, v. 67.
2 Ib. iii. 141 ; ante, i. 432.
3 ' I advised Mrs. Thrale, who has no card-parties at her house, to give sweet-meats, and such good things, in an evening, as are not commonly given, and she would find company fcnough come to her ; for every body loves to have things which please the palate put in their way, without trouble or preparation.'. Life, iii. 186.
4 ' He asked her which of Shake speare's characters she was most pleased with. Upon her answering that she thought the character of Queen Catherine in Henry the Eighth the most natural : " I think so too, Madam, (said he,) and whenever you perform it I will once more hobble out to the theatre myself." ' Ib. iv. 242.
'The meek sorrows and virtuous distress of Catherine have furnished some scenes which may be justly
��numbered among the greatest efforts of tragedy. But the genius of Shake speare [in Henry VIII} comes in and goes out with Catherine. Every other part may be easily conceived and easily written.' Johnson's Shake speare, ed. 1765, v. 491. Of the second scene of the fourth act he writes : ' This scene is above any other part of Shakespeare's tragedies, and perhaps above any scene of any other poet, tender and pathetick, without gods, or furies, or poisons, or precipices, without the help of ro- mantick circumstances, without im probable sallies of poetical lamenta tion, and without any throes of tumultuous misery.' Ib. p. 462. The piety of the sentiments perhaps in fluenced his judgement.
5 He wrote of Mrs. Siddons to Mrs. Thrale : ' Neither praise nor money, the two powerful corrupters of mankind, seem to have depraved her.' Letters, ii. 345. ' Being asked if he could not wish to compose a part in a new tragedy to display her powers, he replied, "Mrs. Siddons excels in the pathetic, for which I have no talent." Then says his friend, " Imperial tragedy must be long to you " (alluding to his Irene). Johnson smiled.' Gentleman's Maga zine, 1785, p. 86.
conversation
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