The Village, book i.

See Boswell’s Hebrides, Oct. 6.

[547] I shall give an instance, marking the original by Roman, and Johnson’s substitution in Italick characters:—­

’In fairer scenes, where peaceful pleasures spring, Tityrus, the pride of Mantuan swains, might sing:  But charmed by him, or smitten with his views, Shall modern poets court the Mantuan muse?  From Truth and Nature shall we widely stray, Where Fancy leads, or Virgil led the way?’ ’On Mincio’s banks, in Caesar’s bounteous reign, If Tityrus found the golden age again, Must sleepy bards the flattering dream prolong, Mechanick echoes of the Mantuan song? From Truth and Nature shall we widely stray, Where Virgil, not where Fancy, leads the way?.

Here we find Johnson’s poetical and critical powers undiminished.  I must, however, observe, that the aids he gave to this poem, as to The Traveller and Deserted Village of Goldsmith, were so small as by no means to impair the distinguished merit of the authour.  BOSWELL.

[548] In the Gent.  Mag. 1763, pp. 602, 633, is a review of his Observations on Diseases of the Army.  He says that the register of deaths of military men proves that more than eight times as many men fall by what was called the gaol fever as by battle.  His suggestions are eminently wise.  Lord Seaford, in 1835, told Leslie ’that he remembered dining in company with Dr. Johnson at Dr. Brocklesby’s, when he was a boy of twelve or thirteen.  He was impressed with the superiority of Johnson, and his knocking everybody down in argument.’  C.R.  Leslie’s Recollections, i. 146.

[549] See Boswell’s Hebrides, Sept. 28.

[550] See ante, i. 433, and ii. 217, 358.

[551] “In his Life of Swift (Works, viii. 205) he thus speaks of this Journal:-’In the midst of his power and his politicks, he kept a journal of his visits, his walks, his interviews with ministers, and quarrels with his servant, and transmitted it to Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Dingley, to whom he knew that whatever befell him was interesting, and no accounts could be too minute.  Whether these diurnal trifles were properly exposed to eyes which had never received any pleasure from the presence of the dean, may be reasonably doubted:  they have, however, some odd attraction:  the reader, finding frequent mention of names which he has been used to consider as important, goes on in hope of information; and, as there is nothing to fatigue attention, if he is disappointed, he can hardly complain.’”

[552] On his fifty-fifth birthday he recorded:—­’I resolve to keep a journal both of employment and of expenses.  To keep accounts.’ Pr. and Med. 59.  See post, Aug. 25, 1784, where he writes to Langton:—­’I am a little angry at you for not keeping minutes of your own acceptum et expensum, and think a little time might be spared from Aristophanes for the res familiares.’