Johnson's Life and Genius.
��author of a book, called Lexiphanes, written by a Mr. Campbell, a Scotchman, and purser of a man of war, endeavoured to blast his laurels, but in vain 1 . The world applauded, and Johnson never replied. ' Abuse,' he said, ' is often of service : there is nothing so dangerous to an author as silence ; his name, like a shuttlecock, must be beat backward and forward, or it falls to the ground 2 .' Lexiphanes professed to be an imitation of the pleasant manner of Lucian ; but humour was not the talent of the writer of Lexiphanes 3 . As Dryden says,
- He has too much horse-play in his raillery V
��It was in the summer 1754, that the present writer became acquainted with Dr. Johnson. The cause of his first visit is
��folio edition sold for ^n. Mr. H. P. Symonds's MSS.
Boswell recorded in his note-book on Sept. 22, 1777 : ' Dr. Johnson told me in the forenoon that he had six amanuenses when he composed his Dictionary, that eighty paper books of two quires each, 160 quires, were first used, and as they were written on both sides, it afterwards cost him twenty pounds for paper to have them transcribed, to be written only on one page. (This must be a mis take were it only is. a quire) ... He said it was remarkable that, when he revised and improved the last edition of his Dict r y, the printer was never kept waiting.' Morrison Auto graphs, 2nd Series, i. 367.
See Life, i. 189. It is strange that Johnson, who was now an author of some years standing, should have had the paper written on both sides.
1 This mention of Lexiphanes is premature as it was not published till 1767. Life, ii. 44.
' As well as for the malignancy of his heart as his terrific countenance he was called horrible Campbell.' Hawkins, p. 347. Another Scotch man, Dr. Robertson the historian,
��'told Johnson that he had fairly perused his Dictionary twice over.' Ib. p. 346. Macaulay says that 'it was hailed with an enthusiasm such as no similar work has ever excited. It was indeed the first dictionary which could be read with pleasure. The definitions show so much acute- ness of thought and command of language, and the passages quoted from poets, divines, and philosophers are so skilfully selected, that a leisure hour may always be very agreeably spent in turning over the pages.' Macaulay's Misc. Works, ed. 1871, p. 382.
2 'Dr. Johnson said, "It is ad vantageous to an authour, that his book should be attacked as well as praised. Fame is a shuttlecock. If it be struck only at one end of the room, it will soon fall to the ground. To keep it up, it must be struck at both ends.'" Life, v. 400.
3 The book is as dull as it is indecent.
4 * He is too much given to horse play in his raillery, and comes to battle like a dictator from the plough.' Preface to the Fables, Dry den's Poems, Aldine ed. iii. 198.
related
�� �
