Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-09-30
LETTERS FROM WEED :. No. XII
Correspondence of the Albany Evening Journal.

Samuel Johnson! Are you increduous2 Then
let me explais. We dined at the "Dr Samuel
Johnson Tavern Steak and Chop House,
in "Bolt Court" where the great English
scholar and moralist lived. In entering the
threshold, passed so many hundred times by
the Author Of Rasselas, emotions of reverence
and awe came over me which the presence or
personi6cation of genius, virtue or piety only
can inspire. Would that these walls could
impart to visiers some portion of the ETHEREAL
spirit with which their former illustrious oeca-
pant was so deeply imbued.
When DR.. Johnson came to London he took
up his residence in Court which still bears
his name; but he soon removed to the house
1 refer TO in "Bolt Court" where he resided
many years, and where so many of his achieve
menis in Letters and Literature were accom-
plished. These Courts both run out of Fleet
street, and are in The vicinity of Temple Bar
and the Strand. The room in which DR.. John
son read and wrote, upon the first floor, is a
projection from the main building, about twelve
| feet long and ard eight wide. with fiat roof,
through which he had sky-lighi constructed.
The room remains as he left it, though the 9TH
er portions of The building have been slightly
undermined.
We ale silent dinner, but memory was
active and alert in conjuring up images Of the
Painters, Poets, Philosophers and Sages who,
in that Augustan age of British Literature,
surrounded this great literary Levathan. The
footprints of men whose learning and research
es. whose talents and genius. contributed TO
the supremacy which England attained in Let
tiers, in Science, and iu the Arts, during the
eighteenth century, have been left upon the
plank that we now pressed. 1t was here that
Boswell watched and waited with obsequous
attention and patience, for the "hty spoken"
words that fell from the Lions mouth. 1t was
here that Garrick came to play with the Lions
name, see his claws, and hear him roar. 1t
was here that Goldsmith came TO encounter
reproof. 1t was here that Sir Joshua Rey-
nolds and Mr. Langton came for social commu-
MON. 1t was here that Beauclerk, Stevens,
Colman and Sheridan polished and chastened
their wit. II was here that DIR. Percy, Sir
William Forbes and Mr. Cambridge repen-
ished their stores of knowledge. 1t was here,
too. that Windham and Walpole and Burke
passed hours in those "collisions of mind" to
which the world is indebted for lis mental
lights. And here Beauty. as assduously as
Learning, paid It's court. Here Mrs. Thrale,
Mrs Montagu, Mrs. Siddons, Hannah More,
and Frances Burney came TO snake Tea" for
the Gambler! Twas here tina, the Doctor, on
the occasion Of Mrs. Siddons's first call to
"Boli Court" when chair was not imme-
dla,ely at hand for her, said, "You, madam,
who have kept your visitors so frequently
without seats can the better excuse this dis
courtesy"
10 this cour, the giant in intellect, but ele.
plant in person, was won. 10 take exercise,
with gait between an amble and roll.' Here
the caterers in 'Paternos,er Row used to goad
him on with his literary labers; and here 'prin-
ter's Devils used TO beleaguer him for copy
Here Authors beset him for 'Prelaces' Play
ers for 'Prologues,' and surviving friends for
'Epitaphs.' Here he made his powerful but
unavailng appeal for the Royal cemency 10
the Rev. DIR. Dodd. 1t was here he rescued
the manuscript Sermons OF the Rev. DIR. Blair
from an oblivion TO which they had been con-
signed by an Autoerat Publisher.
DR.. Johnson, you know was an invelerate
tory in Literature, Religion and Politics. In
Politics. as in all else that concerned his prn-
ciples Cor prejudices,) he was inveterate, vim
dica,ive, and denunciatory. America, before
and during the Revolution, came in for foil
and rounded measures of abuse, expressed in
all language and sentences that fell from his
lips like ,hunder-bolts. 10 speaking Of US to
theERev. DR.. Campbell, he is represented by
Boswell as saying: ''Sir, they are a race Of
concicts and had ought TO be thankful for eUery
thing ,0s aLow them short Of hanging. But
am willing to forgive him for that aud all his
other Tory offences for single paragraph in
the Pamphlet entitled TAXATION no TYRAs-
N.Y. which he wrote for the Ministry, in reply
10 the Resolutions and Address of the Ameri-
can Congress, 10 I775. The manuscript copy
of that Pamphlet, which was Submitted, be-
fore publication, to the Ministry, contained
the following paragraph, which does not APP
pear in the printed copy. The sfyIe would
sufficiently establish its purity, if there were
not other and conclusive evidences Of lis John
sonian origin:
1.-THE numbers are, at present not quite sufficient
for the greatness which in some form Of govern
mem or other, is to rival the Ancient Monarchies;
bul by DR.. Franklin's rule ofprogressio, they will
IA a century and q quarter be more than equal to
the inhabitants Of Europe. When the Wings of
America are TINS multiplied, let the Princes of
the Earth trembIe IN their Palaces. Ifthey should
continue to double and to double, their own hem
isphere would not contain them. But let not our
boIdest impugners OF authority look forward with
delight 10 this fItli;y Of whigism.''
The reasons for suppressing this paragraph
are Transparent Il was '.hand- writing upon
The wall" Of fearful import. Less than half
the term of years TO which DR.. Johnson looked
forward have been numbered, but the prophe-
cy is more than half fcihled.
have been TO Westminster Abbey. that
magnificent and sublime sepulchre for Mon
srchs, Princes, Philosophers, Philanihropisls,
Poets, and Painters. All that / had heard
and read Of the architectural and historical
wonders of the Abbey, into whose vaults,
-, al