ROSEBERY ON JOHNSON.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 651, 30 October 1909, Page 9

ROSEBERY ON JOHNSON.

'['■,';-: The re /WMja-dramatic -moment,-.'not. ■,'■„';humour"'also,-(iri'Xord'Eosobery's -oration-■; at•:;;;:Aliichfie!d:kst;.:month,:at.the: first of a series of .... gatherings held.to [celebrate' the two: hundredth' ■ /(. .anniversary of Dr.'.Johnson's birth.;;With';.all ; .'■;. rthe: power -of 'his- persuasive, eloquence; Je had .:;, :s9t:'himself to prbve;that."of all. the men; whom ';:;'- yo.h'ave'; never .seen: Johnson is; the." qian -whom ■-.-:'■;.'> .:we.;khow ( .best.",.-Then came a happy 'stroke of ;::-.';.--.fancy_.-'.,'.'..Vi.; : -. *p/;i~-« : ■■IX .... j". : : tjhis'; hall;'- observed;, the, '■-': ';■'■ Bpeaker.-.Vwould; 'no. r doubt,', : cause a-'seqsa'tion,': ;. -but.m;five- mihute's.'.it;.wbuld■ beUh'S'Sensation .''-•';■'.''!-°[ restored.-to.uSi'after a •■■■■: .: abroad.-.' ; We. can'.'fandy. ; him approaching' "h6w, : • •-:V;.--;,'inuraWirig.and;griimbling:';" ':'■-.-•; '■■:■ ■:'.;.'.;"'What is.;this''concourse-of silly:: s jeople,' '';:^;:Blr?'^^':; ; ;):*■,^v:.<:;.^s^;;r : v l;.,.;:. j,;...;,;; ; :,;.' is : strange[■'ions'ense J^siri ?^''!-;' l;;-;Vv'-'-v- ---■' /What is.it to ybui.-sir.vwhethef-IVahi'itwo. ■ ;.;/hundred old; br;'hot?M;. Methuselah/ 1 . ;qf : ; .:„:Whom we; know ;practically nothing; 1 was■'■uh-. ■' :';,dqubtedly;'my. .sbhior./aud/we-.do'not commem---:v'; :, '';:;-"-•;;. '•'■'-■,--■■.

; ■;;'•■' -...:-.Bpswelt ,atihia'ffiide;-,'ohsequiously. explaining I ': follow, ■■' pos- : .--iKblycan.-.explosion,'but ,;I,ucy..Porter,;: Molly. 1 : : .:,Aston,. Peter Garrick, and :the'lScwards rally ;.i; ; rpiind .him; - : he' -leans -serenely; and' .calls' ;fpr - ■'-.\' ice iniyrhich ;Lord'Eosebery'uttered' ,;■ ,theSe..,words, : tli:evßtylb„tthe.'truculerice: ; of 'the i :& :PJr/ 'balled .up v the /veritable - ghbst' ; of I Bbs.'::.•«well s.;hero.: -Just-now Xord ■ Eosebery"..stood ;;■:-,with hisffoot upon'his'true land—far: from the' 1 [action—a land, bright: with-the | "/'■•flowers ;bf .titevaturo .and the'-'Drama'. '; ' ''■:■' ;;:.::/• . ; Aiter,Glasgow,:however;(to quote.the"Daily i ;-''./;JJews< e ws -of/Lord : long-and '"' i ;.pnU'aM Mdressj.itwould have.beeh/tbo much to expect an.entire:banishment';bfpolitics;from, '.:■ /'.his .speech:-';;:Very/'early■';in ,thb: oration came ;'-:;.": to, sly. dig; at -has" :;. vbecome.the.[pVoperty.'of,;the -English-speaking •;:;.:;.race...- Every'.'man-'has-his-' l little -freehold.there,-' ■; ■■ :thb',Exchequercan-tax. ■; -: ;.'Every one. resents^'an'.intrusionV:iipbn; it,'ignite ,/;. naturally, and- I/woli:'knowV that -whatever: 1., -.;-. may-say I/shall/constantly "break ;my. .'shins on , ■ :./ some cherished ; and preconceived opinion."'.' : :■/;■■. Later,'.one. wa3,reminded rLbrd: Eosobery's .; -./ \early association' with .the Progressive party :on :: ".'•"■' ..County.;Council-by. his suggestion ;,•..;,-. that;Johhspn ;and/.Bbswell, ..when;: they "took' ■•''' : ' v -'-'-'2!^-^ a^--'™ oTe^; '' s ™ oo^?'-; ' a^< ' n S"-'- tho.':'"silT'or': ,;•,'■■ ■:Thames" to -;qupte/'.3bzzy''),;presented'"a , v . ; ture 'Which/almost, consoles us 'for' the; present -.':;:■ dearth > of,- river .steamers." -~-. ■/• ,; ';•.;.",. /.'-,;,: : .'■.. -.-.;■ ./V Hm'e ■. .-, ;epeech;,thanking,/Lichfield :for/. ; its-gift.;of. the ;■;'.;. freedomi tf. :the.-roity—was; hardly so 'graceful ~-•>; ; -.. I shall treasure this-casket.and:what it.con-' :.-;,. ..'tains,'-, vsaid./Lqrd'iEosobery, "ks long as -any ;,.: form of, property; is Allowed :tb. exist. ■'■..'■'■■■■" '■ ;;;■;;.; The; grcater;part':of; the .'address /consisted of an esquisitely-phrased.pancgyric',of. the small •-•■',-'; booksellers'soniwho:was 'Tjorn poor and scro•..fulous and'.'half : blind; and with n hereditary ;.;.',;melancholy ;iiot.'far-removed' fronv madness, -,-.:. yet 'who in the opinion of the .speaker, ;;,::';. pur;greatest; man of letters:in a-large sense V, ;.:Of that;vague term"./ X,.;.::;;.;:.'.-- ;;.;.-;:■, , ; --'-':' : /-l- ! ?%'. be side3 /regarding; him. as this, Lord '~.;,EpSPbory;.was: pleased to visualise. Dr. Johnson ."," as the 'typical:-John. Bull, .; -."Ho .was .John'.Bull. himself. 'He exalted the .-. .y character-, of-which he may. be' regarded; as ,:,. ;.the;:sublime' type;;but -lie; embodied .the spirit. --:,. .ills loryismvwas'.partiof..his -John'rßultism; ./ was rather that: of tho '■■ ;■"- J ? 1 U 1 "'S u11 , t D "n:, of the.- Cockney; his hatred v.v. : of Scotland was- that of [the John Bull' of > his , .youth.;.-Physically,, and .'combatively,- ho embodied the character hot of the ordinary a"ri- ,[/ /cultural, bnt;of,the"-literary. John Bull/' ,■- ' ,1 ;■■■:■: Again, and as .part of his. John ■ Bullism," ■:■■■.•:■■ ho. added presently; "note his robust .common ..,:■'sense.-,-He. abounded';in: common sense, and ;'.: also jn some that; was Vmcommon." ■■; "[.' l _.P" al ' n ß" m orb;;closoly■ witliVthe man's .'work,' :.;; : :: Lord; Eosebery. askedr.What- is the cause'of :.: -,-' Jpnnsons immortality ..amongst -us? - That ; ;.v:;immortality; did ~not,-he .-' .-.on'his.works;-for.-"his-twelve Volumes..sleep, :. 'I;fear,/pn :bur. .shelyesr-at.'least, they do on .:-,,, mino'. .-■ Two noble-poems, thp ..'.'Lives of ;tho :-:- -• p P.MS.,,.iind the.Dictionary-bilt.who/reads tlio' ;'.;'::reSt?;..',; : -;i.,;...'.•,-;-c!-<'-;[/'.-' .-j-'..;."-v- '■';'■' ::■"■■*'■: ■

'::;..'•:■"! speak- only Hot myself," answered his lord-.-,i\: BhjPt. .guardedly.;,.; me Gamblers' and '. the Idlers .a're; dead...for. me-'--1 hope; there are' ..others more,fortunate.' Mlasselas' I read not : •:. ' - but. assiduously, at '■ school,''' and, -."' PToba,bly,. for/ that reason,': never -wish to* read '•■ it.'-.again;;-;l;have/read,!fprj.bjasiacss -purposes' .;..;.. speeches _iinder 'other names >which he no , doubt ,'■■; ctimposed,? But speaking 'as an individual and' ; illiterate;;,Bnton.Jl^ake:.this confession; I- :. .KiaKq it,.in dust ..and 'ashes, .with ;a sheet and • a.candle,.under/every, visible form'of penance, .'/..lint rcdhnbt honestly withhold it. And, after V all, two poems': arid some', pleasing biographies •;.' ~ dp not of-themselves, as'a rulc;-constitnto- n ...■;.;claim,'to. lasting'.famo. '■:.. ; . ■'.- I.pass, then to Boswell .Snd tho. figure -that: remains eternally -.; -resting-on'. Boswell.''/"; ,: -.- ■:.- X '■.Hertj.is 'l9rd;'Rpsohery's:'thuuibnail'sketch' - v.of y.Bozzys'. j, "Vojogy:.; "A'.'.strange■ com-'::-pound' of'.HMsrK *> vanity,.-fatuity,'arid ah- .' v Bnnlity,:in .w]fitf*£ as' precious and .unexpected , v . hs' ;Tauium, .is : a''uialgamated.. enough' of genius ',: .to'leaven'and . redeem .the whole.". . : , ; Of ,Bbz2y's'.book;.thisl:"l,,;speaking from, ex-;,'-;.peripnc6, 'can jsay./that in : sickness, when.'nil :*,'• other y.boolcs ;have'. failed,-whon "Dickens, .- Thackeray, Walter .Scott, arid Mother mugicinns 'U\~ have-been :.uselcss: to distract, LtoswellV bonk ~,-. Is 'the 'only. ; one.: which could engage and de-'. Aain-the languid- attention of an', invalid."' : •..;■ ;i ' "With v.the help, of ■'■ this book 1 Lord Roseborv ■■"::•■ : drew. ; a:.silhouette,;bf .Johnson's'.mighty mini! in. lowered, voico of. ':.-- ;.hio-high .composure .in, the 'face of death, which ;. r 'l'. : -. : ;tS'.him'-'.-was-a very/dreadful." ":\~ :.-;-.;:> ■■' ," : '■•; ; ( ::'v;"lren-;lik.e'. -he. said withall solemnity, : ..''aro-;th'o .stay/of .religion in! their .'-time niiil .-..■' ■', .for;, tlwo'who.;cbriiß;.aftbr.i Xaymen .who .hold '■'..- hißh:;and'ririrc-,.the,staiidnrd of their fnithdo. ; ;"\;,m"ofe':fqfiChristi.nnity'i:,it;' may -safely ,be averred,' .::';■ tHari;::'n.';riulti i tudoVof''-p ;i''V-"--\jlibt/.Jq^disp''nrngc-,the.'Ql(! i 'rgj'.;'' rnth'pr. : tho'''reverF^!,' , : ;; :'■'■; •l'dr,'WSmplins:<tliat theiricoiirso:.?';!-Tegular ami : vL-!l'-- j' folt"-,;t6"" '..'.'■ ■' bP ; tbeiiin-tnrtil"rr?iiltVof.vthpirj.profcxsion .nnd ■ ,: : :' their layman,', idio ''.'■"■'J;'l«; j 'also;'av-'cOrisnicuoils;.phi'istiaii;>husyall '..'•the'

honours of a, volunteer. 'No one,-'lvthinki" can doubt-that Samuel Johnson and William -Ewnrt Gladstone were priceless champions of thoir faith;'and that their places will not .easily bo filled."./; , :. ," ■"; ■ ... '-.; .