Poetical Works of Johnson, Parnell, Gray, and Smollett - With Memoirs, Critical Dissertations, and Explanatory Notes by Thomas Gray;Thomas Parnell;Tobias George Smollett;Samuel Johnson
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page 20 of 295 (06%)
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in Johnson's company, "Oh! it is enough for me to have rung the
bell to him!" In all Johnson's works you see the traces of the triumphant conversationalist--of one who has met with few to contradict, and scarcely one to rival him. Hence the dogmatic strength and certainty, and hence, too, the one-sidedness and limitation of much of his writings. He does not "allow for the wind." He seems to anticipate no reply, and to defy all criticism. One is tempted to quote the words of Solomon, "He that is first in his own cause seemeth just, but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." No such searching seems ever to have entered into Johnson's apprehensions. His sentences roll forth like the laws of the Medes and Persians; his praise alights with the authoritativeness of a sun-burst on a mountain; summit; and when he blames, he seems to add, like an ancient doomster, the words, "I pronounce for doom." With Burke, it was very different. Accustomed to parliamentary debate in its vicissitudes and interchange--gifted, too, with a prophetic insight into coming objections, which "cast their shadows before," and with an almost diseased subtlety of thinking, he binds up his answers to opponents with every thesis he propounds; and his paragraphs sometimes remind you of the plan of generals in great emergencies, putting foot soldiers on the same saddles with cavalry--they seem to _ride double_. This is not the place, nor have we room, to dilate on Johnson's obvious merits and faults--his straight-forward sincerity--his strong manly sense--the masterly force with which he grasps all his subjects--the measured fervour of his style--the precision and vivacity of his shorter sentences--the grand swell and sonorousness of his longer; on his frequent monotony--his _sesguipedalia verba_--the |
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