Johnson & Wilkes

While in London in 1776 Boswell orchestrated the meeting of two arch-rivals: Samuel Johnson, conservative Tory and champion of morality, and Jack Wilkes, popular Whig politician and reknown libertine. In his conversation and his writings, Johnson displayed great antipathy toward Wilkes. Before this evening, excerpted from a fuller account in The Life of Johnson, the two men had never met.

Guide

Title page of the Life of Johnson, 3rd edition.

Background: Johnson-Wilkes

On May 15th, 1776 Samuel Johnson and Jack Wilkes met at "the most famous of dinner parties," orchestrated, of course, by Boswell.

Johnson was a famous Tory; Wilkes was a notorious Whig.

Although intolerant of many Scotsmen (Boswell generally excluded), Johnson maintained a certain nostalgia for the Stuart monarchy. He was indebted, however, to the present Hanover king, George III. Wilkes generally opposed the dictates of George III and libelously condemned the Scottish prime minister, Lord Bute. So, jocular ridicule of Scotsmen was a bond between the two men.

Boswell, a Scotsman, creates the occasion for this, the most famous scene in his biography of Johnson. Once he has cajoled the two into meeting, he turns from participant to observer.

His use of dialogue and description is more skillful than any other in eighteenth-century biography.

back to Opening

Commentary on Johnson's Meeting with Wilkes

The narrative and dialogic demands behind the description of Johnson's meeting with Wilkes are similar to those used for describing "The Storm." Boswell is faced with presenting the event in a fashion that conveys his anticipation, Johnson's tension, and finally the complaisant acceptance which arose between Johnson and Wilkes. He succeeds by casting the event into dramatic form, with a distinct setting, cast of characters, and plot. Boswell's narrative control of dialogue is as skillful as his manipulation of Johnson. After a short introduction, Boswell opens the scene with conversation between Dilly and himself; he has just been invited to dine at the Dillys':

"Pray (said I,) let us have Dr. Johnson."--"What with Mr. Wilkes? not for the world, (said Mr. Edward Dilly:) Dr. Johnson would never forgive me."--"Come, (said I,) if you'll let me negociate for you, I will be answerable that all shall go well." DILLY. "Nay, if you will take it upon you, I am sure I shall be very happy to see them both here."
Boswell opens his plan to the audience next, commenting that:

Notwithstanding the high veneration which I entertained for Dr. Johnson, I was sensible that he was sometimes a little actuated by the spirit of contradiction, and by means of that I hoped I should gain my point.
Boswell is confident that he can "negociate" Johnson in such a way that the meeting will be enjoyable. He was either less concerned about Wilkes' reaction, or confident that he could handle both men at once, for he does not appear to have prepared Wilkes for the meeting.

Boswell is constantly in the foreground, directing the action and dialogue. After introducing the setting and the beginnings of the plot, he moves the scene of dialogue to Johnson's house where he sets his negociation in motion:

"Mr. Dilly, Sir, sends his respectful compliments to you, and would be happy if you would do him the honour to dine with him on Wednesday next along with me, as I must soon go to Scotland." JOHNSON. "Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Dilly. I will wait upon him--" BOSWELL. "Provided, Sir, I suppose, that the company which he is to have, is agreeable to you." JOHNSON. "What do you mean, Sir? What do you take me for?"
By leading the conversation, Boswell thus leads the plot. He could have written the passage using indirect discourse with overt narrative direction, but already in control, he instead lets dialogue forward the action.

JOHNSON. "What do you mean, Sir? What do you take me for? Do you think I am so ignorant of the world, as to imagine that I am to prescribe to a gentleman what company he is to have at his table?" BOSWELL. "I beg your pardon, Sir, for wishing to prevent you from meeting people whom you might not like. Perhaps he may have some of what he calls his patriotick friends with him." JOHNSON. "Well, Sir, and what then? what care I for his patriotick friends? Poh!" BOSWELL. "I should not be surprized to find Jack Wilkes there." JOHNSON. "And if Jack Wilkes should be there, what is that to me, Sir? My dear friend, let us have no more of this. I am sorry to be angry with you; but really it is treating me strangely to talk to me as if I could not meet any company whatever, occasionally." BOSWELL. "Pray forgive me, Sir: I meant well. But you shall meet whoever comes, for me."
The qualification of Johnson's final assertion with "occasionally" is set against Boswell's own qualification, rich in meaning, "for me."

Boswell moves the story along, sandwiching burst of dialogue between narrative. The emotional level is skillfully maintained. First, Johnson must be made to accept the invitation, with the crucial scene delivered in dialogue. Then on the appointed day Boswell must call forth all his powers of negotiation again. This time Johnson will be persuaded only if Mrs. Williams is persuaded. The crucial scene is again delivered in dialogue, and again it ends with success as Johnson acquiesces and roars, "Frank, a clean shirt."

The climactic interaction in Boswell's little drama is of course presented in dialogue. Johnson and Wilkes sit next to each other at the dinner table. Boswell provides necessary narrative explanation and then effortlessly slips into dialogue.

No man eat more heartily than Johnson, or loved better what was nice and delicate. Mr. Wilkes was very assiduous in helping him to some fine veal. "Pray give me leave, Sir;--It is better here--A little of the brown--Some fat, Sir--A little of the stuffing--Some gravy--Let me have the pleasure of giving you some butter--Allow me to recommend a squeeze of this orange;--or the lemon, perhaps, may have more zest."--"Sir; Sir, I am obliged to you, Sir," cried Johnson, bowing, and turning his head to him with a look for some time of "surly virtue," but, in a short while, of complacency.
Here Boswell's overt control ends; in the remaining scene he allows Johnson and Wilkes to share center stage, giving each actor an equal share in the literary discussion and in the jests upon Scotland.

back to Opening

Johnson & Wilkes

I am now to record a very curious incident in Dr. Johnson's Life, which fell under my own observation; of which pars magna fui, and which I am persuaded will, with the liberal-minded, be much to his credit.

My desire of being acquainted with celebrated men of every description, had made me, much about the same time, obtain an introduction to Dr. Samuel Johnson and to John Wilkes, Esq. Two men more different could perhaps not be selected out of all mankind. They had even attacked one another with some asperity in their writings; yet I lived in habits of friendship with both. I could fully relish the excellences of each; for I have ever delighted in that intellectual chymistry, which can separate good qualities from evil in the same person.

Sir John Pringle, "mine own friend and my Father's friend," between whom and Dr. Johnson I in vain wished to establish an acquaintance, as I respected and lived in intimacy with both of them, observed to me once, very ingeniously, "It is not in friendship as in mathematicks, where two things, each equal to a third, are equal between themselves. You agree with Johnson as a middle quality, and you agree with me as a middle quality; but Johnson and I should not agree." Sir John was not sufficiently flexible; so I desisted; knowing, indeed, that the repulsion was equally strong on the part of Johnson; who, I know not from what cause, unless his being a Scotchman, had formed a very erroneous opinion of Sir John. But I conceived an irresistible wish, if possible, to bring Dr. Johnson and Mr. Wilkes together. How to manage it, was a nice and difficult matter.

My worthy booksellers and friends, Messieurs Dilly in the Poultry, at whose hospitable and well-covered table I have seen a greater number of literary men, than at any other, except that of Sir Joshua Reynolds, had invited me to meet Mr. Wilkes and some more gentlemen on Wednesday, May 15th. "Pray (said I,) let us have Dr. Johnson."--"What with Mr. Wilkes? not for the world, (said Mr. Edward Dilly:) Dr. Johnson would never forgive me."--"Come, (said I,) if you'll let me negociate for you, I will be answerable that all shall go well." DILLY. "Nay, if you will take it upon you, I am sure I shall be very happy to see them both here."

Notwithstanding the high veneration which I entertained for Dr. Johnson, I was sensible that he was sometimes a little actuated by the spirit of contradiction, and by means of that I hoped I should gain my point. I was persuaded that if I had come upon him with a direct proposal, "Sir, will you dine in company with Jack Wilkes?" he would have flown into a passion, and would probably have answered, "Dine with Jack Wilkes, Sir! I'd as soon dine with Jack Ketch." I therefore, while we were sitting quietly by ourselves at his house in an evening, took occasion to open my plan thus:--"Mr. Dilly, Sir, sends his respectful compliments to you, and would be happy if you would do him the honour to dine with him on Wednesday next along with me, as I must soon go to Scotland." JOHNSON. "Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Dilly. I will wait upon him--" BOSWELL. "Provided, Sir, I suppose, that the company which he is to have, is agreeable to you." JOHNSON. "What do you mean, Sir? What do you take me for? Do you think I am so ignorant of the world, as to imagine that I am to prescribe to a gentleman what company he is to have at his table?" BOSWELL. "I beg your pardon, Sir, for wishing to prevent you from meeting people whom you might not like. Perhaps he may have some of what he calls his patriotick friends with him." JOHNSON. "Well, Sir, and what then? what care I for his patriotick friends? Poh!" BOSWELL. "I should not be surprized to find Jack Wilkes there." JOHNSON. "And if Jack Wilkes should be there, what is that to me, Sir? My dear friend, let us have no more of this. I am sorry to be angry with you; but really it is treating me strangely to talk to me as if I could not meet any company whatever, occasionally." BOSWELL. "Pray forgive me, Sir: I meant well. But you shall meet whoever comes, for me." Thus I secured him, and told Dilly that he would find him very well pleased to be one of his guests on the day appointed.

Upon the much expected Wednesday, I called on him about half an hour before dinner, as I often did when we were to dine out together, to see that he was ready in time, and to accompany him. I found him buffeting his books, as upon a former occasion, covered with dust, and making no preparation for going abroad. "How is this, Sir? (said I.) Don't you recollect that you are to dine at Mr. Dilly's?" JOHNSON. "Sir, I did not think of going to Dilly's: it went out of my head. I have ordered dinner at home with Mrs. Williams." BOSWELL. "But, my dear Sir, you know you were engaged to Mr. Dilly, and I told him so. He will expect you, and will be much disappointed if you don't come." JOHNSON. "You must talk to Mrs. Williams about this."

Here was a sad dilemma. I feared what I was so confident I had secured would yet be frustrated. He had accustomed himself to shew Mrs. Williams such a degree of humane attention, as frequently imposed some restraint upon him; and I knew that if she should be obstinate, he would not stir. I hastened down stairs to the blind lady's room, and told her I was in great uneasiness, for Dr. Johnson had engaged me to dine this day at Mr. Dilly's, but that he had told me he had forgotten his engagement, and had ordered dinner at home. "Yes, Sir, (said she, pretty peevishly,) Dr. Johnson is to dine at home."--"Madam, (said I,) his respect for you is such, that I know he will not leave you unless you absolutely desire it. But as you have so much of his company, I hope you will be good enough to forego it for a day; as Mr. Dilly is a very worthy man, has frequently had agreeable parties at his house for Dr. Johnson, and will be vexed if the Doctor neglects him to-day. And then, Madam, be pleased to consider my situation; I carried the message, and I assured Mr. Dilly that Dr. Johnson was to come, and no doubt he has made a dinner, and invited a company, and boasted of the honour he expected to have. I shall be quite disgraced if the Doctor is not there." She gradually softened to my solicitations, which were certainly as earnest as most entreaties to ladies upon any occasion, and was graciously pleased to empower me to tell Dr. Johnson, "that all things considered, she thought he should certainly go." I flew back to him, still in dust, and careless of what should be the event, "indifferent in his choice to go or stay;" but as soon as I had announced to him Mrs. Williams' consent, he roared, "Frank, a clean shirt," and was very soon drest. When I had him fairly seated in a hackney-coach with me, I exulted as much as a fortune-hunter who has got an heiress into a post-chaise with him to set out for Gretna-Green.

When we entered Mr. Dilly's drawing room, he found himself in the midst of a company he did not know. I kept myself snug and silent, watching how he would conduct himself. I observed him whisper to Mr. Dilly, "Who is that gentleman, Sir?"--"Mr. Arthur Lee."--JOHNSON. "Too, too, too," (under his breath,) which was one of his habitual mutterings. Mr. Arthur Lee could not but be very obnoxious to Johnson for he was not only a patriot but an American. He was afterwards minister from the United States at the court of Madrid. And who is the gentleman in lace?"--"Mr. Wilkes, Sir." This information confounded him still more; he had some difficulty to restrain himself, and taking up a book, sat down upon a window-seat and read, or at least kept his eye upon it intently for some time, till he composed himself. His feelings, I dare say, were aukward enough. But he no doubt recollected his having rated me for supposing that he could be at all disconcerted by any company, and he, therefore, resolutely set himself to behave as an easy man of the world, who could adapt himself at once to the disposition and manners of those whom he might chance to meet.

The cheering sound of "Dinner is upon the table," dissolved his reverie, and we all sat down without any symptom of ill humour. There were present, beside Mr. Wilkes, and Mr. Arthur Lee, who was an old companion of mine when he studied physick at Edinburgh, Mr. (now Sir John) Miller, Dr. Lettsom, and Mr. Slater the druggist. Mr. Wilkes placed himself next to Dr. Johnson, and behaved to him with so much attention and politeness, that he gained upon him insensibly. No man eat more heartily than Johnson, or loved better what was nice and delicate. Mr. Wilkes was very assiduous in helping him to some fine veal. "Pray give me leave, Sir;--It is better here--A little of the brown--Some fat, Sir--A little of the stuffing--Some gravy--Let me have the pleasure of giving you some butter--Allow me to recommend a squeeze of this orange;--or the lemon, perhaps, may have more zest."--"Sir; Sir, I am obliged to you, Sir," cried Johnson, bowing, and turning his head to him with a look for some time of "surly virtue," but, in a short while, of complacency.

back to Opening

Notes

Jack Ketch was the hangman of London.

. . . back

Gretna Green: a village in the south of Scotland where marriage ceremonies could be performed without delay (in England marriage bans had to be announced meaning at least a two week wait).

. . . back

Dialogic--having to do with dialogue within the text.

. . . back to Commentary

Indirect discourse might read as follows:

I told Dr Johnson that I had to go to Scotland soon. He agreed to attend and asked me to tell Dilly so. I replied that I supposed the acceptance was conditional. . . .

. . . back