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'To wing my flight to fame.' |
DRYDEN. Virgil, Georgics, iii. 9.
[1109] On Nov. 12 he wrote to Mrs. Thrale:—'We came hither (to Edinburgh) on the ninth of this month. I long to come under your care, but for some days cannot decently get away.' Piozzi Letters, i. 202.
[1110] He would have been astonished had he known that a few miles from Edinburgh he had passed through two villages of serfs. The coal-hewers and salt-makers of Tranent and Preston-Pans were still sold with the soil. 'In Scotland domestic slavery is unknown, except so far as regards the coal-hewers and salt-makers, whose condition, it must be confessed, bears some resemblance to slavery; because all who have once acted in either of the capacities are compellable to serve, and fixed to their respective places of employment during life.' Hargrave's Argument in the case of James Sommersett, 1772. Had Johnson known this he might have given as his toast when in company with some very grave men at Edinburgh:—'Here's to the next insurrection of the slaves in Scotland.' Ante, iii. 200.
[1111] The year following in the House of Commons he railed at the London booksellers, 'who, he positively asserted, entirely governed the newspapers.' 'For his part,' he added, 'he had ordered that no English newspaper should come within his doors for three months.' Parl. Hist. xvii. 1090.
[1112] See ante, iii. 373.
[1113] 'At the latter end of 1630 Ben Jonson went on foot into Scotland, on purpose to visit Drummond. His adventures in this journey he wrought into a poem; but that copy, with many other pieces, was accidentally burned.' Whalley's Ben Jonson, Preface, p. xlvi.
[1114] Perhaps the same woman showed the chapel who was there 29 years later, when Scott visited it. One of his friends 'hoped that they might, as habitual visitors, escape hearing the usual endless story of the silly old woman that showed the ruins'; but Scott answered, 'There is a pleasure in the song which none but the songstress knows, and by telling her we know it all ready we should make the poor devil unhappy.' Lockharts Scott, ed. 1839, ii. 106.
[1115] O rare Ben Jonson is on Jonson's tomb in Westminster Abbey.