Young Johnson had the misfortune to be much afflicted with the scrophula,or king's evil,which disfigured a countenance naturally well formed,and hurt his visual nerves so much,that he did not see at all with one of his eyes,though its appearance was little different from that of the other.There is amongst his prayers,one inscribed 'When,my EYE was restored to its use,'which ascertains a defect that many of his friends knew he had,though Inever perceived it.I supposed him to be only near-sighted;and indeed I must observe,that in no other respect could I discern any defect in his vision;on the contrary,the force of his attention and perceptive quickness made him see and distinguish all manner of objects,whether of nature or of art,with a nicety that is rarely to be found.When he and I were travelling in the Highlands of Scotland,and I pointed out to him a mountain which I observed resembled a cone,he corrected my inaccuracy,by shewing me,that it was indeed pointed at the top,but that one side of it was larger than the other.And the ladies with whom he was acquainted agree,that no man was more nicely and minutely critical in the elegance of female dress.When I found that he saw the romantick beauties of Islam,in Derbyshire,much better than I did,I told him that he resembled an able performer upon a bad instrument.It has been said,that he contracted this grievous malady from his nurse.His mother yielding to the superstitious notion,which,it is wonderful to think,prevailed so long in this country,as to the virtue of the regal touch;a notion,which our kings encouraged,and to which a man of such inquiry and such judgement as Carte could give credit;carried him to London,where he was actually touched by Queen Anne.Mrs.Johnson indeed,as Mr.Hector informed me,acted by the advice of the celebrated Sir John Floyer,then a physician in Lichfield.Johnson used to talk of this very frankly;and Mrs.Piozzi has preserved his very picturesque deion of the scene,as it remained upon his fancy.Being asked if he could remember Queen Anne,'He had (he said)a confused,but somehow a sort of solemn recollection of a lady in diamonds,and a long black hood.'This touch,however,was without any effect.I ventured to say to him,in allusion to the political principles in which he was educated,and of which he ever retained some odour,that 'his mother had not carried him far enough;she should have taken him to ROME.'
He was first taught to read English by Dame Oliver,a widow,who kept a school for young children in Lichfield.He told me she could read the black letter,and asked him to borrow for her,from his father,a bible in that character.When he was going to Oxford,she came to take leave of him,brought him,in the simplicity of her kindness,a present of gingerbread,and said,he was the best scholar she ever had.He delighted in mentioning this early compliment:adding,with a smile,that 'this was as high a proof of his merit as he could conceive.'His next instructor in English was a master,whom,when he spoke of him to me,he familiarly called Tom Brown,who,said he,'published a spelling-book,and dedicated it to the UNIVERSE;but,I fear,no copy of it can now be had.'
He began to learn Latin with Mr.Hawkins,usher,or under-master of Lichfield school,'a man (said he)very skilful in his little way.'
With him he continued two years,and then rose to be under the care of Mr.Hunter,the headmaster,who,according to his account,'was very severe,and wrong-headedly severe.He used (said he)to beat us unmercifully;and he did not distinguish between ignorance and negligence;for he would beat a boy equally for not knowing a thing,as for neglecting to know it.He would ask a boy a question;and if he did not answer it,he would beat him,without considering whether he had an opportunity of knowing how to answer it.For instance,he would call up a boy and ask him Latin for a candlestick,which the boy could not expect to be asked.Now,Sir,if a boy could answer every question,there would be no need of a master to teach him.'
It is,however,but justice to the memory of Mr.Hunter to mention,that though he might err in being too severe,the school of Lichfield was very respectable in his time.The late Dr.Taylor,Prebendary of Westminster,who was educated under him,told me,that 'he was an excellent master,and that his ushers were most of them men of eminence;that Holbrook,one of the most ingenious men,best scholars,and best preachers of his age,was usher during the greatest part of the time that Johnson was at school.Then came Hague,of whom as much might be said,with the addition that he was an elegant poet.Hague was succeeded by Green,afterwards Bishop of Lincoln,whose character in the learned world is well known.'
Indeed Johnson was very sensible how much he owed to Mr.Hunter.
Mr.Langton one day asked him how he had acquired so accurate a knowledge of Latin,in which,I believe,he was exceeded by no man of his time;he said,'My master whipt me very well.Without that,Sir,I should have done nothing.'He told Mr.Langton,that while Hunter was flogging his boys unmercifully,he used to say,'And this I do to save you from the gallows.'Johnson,upon all occasions,expressed his approbation of enforcing instruction by means of the rod.'I would rather (said he)have the rod to be the general terrour to all,to make them learn,than tell a child,if you do thus,or thus,you will be more esteemed than your brothers or sisters.The rod produces an effect which terminates in itself.
A child is afraid of being whipped,and gets his task,and there's an end on't;whereas,by exciting emulation and comparisons of superiority,you lay the foundation of lasting mischief;you make brothers and sisters hate each other.'
