John Dodsley

“ Beverly J. Onley, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Frances Miriam Reed, University of California, Los Angeles INTRODUCTION
The career of Robert Dodsley (1703-1764) , or "Doddy" as Samuel Johnson affectionately called him, resembles nothing so much as the rise of Francis Goodchild in Hogarth's Industry and Idleness (1747) series. Like Goodchild, Dodsley began as a humble apprentice and, through energy, ingenuity, and laudable ambition, grew prosperous and gained the esteem of all London. ”

“ He had already acquired a considerable literary reputation when he came to London about the end of 1743, and offered the work to Dodsley for £120. Dodsley thought the price exorbitant, and only accepted the terms after submitting the MS. to Pope, who assured him that this was “no everyday writer.” ”

“ We talked of biography—JOHNSON. 'It is rarely well executed. They only who live with a man can write his life with any genuine exactness and discrimination; and few people who have lived with a man know what to remark about him. The chaplain of a late Bishop, whom I was to assist in writing some memoirs of his Lordship, could tell me scarcely any thing.'
I said, Mr. Robert Dodsley's life should be written, as he had been so much connected with the wits of his time, and by his literary merit had raised himself from the station of a footman. ”

“ As yet, he is only at the second step,—a poor poet; when he published books instead of writing them, he became a wealthy, but remained, as ever, a worthy fellow. It is due to this ex-lacquey to say, that in his satirical piece, the "Toy Shop," and in his hearty little drama, the "King and the Miller of Mansfield," both helped towards the stage by Pope, Dodsley gave wholesome food to satisfy the public appetite; and the man who had not long before stripped off a livery, showed more respect for decency than any wit or gallant of them all. ”

“ Johnson wrote to Warton, 21 Dec. 1754: 'You know poor Mr. Dodsley has lost his wife; I believe he is much affected' (Life, i. 277) . Johnson wrote for Dodsley the introduction to the 'London Chronicle' in 1756. 'Melpomene,' an ode, which was published anonymously in 1758, is on a much higher level of thought than any other of his compositions. On 2 Dec. of the same year his tragedy of 'Cleone' was acted for the first time at Covent Garden. ”

“ The Preface is written with much good feeling.
[1312] James Dodsley, many years a bookseller in Pall Mall. He died Feb. 19, 1797. P. CUNNINGHAM. He was living, therefore, when this anecdote was published.
[1313] Horace Walpole (Letters, iii. 135) says:—'You know how decent, humble, inoffensive a creature Dodsley is; how little apt to forget or disguise his having been a footman.' Johnson seems to refer to Dodsley in the following passage, written in 1756 (Works, v. 358) :—'The last century imagined that a man composing in his chariot was a new object of curiosity ”

“ He complains that the re pair of the house at Coningsby, and other expences, took away the profit. In 1757 he published the "Fleece," his greatest poetical work; of which I will not suppress a ludicrous story. Dodsley the bookseller was one day mentioning it to a critical visiter, with more expediation of success than the other could easily admit. In the conversation the author's age was asked; and being represented as advanced in life, "He will," said the critick, "be buried in woollen." ”

“ In 1758 he published ‘Epistles to the Great from Aristippus in retirement,’ which was soon afterwards followed by the ‘Call of Aristippus, Epistle IV. to Mark Akenside, M.D.’ In 1759 he published a translation of Gresset's ‘Vert-Vert,’ which was reprinted in the ‘Repository’ in 1777. In 1764 Dodsley published those of his poems which had appeared in the ‘Museum,’ and in Dodsley's collections, the title being ‘Poems on several subjects.’ He died at Mayfair, London, in April 1769. ”

“ In May 1738, through Cave, he issued Johnson's 'London, a poem,' and gave ten guineas for it (Boswell, Life, i. 121-4) . Next year he printed 'Manners,' a satire by Paul Whitehead, which 'was voted scandalous by the lords, and the author and publisher ordered into custody, where Mr. Dodsley was a week, but Mr. Paul Whitehead absconds' (Gent. Mag. 1739, ix. 104) . Dodsley had to pay 70l. in fees for his lodgings (Ben Victor, Letters, i. 33) , and was only released on the petition of the Earl of Essex. Many influential persons made offers of assistance. ”

“ Johnson's 'Vanity of Human Wishes' and 'Irene' were published by him in the same year.
The first edition of 'The Economy of Human Life' came out in 1750, and was for some time attributed to Dodsley. It has long been recognised to have been written by the Earl of Chesterfield (Notes and Queries, 1st ser. x. 8, 74, 318) . Dodsley's connection with the publication of the first separate edition of Gray's 'Elegy' in February 1751 has been investigated by the late E. Solly (The Bibliographer, 1884, v. 57-61) . ”

“ I know the old man's gone to meet with an old wench that will meet with him, [84] or Jarvis has no juice in his brains; and while I, i' th' meantime, set another wheel agoing at the widow's, do thou soon—about ten, for 'tis to be very conveniently dark—meet this gentleman at the Nag's Head corner, just against Leadenhall. We lie in Lime Street; thither he shall carry thee, accommodate thee daintily all night with Mistress Dorothy, and marry i' th' morning very methodically. ”

“ S'death, here comes another—O, 'tis none
Of that gang, though.
Mir. I'll lay my head, ne'er a girl in Christendom
Of my age, can say what I can; I'm now
But five years i'th' teens, and I have fool'd
Five several men.
Phil. A brave wench, by this light!
Sure, it is I in petticoats.
Mir. My humour
Is to love no man, but to have as many
Love me as they please, come cut or long tail.
Phil. A most divine wench!
Mir. 'Tis a rare diversion, to see what several
Ways my flock of lovers have in being
Ridiculous; some of them sigh so damnably,
That 'tis as troublesome as a windy day. ”

“ For you, fair sir, until we shall hear tidings
Of your most-injur'd sister, please you to call
My court your own—conceive it so—where live.
Two partners in one passion we will be,
And sweeten sorrow with a sympathy. [Exeunt.
Enter Lodovico like a friar, Jaspro, and Jovani.
Lod. What, am I fitted, gallants? am I fitted?
Jas. To th' life, able to cheat suspicion; and so like
Father Antony the confessor, that I protest
There's not more semblance in a pair of eggs.
Jov. An apple cut in half is not so like.
Lod. Well, lords, [143] you're mad lords to counsel me to this. ”

“ In expressing slowness of apprehension this actor surpassed all others. You could see the first dawn of an idea stealing slowly over his countenance, climbing up by little and little with a painful process, till it cleared up at last to the fulness of a twilight conception, its highest meridian. He seemed to keep back his intellect as some have the power to retard their pulsation.’ Dodd left at his death a collection of books, largely dramatic, which formed a nine days' sale at Sotheby's, and realised large prices. ”

“ Jas. 'Tis wonderful!
Jov. 'Tis a sign she keeps all well at home: they are even
With the whole world, that so keep touch with heaven.
Lod. Nay, I told ye, ye should find no Philippo of Francisco.
Clown. And I remember I told your honour you should find no Abstemia of my lady.
Lod. Nor no Lorenzo of myself: he was ever a melancholy stubborn fellow. He kept her in too [Pg 140] much, and see what comes on't! I give my wife her will, and see what comes on't too!
Clown. Nay, sir, there is two come on't, an' a man could discover 'em. ”

“ De L. The count's resolution had too much blood and cruelty in't.
[Pg 170]
Pir. Dessandro urged as much as mortal sense could groan with.
De L. I now call to mind, still as he spake and glanced upon Cleara's face, I had strange startlings in me.
Pir. As the times have.
De. L. The times, my lord? for what?
Pir. The king's death, sir.
De L. Why, my lord, the times are not of the worst presage, though that may cloud them a little.
Pir. I am no Booker, sir, nor Lilly to prognosticate what seven years may travail with; but I could wish the price of knaves may fall. ”

“ The Economy of Human Life (1750) , a collection of moral precepts frequently reprinted, is also by Lord Chesterfield. In 1759 Dodsley retired, leaving the conduct of the business to his brother James (1724-1797) , with whom he had been many years in partnership. He published two more works, The Select Fables of Aesop translated by R. D. (1764) and the Works of William Shenstone (3 vols., 1764-1769) . He died at Durham while on a visit to his friend the Rev. Joseph Spence, on the 23rd of September 1764.
See also Shadows of the Old Booksellers, by Charles Knight (1865) , pp. ”

“ In 1711 Dodwell caught cold in a walk from Shottesbrooke to London, and died on 7 June in that year. He was universally esteemed as a most pious and learned man; his views were those of a staunch Anglican churchman, equally removed from puritanism on the one side and Romanism on the other. Thomas Hearne, the antiquary, was brought up at Shottesbrooke partly under his instruction, and constantly refers in his ‘Diary’ to ‘the great Mr. Dodwell’ as an unimpeachable authority on all points of learning. ”

“ With an automatic obedience which neither sought to comprehend nor to control, Dodson’s hands dived into the recesses of his overcoat. Therefrom they produced a reporter’s notebook, half-full of a hasty and clumsy pencil scrawl. This he gave to the old man.
“It begins here,” he said, indicating the place in an urgent whisper. “It is not very clear, but I hadn’t much time. Can you make it out? Read it as quickly as ever you can, and then perhaps he will not notice that it is not all that it might be.”
“Begin, O my father!” said the gentle voice of the dying man. ”

“ All day he had been querulous in manner, and now some remark of Lord John's as to what we should do on the morrow brought all his bitterness to a head.
"What we ought to be doing to-day, to-morrow, and all the time," said he, "is finding some way out of the trap into which we have fallen. You are all turning your brains towards getting into this country. I say that we should be scheming how to get out of it."
"I am surprised, sir," boomed Challenger, stroking his majestic beard, "that any man of science should commit himself to so ignoble a sentiment. ”

“ Lady W. Well, servant, I believe you can dissemble.
Lady C. Will't please you to draw near? Sir Argent stays
Expecting within.
Free. We'll wait upon you. [Exeunt.
Manent Barnet, Dotterel.
Bar. To what strange fortune, friend, are some men born,
I mean by thee. Surely, when thou wert young,
The fairies dandled thee.
Dot. Why, prythee, Barnet?
Bar. That ladies thus should doat upon thy person.
Dost thou not see how soon the Lady Whimsey
Is caught in love with thee?
Dot. But is she, think'st thou?
[Pg 38]
Bar. Is she! Come, thou perceiv'st it well enough ”

“ Thus early in his career he had adopted the saying of a compatriot, for he too, like so many of our national heroes, claimed the blood of Caledonia stern and wild, upon his mother’s side, “genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains,” and had made it his own. Therefore in a crisis where one of other clay would have been daunted indeed, Mr. M. A. Dodson girt his loins like a veritable giant, and re-addressed himself to his labours with the greatest possible valour. Luney had failed him, as it was only reasonable to expect such a lunatic to do. ”

“ Leaving the ground with the air of a father mourning over some prodigal son, he encountered Mr Jacob Dodson, of Manchester.
Now, Mr Dodson was perhaps the slightest bit shy on the finer feelings. He should have respected the grief of a fallen foe. He should have abstained from exulting. But he was in too exhilarated a condition to be magnanimous. Sighting Mr Rackstraw, he addressed himself joyously to the task of rubbing the thing in. Mr Rackstraw listened in silent anguish. ”

“ Dodsley appears to have been sent by the bookseller to whom he first showed his verses to Defoe, who consented to write the title, preface, introduction, and postscript, the latter bantering his own tract, 'Every Body's Business is No Body's Business.' Eighteen months afterwards, when Mrs. Lowther and her friends were getting subscribers for Dodsley's next volume, it was thought desirable to bring out 'Servitude' with a new title-page, 'The Footman's Friendly Advice to his Brethren of the Livery ... ”

“ Dodson conducted his friend to the shade that was afforded by the back of an immense stand, upon which several thousands of human beings—wedged as tightly together as dried figs in a box—braved the broiling heat of the airless afternoon, craning and tiptoeing to witness a trial of skill of a curiously inconsequent and macabre kind, with whose niceties the vast majority were very imperfectly acquainted. ”

“ To Johnson he seemed little better than a monster. His thoughts were bitter as he sped back to his shop.
“You’ve taken your time,” said his mother-in-law reproachfully, looking down the stairs as he entered.
“I couldn’t help it!” he gasped. “Is it over?”
“Over! She’s got to be worse, poor dear, before she can be better. Where’s Doctor Miles?”
“He’s coming after he’s had dinner.”
The old woman was about to make some reply, when, from the half-opened door behind, a high, whinnying voice cried out for her. She ran back and closed the door, while Johnson, sick at heart, turned into the shop. ”