15-102 Samuel Johnson: Patronage

Lead: In Samuel Johnsons "Dictionary of the English Language," he defines a patron: One who countenances, supports or protects; commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is paid with flattery.

Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: Eighteenth-century London was a magnet for aspiring writers like Samuel Johnson. He came to London from the midlands in 1737, penniless, ill-fed, and ill-clothed. He contributed to periodicals for a number of years, barely getting by, and after many years of obscurity, secured his reputation as a man of letters with the publication of his "Dictionary of the English Language" in 1755. For that accomplishment he was awarded a modest annual pension from the British government, and thus gained financial independence.

Although Johnson received advances from booksellers when he started his dictionary project, they were hardly sufficient, and he was forced to seek additional support from wealthier Londoners. He had little patience for those who offered him patronage only after his success was assured. For eight years, with great hardship and financial struggle, Johnson worked on his dictionary and even before publication it was recognized as a great achievement with its 42,000 words and 114,000 quotations. The wealthy Earl of Chesterfield ignored Johnsons pleas to support his dictionary project during the early years and only offered support after it was completed--apparently so that Chesterfield would receive mention in the dedication. Johnson mockingly speaks across the ages for scholars, politicians, those seeking grants, those working in the non-profit world, all begging for support from the wealthy for a good cause, when he writes Chesterfield asking:

Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? This concludes a year-long series of programs highlighting the work of Samuel Johnson in the year celebrating the anniversary of his birth. At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

Resources

Abrahams, M. H., et al., eds. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Norton: New York, 1974.

Bate, Jackson. Samuel Johnson. Washington, D. C.: Counterpoint, 1998.

Bayne-Powell, Rosamond. Eighteenth-Century London Life. New York: Dutton, 1938.

Boswell, James. Life of Johnson. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Halliday, E. F. Doctor Johnson and His World. New York: Viking Press, 1968.

Johnson, Samuel and Donald Green, ed. Samuel Johnson: The Major Works. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2000.

Picard, Liza. Dr. Johnsons London. New York: St. Martins Press, 2001.

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Bookshop. 20 June 2008 http://www.samueljohnsonbirthplace.org.uk/ .

Samuel Johnson Tercentenary 2009. 10 July 2008 http://www.johnson2009.org/ .

Schwartz, Richard B. Daily Life in Johnsons London. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1983.



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[scmk8]

really good explanation and background info.