On Samuel Johnson's Letter to Lord Chesterfield

Samuel Johnson's letter to Lord Chesterfield

2008年07月07日星期一05:15 P.M.

To The Right Honourable The Earl Of Chesterfield

7th February, 1755

My Lord,

I have been lately informed, by the proprietor of The World that two papers, in which my Dictionary is recommended to the public, were written by your lordship. To be so distinguished is an honour which, being very little accustomed to favours from the great, I know not well how to receive, or in what terms to acknowledge.

When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your address, and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre（法语，意为“吾乃天下征服者之征服者也”）;—that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending; but I found my attendance so little encouraged, that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it. When I had once addressed your Lordship in public, I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess. I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected, be it ever so little.

Seven years, my lord, have now passed, since I waited in your outward rooms, or was repulsed from your door; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties, of which it is useless to complain, and have brought it, at last, to the verge of publication, without one act of assistance , one word of encouragement, or one smile of favour. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a patron before.

The shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love, and found

him a native of the rocks.

Is not a patrons 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? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it: till I am solitary, and cannot impart it; till I am known, and do not want it. I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received, or to be unwilling that the public should consider me as owing that to a patron, which providence has enabled me to do for myself.

Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less; for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation,

My Lord,

Your lordship's most humble,

most obedient servant,

SAM. JOHNSON.

伯爵大人阁下：

近闻“人世间”主人言：阁下曾二度撰文，将仆之辞典推荐于世，曷胜荣幸。然仆生平鲜蒙贵人恩典，是以受宠若惊，不知何以答谢。

昔者偶为人言所动，初度造府进谒；于君之谈吐，一似世人之倾慕不已。实望一登龙门，身价十倍；并冀能博得阁下之青睐，此天下人争相罗致者也。然仆之趋候，颇遭冷遇；气候遂裹足不前，半以孤芳自赏，半以自渐形秽也。仆本一介寒士，不求闻达于世，不善逢迎之术。前者于大庭广众之间得与阁下共语，曲尽所能，以期取悦于君，终不可得。人之竭尽绵薄，辱遭鄙夷而复能怡然自得者，鲜矣哉！

忆昔伫候于外室，见拒于侯门，岁月荏苒，春秋七易。七岁之间，仆厉志孟晋，披荆斩棘，致力于辞书之编著；个中艰苦，今日言之何益？所幸功垂于成，刊行在即，期间未尝获君一臂之助，一言之勖，一笑之惠。惟此等殊遇，原非所期，盖仆生平所迄未受恩主之惠。

弗吉尔诗中之牧者，其后终得稔悉“爱童”之为人，方知其为铁石心肠之辈也。

伯爵阁下：见人挣扎于水中则漠漠然袖手旁观，见其安然登岸则遽遽乎殷勤相助，此非恩主之为人乎？阁下于拙著之锦注，若在昔年，诚不失为美意；惜于姗姗其来迟，今仆已兴味索然，难以欣赏；仆已孓然一身，无人分享；仆已薄有声名，不劳垂颐矣。且仆既未受惠于人，自不欲对其感恩戴德；仆借天助独立完竣之功业，自不欲天下人误以为恩主赐；此言谅不致失之于尖酸刻薄耳。

仆自编纂辞书以还，既未受惠于任何学术赞助人于前，则于今大功垂成之日，即无丝毫恩赐于后，亦当不以为憾耳。盖仆昔时固尝陶醉于希望之美梦，今则梦醒久矣。

仆山缪尔·约翰逊顿首再拜

In this letter to the Lord, Johnson declared that he did not feel obliged to anyone and that he was not “accustomed to favors from the great.” He reminded the Lord how he was treated with total indifference and contempt years ago when he visited him in hope of getting some help for his work, and how, over the past seven years, he had toiled and suffered working on his dictionary without any help from any patron. As he had relied solely on himself in this gigantic task, he did not want the public to think that he had received help from a patron. He condemned the fame-fishing act of Chesterfield by hinting that he was the kind of man who “looks with unconcern on a man strug gling for life in the water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help.”

Though the letter was written in a very refined and polite language, the author’s bitterness, sarcasm, anger and defiance of the authority is obvious there.