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Samuel Johnson

Johnson is know by many by way of his "Dictionary" but there was much more to the man. He tried his hand at plays, prose and poetry as well as a historian recording his impressions of the authors of the day. But he also was a dabbler in science.

Samuel Johnson was fascinated by electricity and is said to have conducted experiments although no records seem to have survived. Here is an elegy to Stephen Grey (also Gray) who was at the time a well known "electrician"; that is one who studied electricity.

On the Death of Stephen Grey, F. R. S.
The electrician

Now, hoary sage, pursue thy happy flight
With swifter motion, haste to purer light,
Where Bacon waits, with Newton and with Boyle,
To hail thy genius and applaud thy toil,
Where intuition breathes through time and space,
And mocks experiment's successive race;
Sees tardy Science toil at nature's laws
And wonders how th' effect obscures the cause.

Yet not to deep research or happy guess,
Is view'd the life of hope, the death of peace;
Unblest the man whom philosophic rage
Shall tempt to lose the Christian in the sage:
Nor art but goodness pour'd the sacred ray
That cheer'd the parting hours of humble Grey.

pp102

In Johnson's Dictionary (1756), the following was written:
"Electri'city. A property in some bodies, whereby, when rubbed so as to grow warm, they draw little bits of paper, or such like substances, to them. Quincy.
Such was the account given a few years ago of electricity; but the industry of the present age, first excited by experiments of Gray, has discovered in electricity a multitude of philosophical wonders. Bodies electrified by a sphere of glass, turned nimbly round, not only emit flame, but may be fitted with such a quantity of the electrical vapour, as, if discharged at once upon a human body, would endanger life. The force of this vapour has hitherto appeared instantaneous, persons at both ends of a long chain seemingly to be struck at once. The philosophers are now endeavouring to intercept the strokes of lightning." (Which is of course what Benjamin Franklin and others did).

Grey and Wehler (1729) were the first to transmit electricity from one point to another, and to distinguish bodies into conductors and non-conductors. pp 325, volume 5, Library of Universal Knowledge . (A reprint of the last (1880) Edinburgh and London Edition of Chamber's Encyclopedia .) In the days when cars were more of a curiosity than now, it was considered good sport to catch the hand or arm of one unsuspecting and then grab hold of a spark plug wire. A good jolt (bolt) of electricity was to be experienced by the one on the end while the one grabbing the wire served as a conductor with no noticeable effect
.

Johnson also had a sense of humor, however, his tongue like a cat's was barbed.

Lines

Wheresoever I turn my view,
All is strange , yet nothing new;
Endless labour all along,
Phrase that time has flung away,
Uncouth words in disarray,
Trick'd in antique ruff and bonnet,
Ode, and elegy, and sonnet.
pp 108
published in 1777

Having the acquaintance of Mr and Mrs. Thrale, he took liberties with their friendship. (After the death of the mister, he continued to try to direct the life and fortune of the misses. Finally, he was told in modern terms to, "go stuff it." by the lady.)

Impromptu

Wear the gown, and wear the hat,
Snatch thy pleasures while they last;
Hadst thou nine lives, like a cat,
Soon those nine lives would be past. pp 114

So here we have a bit of another side (and because of his vastness) there were many a side to behold. A very difficult person who seemed to not especially value other's opinions or sensitivities, but still, one to which we owe much gratitude for his life's work.

The Poetical Works of Samuel Johnson , Philadelphia, 1805. (Printed for Benjamin Johnson, Jacob Johnson and Robert Johnson). In particular attention is drawn to the "Life of Dr. Johnson" for much detail. But, even more is to be had: The poem, "The Vanity of Human Wishes", not only is a good course in English history but morality as well.

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