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Samuel Johnson（1709-1784），often referred to as Dr．Johnson in the history of literature，was a famous British writer，critic，linguist and lexicographer．
Although he was born “almost dead”and suffered from a number of physical afflictions，Johnson was recognized for his remarkable intelligence from his earliest years．He entered Pembroke College，Oxford in 1728，but stayed there only for 13 months and had to leave without a degree in December 1729 because of poverty and pride．Although it was short，it was an important year for him and he cherished great affection for Oxford．
Johnson married Elizabeth Porter，whom he referred to as“Tetty”，in 1735．Although she was a widow and twenty years older，Johnson found her both attractive and intelligent．She supported Johnson both financially and spiritually although they had some marital tensions．She died on March 17，1752．
Johnson signed a contract for A Dictionary of the English Language in 1746．Actually，there had been earlier English dictionaries，but none on the scale of its counterpart in French．Johnson thought that this was incompatible with the English status and would fill the gap by his work．His Dictionary was published in two volumes in 1755 after nine years of hard work．It is amazing that he accomplished such a huge project in only nine years while it took the French Academy 40 years．The influence of the Dictionary on modern English is far⁃reaching．Some of Johnson’s ways of defining an entry by description rather than prescription are still widely followed today．
Johnson is chiefly known as the compiler of A Dictionary of the English Language ，but he was prolific and has also published many other works such as The Idler （1758-1760，a series of literary essays）， London （1738，a long satirical poem）， The Vanity of Human Wishes （1749，a long poem）， Irene （a play performed in 1749）， The Rambler （an essay series）， The Plays of William Shakespeare （1765），and Lives of the English Poets （1779-1781）．
Johnson died at the age of 75 on 13 December，1784．He was buried in the Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey．
Johnson’s life details can be found in Life of Samuel Johnson ，a biography written by his friend James Boswell whom he met and befriended in 1763．
My Lord，
I have been lately informed，by the proprietor of The World 1 ，that two papers，in which my Dictionary is recommended to the public，were written by your Lordship．To be so distinguished 2 is an honour which，being very little accustomed to favours from the great 3 ，I know not well how to receive，or in what terms to acknowledge 4 ．
When，upon some slight encouragement，I first visited your Lordship，I was overpowered 5 ，like the rest of mankind，by the enchantment of your address 6 ；and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre 7 ；—that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending；but I found my attendance 8 so little encouraged，that neither pride nor modesty 9 would suffer 10 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 11 can possess．I had done all that I could；and no man is well pleased to have his all 12 neglected，be it ever so little 13 ．
Seven years，my Lord，have now passed，since I waited in your outward rooms，or was repulsed from your door 14 ；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 15 ．Such treatment I did not expect，for I never had a Patron 16 before．
The shepherd in Virgil 17 grew at last acquainted with Love，and found him a native of the rocks 18 ．
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 19 ？The notice which you have been pleased to 20 take of my labours，had it been early，had been kind 21 ；but it has been delayed till I am indifferent，and cannot enjoy it：till I am solitary 22 ，and cannot impart it；till I am known，and do not want it 23 ．I hope it is no very cynical asperity 24 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 25 has enabled me to do for myself．
Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning 26 ，I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it，if less be possible，with less 27 ；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
28
1． The World ：a weekly paper of entertainment with a circulation of 2，500 copies．Chesterfield’s two articles were published in The World on November 28 and December 5，1754．
2．distinguished：praised
3．being very little accustomed to favours from the great：being not used to favours from important people
4．in what terms to acknowledge：with what words to show my gratitude
5．overpowered：overwhelmed
6．the enchantment of your address：the charm and spell of your speech
7． Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre ：（French）conqueror of the conqueror of the earth．It is quoted from Nicolas Boileau’s L ’ Art Poetique
8．attendance：act of waiting upon（another），company，visit
9．modesty：bashfulness，shyness
10．suffer：allow
11．a retired and uncourtly scholar：a scholar who is not sociable or eager to please others
12．his all：all that he can do
13．be it ever so little：however little his all may be
14．was repulsed from your door：was pushed away from your home；was not welcomed
15．without one act of assistance，one word of encouragement，or one smile of favour：The author uses three concrete nouns（act，word，smile）to emphasize three abstract nouns（assistance，encouragement，favour）
16．patron：a person who gives money and support to artists and writers
17．Virgil（also spelled Vergil，70 BC 19 BC）：Roman poet，best known for his national epic，the Aeneid
18．This is an allusion from Virgil’s Eclogue ：Now know I that Love is：’mid savage rocks/Tmaros or Rhodope brought forth the boy，/Or Garamantes in earth’s utmost bounds—/No kid of ours，nor of our blood begot．What the allusion implies is that there is hardly any patron in this world．
19．This is an irony，exposing and satirizing the true intention of the patrons．
20．be pleased to do：to have decided（as an act of favour）to
21．had it been early，had been kind：“It”here refers to the notice．If it had been early，it would have been kind．
22．solitary：alone，with no other people or things around．Johnson’s wife died three years ago in 1852，so he was alone．
23．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：pay attention to the author’s use of two “cannot’s”and one “do not”and the effects they have achieved．
24．asperity：（ formal ）the fact of being rough or severe，especially in the way you speak to or treat sb．
25．Providence：God
26．favourer of learning：It is synonymous with patron．
27．though I should conclude it，if less be possible，with less：even if I should end my work with less obligation to a patron，if less obligation is possible
28．in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation，My Lord，your Lordship’s most humble，most obedient servant，SAM：JOHNSON：Johnson very skillfully used the formula of a formal letter here．He seems to be humble，but actually repeats his declaration of independence of a patron and of patronage as a whole．
Samuel Johnson was approached by a few publishers to compile a dictionary of the English language．He accepted the offer and wrote“The Plan of a Dictionary of the English Language ”．He was encouraged to address his plan to the 4th Earl of Chesterfield，Philip Stanhope，as his patron，but was met with years of neglect．When A Dictionary of the English Language was to be published，the Earl published two articles in The World ．Upon learning of the publication，Johnson was prompted to write this letter to him，denouncing his praise and implied patronage．Although this letter fell short of “the death⁃knell of patronage”or“the declaration of emancipation of writers”as many people have claimed，it did embody the pride，dignity and rebellion of the author．It is his indictment of someone great who looks down upon writers：
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？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．
His indignation can also be felt in the preface to A Dictionary of the English Language ，in which he says that the achievement was uniquely his own：“ The English Dictionary was written with little assistance of the learned，and without any patronage of the great；not in the soft obscurities of retirement，or under the shelter of academic bowers，but amidst inconvenience and distraction，in sickness and in sorrow．”（Johnson 5）
Johnson employs various rhetorical devices in this letter．Parallelism，allusions，ellipsis，irony and metaphor permeate the letter．
The best examples of parallelism in the letter can be found in“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．”This triple parallelism helps build up the climax of the letter．Johnson uses three “till’s”，two “cannot’s”and one “do not”to express his deeply⁃felt indignation，displaying his pride and defiance．
Johnson was very learned although he stayed in Oxford University for only 13 months．His erudition can be demonstrated in his use of allusions of Boileau’s L ’ Art Poetique （ Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terr ）and Virgil’s Eclogue （The shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love，and found him a native of the rocks）．Both Johnson and the Earl were men of letters，so the use of the allusions here is both proper and natural．
The best example of metaphor of this letter is probably “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 metaphor is bitingly sarcastic．
Johnson also uses ellipsis（for example，“had it been early，had been kind”）and irony（for example，“I know not well how to receive，or in what terms to acknowledge”）in the letter．
This letter is abundant with compound sentences．For example，there are four clauses in “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．”In this sentence，Johnson highlights the reasons why he wrote this letter and his attitudes．
In short，Johnson’s “Letter to Lord Chesterfield”is only about five hundred words long，but it was，and has remained one of the masterpieces of prose writing．We can boldly say that this letter should not have been the same letter if it had not had the beautiful language with wonderful diction．
1．What are some of the rhetorical devices in the essay？Could you find more examples other than the ones in Appreciation Remarks？
2．Why do you think Johnson was so ironic in the letter？
3．What do you think Johnson’s language has contributed to the important place of the letter in literature？
4．Do you agree that Johnson’s letter to Lord Chesterfield is “the death⁃knell of patronage”or “the declaration of emancipation of writers”as many people believed？
5．There are a few Chinese versions of “Letter to Lord Chesterfield”．Could you compare these versions and make some comments on their strengths and weaknesses？
1．Samuel Johnson，Preface to A Dictionary of the English Language．
2．嵇康，《与山巨源绝交书》。