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with all his scars； and a wonderful portrait it isperhaps the
most complete picture of a great man ever limned in words。
But for the accident of the Scotch advocate's intimacy with
Johnson； and his devoted admiration of him； the latter would not
probably have stood nearly so high in literature as he now does。
It is in the pages of Boswell that Johnson really lives； and but
for Boswell； he might have remained little more than a name。
Others there are who have bequeathed great works to posterity； but
of whose lives next to nothing is known。 What would we not give
to have a Boswell's account of Shakspeare？ We positively know
more of the personal history of Socrates； of Horace； of Cicero； of
Augustine； than we do of that of Shakspeare。 We do not know what
was his religion； what were his politics； what were his
experiences； what were his relations to his contemporaries。 The
men of his own time do not seem to have recognised his greatness；
and Ben Jonson； the court poet； whose blank…verse Shakspeare was
content to commit to memory and recite as an actor； stood higher
in popular estimation。 We only know that he was a successful
theatrical manager； and that in the prime of life he retired to
his native place； where he died； and had the honours of a village
funeral。 The greater part of the biography which has been
constructed respecting him has been the result； not of
contemporary observation or of record； but of inference。 The best
inner biography of the man is to be found in his sonnets。
Men do not always take an accurate measure of their
contemporaries。 The statesman； the general； the monarch of to…day
fills all eyes and ears； though to the next generation he may be
as if he had never been。 〃And who is king to…day？〃 the painter
Greuze would ask of his daughter； during the throes of the first
French Revolution； when men； great for the time； were suddenly
thrown to the surface； and as suddenly dropt out of sight again；
never to reappear。 〃And who is king to…day？ After all；〃 Greuze
would add； 〃Citizen Homer and Citizen Raphael will outlive those
great citizens of ours； whose names I have never before heard of。〃
Yet of the personal history of Homer nothing is known； and of
Raphael comparatively little。 Even Plutarch； who wrote the lives
of others： so well； has no biography； none of the eminent Roman
writers who were his contemporaries having so much as mentioned
his name。 And so of Correggio； who delineated the features of
others so well； there is not known to exist an authentic portrait。
There have been men who greatly influenced the life of their
time； whose reputation has been much greater with posterity
than it was with their contemporaries。 Of Wickliffe； the
patriarch of the Reformation； our knowledge is extremely small。
He was but as a voice crying in the wilderness。 We do not
really know who was the author of 'The Imitation of Christ'
a book that has had an immense circulation； and exercised
a vast religious influence in all Christian countries。 It
is usually attributed to Thomas a Kempis but there is reason
to believe that he was merely its translator； and the book that
is really known to be his； （10） is in all respects so inferior；
that it is difficult to believe that 'The Imitation' proceeded
from the same pen。 It is considered more probable that the
real author was John Gerson； Chancellor of the University of Paris；
a most learned and devout man； who died in 1429。
Some of the greatest men of genius have had the shortest
biographies。 Of Plato； one of the great fathers of moral
philosophy； we have no personal account。 If he had wife and
children； we hear nothing of them。 About the life of Aristotle
there is the greatest diversity of opinion。 One says he was a
Jew； another； that he only got his information from a Jew： one
says he kept an apothecary's shop； another； that he was only the
son of a physician： one alleges that he was an atheist； another；
that he was a Trinitarian； and so forth。 But we know almost as
little with respect to many men of comparatively modern times。
Thus； how little do we know of the lives of Spenser； author of
'The Faerie Queen；' and of Butler； the author of 'Hudibras；'
beyond the fact that they lived in comparative obscurity； and died
in extreme poverty！ How little； comparatively； do we know of the
life of Jeremy Taylor； the golden preacher； of whom we should like
to have known so much！
The author of 'Philip Van Artevelde' has said that 〃the world
knows nothing of its greatest men。〃 And doubtless oblivion has
enwrapt in its folds many great men who have done great deeds； and
been forgotten。 Augustine speaks of Romanianus as the greatest
genius that ever lived； and yet we know nothing of him but his
name； he is as much forgotten as the builders of the Pyramids。
Gordiani's epitaph was written in five languages； yet it sufficed
not to rescue him from oblivion。
Many； indeed； are the lives worthy of record that have remained
unwritten。 Men who have written books have been the most
fortunate in this respect； because they possess an attraction for
literary men which those whose lives have been embodied in deeds
do not possess。 Thus there have been lives written of Poets
Laureate who were mere men of their time； and of their time only。
Dr。 Johnson includes some of them in his 'Lives of the Poets；'
such as Edmund Smith and others； whose poems are now no longer
known。 The lives of some men of letterssuch as Goldsmith；
Swift； Sterne； and Steelehave been written again and again；
whilst great men of action； men of science； and men of industry；
are left without a record。 （11）
We have said that a man may be known by the company he keeps in
his books。 Let us mention a few of the favourites of the best…
known men。 Plutarch's admirers have already been referred to。
Montaigne also has been the companion of most meditative men。
Although Shakspeare must have studied Plutarch carefully； inasmuch
as he copied from him freely； even to his very words； it is
remarkable that Montaigne is the only book which we certainly know
to have been in the poet's library； one of Shakspeare's existing
autographs having been found in a copy of Florio's translation of
'The Essays；' which also contains； on the flyleaf； the autograph
of Ben Jonson。
Milton's favourite books were Homer； Ovid； and Euripides。 The
latter book was also the favourite of Charles James Fox； who
regarded the study of it as especially useful to a public speaker。
On the other hand； Pitt took especial delight in Miltonwhom Fox
did not appreciatetaking pleasure in reciting； from 'Paradise
Lost；' the grand speech of Belial before the assembled powers of
Pandemonium。 Another of Pitt's ；favourite books was Newton's
'Principia。' Again； the Earl of Chatham's favourite book was
'Barrow's Sermons；' which he read so often as to be able to repeat
them from memory； while Burke's companions were Demo