ONE OF THE IMMORTALS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 45, 16 November 1907, Page 14

ONE OF THE IMMORTALS.

THE JOHNSON CELEBRATION AT : I LICHFIELD. No city treasures tho mbmory of its great citizens moro than Lichfield, or does them more honour, without making a fuss about it. Soptomber 18 was tho ono hundred and ninety-eighth anniversary of the birth of Dr. Johnson, the most'renowned of all. the city's sons, and Lichfiold colobratod it, not noisily, with band and banner, but calmly and with dignity, in keeping with tho sedatonesa of a cathedral town. In the morning a little group gathered in the market place and solomnly hung a wreath on tho doctor's monument—not- an obtrusivo wreath, in fact, quite small, but very green, as tho doctorls fame. Tied with a knot of intensely purple ribbon, it made a pleasing splash of colour against tho dull grey pedestal, on which tho great lexicographer sits brooding, his massive head bowed on his hand, looking towards' the houso whore' ho was born. .- . » Years ago, before tho Yeomanry became Imperial and wore khaki and worked, the wild bloods of the Staffordshire Regiment delighted to play practical jokes with this monument. They clothed tho doctor in. garments more strange, if possible, than ho woro m life, and sometimes thoy painted him blacker than ever ho had painted himself. The memory still lingers of those wild days, and some of the paint still sticks, for tho doctor looks strangely dark.

Over the birthplace tho/ flags wero flying conspicuously, becauso nowhero else was bunting to-be found in Lichfield. It-is a fine old house, built somewhere about the iniddlo of the seventeen century. Tho roof is high pitched, tho windows numerous and narrow, with thick frames of guillotine pattern ;• the front bulging out ovor the market place propped on three stono pillars. Thanks to tho generosity of Licut.-Colonel Gilbert, it is now the property of tho city, and will remain a Johnson Museum. Only two rooms as yot nro open to tho public, and, alas! relics of tho great doctor are too few even to fill them. There aro many reproductions of Reynolds's portrait, a curious armchair, which one is told must not bo sat on, a snuffbox, a saucer, a pen presented by Burko, a pair of. shoe buckles, a note-book, some tablets, α-cribbage board, and tho desk on which "Tho Rambler" was written. Those aro about all the relics that can bo certified, but there are many others, .moro or less apocryphal. The house, which is practically in the samo condition a's when Dr. Johnson lived thore, is badly in need of thorough repair, and the Mayor of Lichfield has issued an urgent appeal for donations towards-tho restoration fund.

In the evening the Mayor of Lichfiold (Dr. Wolchman) presided nt the colobration supper held at'the.Three'Crowns Hotel, the ancient adjoining Dr. Johnson's house, and where it is whispored the doctor and his faithful disciple Boswoll had many a famous carouse The Mayor sot in ono of the doctor's own armchairs, and. Johnsonian faro,'eaten, as f:ir as modern tnblo manners will pornifi;, in Johnsonian fashion, was the rule of the fensfc. " Beefsteak puddinges, venison, applo pie, nnd tastio Chpsliiro cheeso stowed before yo gridlio fire" filled tho menii, and were washed down with the " heere of oldo England and the red wine of Franco "—an entontc cordiale which flourished evun in Johnson's time. There were mugs, brown unci capacious, no glasses, 'and caudlus, every 0i,,; in an ancient stick, lit tho board. For toasts thoro was punch, then more punch, and churchwarden pipes and goodlie fellowship. Mr. H. 13. "Wheatley, tho Prior of tho Johnson Club, proposed tho toast of the evening, "The Immortal Memory of Dr. Johnson, ,, and urged his hearers not to road less Uoswoll but moro Johnson, for, great conversationalist as the doctor was, ho was still moro famous as a writer, a fact which was in danger of boing forgotten. And' whilo he spoke punch wont round and smoke curled upwards from half a hundred long-stemmed pipes until it filled the low ccilinged room and the dwindling candles blinked their eyes.