My Native Notes

Scotsman James Boswell always spoke good English when in England, but he was careful to leave a little Scots in.

1772

King George III 1760-1820

Introduction

James Boswell, Dr Johnson’s Scottish friend, believed that when anyone moves to a new area, the locals should not have to sweat at trying to understand him for any longer than is necessary. Migrants such as he was have a duty to learn to speak good English — but not too good.

by James Boswell 1740-1795

Upon another occasion I talked to him [Samuel Johnson] on this subject, having myself taken some pains to improve my pronunciation, by the aid of the late Mr Love of Drury Lane theatre,* when he was a player at Edinburgh, and also of old Mr Sheridan.* Johnson said to me, “Sir, your pronunciation is not offensive.” With this concession I was pretty well satisfied;* and let me give my countrymen of North Britain an advice not to aim at absolute perfection in this respect; not to speak High English, as we are apt to call what is far removed from the Scotch, but which is by no means good English, and makes ‘the fools who use it’ truly ridiculous. Good English is plain, easy, and smooth in the mouth of an unaffected English gentleman. A studied and factitious pronunciation, which requires perpetual attention, and imposes perpetual constraint, is exceedingly disgusting.* A small intermixture of provincial peculiarities may, perhaps, have an agreeable effect, as the notes of different birds concur in the harmony of the grove, and please more than if they were all exactly alike.

by James Boswell 1740-1795

From ‘Life of Johnson’ (Volume 3) by James Boswell (1740-1795), edited by Augustine Birrell.

* Mr [James] Love was the stage name of actor James Dance (1721-1774), an actor in the 18th century, who in 1763 had given a memorable performance as Falstaff at London’s prestigious Drury Lane theatre. He also wrote a long and popular ‘heroic poem’ in honour of cricket.

* Thomas Sheridan (1719-1788), an Irishman and former actor who moved to England in 1758 and became an authority on education and the English language. Boswell calls him ‘old Mr Sheridan’ to distinguish him from Johnson’s friend Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Thomas’s son, a playwright and politician.

* Dr Johnson probably suffered from Tourette’s syndrome, which made social interactions and understanding other people’s feelings difficult for him. He was also a contrarian, instinctively disagreeing with any opinion prevailing in the room. Moving as he did in a circle which considered itself culturally and intellectually very superior, this made him seem wantonly abrasive; but he was quite as critical of himself as of others, and capable of great generosity. See A Kind and Gentle Heart.

* Boswell uses the adjective ‘disgusting’ as close contemporaries such as Jane Austen did, to mean ‘distasteful’, that is, lacking in good taste. To day we use the word with a much stronger meaning, ‘arousing revulsion or indignation’.

Précis

Scotsman James Boswell was relieved to hear Dr Johnson declare his spoken English ‘not offensive’. He had learnt to soften his Scottish accent and dialect, as he believed good English should be spoken by all in England; but he kept some Scottish ways, because variety is always pleasing, and because affecting a supposedly pure English accent is often simply embarrassing.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

Sevens

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

Why did Boswell take lessons with actor James Love?

Suggestion

He wanted to soften his Scottish accent.

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

Boswell had a Scottish accent. Johnson said it was not offensive. Boswell was satisfied.

See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.

IDeclare. IIEnough. IIIExpect.