' It can scarcely be doubted that
this is the suppressed passage. The English Cathedral to which Johnson
refers was, I believe, Lichfield. 'The roof,' says Harwood (History of
Lichfield, p. 75), 'was formerly covered with lead, but now with slate.'
Addenbroke, who had been Dean since 1745, was, we may assume, very old
at the time when Johnson wrote. I had at first thought it not unlikely
that it was Dr. Thomas Newton, Dean of St. Paul's and Bishop of Bristol,
who was censured. He was a Lichfield man, and was known to Johnson (see
_ante_, iv. 285, n. 3). He was, however, only seventy years old. I am
informed moreover by the Rev. W. Sparrow Simpson, the learned editor
of _Documents illustrating the History of St. Paul's_, that it is
very improbable that at this time the Dean and Chapter of St. Paul's
entertained such a thought.
My friend Mr. C. E. Doble has kindly furnished me with the following
curious parallel to Johnson's suppressed wish about the molten lead.
'The chappell of our Lady [at Wells], late repayred by Stillington,
a place of great reverence and antiquitie, was likewise defaced, and
such was their thirst after lead (I would they had drunke it scalding)
that they tooke the dead bodies of bishops out of their leaden coffins,
and cast abroad the carkases skarce throughly putrified.'--Harington's
_Nuga Antiquae_, ii. 147 (ed. 1804).
In the postscript Johnson says 'Please to direct to the borough.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52