An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Taste, and of the Origin of our Ideas of Beauty, etc. | Page 3

too of Dr. Johnsons being strongly
prejudiced against womens literary productions. But I deceived myself.
He was sincere, he judged justly of the work, and his opinion exactly
corresponded with yours![4]
Not that she regretted the cost of printing the 250 copies. That was a
minor consideration. She concluded:

If I ever should shew it to any person it will be to Mr. Langton, from a
motive of wishing him to see the alteration I have made in it for the
better, since he saw it, and as it is also since Dr. Johnson saw it, and
particularly that part he most objected to, my belief that I had obviated
that objection, is another apology for my printing it.
To this Mrs. Montagu returned a wordy and diffuse reply, commenting
that "having for many years past left off all metaphysical studies," she
was "not a competent judge of any work on subjects of that nature," yet
insisting that she doubted if contemporary readers would like it. It was
obvious that Mrs. Montagu refused to be a party to further
dissemination of the printed copies. And there the matter rested for
almost three more years.
The wish to have some of the copies read by the general public proved
too strong, and on 15 April 1788 Miss Reynolds wrote again to Mrs.
Montagu, asking her aid in recovering a letter, or transcription of a
letter, of Johnson's:
It is of great importance to me the recovery of this letter particularly so
as I perceive I must not presume to hope for the only patronage that
could countervail the loss of Dr. Johnsons, should I ever be induced to
publish the work. I do not mean that I would publish the letter, but that
the testimony it conveys of Dr. Johnsons approbation, would be highly
advantageous to me in the disposal of the copy to a Bookseller, indeed
approbation is an improper Word, inadequate to the praises he bestows
on the work, I durst not repeat his expressions tho I well remember
them. Some friendly strictures also the letter contained, all these I
remember I transcribed verbatim in a letter I sent to you in the
beginning of the year 82. they begin
Many of your notions seem not to be very clear in your own
imagination....[5]
It was not until the next year that with the help of James Northcote she
finally made active preparations to have the work published. As Miss
Reynolds wrote to Mrs. Montagu on 5 February,
I forgot to say that Mr. Nurse recommended Mr. Northcote to a Mr.
Bladen in Paternoster Row for a Publisher, but I sent in the utmost
haste to him to prevent his taking any steps towards so disgraceful a
place as I imagine that to be so incongruous.[6]
In preparation for the new printing, Miss Reynolds had further revised

her essay, and in order to enhance the value of the piece for general
readers she decided to add three letters from Johnson of which she
chanced to have copies. Totally unconnected with the essay, one was to
Sir Joseph Banks concerning the motto for his goat's collar; the others
concerned the unfortunate Dr. Dodd. But before going ahead she again
asked the advice of her patroness. Mrs. Montagu replied:
I do not see that there is any objection to publishing the 3 letters, but I
own I think Dr Johnson judges too lightly of the crime of forgery ... I
believe the tenderness of sentiment Dr Johnson expresses for Dr Dodd
in his afflictions will do him honour in the eyes of the Publick, &
therefore as his friend you may with propriety publish the letters.[7]
Mrs. Montagu concluded, "I wish some name that would do more
honour to your work was to appear in the dedication, but to be
presented to the publick with such a mark of Mrs Reynolds' friendly
regard, will certainly be esteemed an honour...."
Sometime between February and July 1789 the Enquiry was reprinted,
this time by J. Smeeton (copies of this version may be found in the
Bodleian Library and the Library of Congress). The terminal date for
the reprinting is established by the fact that the three letters of Johnson
which were appended to the essay were reprinted without comment in
the July issue of the European Magazine.
Just where Miss Reynolds secured copies of the Johnson letters is not
certain. It is suggestive, however, that the letter to Banks had originally
been sent under cover to Sir Joshua Reynolds and that Sir Joshua's copy
is now among the Boswell papers at Yale University. There would have
been ample opportunity for Frances Reynolds also to have secured a
copy. And the letter to Charles Jenkinson of 20 June 1777 and to Dr.
Dodd of 26 June