1781.

Ætat. 72.

I waited upon him and made an apology, he behaved with the mott friendly
gentleness.

While I remained in London this year, Johnson and I dined together at
several places. I recollect a placid day at Dr. Butters's, who was now
removed from Derby to Lower Grosvenor-street, London; but of his con-
versation on that and other occasions during this period, I neglected to keep
any regular record, and shall therefore insert here some miscellaneous articles
which I find in my Johnsonian notes.

His disorderly habits, when" making provision for the day that was passing over him," appear from the following anecdotė, communicated to me by Mr. John Nichols :-"In the year 1763, a young bookseller, who was an apprentice to Mr. Whiston, waited on him with a subscription to his Shakspeare;' and obferving that the Doctor made no entry in any book of the subscriber's name, ventured diffidently to ask, whether he would please to have the gentleman's address, that it might be properly inserted in the printed list of subscribers. I fall print no List of Subscribers ;' faid Johnson, with great abruptness: but almost immediately recollecting himself, added, very: complacently, “Sir, I have two very cogent reasons for not printing any list of fubfcribersone, that I have loft all the names—the other, that I have spent all the money."

It was not these alone which led

On sacred manners to encroach;
And made me feel what most I dread,

JOHNSON's just frown, and self-reproach.
But when I enter'd, not abash'a,

From your bright eyes were shot such rays, ,
At once intoxication flashid,

And all my frame was in a blaze !

But not a brilliant blaze I own,

Of the dull fmoak I'm yet alham'd;
I was a dreary ruin grown,

And not enlighten'd though infiam'd.
Vidim at once to wine and love,

I hope, MARIA, you'll forgive;
While I invoke the powers above,
That henceforth I

may

wiser live.
The lady was generously forgiving, returned me an obliging answer, and I thus obtained an
A8 of Oblivion, and took care never to offend again.
VOL. II.
[E e e 2]

Johnson

1781.

Ætat. 72.

Johnson could not brook appearing to be worsted in argument, even when he had taken the wrong side, to sew the force and dexterity of his talents. When, therefore, he perceived that his opponent gained ground, he had recourse to some sudden mode of robust sophistry. Oacc wlien I was presling upon him with visible advantage, he stopped me thus :-"My dear Boswell, let's have no more of this; you'll make nothing of it. I'd rather have you whistle à Scotch tune."

Care, however, must be taken to distinguish between Johnson when he “ talked for victory,” and Johnson when he had no desire but to inform and ilustrate.--" One of Johnson's principal talents (says an eminent friend) was Thewn in maintaining the wrong side of an argument, and in a splendid perversion of the truth. If you could contrive to have his fair opinion on a subject, and without any bias from personal prejudice, or from a wilh to be victorious "in argument, it was wisdom itself, not only convincing, but overpowering."

He had, however, all his life habituated himself to consider conversation as a'trial of intellectual vigour and skill; and to this, I think, we may venture to ascribe that unexampled richness and brilliancy which appeared in his own. As a proof at once of his eagerness for colloquial distinction, and his high notion of this eminent friend, he once addressed him thus: “ have been several hours together; and you have said but one thing for which I envied you.”

He disliked much all speculative desponding considerations, which tended to discourage men from diligence and exertion. He was in this like Dr. Shaw, the great traveller, who, Mr. Daines Barrington told me,, used to say, “ I hate a cui bono man." Upon being asked by a friend what he should think of one who was apt to say, non eft tairti ;" That he's a stupid fellow, Sir. (answered Johnson) What would these tanti men be doing the while ?” When I, in a low-spirited fit, was talking to him with indifference of the pursuits which generally engage us in a course of action, and inquiring a reafan; for taking so much trouble ; “Sir, (said he, in an animated tone,) it js driving on the system of life.”

He told me, that he was glad that I had, by General Oglethorpe's means, become acquainted with Dr. Shebbeare. Indeed that gentleman, whatever objections were made to him, had knowledge and abilities much above the class of ordinary writers, and deserves to be remembered as a respectable name in literature, were it only for his admirable “ Letters on the English Nation, under the name of “. Battista Angeloni, a Jesuit."

Johnson +

we now

1781.

72.

Johnson and Shebbeare', were frequently named together, as having in former reigns had no predilection for the family of Hanover. The authour of the celebrated “ Heroick Epistle to Sir William Chambers,” introduces them in one line, in a list of those who “ tasted the sweets of his present Majesty's reign.” Such was Johnson's fair taste of the merit of that satire, that he allowed Dr. Goldsmith, as he told me, to read it to him from beginning to end, and did not refuse his praise to its execution.

Goldsmith could sometimes take adventurous liberties with him, and escape unpunished. Beauclerk told me that when Goldsmith talked of a project for having a third Theatre in London, solely for the exhibition of new plays, in order to deliver authours from the supposed tyranny of managers, Johnson treated it fightingly; upon which Goldsmith faid, “ Aye, aye, this may be nothing to you, who can now shelter yourself behind the corner of a pension;" and that Johnson bore this with good-humour.

Johnson praised the Earl of Carlisle’s Poems, which his Lordship had published with his name, as not disdaining to be a candidate for literary fame. My friend was of opinion, that when a man of rank appeared in that character, he deserved to have his merit handsomely allowed. In this I

I recollect a ludicrous paragraph in the news-papers, that the King had penfioned both a
He-bear and a She-bear.

• Men of rank and fortune however should be pretty well assured of having a real claim to the
approbation of the publick as writers, before they venture to stand forth. Dryden in his Preface
to “ All for Love,” thus expresses himself :

“ Men of pleasant conversation (at least eleemed fo) and endued with a trifing kind of fancy, perhaps helped out by a smattering of Latin, are ambitious to distinguish themselves from the herd of gentlemen, by their poetry:

• Rarus enim fermè sensus communis illa

Fortuna.'

a

And is not this a wretched affectation, not to be contented with what fortune has done for them,
and fit down quietly with their estates, but they must call their wits in question, and needlesly
expose their nakedness to publick view ? Not confidering that they are not to expect the fame
approbation from sober men, which they have found from their flatterers after the third bottle :
If a little glittering in discourse has passed them on us for witty men, where was the necessity of
undeceiving the world? Would a man who has an ill title to an estate, but yet is in pofletlion.
of it, would he bring it of-his own accord to be tried at Weftininster? We who write, if
want the talents, yet have the 'excuse that we do it for a poor subliflence; but what can be
urged in their defence, who not having the vocation of poverty to scribble, out of mere
wantonness take pains to make themselves ridiculous? Horace was certainly in the right where
he said, That no man is satisfied with his own condition,' A Poet is not pleased, because he is
not rich; and the rich are discontented because the poets will not admit them of their number.”

we',

think he was more liberal than Mr. William Whitehead, in his “ Elegy
to Lord Villiers,” in which under the pretext of " superiour toils, demanding
all their care,” he discovers a jealousy of the great paying their court to the
Mufes.

To the chosen few
" Who dare excel, thy fost’ring aid afford,
“ Their arts, their magick powers, with honours due

“ Exalt ;--but be thyself what they record.”

Johnson had called twice on the Bishop of Killaloe before his Lordship set out for Ireland, having missed him the first time. He said, “ It would have hung heavy on my heart if I had not seen him. No man ever paid more attention to another than he has done to me?; and I have neglected him, not wilfully, but from being otherwise occupied. Always, Sir, set a high value on spontaneous kindness. He, whose inclination prompts him to cultivate your friendship of his own accord, will love you more than one whom you have been at pains to attach to you."

Johnson told me, that he was once much pleased to find that a carpenter,
who lived near him, was very ready to shew him some things in his business
which he wished to see. “It was paying (faid he) respect to literature.”

.
I asked him if he was not dissatisfied with having so small a share of
wealth, and none of those distinctions in the state which are the objects of
ambition. He had only a pension of three hundred a year. Why was he
not in such circumstances as to keep his coach? Why had he not some con-
siderable office? Johnson. “ Sir, I have never complained of the world;

? This gave me a very great pleasure, for there had been once a pretty smart altercation between Dr. Barnard and him, upon a question, whether a man could improve himself after the age of forty-five; when Johnson in a hatty humour, expreffed himself in a manner not quite civil. Dr. Barnard made it the subject of a copy of pleasant verses, in which he supposed himself to learn different perfections from different men. They concluded with delicate irony:

Johnson shall teach me how to place, “ In faireft light each borrow'd grace ;

- From him I'll learn to write :

Copy his clear familiar style,
“ And by the roughness of his file,

“ Grow-like himself-polite."
I know not if Johnson ever saw the Poem, but I had occasion to find that as Dr. Barnard and
he knew each other better, their mutual regard increased.

I

nor

nor do I think that I have reason to complain. It is rather to be wondered 1781. at that I have so much. My pension is more out of the usual course of Atat. 72. things than

any

instance that I have known. Here, Sir, was a man avowedly no friend to the Government at the time, gets a pension without asking for it. I never courted the great; they sent for me: but I think they now give me up. They are satisfied. They have seen enough of me.” Upon my observing that I could not believe this, for they must certainly be highly pleased by his conversation; conscious of his own fuperiority, he answered, “ No, Sir; great Lords and great Ladies don't love to have their mouths stopped.” This was very expressive of the effect which the force of his understanding and brilliancy of his fancy could not but produce; and, to be sure, they must have found themselves strangely diminished in his company. When I warmly declared how happy I was at all times to hear him ; " Yes, Sir (said he). But if you were Lord Chancellor, it would not be so: you would then consider your own dignity.”

There was much truth and knowledge of human nature in this remark. But certainly one should think, that in whatever elevated state of life a man who knew the value of the conversation of Johnson might be placed, though he might prudently avoid a situation in which he might appear lessened by comparison; yet he would frequently gratify himself in private with the participation of the rich intellectual entertainment which Johnson could furnish. Strange, however, it is, to consider how few of the great fought his society s so that if one were disposed to take occasion for satire on that account, very conspicuous objects present themselves. His noble friend, Lord Elibank, well observed, that if a great man procured an interview with Johnson, and did not wish to see him more, it shewed a mere idle curiosity, and a wretched want of relish for extraordinary powers of mind. Mrs. Thrale justly and wittily accounted for such conduct by saying, that Johnson's conversation was by much too strong for a person accustomed to obsequiousness and flattery ; it was mustard in a young child's mouth!

One day, when I told him that I was a zealous Tory, but not enough “ according to knowledge,” and should be obliged to him for “ a reason,” he was so candid, and expressed himself so well, that I begged of him to repeat what he had said, and I wrote down as follows:

Of Tory and Whig. “ A wise Tory and a wise Whig, I believe, will agree. Their principles are the same, though their modes of thinking are different. A high Tory