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"These defects sufficiently account for his insensibility of the charms of music and of painting, being utterly incapable of receiving any delight from the one or the other, particularly from painting, his sight being more deficient than his hearing.

"Of the superficies of the fine arts, or visible objects of taste, he could have had but an imperfect idea; but as to the invisible principles of a natural good taste, doubtless he was possessed of these in the most eminent degree, and I should have thought it a strange inconsistency indeed in his character, had he really wanted a taste for music; but as a proof that he did not, I think I had need only mention, that he was remarkably fond of Dr. Burney's History of Music', and that he said it showed that the authour understood the philosophy of music better than any man that ever wrote on that subject.

"It is certain that, when in the company of connoisseurs, whose conversation has turned chiefly upon the merits of the attractive charms of painting, perhaps of pictures that were immedi❘ ately under their inspection, Dr. Johnson, I have thought, used to appear as if conscious of his unbecoming situation, or rather, I might say, suspicious that it was an unbecoming situation.

"But it was observable, that he rather avoided the discovery of it, for when asked his opinion of the likeness of any portrait of a friend, he has generally evaded the question, and if obliged to examine it, he has held the picture most ridiculously, quite close to his eye, just as he held his book. But he was so unwilling to expose that defect, that he was much displeased with Sir Joshua, I remember, for drawing him with his book held in that manner, which, I believe, was the cause of that picture being left unfinished 2.

"On every occasion that had the least tendency to depreciate religion or morality, he totally disregarded all forms or rules of good-breeding, as utterly unworthy of the slightest consideration.

"But it must be confessed that he sometimes suffered this noble principle to transgress its due bounds, and to extend even to those who were any ways connected with the person who had of

fended him.

“His treatment of Mr. Israel Wilkes [related ante, p. 72,] was mild in comparison of what a gentleman met with from him one day at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, a barrister-at-law and a man of fashion, who, on discoursing with Dr. (then Mr.) Johnson on the laws and government of different nations (I remember particularly those of Venice), and happening to speak of them in terms of high approbation: Yes, sir,' says Johnson, 'all republican rascals think as you do.' -How the conversation ended I have forgot, it was so many years ago; but that he made no apology to the gentleman I am very sure, nor to any person present, for such an outrage against society.

1 [Miss Reynolds will hardly convince any one that Dr. Johnson was fond of music by proving that he was fond of his friend Dr. Burney's History of Music. The truth is, he held both painting and music in great contempt, because his organs afforded him no adequate perception of either.-ED.]

2 [This however, or a similar picture, was finished and engraved as the frontispiece of Murphy's edition of Dr. Johnson's works.-En.]

3 Mr. Elliott.-VISS REYNOLDS.

"Of latter years he grew much more compan ionable, and I have heard him say, that he knew In my younger days,' he himself to be so. would say, it is true I was much inclined to treat mankind with asperity and contempt; but I fand it answered no good end. I thought it wiser and better to take the world as it goes. Besides, as I have advanced in life I have had more reason to be satisfied with it. Mankind have treated me with more kindness, and of course I have more kindness for them.'

and

"In the latter part of his life, indeed, his circumstances were very different from what they were in the beginning. Before he had the persion, he literally dressed like a beggar'; from what I have been told, he as literally lived as such; at least as to common conveniences in his apartments, wanting even a chair to sit on, particularly in his study, where a gentleman who frequently visited him whilst writing his Idlers constantly found him at his desk, sitting on one with three legs; and on rising from it, he remarked that Dr. Johnson never forgot its defect, but would either hold it in his hand or place it with great composure against some support, taking no notice of its imperfection to his visitor. Wheth er the visitor sat on chair, or on a pile of folios*, or how he sat, I never remember to have been told.

"It was remarkable in Dr. Johnson, that no external circumstances ever prompted him to make any apology, or to seem even sensible of their existence. Whether this was the effect of philosophick pride, or of some partial notion of his respecting high breeding, is doubtful. Strange as it may appear, he scrupled not to boast, that no man knew the rules of true politeness better than himself;' and, stranger still, that no man more attentively practised them.'

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"He particularly piqued himself upon his nice observance of ceremonious punctilios towards ladies. A remarkable instance of this was his never suffering any lady to walk from his house to her carriage, through Bolt-court, unattended by himself to hand her into it (at least I have reason to suppose it to be his general custom, from his constant performance of it to those with whom he was the most intimately acquainted); and if any obstacle prevented it from driving off, there he would stand by the door of it, and gather & mob around him; indeed, they would begin to gather the moment he appeared handing the lady down the steps into Fleet-street. But to describe his appearance-his important air-that indeed cannot be described; and his morning habiliments would excite the utmost astonishment in my read

4 [See post, in Miss Hawkins's Anecdotes, how different his appearance was after the pension.-ED! 3["He had a large but not a splendid library, 5000 volumes. Many authours, not in hostility with him, presented him with their works. But his study did not contain half his books. He possessed the chair that le longed to the Ciceronian Dr. King of Oxford, which was given him by his friend Vansittart. It answers the you poses of reading and writing, by night or by day; and is as valuable in all respects as the chair of Ariosto, sa de lineated in the preface to Hoole's liberal translation of that poet. Since the rounding of this period, intellience is brought that this literary chair is purchased by Mr. Hoole. Relicks are venerable things, and are only not to be worshipped. On the reading-chair of Mr. Speaker Onslow, a part of this historical sketch was written."-TYERS.-ED.]

er, that a man in his senses could think of stepping outside his door in them, or even to be seen at home! Sometimes he exhibited himself at the distance of eight or ten doors from Bolt-court, to get at the carriage, to the no small diversion of the populace. And I am certain that, to those who love laughing, a description of his dress from head to foot would be highly acceptable, and in general I believe be thought the most curious part of my book; but I forbear, out of respect to his memory, to give more than this slight intimation of it; for, having written a minute description of his figure, from his wig to his slippers, a thought occurred that it might probably excite some person to delineate it, and I might have the mortification to see it hung up at a printshop as the greatest curiosity ever exhibited.

3

I offence he has given, particularly if it seemed to involve the slightest disrespect to the church or to its ministers.

[Ante, pp. 299, 40, 131, 252.]

"It is with much regret that I reflect on my stupid negligence to write down some of his discourses, his observations, precepts, &c. The following few short sentences only did I ever take any account of in writing; and these, which I lately found in an old memorandum pocket-book, of ancient date, were made soon after the commencement of my acquaintance with him. A few others, indeed, relating to the character of the French (ante, p. 19), were taken vivâ voce, the day after his arrival from France, Nov. 14, 1775, intending them for the subject of a letter to a friend in the country.

"Talking on the subject of scepticism:"JOHNSON. 'The eyes of the mind are like the eyes of the body; they can see only at such a distance: but because we cannot see beyond this point, is there nothing beyond it?' Talking of the want of memory:— "JOHNSON. C No, sir, it is not true; in gen

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eral every person has an equal capacity for reminiscence, and for one thing as well as another, otherwise it would be like a person complaining that he could hold silver in his hand, but could not hold copper.'

"His best dress was, in his early times, so very mean, that one afternoon, as he was following some ladies up stairs, on a visit to a lady of fashion (Miss Cotterel 2), the servant, not knowing him, suddenly seized him by the shoulder, and exclaimed, Where are you going?' striving at the same time to drag him back; but a gentleman who was a few steps behind prevented her from doing or saying more, and Mr. Johnson growled all the way up stairs, as well he might. He seemed much chagrined and discomposed. Unluckily, whilst in this humour, a lady of high rank happening to call upon Miss Cotterel, he "A GENTLEMAN. I think when a person was most violently offended with her for not in- laughs alone he supposes himself for the moment troducing him to her ladyship, and still more so with company.' JOHNSON. C Yes, if it be for her seeming to show more attention to her true that laughter is a comparison of self-superiorthan to him. After sitting some time silent, med-ity, you must suppose some person with you.' itating how to down Miss Cotterel, he addressed himself to Mr. Reynolds, who sat next him, and, after a few introductory words, with a loud voice said, 'I wonder which of us two could get most money at his trade in one week, were we to work hard at it from morning till night.' I don't remember the answer; but I know that the lady, rising soon after, went away without knowing what trade they were of. She might probably suspect Mr. Johnson to be a poor authour by his dress; and because the trade of neither a blacksmith, a porter, or a chairman, which she probably would have taken him for in the street, was not quite so suitable to the place she saw him in.

This incident he used to mention with great glee-how he had downed Miss Cotterel, though at the same time he professed a great friendship and esteem for that lady.

"It is certain, for such kind of mortifications, he never expressed any concern; but on other occasions he has shown an amiable sorrow for the

1 [See ante, vol. i. p. 189.-ED.]

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[His acquaintance with this lady and her sister, who married Dean Lewis, continued to the last days of his life. He says in one of his letters to Mrs. Thrale, "I know not whether I told you that my old friend Mrs. Cotterel, now no longer Miss, has called to see me. Mrs. Lewis is not well.-26th April, 1784." It is gratifying to observe how many of Johnson's earliest friends continued so to the last.-ED.]

3 (Sir Joshua (then Mr.) Reynolds.-ED.] Lady Fitzroy.-MISS REYNOLDS. [See ante, v. i. p. 104, where this story is told of the Duchess of Argyll and another lady of high rank: that other lady was no doubt the person erroneously designated by Miss Reynolds as Lady Fitzroy. She probably was Elizabeth Cosby, wife of Lord Augustus Fitzroy, and grandmother of the present Duke of Grafton.-ED.]

["He repented just as certainly however, if he had

"No, sir,' he once said, 'people are not born with a particular genius for particular employments or studies, for it would be like saying that a man could see a great way east, but could not west. It is good sense applied with diligence to what was at first a mere accident, and which, by great application, grew to be called, by the generality of mankind, a particular genius.'

"Some person advanced, that a lively imagination disqualified the mind from fixing steadily upon objects which required serious and minute investition. JOHNSON. It is true, sir, a vivacious quick imagination does sometimes give a confused idea of things, and which do not fix deep; though, at the same time, he has a capacity to fix them in his memory if he would endeavour at it. It being like a man that, when he is running, does not make observations on what he meets with, and consequently is not impressed by them; but he has, nevertheless, the power of stopping and informing himself.'

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"A gentleman was mentioning it as a remark of an acquaintance of his, that he never knew but one person that was completely wicked.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, I don't know what you mean by a person completely wicked.' GENTLEMAN. Why, any one that has entirely got rid of all How is he, then, comshame.' JOHNSON. pletely wicked? He must get rid too of all conscience.' GENTLEMAN. I think conscience and shame the same thing.' JOHNSON. I am

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been led to praise any person or thing by accident more than he thought it deserved; and was on such occasions comically earnest to destroy the praise or pleasure he had unintentionally given."-Piozzi's Anecdotes, p. 75.ED.]

surprised to hear you say so; they spring from two different sources, and are distinct perceptions: one respects this world, the other the next.' A LADY. I think, however, that a person who has got rid of shame is in a fair way to get rid of conscience.' JOHNSON. Yes, 'tis a part of the way, I grant; but there are degrees at which men stop, some for the fear of men, some for the fear of God: shame arises from the fear of men, conscience from the fear of God.'

me, that peace and good-will towards man were the natural emanations of his heart.

"When travelling with a lady in Devonshire, in a post-chaise, near the churchyard of Wear, near Torrington, in which she saw the verdant monument of maternal affection described in the Melancholy Tale, and heard the particular ecumstances relating to the subject of it; and as she was relating them to Dr. Johnson, she beard him heave heavy sighs and sobs, and turning round "Dr. Johnson seemed to delight in drawing she saw his dear face bathed in tears! A circuncharacters; and when he did so con amore, de- stance he had probably forgotten when he wrote lighted every one that heard him. Indeed I can- at the end of the manuscript poem with his car not say I ever heard him draw any con odio, though|recting pen in red ink, I know not when I karı he professed himself to be, or at least to love, a been so much affected. good hater. But I have remarked that his dislike of any one seldom prompted him to say much more than that the fellow is a blockhead, a poor creature, or some such epithet.

"I shall never forget the exalted character he drew of his friend Mr. Langton, nor with what energy, what fond delight, he expatiated in his praise, giving him every excellence that nature could bestow, and every perfection that humanity could acquire1. A literary lady was present, Miss H. More, who perhaps inspired him with an unusual ardour to shine, which indeed he did with redoubled lustre, deserving himself the praises he bestowed: not but I have often heard him speak in terms equally high of Mr. Langton, though more concisely expressed.

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This brings to my remembrance the unparalleled eulogium which the late Lord Bath made on a lady he was intimately acquainted with, in speaking of her to Sir Joshua Reynolds. His lordship said that he did not believe that there ever was a more perfect human being created, or ever would be created, than Mrs. Montagu. I give the very words I heard from Sir Joshua's mouth; from whom also I heard that he repeated them to Mr. Burke-observing that Lord Bath could not have said more, And I do not think that he said too much,' was Mr. Burke's reply. I have also heard Dr. Johnson speak of this lady in terms of high admiration. [Ante, p. 66.] "On the praises of Mrs. Thrale he used to dwell with a peculiar delight, a paternal fondness, expressive of conscious exultation in being so intimately acquainted with her. One day, in speaking of her to Mr. Harris, authour of Hermes, and expatiating on her various perfections,-the solidity of her virtues, the brilliancy of her wit, and the strength of her understanding, &c.-he quoted some lines (a stanza I believe, but from what authour I know not), with which he concluded his most eloquent eulogium, and of these I retained

but the two last lines 2:

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'Virtues of such a generous kind,

Good in the last recesses of the mind.'

"It will doubtless appear highly paradoxical to the generality of the world to say, that few men, in his ordinary disposition, or common frame of mind, could be more inoffensive than Dr. Johnson; yet surely those who knew his uniform benevolence, and its actuating principles-steady virtue, and true holiness-will readily agree with

1 [See ante, pp. 141 and 379.-ED.]

2 Being so particularly engaged as not to be able to attend to them sufficiently.-MISS REYNOLDS.

"I believe no one has described his extraord nary gestures or anticks with his hands and feet, particularly when passing over the threshold of a door, or rather before he would venture to pass through any doorway. On entering Sir Joshu house with poor Mrs. Williams, a blind lady wha lived with him, he would quit her hand, or else whirl her about on the steps as he whirled and twisted about to perform his gesticulations; and as soon as he had finished, he would give a sudde spring, and make such an extensive stride over the threshold, as if he was trying for a wager how fir he could stride, Mrs. Williams standing grope about outside the door, unless the servant hold of her hand to conduct her in, leaving Dr Johnson to perform at the parlour door much the same exercise over again.

"But it was not only at the entrance of a dog that he exhibited such strange manœuvres, across a room or in the street with company, be has stopped on a sudden, as if he had recolec his task, and began to perform it there, gath a mob round him; and when he had fi would hasten to his companion (who probably walked on before) with an air of great satisfact that he had done his duty!

"One Sunday morning, as I was walking him in Twickenham meadows, he began his ticks both with his feet and hands, with the la as if he was holding the reins of a horse jockey on full speed. But to describe the stre positions of his feet is a difficult task; someti he would make the back part of his heels to tea sometimes his toes, as if he was aiming at ma the form of a triangle, at least the two sides if one. Though, indeed, whether these were gestures on this particular occasion in Twicken meadows I do not recollect, it is so long since. I well remember that they were so extraord that men, women, and children gathered him, laughing. At last we sat down on some ke of wood by the river side, and they nearly persed; when he pulled out of his pocket G tius de Veritate Religionis,' over which bes sawed at such a violent rate as to excite curiosity of some people at a distance to come see what was the matter with him.

3 [Miss Reynolds herself; and the Melancholy event, whatever it was.-ED.] was probably a poem which he had written on D

4 [Mr. Boswell frequently (vol. i. pp. 56 and $25 Mr. Whyte (ante, vol. i. pp. 215 and 510), have descr his gestures very strikingly, though not quite in so detail as Miss Reynolds. Mr. Boswell's description must have seen.-ED.]

1

"He always carried a religious treatise in his pocket on a Sunday, and he used to encourage me to relate to him the particular parts of Scripture I did not understand, and to write them down as they occurred to me in reading the Bible.

origin to his strict, his rigid principles of religion and virtue; and the shadowy parts of his character, his rough, unaccommodating manners, were in general to be ascribed to those corporeal defects that I have already observed naturally tended to darken his perceptions of what may be called propriety and impropriety in general conversation; and of course in the ceremonious or artificial sphere of society gave his deportment so contrasting an aspect to the apparent softness and general uniformity of cultivated manners.

"And perhaps the joint influence of these two

"As we were returning from the meadows that day, I remember we met Sir John Hawkins, whom Dr. Johnson seemed much rejoiced to see; and no wonder, for I have often heard him speak of Sir John in terms expressive of great esteem and much cordiality of friendship. On his asking Dr. Johnson when he had seen Dr. Hawkesworth, he roared out with great vehemency, Hawkes-primeval causes, his intellectual excellence and his worth is grown a coxcomb, and I have done with him.' We drank tea that afternoon at Sir J. Hawkins's, and on our return I was surprised to hear Dr. Johnson's minute criticism on Lady Hawkins's dress, with every part of which almost he found fault. [Ante, p. 69.]

"Few people (I have heard him say) understood the art of carving better than himself; but that it would be highly indecorous in him to attempt it in company, being so nearsighted, that it required a suspension of his breath during the operation.

corporeal defects, mutually contributed to give his manners a greater degree of harshness than they would have had if only under the influence of one of them, the imperfect perceptions of the one not unfrequently producing misconceptions in the other.

"Besides these, many other equally natural causes concurred to constitute the singularity of Dr. Johnson's character. Doubtless the progress of his education had a double tendency to brighten and to obscure it. But I must observe, that this obscurity (implying only his awkward uncouth It must be owned indeed that it was to be re-appearance, his ignorance of the rules of politegretted that he did not practise a little of that delicacy in eating, for he appeared to want breath more at that time than usual.

66

"It is certain that he did not appear to the best advantage at the hour of repast; but of this he was perfectly unconscious, owing probably to his being totally ignorant of the characteristic expressions of the human countenance, and therefore he could have no conception that his own expressed when most pleased any thing displeasing to others; for, though, when particularly directing his attention towards any object to spy out defects or perfections, he generally succeeded better than most men; partly, perhaps, from a desire to excite admiration of his perspicacity, of which he was not a little ambitious-yet I have heard him say, and

ness, &c.) would have gradually disappeared at a more advanced period, at least could have had no manner of influence to the prejudice of Dr. Johnson's character, had it not been associated with those corporeal defects above mentioned. But unhappily his untaught, uncivilized manner seemed to render every little indecorum or impropriety that he committed doubly indecorous and improper."

II.

MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES OF DR.

JOHNSON.

I have often perceived, that he could not dis- [The Editor is well aware of the general

tinguish any man's face half a yard distant from
him, not even his most intimate acquaintance.
[Ante, pp. 187, and 286.]

"Though it cannot be said that he was in
manners gentle, yet it justly can that he was in
affections mild, benevolent, and compassionate;
and to this combination of character may I believe
be ascribed in a great measure his extraordinary
celebrity; his being beheld as a phenomenon or
wonder of the age!

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And yet Dr. Johnson's character, singular as it certainly was from the contrast of his mental endowments with the roughness of his manners, was, I believe, perfectly natural and consistent throughout; and to those who were intimately acquainted with him must I imagine have appeared so. For being totally devoid of all deceit, free from every tinge of affectation or ostentation, and unwarped by any vice, his singularities, those strong lights and shades that so peculiarly distinguish his character, may the more easily be traced to their primary and natural causes.

"The luminous parts of his character, his soft affections, and I should suppose his strong intellectual powers, at least the dignified charm or radiancy of them, must be allowed to owe their 63

VOL. II.

inaccuracy of what are called anecdotes, and has accordingly admitted very few additions of that kind to either the text or notes of this work; but there are several anecdotes current in literature and society, which the reader may not be sorry to see in this place. Some of them sland on the authority of the relater; some are confirmed by, or confirmatory of anecdotes already told; others again require to be noticed either for explanation or correction; and all may be considered as fairly coming within the scope of a work the peculiar object of which is to collect into one view all that can elucidate the biography of Dr. Johnson.]— ED.

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bob wig, was the style of his wardrobe, but they were in perfectly good trim, and with the ladies, which he generally met, he had nothing of the slovenly philosopher about him; he fed heartily, but not voraciously, and was extremely courteous in his commendations of any dish that pleased his palate; he suffered his next neighbour to squeeze the China oranges into his wine-glass after dinner, which else perchance had gone aside and trickied into his shoes, for the good man had neither straight sight nor steady nerves.

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back? If fortune had turned him into a field of clover, he would have laid down and rolled in it. The mere manual labour of writing would not have allowed his lassitude and love of ease to have taken the pen out of the inkhorn, unless the cravings of hunger had reminded him that he must fill the sheet before he saw the table-cloth. He might indeed have knocked down Osburne for a blockhead, but he would not have knocked him down with a folio of his own writing. He would perhaps have been the dictator of a club, and wherever he sat down to conversation, there must "At the tea-table he had considerable demands have been that splash of strong bold thought about upon his favourite beverage, and I remember when him, that we might still have had a collectanea Sir Joshua Reynolds at my house reminded his after his death; but of prose I guess not much, of that he had drank eleven cups, he replied, Sir, I works of labour none, of fancy perhaps something did not count your glasses of wine, why should more, especially of poetry, which under favour I you number up my cups of tea?' And then laughconceive was not his tower of strength. I think ing, in perfect good-humour he added, Sir, I we should have had his Rasselas at all events, for should have released the lady from any further he was likely enough to have written at Voltaire, trouble if it had not been for your remark; but and brought the question to the test, if infidelity you have reminded me that I want one of the is any aid to wit. An orator he must have been; dozen, and I must request Mrs. Cumberland to not improbably a parliamentarian, and, if such, round up my number." When he saw the readcertainly an oppositionist, for he preferred to talk iness and complacency with which my wife obeyagainst the tide. He would indubitably have beened his call, he turned a kind and cheerful look no member of the Whig Club, no partisan of upon her, and said, Madam, I must tell you for Wilkes, no friend of Hume, no believer in Mac- your comfort, you have escaped much better than pherson; he would have put up prayers for early a certain lady did awhile ago, upon whose patience rising, and laid in bed all day, and with the most I intruded greatly more than I have done on active resolutions possible been the most indolent yours; but the lady asked me for no other mortal living. He was a good man by nature, a purpose than to make a zany of me, and set me great man by genius; we are now to inquire what gabbling to a parcel of people I knew nothing he was by compulsion. of; so, madam, I had my revenge of her; for I swallowed five-and-twenty cups of her tea, and ad not treat her with as many words.' I can only say my wife would have made tea for him is long as the New River could have supplied her with water.

"Johnson's first style was naturally energetic, his middle style was turgid to a fault, his latter style was softened down and harmonized into periods, more tuneful and more intelligible. His execution was rapid, yet his mind was not easily provoked into exertion; the variety we find in his writings was not the variety of choice arising from the impulse of his proper genius, but tasks imposed upon him by the dealers in ink, and contracts on his part submitted to in satisfaction of the pressing calls of hungry want; for, painful as it is to relate, I have heard that illustrious scholar assert (and he never varied from the truth of fact) that he subsisted himself for a considerable space of time upon the scanty pittance of fourpence halfpenny per day. Alas! I am not fit to paint his character; nor is there need of it; Etiam mortuus loquitur: every man, who can buy a book, has bought a BoswELL: Johnson is known to all the reading world. I also knew him well, respected him highly, loved him sincerely: it was never my chance to see him in those moments of moroseness and ill-humour which are imputed to him, perhaps with truth, for who would slander him? But I am not warranted by any experience of those humours to speak of him otherwise than of a friend, who always met me with kindness, and from whom I never separated without regret. When I sought his company he had no capricious excuses for withholding it, but lent himself to every invitation with cordiality, and brought good-humour with him, that gave life to the circle he was in.

"He presented himself always in his fashion of apparel a brown coat with metal buttons, black waistcoat and worsted stockings, with a flowing |

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"It was on such occasions he was to be seen in his happiest moments, when animated by the cheering attention of friends whom he liked, be would give full scope to those talents for narration in which I verily think he was unrivalled both in the brilliancy of his wit, the flow of his humeur, and the energy of his language. Anecdotes of times past, scenes of his own life, and characters of humourists, enthusisasts, crack-brained projectors, and a variety of strange beings that be bsd chanced upon, when detailed by him at length, and garnished with those episodical remarks, sometimes comic, sometimes grave, which he would throw in with infinite fertility of fancy, were treat, which though not always to be purchased by five-and-twenty cups of tea, I have often mad the happiness to enjoy for less than half the nber.

"He was easily led into topics; it was net easy to turn him from them; but who wend wish it? If a man wanted to show himself of by getting up and riding upon him, he was sure to run restive and kick him off; you might as safely have backed Bucephalus, before Alexander had lunged him. Neither did he always like to be over-fondled: when a certain gentleman outacted his part in this way, he is said to have de manded of him, 'What provokes your risibility, sir? Have I said any thing that you understand? Then I ask pardon of the rest of the company." But this is Henderson's anecdote of him, and I

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