1752. neglected, as low company of whom they were fomewhat afhamed, grew angry; and refolving to fhock their fuppofed pride, by making their great vifiters imagine that his friend and he were low indeed, he addreffed himself in a loud tone to Mr. Reynolds, faying, "How much do you think you and I could get in a week, if we were to work as hard as we could?" as if they had been common mechanicks. His acquaintance with Bennet Langton, Esq. of Langton, in Lincolnshire, another much valued friend, commenced foon after the conclufion of his Rambler, which that gentleman, then a youth, had read with so much admiration, that he came to London chiefly with the view of endeavouring to be introduced to its authour. By a fortunate chance he happened to take lodgings in, a house where Mr. Levet frequently vifited; and having mentioned his wifh to his landlady, the introduced him to Mr. Levet, who readily obtained Johnson's permiffion to bring Mr. Langton to him; as, indeed, Johnfon, during the whole courfe of his life, had no fhynefs, real or affected, but was eafy of access to all who were properly recommended, and even wifhed to fee numbers at his levee, as his morning circle of company might, with ftrict propriety, be called. Mr. Langton was exceedingly furprized when the fage first appeared. He had not received the fmalleft intimation of his figure, drefs, or manner. From perufing his writings, he fancied he fhould fee a decent, well-dreft, in fhort, a remarkably decorous philofopher. Instead of which, down from his bed-chamber, about noon, came, as newly rifen, a huge uncooth figure, with a little dark wig which scarcely covered his head, and his clothes hanging loose about him. But his converfation was fo rich, fo animated, and fo forcible, and his religious and political notions fo congenial with thofe in which Langton had been educated, that he conceived for him that veneration and attachment which he ever preserved. Johnson was not the lefs ready to love Mr. Langton, for his being of a very ancient family; for I have heard him fay, with pleasure, "Langton, Sir, has a grant of free warren from Henry the Second; and Cardinal Stephen Langton, in King John's reign, was of this family." Mr. Langton afterwards went to pursue his ftudies at Trinity College, Oxford, where he formed an acquaintance with his fellow ftudent, Mr. Topham Beauclerk, who, though their opinions and modes of life were so different, that it seemed utterly improbable that they fhould at all agree, had so ardent a love of literature, fo acute an understanding, fuch elegance of manners, and fo well difcerned the excellent qualities of Mr. Langton, a gentleman eminent not only for worth and learning, but for an inexhauftible fund of entertaining converfation, that they became intimate friends. Johnfon, foon after this acquaintance began, paffed a confiderable time at Oxford. He at first thought it strange that Langton fhould affociate fo much with one who had the character of being loofe, both in his principles and practice; but, by degrees, he himself was fafcinated. Mr. Beauclerk's 1752. tat, 43. L 1752. Etat. 43. being of the St. Alban's family, and having, in fome particulars, a refemblance to Charles the Second, contributed, in Johnson's imagination, to throw a luftre upon his other qualities; and, in a fhort time, the moral, pious Johnfon, and the gay, diffipated Beauclerk, were companions. "What a coalition! (faid Garrick, when he heard of this;) I fhall have my old friend to bail out of the Round-house." But I can bear teftimony that it was a very agreeable affociation. Beauclerk was too polite, and valued learning and wit too much, to offend Johnson by sallies of infidelity or licentioufnefs; and Johnson delighted in the good qualities of Beauclerk, and hoped to correct the evil. Innumerable were the scenes in which Johnfon was amufed by these young men. Beauclerk could take more liberty with him, than any body with whom I ever faw him; but, on the other hand, Beauclerk was not fpared by his refpectable companion, when reproof was proper. Beauclerk had fuch a propensity to fatire, that at one time Johnfon faid to him, "You never open your mouth but with intention to give pain; and you have often given me pain, not from the power of what you faid, but from seeing your intention.' At another time applying to him, with a flight alteration, a line of Pope, he faid, Thy love of folly, and thy fcorn of fools-Every thing thou doft fhews the one, and every thing thou fay'st the other." At another time he faid to him, Thy body is all vice, and thy mind all virtue.” Beauclerk not feeming to relifh the compliment, Johnson faid, "Nay, Sir, Alexander the Great, marching 3 22 marching in triumph into Babylon, could not have defired to have had more faid to him." Johnson was fome time with Beauclerk at his houfe at Windfor, where he was entertained with experiments in natural philofophy. One Sunday, when the weather was very fine, Beauclerk enticed him, infenfibly, to faunter about all the morning. They went into a church-yard, in the time of divine fervice, and Johnson laid himself down at his ease upon one of the tomb-ftones. "Now, Sir, (faid Beauclerk) you are like Hogarth's Idle Apprentice." When Johnfon got his penfion, Beauclerk faid to him, in the humorous phrase of Falstaff, "I hope you'll now purge and live cleanly like a gentleman." One night when Beauclerk and Langton had fupped at a tavern in London, and fat till about three in the morning, it came into their heads to go and knock up Johnfon, and fee if they could prevail on him to join them in a ramble. They rapped violently at the door of his chambers in the Temple, till at laft he appeared in his fhirt, with his little black wig on the top of his head, instead of a nightcap, and a poker in his hand, imagining, probably, that fome ruffians were coming to attack him. When he discovered who they were, and was told their errand, he fmiled, and with great good humour agreed to their propofal: What, is it you, you dogs! I'll have a frifk with you." He was foon dreft, and they fallied forth together into Covent-Garden, where the green-grocers and fruiterers were beginning to arrange their hampers, juft come in from the country. Johnfon 1752. Etat. 43. Etat. 43. 1752. Johnfon made fome attempts to help them; but the honest gardeners ftared fo at his figure and manner, and odd interference, that he foon faw his fervices were not relifhed. They then repaired to one of the neighbouring taverns, and made a bowl of that liquor called Bishop, which Johnson, had always liked; while in joyous contempt of fleep, from which he had been roused, he repeated the feftive lines, Etat. 44. « Short, O fhort then be thy reign, They did not stay long, but walked down to the Thames, took a boat, and rowed to Billingfgate.. Beauclerk and Johnson were so well pleased with their amusement, that they refolved to persevere in diffipation for the reft of the day: but Langton deferted them, being engaged to breakfaft with fome young Ladies. Johnfon fcolded him for "leaving his focial friends, to go and fit with a fet of wretched un-idea'd girls." Garrick being told of this ramble, faid to him fmartly, "I heard of your frolick t'other night. You'll be in the Chronicle." Upon which Johnson afterwards ob ferved, "He durft not do fuch a thing. His wife would not let him !" He entered upon this year 1753 with his ufual piety, as appears from the following prayer tranfcribed from that part of his diary which he burnt a few days before his death: Jan. 1, 1753, N. S. which I fhall use for the future. "Almighty |