1767.

Etat. 58.

"I fhould have thought fo too, (faid the King,)
if you
had not written fo well."-Johnfon obferved
to me, upon this, that "No man could have paid
a handfomer compliment; and it was fit for a
King to pay. It was decifive." When asked by
another friend, at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, whether
he made any reply to this high compliment, he
anfwered, "No, Sir. When the King had faid
it, it was to be fo. It was not for me to bandy
civilities with my fovereign." Perhaps no man
who had spent his whole life in courts could have
fhewn a more nice and dignified fenfe of true polite-
nefs, than Johnson did in this instance.

His Majesty having obferved to him that he fuppofed he must have read a great deal; Johnson anfwered, that he thought more than he read; that he had read a great deal in the early part of his life, but having fallen into ill health, he had not been able to read much, compared with others: for inftance, he faid he had not read much compared with Dr. Warburton. Upon which the King faid, that he heard Dr. Warburton was a man of fuch general knowledge, that you could scarce talk with him on any subject on which he was not qualified to speak; and that his learning refembled. Garrick's acting, in its univerfality. His Majefty then talked of the controverfy between Warburton and Lowth, which he feemed to have read, and afked Johnfon what he thought of it. Johnson

7 The Reverend Mr. Strahan clearly recollects having been told by Johnson, that the King obferved that Pope made Warburton a Bishop. "True, Sir, (faid Johnson,) but Warburton did more for Pope; he made him a Chriftian:" alluding, no doubt, to his ingenious Comments on the "Effay on Man,”

answered, "Warburton has most general, moft
fcholaftick learning; Lowth is the more correct
fcholar. I do not know which of them calls names
beft." The King was pleafed to fay he was of
the fame opinion; adding, "You do not think
then, Dr. Johnson, that there was much argument in
the cafe." Johnfon faid, he did not think there was.
Why truly, (faid the King,) when once it comes
to calling names, argument is pretty well at an end."

His Majefty then asked him what he thought of
Lord Lyttelton's history, which was then just pub-
lifhed. Johnfon faid, he thought his ftyle pretty
good, but that he had blamed Henry the Second
rather too much. "Why, (faid the King,) they
feldom do these things by halves." "No, Sir,
(anfwered Johnfon,) not to Kings."

But fearing

to be misunderstood, he proceeded to explain him-
felf; and immediately subjoined, "That for those
who spoke worfe of Kings than they deserved, he
could find no excufe; but that he could more easily
conceive how fome might speak better of them
than they deserved, without any ill intention; for,
as Kings had much in their power to give, those
who were favoured by them would frequently,
from gratitude, exaggerate their praises; and as
this proceeded from a good motive, it was certainly
excufeable, as far as errour could be excufeable."

The King then asked him what he thought of
Dr. Hill. Johnson answered, that he was an inge-
nious man, but had no veracity; and immediately
mentioned, as an inftance of it, an affertion of that
writer, that he had feen objects magnified to a
much greater degree by ufing three or four micro-
fcopes at a time, than by ufing one. "Now,
(added

Kk 2

1767.

Etat. 5.

1767.

(added Johnson,) every one acquainted with micro Etat. 58. fcopes knows, that the more of them he looks through, the less the object will appear.

Why,

(replied the King,) this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumfily; for, if that be the cafe, every one who can look through a microscope will be able to detect him."

"I now, (faid Johnson to his friends, when relating what had paffed,) began to confider that I was depreciating this man in the estimation of his fovereign, and thought it was time for me to fay fomething that might be more favourable." He added, therefore, that Dr. Hill was, notwithstanding, a very curious obferver; and if he would have been contented to tell the world no more than he knew, he might have been a very confiderable man, and needed not to have recourfe to fuck mean expedients to raise his reputation.

The King then talked of literary journals, mentioned particularly the Journal des Savans, and afked Johnfon if it was well done. Johnson faid, it was formerly very well done, and gave fome account of the persons who began it, and carried it on for fome years; enlarging at the fame time, on the nature and use of fuch works. The King asked him if it was well done now. Johnfon anfwered, he had no reason to think that it was. The King then asked him if there were any other literary journals published in this kingdom, except the Monthly and Critical Reviews; and on being anfwered there were no other, his Majesty asked which of them was the beft: Johnfon anfwered, that the Monthly Review was done with most care, the Critical upon the beft principles; adding, that

the

1767.

the authours of the Monthly Review were enemies to the Church. This the King faid he was forry Etat. 58.

to hear.

The converfation next turned on the Philofophical Transactions, when Johnson observed, that they had now a better method of arranging their materials than formerly. Aye, (faid the King,) they are obliged to Dr. Johnfon for that;" for his Majefty had heard and remembered the circumftance, which Johnson himself had forgot.

His Majefty expreffed a defire to have the literary biography of this country ably executed, and proposed to Dr. Johnson to undertake it. Johnfon fignified his readiness to comply with his Majefty's wishes.

During the whole of this interview, Johnson talked to his Majefty with profound refpect, but' ftill in his firm manly manner, with a fonorous voice, and never in that fubdued tone which is commonly used at the levee and in the drawingroom. After the King withdrew, Johnson fhewed himself highly pleased with his Majefty's converfation and gracious behaviour. He faid to Mr. Barnard, "Sir, they may talk of the King as they will; but he is the fineft gentleman I have ever feen." And he afterwards obferved to Mr. Langton, "Sir, his manners are thofe of as fine a gentleman as we may fuppofe Lewis the Fourteenth or Charles the Second."

At Sir Joshua Reynolds's, where a circle of Johnfon's friends was collected round him to hear his account of this memorable converfation, Dr. Jofeph Warton, in his frank and lively manner,

Kk 3

was

1757.

Ætat. 58.

was very active in preffing him to mention the par ticulars. "Come now, Sir, this is an interesting matter; do favour us with it." Johnson, with great good humour, complied.

He told them, "I found his Majesty wished I should talk, and I made it my business to talk. I find it does a man good to be talked to by his fovereign. In the first place, a man cannot be in a paffion" Here fome queftion interrupted him, which is to be regretted, as he certainly would have pointed out and illustrated many circumstances of advantage, from being in a fituation, where the powers of the mind are at once excited to vigorous exertion, and tempered by reverential

awe.

During all the time in which Dr. Johnson was employed in relating to the circle at Sir Joshua Reynolds's the particulars of what paffed between the King and him, Dr. Goldsmith remained unmoved upon a fopha at fome distance, affecting not to join in the leaft in the eager curiofity of the company. He affigned as a reason for his gloom and seeming inattention, that he apprehended Johnfon had relinquifhed his purpose of furnishing him with a Prologue to his play, with the hopes of which he had been flattered; but it was ftrongly fufpected that he was fretting with chagrin and envy at the fingular honour Dr. Johnfon had lately enjoyed. At length, the franknefs and fimplicity of his natural character prevailed. He fprung from the fopha, advanced to Johnson, and in a kind of flutter, from imagining himself in the fituation which he had juft been hearing defcribed, exclaimed,

"Well,