What (faid Elphinston,) have you not read it through ?" Johnson, offended at being thus preffed, and fo obliged to own his curfory mode of reading, anfwered tartly, "No, Sir; do you read books through ?" 1773. Etat. 64. He this day again defended duelling, and put his argument upon what I have ever thought the most solid basis; that if publick war be allowed to be confiftent with morality, private war must be equally fo. Indeed we may observe what strained arguments are used, to reconcile war with the Christian religion. But, in my opinion, it is exceedingly clear that duelling having better reafons for its barbarous violence, is more juftifiable than war, in which thousands go forth without any cause of perfonal quarrel, and maffacre each other. On Wednesday, April 21, I dined with him at Mr. Thrale's. A gentleman attacked Garrick for being vain. JOHNSON. "No wonder, Sir, that he is vain; a man who is perpetually flattered in every mode that can be conceived. So many bellows have blown the fire; that one wonders he is not by this time become a cinder." BosWELL. "And fuch bellows too. Lord Mansfield with his cheeks like to burft: Lord Chatham like an Eolus. I have read fuch notes from them to him, as were enough to turn his head." JOHNSON. "True. When he whom every body else flatters, flatters me, I then am truely happy." MRS. THRALE. "The fentiment is in Congreve, 1 think." JOHNSON. JOHNSON. Yes, Madam, in *The Way of the World:" 1773. Etat. 64. 'If there's delight in love, 'tis when I fee No, Sir, I fhould not be furprised though Garrick chained the ocean, and lashed the winds." BOSWELL."Should it not be, Sir, lafhed the ocean and chained the winds ?" JOHNSON. "No, Sir; recollect the original: • In Corum atque Eurum folitus fævire flagellis Barbarus, olio nunquam hoc in carcere paffos, Ipfum compedibus qui vinxerat Eunofigaum." This does very well, when both the winds and the fea are perfonified, and mentioned by their mythological names, as in Juvenal; but when they are mentioned in plain language, the application of the epithets fuggested by me, is the most obvious; and accordingly my friend himself, in his imitation of the paffage which defcribes Xerxes, has "The waves he lashes, and enchains the wind." The modes of living in different countries, and the various views with which men travel in queft of new scenes, having been talked of, a learned gentleman who holds a confiderable office in the law, expatiated on the happiness of a savage life; and mentioned an inftance of an officer who had actually lived for fome time in the wilds of America, of whom, when in that state, he quoted this reflection with an air of admiration, as if it had been deeply philofophical: "Here am I, free and unrestrained, amidst the rude magnificence of Nature, with this Indian woman by my fide, and this gun, .1773. gun, with which I can procure food when I want it: what more can be deûred for human happinefs?" Atat. 64. It did not require much fagacity to foresee that fuch a fentiment would not be permitted to pass without due animadverfion. JOHNSON. "Do not allow yourself, Sir, to be impofed upon by fuch grofs abfurdity. It is fad ftuff; it is brutish. If a bull could speak, he might as well exclaim,-Here am I with this cow and this grafs; what being can enjoy greater felicity ?" * We talked of the melancholy end of a gentleman who had deftroyed himself. JOHNSON. "It was owing to imaginary difficulties in his affairs, which, had he talked with any friend, would foon have vanished." BOSWELL." Do you think, Sir, that all who commit fuicide are mad?" JOHNSON. "Sir, they are often not univerfally difordered in their intellects, but one paffion preffes fo upon them, that they yield to it, and commit fuicide, as a paffionate man will ftab another." He added, "I have often thought, that after a man has taken the refolution to kill himfelf, it is not courage in him to do any thing, however defperate, because he has nothing to fear." GOLDSMITH. "I don't fee that." JOHNSON. "Nay, but my dear Sir, why fhould not you fee what every one else fees ?" GOLDSMITH." It is for fear of fomething that he has refolved to kill himfelf; and will not that timid difpofition restrain him?" JOHNSON." It does not fignify that the fear of fomething made him refolve; it is upon the state of his mind, after the refolution is taken, that I argue. Suppofe a man, either from fear, or pride, or conscience, or what 1773. Etat. 64. whatever motive, has refolved to kill himself; when once the resolution is taken, he has nothing to fear. He may then go and take the King of Pruffia by the nofe, at the head of his army. He cannot fear the rack, who is refolved to kill himself. When Euftace Budgel was walking down to the Thames, determined to drown himself, he might, if he pleased, without any apprehenfion of danger, have turned afide, and first set fire to St. James's palace." On Tuesday, April 27, Mr. Beauclerk and I called on him in the morning. As we walked up Johnfon's-court, I faid, "I have a veneration for this court;" and was glad to find that Beauclerk had the fame reverential enthusiasm. We found him alone. We talked of Mr. Andrew Stuart's elegant and plausible Letters to Lord Mansfield; a copy of which had been fent by the authour to Dr. Johnfon. JOHNSON. "They have not anfwered the end. They have not been talked of: I have never heard of them. This is owing to their not being fold. People feldom read a book which is given to them; and few are given. The way to spread a work is to fell it at a low price. No man will send to buy a thing that cofts even fixpence, without an intention to read it." BosMay it not be doubted, Sir, whether it be proper to publish letters, arraigning the ulti mate decifion of an important caufe by the fupreme judicature of the nation ?” JOHNSON. "No, Sir, I do not think it was wrong to publish these letters. If they are thought to do harm, why not answer them? But they will do no harm. WELL. " 1773. If Mr. Douglas be indeed the fon of Lady Jane, he cannot be hurt: if he be not her fon, and yet Etat. 64. has the great estate of the family of Douglas, he may well fubmit to have a pamphlet against him by Andrew Stuart. Sir, I think fuch a publication does good, as it does good to fhow us the poffibilities of human life. And, Sir, you will not say that the Douglas caufe was a cause of eafy decifion, when it divided your Court as much as it could do, to be determined at all. When your Judges were seven and seven, the cafting vote of the Prefident must be given on one fide or other; no matter, for my argument, on which; one or the other must be taken; as when I am to move, there is no matter which leg I move first. And then, Sir, it was otherwife determined here. No, Sir, a more dubious determination of any queftion cannot be imagined. He faid, "Goldsmith should not be for ever attempting to shine in converfation: he has not temper for it, he is fo much mortified when he fails. Sir, a game of jokes is compofed partly of skill, partly of chance, a man may be beat at times by one who has not the tenth part of his wit. Now • I regretted that Dr. Johnson never took the trouble to study a queftion which interested nations. He would not even read a pamphlet which I wrote upon it, entitled "The Effence of the Douglas Caufe;" which, I have reason to flatter myself, had confiderable effect in favour of Mr. Douglas; of whofe legitimate filiation I was then, and am ftill, firmly convinced. Let me add, that no fact can be more respectably ascertained, than by the judgement of the most auguft tribunal in the world; a judgement, in which Lord Mansfield and Lord Camden united in 1769, and from which only five of a numerous body entered a proteft. Goldfmith's |