Page images
PDF
EPUB

fioned obfcurity, he therefore contrived to conftruct his fentences fo as not to have occafion for them, and would even rather repeat the fame words, in order to avoid them. Nothing is more common than to mistake firnames when we hear them carelessly uttered for the first time. To prevent this, he ufed not only to pronounce them flowly and diftinctly, but to take the trouble of fpelling them; a practice which I have often followed; and which I wish were, general.

Such was the heat and irritability of his blood, that not only did he pare his nails to the quick; but fcraped the joints of his fingers with a penknife, till they feemed quite red and raw..

[ocr errors]

The heterogeneous compofition of human nature was remarkably exemplified in Johnson. His liberality in giving his money to persons in distress was, extraordinary. Yet there lurked about him a propenfity to paultry faving. One day I owned to him that "I was occafionally troubled with a fit of narrowness." Why, Sir, (faid he,) fo am I. But I do not tell it.' He has now and then borrowed a fhilling of me; and when I afked for it again feemed to be rather out of humour. A droll little circumftance once occurred; As if he meant to reprimand my minute exactness as a creditor, he thus addreffed me, "Bofwell, lend me fixpence not to be repaid."

This great man's attention to fmall things was very remarkable. As an inftance of it, he one day faid to me, "Sir, when you get filver in change for a guinea, look carefully at it; you may find fome curious piece of coin."

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Though a ftern true-born Englishman and fully prejudiced against all other nations; he had difcernment enough to fee, and candour enough to cenfure the cold referve too common among Englishmen towards ftrangers; Sir, faid he, two men of any other nation who are fhewn into a room together, at a houfe where they are both vifitors, will immediately find fome converfation. But two Englishmen will probably go each to a different window, and remain in obstinate filence. Sir, we as yet do not enough understand the common rights of humanity.

Johnson was at a certain period of his life a good deal with the Earl of Shelburne, now Marquis of Lanfdown, as he doubtless could not but have a due value for that nobleman's activity of mind, and uncommon acquifitions of important knowledge, however much he might difapprove of other parts of his Lordship's character, which were widely different from his own.

Maurice Morgan, Efq. authour of the very ingenious" Effay on the character of Falstaff," being a particular friend of his Lordship, had once an opportunity of entertaining Johnson for a day or two at Wickham, when its Lord was abfent, and by him I have been favoured with two anecdotes.

One is not a little to the credit of Johnson's candour. Mr. Morgan and he had a dispute pretty

2 Johnson being asked his opinion of th's Effay, answered, Why, Sir, we shall have the man come forth again; and as he has proved Falstaff to be no coward, he may prove Lago to be a very good character."

late

late at night, in which Johnson would not give up, though he had the wrong fide, and in 'fhort both kept the field. Next morning, when they met in the breakfasting-room, Dr. Johnfon accofted Mr. Morgan thus: Sir, I have been thinking on our difpute laft night-You were in the right."

The other was as follows: Johnson for fport perhaps, or from the fpirit of contradiction, eager ly maintained that Derrick had merit as a writer. Mr. Morgan argued with him directly, in vain. At length he had recourfe to this device. "Pray, Sir, (faid he,) whether do you reckon Derrick or Smart the best poet?" Johnfon at once felt him-3 felf roufed; and anfwered, Sir, there is no fettling the point of precedency between a Toufe and a flea,”

[ocr errors][merged small]

་ ན .

[ocr errors]

"SPEAKING of Homer, whom he venerated as the prince of poets, Johnfon remarked that the advice given to Diomed by his father, when he fent ས་ him to the Trojan war, was the noblest exhortation that could be inftanced in any heathen writer, and comprised in a fingle line:

[ocr errors]

4 anibel gros αιεν αριστεύειν, και υπείροχον εμμεναι αλλων 1-111 ying yam 500 which, if I recollect well, is tranflated by Dr. Clarke thus: femper appetere præftantissima, & omnibus aliis antecelleré... Fib od :anulx9 small

"He obferved, "it was a moft mortifying reflexion for any man to confider, what he had done, compared with what he might have done.""

"He faid few people had intellectual resources fufficient to forego the pleafures of wine. They could not otherwife contrive how to fill the interval between dinner and fupper,

10

"He went with me one Sunday to hear my old Mafter, Gregory Sharpe preach at the Temple.gs In the prefatory prayer, Sharpe ránted about Liberty, as a bleffing moft fervently to be implored, and its continuance prayed for; Johnson observed, that our liberty was in no fort of danger. He would have done much better, to pray against our licentioufness.

Off One evening at Mrs. Montagu's, where a fplendid company was affembled, confifting of the most eminent literary characters, I thought he feemed highly pleased with the refpect and attention that were fhewn him, and afked him on our return home if he was not highly gratified by his vifit," No, Sir, (faid he) not highly gratifyed; yet I do not recollect to have paffed many evenings with fewer objections."

Though of no high extraction himself, he had much refpect for birth and family, especially among ladies. He faid, "adventitious accomplishments may be poffeffed by all ranks; but one may easily distinguish the born gentlewoman."

f

"He faid, "the poor in England were better provided for than in any other country of the fame extent: he did not mean little Cantons, or

petty

petty Republicks. Where a great proportion of the people (faid he,) are fuffered to languifh in helpless mifery, that country must be ill policed, and wretchedly governed; a decent provifion for the poor, is the true teft of civilization.-Gentlemen of education, he obferved, were pretty much the fame in all countries; the condition of the lower orders, the poor efpecially, was the true mark of national difcrimination."

"When the corn laws were in agitation in Ireland, by which that country has been enabled not only to feed itself, but to export corn to a large amount; Sir Thomas Robinfon obferved, that those laws might be prejudicial to the corn trade of England, "Sir Thomas, (faid he,) you talk the language of a savage: what, Sir? would you prevent any people from feeding themselves if by any honeft means they can do it.

"It being mentioned, that Garrick affifted Dr. Brown, the authour of the Eftimate, in fome dramatick compofition, "No, Sir; (faid Johnfon,) he would no more fuffer Garrick to write a line in his play, than he would fuffer him to mount his pulpit."

"Speaking of Burke, he faid, "It was commonly observed, he spoke too often in parliament; but nobody could fay he did not speak well, though too frequently and too familiarly."

"Speaking of economy, he remarked, it was hardly worth while to save anxiously twenty pounds a year. If a man could fave to that degree, fo as

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »