JOHNSON. "That, Sir, is not to the prefent purpose: we are talking of his fenfe. A fighting cock has a noblenefs of refolution."

Next day, Sunday, April 2, 1 dined with him at Mr. Hoole's. We talked of Pope. JOHNSON. "He wrote his 'Dunciad' for fame. That was his primary motive. Had it not been for that, the dunces might have railed against him till they were weary, without his troubling himself about them. He delighted to vex them, no doubt; but he had more delight in feeing how well he could vex them."

The "Odes to Obfcurity and Oblivion," in ridicule of "cool Mafon and warm Gray," being mentioned, Johnfon faid, "They are Colman's best things." Upon its being obferved that it was believed thefe Odes were made by Colman and Lloyd jointly ;-JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, how can two people make an Ode? Perhaps one made one of them, and one the other." I obferved that two people had made a play, and quoted the anecdote of Beaumont and Fletcher, who were brought under fufpicion of treafon, because while concerting the plan of a tragedy when fitting together at a tavern, one of them was overheard faying to the other, I'll kill the King. JOHNSON.. "The first of these Odes is the best: but they are both good. They exposed a very bad kind of writing." BOSWELL. "Surely, Sir, Mr. Mafon's " Elfrida” is a fine poem: at least you will allow there are fome good paffages in it." JOHNSON. "There are now and then fome good imitations of Miltons bad manner."

I often wondered at his low estimation of the writings of Gray and Mafon. Of Gray's poetry I have, in a former part of this work, expreffed my high opinion; and for that of Mr. Mafon I have ever entertained a warm admiration. His "Elfrida" is exquisite, both in poetical description and moral fentiment; and his "Caractacus" is a noble drama. Nor can I omit paying my tribute of praise to fome of his finaller poems which I have read with pleasure, and which no criticifm fhall perfuade me not to like. If I wondered at Johnson's not tafting the works of Mason and Gray, ftill more have I wondered at their not tafting his works; that they should be infenfible to his energy of diction, to his fplendour of images, and comprehenfion of thought. Taftes may differ as to the violin, the flute, the hautboy, in fhort, all the leffer inftruments: but who can be infenfible to the powerful impreffions of the majeftick organ?

His "Taxation no Tyranny" being mentioned, he faid, "I think I have not been attacked enough for it. Attack is the re-action. I never think I

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have hit hard, unless it rebounds." BOSWELL. "I don't know, Sir, what you
would be at. Five or fix fhots of fmall arms in every newspaper, and repeated
cannonading in pamphlets, might, I think fatisfy you. But, Sir, you'll never
make out this match, of which we have talked, with a certain political lady,
fince you are fo fevere against her principles." JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, I have
the better chance for that. She is like the Amazons of old; fhe must be
courted by the fword. But I have not been severe upon her." BOSWELL.
"Yes, Sir, you have made her ridiculous." JOHNSON. "That was already
done, Sir.
To endeavour to make her ridiculous, is like blacking the
chimney."

I put him in mind that the landlord at Ellon in Scotland faid, that he heard he was the greatest man in England,-next to Lord Mansfield. “Aye, Sir, (faid he,) the exception defined the idea. A Scotchman could go no farther:

Lady Miller's collection of verfes by fashionable people, which were put into her Vafe at Batheafton villa, near Bath, in competition for honorary prizes, being mentioned, he held them very cheap: "Bouts rimés (faid he,) is a mere conceit, and an old conceit now; I wonder how people were perfuaded to write in that manner for this lady." I named a gentleman of his acquaintance, who wrote for the Vase. JOHNSON. "He was a blockhead for his pains." BOSWELL. "The Duchefs of Northumberland wrote." JOHNSON. "Sir, the Duchefs of Northumberland may do what fhe pleases: nobody will fay any thing to a lady of her high rank. But I fhould be apt to throw ******'s verses in his face."

I talked of the cheerfulness of Fleet-street, owing to the conftant quick fucceffion of people which we perceive paffing through it. JOHNSON. " Why, Sir, Fleet-ftreet has a very animated appearance; but I think the full tide of human existence is at Charing-crofs."

He made the common remark on the unhappiness which men who have led a bufy life experience, when they retire in expectation of enjoying themfelves at ease, and that they generally languish for want of their habitual occupation, and wish to return to it. He mentioned as strong an instance of this as can well be imagined. "An eminent tallow-chandler in London, who had acquired a confiderable fortune, gave up the trade in favour of his foreman, and went to live at a country-house near town. He foon grew weary, and paid frequent visits to his old fhop, where he defired they might let him know

their melting-days, and he would come and affift them; which he accordingly did. Here, Sir, was a man, to whom the most difgufting circumftance in the business to which he had been used, was a relief from idlenefs."

On Wednesday, April 5, I dined with him at Meffieurs Dillys, with Mr. John Scott of Amwell, the Quaker, Mr. Langton, Mr. Miller, (now Sir John,) and Dr. Thomas Campbell, an Irish clergyman, whom I took the liberty of inviting to Meffieurs Dillys' table, having seen him at Mr. Thrale's, and been told that he had come to England chiefly with a view to fee Dr. Johnfon, for whom he entertained the highest veneration. He has fince published " A philofophical Survey of the South of Ireland," a very entertaining book, which has, however, one fault ;-that it affumes the fictitious character of an Englishman.

We talked of publick speaking.-JOHNSON. "We must not estimate a man's powers by his being able or not able to deliver his fentiments in publick. Ifaac Hawkins Browne, one of the first wits of this country, got into parliament, and never opened his mouth. For my own part, I think it is more disgraceful never to try to speak, than to try it and fail; as it is more difgraceful not to fight, than to fight and be beaten." This argument appeared to me fallacious; for if a man has not spoken, it may be said that he would have done very well if he had tried; whereas, if he has tried and failed, there is nothing to be faid for him. "Why then, (I asked,) is it thought disgraceful for a man not to fight, and not difgraceful not to speak in publick?" JOHNSON. "Because there may be other reasons for a man's not speaking in publick than want of refolution he may have nothing to say, (laughing). Whereas, Sir, you know courage is reckoned the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no fecurity for preferving any other."

He obferved, that "the ftatutes against bribery were intended to prevent upstarts with money from getting into parliament;" adding, that "if he were a gentleman of landed property, he would turn out all his tenants who did not vote for the candidate whom he fupported." LANGTON. "Would not that, Sir, be checking the freedom of election?" JOHNSON. " Sir, the law does not mean that the privilege of voting should be independent of old family intereft; of the permanent property of the country."

On Thursday, April 6, I dined with him at Mr. Thomas Davies's, with Mr. Hicky the painter, and my old acquaintance Mr. Moody the player.

Dr. Johnson, as ufual, fpoke contemptuously of Colley Cibber. "It is wonderful that a man, who for forty years had lived with the great and the witty, fhould have acquired fo ill the talents of converfation: and he had but half to Ppp furnish;

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furnish; for one half of what he said was oaths." He, however, allowed
confiderable merit to fome of his comedies, and said there was no reason to
believe that "The Careless Husband" was not written by himself. Davies
faid, he was the first dramatick writer who introduced genteel ladies upon the
stage. Johnson refuted this obfervation by inftancing feveral fuch characters
in comedies before his time. DAVIES. (trying to defend himself from a charge
of ignorance,) "I mean genteel moral characters." "I think (faid Hicky,)
gentility and morality are infeparable." BOSWELL. "By no means, Sir. The
genteeleft characters are often the most immoral. Does not Lord Chesterfield
give precepts for uniting wickedness and the graces? A man, indeed, is not
genteel when he gets drunk; but moft vices may be committed very genteely:
a man may debauch his friend's wife genteely: he may cheat at cards genteely."
HICKY. "I do not think that is genteel." BOSWELL. "Sir, it may not be like a
gentleman, but it may be genteel." JOHNSON. "You are meaning two different
things. One means exteriour grace; the other honour. It is certain, that a
man may be very immoral with exteriour grace. Lovelace, in Clariffa,' is a
very genteel and a very wicked character. Tom Hervey, who died t'other day,
though a vicious man, was one of the genteeleft men that ever lived." Tom
Davies inftanced Charles the Second. JOHNSON, (taking fire at any attack upon.
this Prince, for whom he had an extraordinary partiality,) "Charles the Second
was licentious in his practice; but he always had a reverence for what was good.
Charles the Second knew his people, and rewarded merit. The Church was
at no time better filled than in his reign. He was the best King we have had
from his time till the reign of his prefent Majefty, except James the Second,
who was a very good King, but unhappily believed that it was neceffary for
the falvation of his fubjects that they should be Roman Catholicks. He had the
merit of endeavouring to do what he thought was for the falvation of the fouls
of his fubjects, till he loft a great empire. We, who thought that we fhould
not be faved if we were Roman Catholicks, had the merit of maintaining our
religion, at the expence of fubmitting ourfelves to the government of King
William, (for it could not be done otherwife,)—to the government of one of
the moft worthlefs fcoundrels that ever exifted. No; Charles the Second was
not fuch a man as
-, (naming another King). He did not destroy his
father's will. He took money, indeed, from France: but he did not betray those
over whom he ruled: he did not let the French fleet pafs ours. George the
First knew nothing, and defired to know nothing; did nothing, and defired to
do nothing: and the only good thing that is told of him is, that he wished to
reftore the crown to its hereditary fucceffor." He roared with prodigious.
violence

2

violence against George the Second. When he ceafed, Moody interjected, in an Irish tone, and with a comick look, "Ah! poor George the Second."

I mentioned that Dr. Thomas Campbell had come from Ireland to London, principally to fee Dr. Johnson. He feemed angry at this obfervation. DAVIES. Why, you know, Sir, there came a man from Spain to fee Livy'; and Corelli came to England to fee Purcell, and, when he heard he was dead, went directly back again to Italy." JOHNSON. "I fhould not have wished to be dead to disappoint Campbell, had he been fo foolish as you reprefent him; but I fhould have wifhed to have been a hundred miles off." This was apparently perverfe; and I do believe it was not his real way of thinking: he could not but like a man who came fo far to fee him. He laughed with fome complacency, when I told him Campbell's odd expreffion to me concerning him: "That having feen fuch a man, was a thing to talk of a century hence;"-as if he could live fo long.

We got into an argument whether the Judges who went to India might with propriety engage in trade. Johnson warmly maintained that they might. "For why (he urged) fhould not Judges get riches, as well as those who deferve them lefs." I faid, they should have fufficient falaries, and have nothing to take off their attention from the affairs of the publick. JOHNSON. "No Judge, Sir, can give his whole attention to his office; and it is very proper that he should employ what time he has to himself, for his own advantage, in the most profitable manner." "Then, Sir, (faid Davies, who enlivened the difpute by making it fomewhat dramatick,) he may become an infurer; and when he is going to the bench, he may be stopped, Your Lordship cannot go yet: here is a bunch of invoices: several ships are about to fail." JOHNSON. "Sir, you may as well fay a judge fhould not have a houfe; for they may come and tell him, Your Lordfhip's houfe is on fire;' and fo, instead of minding the bufinefs of his Court, he is to be occupied in getting the engine with the greatest speed. There is no end of this. Every Judge who has land, trades to a certain extent in corn or in cattle; and in the land itfelf, undoubtedly. His steward acts for him, and fo do clerks for a great merchant. A Judge may be a farmer; but he is not to geld his own pigs. A Judge may play a little at cards for his amufement; but he is not to play at marbles, or at chuck-farthing in the Piazza. No, Sir; there is no profeffion to which a man gives a very great proportion of his time. It is wonderful when a calculation is made, how little the mind is actually employed in the discharge of

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