1775 Ætat. 66. I happened to start a question of propriety, whether when a man knows that fome of his intimate friends are invited to the house of another friend, with whom they are all equally intimate, he may join them without an invitation. JOHNSON. "No, Sir; he is not to go when he is not invited. They may be invited on purpose to abuse him," (fmiling). As a curious instance how little a man knows, or wishes to know, his own character in the world, or, rather, as a convincing proof that Johnson's roughness was only external, and did not proceed from his heart, I infert the following dialogue. JOHNSON. "It is wonderful, Sir, how rare a quality good humour is in life. We meet with very few good humoured men." I mentioned four of our friends, none of whom he would allow to be good humoured. One was acid, another was muddy, and to the others he had objections which have escaped me. Then, shaking his head and stretching himself at his ease in the coach, and smiling with much complacency, he turned to me and faid, "I look upon myself as a good humoured fellow." The epithet fellow, applied to the great Lexicographer, the stately Moralist, the masterly Critick, as if he had been Sam Johnson, a mere pleasant companion, was highly diverting; and this light notion of himself struck me with wonder. I answered, also smiling, "No, no, Sir; that will not do. You are good natured, but not good humoured: you are irafcible. You have not patience with folly and abfurdity. I believe you would pardon them, if there were time to deprecate your vengeance; but punishment follows fo quick after sentence, that they cannot efcape." I had brought with me a great bundle of Scotch magazines and newspapers, in which his "Journey to the Western Islands" was attacked in every mode; and I read a great part of them to him, knowing they would afford him entertainment. I wish the writers of them had been present: they would have been fufficiently vexed. One ludicrous imitation of his style, by Mr. Maclaurin, now one of the Scotch Judges, with the title of Lord Dreghorn, was diftinguished by him from the rude mass. "This (faid he,) is the best. But I could caricature my own style much better myself." He defended his remark upon the general infufficiency of education in Scotland; and confirmed to me the authenticity of his witty faying on the learning of the Scotch;"Their learning is like bread in a besieged town: every man gets a little, but no man gets a full meal." "There is (faid he,) in Scotland a diffusion of learning, a certain portion of it widely and thinly fpread. A merchant there has as much learning as one of their clergy." 1775 He talked of Ifaac Walton's Lives, which was one of his most favourite books. Dr. Donne's Life, he faid, was the most perfect of them. He Ætat, 66. observed, that " it was wonderful that Walton, who was in a very low situation in life, should have been familiarly received by so many great men, and that at a time when the ranks of fociety were kept more feparate than they are now." He supposed that Walton had then given up his business as a linen-draper and sempster, and was only an authour; and added, " that he was a great panegyrift." BOSWELL. "No quality will get a man more friends than a difposition to admire the qualities of others. I do not mean flattery, but a fincere admiration." JOHNSON. " Nay, Sir, flattery pleases very generally. In the first place, the flatterer may think what he says to be true: but, in the second place, whether he thinks so or not, he certainly thinks those whom he flatters of confequence enough to be flattered." No fooner had we made our bow to Mr. Cambridge, in his library, than Johnson ran eagerly to one fide of the room, intent on poring over the backs of the books. Sir Joshua observed, (afide,) "He runs to the books, as I do to the pictures: but I have the advantage. I can see much more of the pictures than he can of the books." Mr. Cambridge, upon this, politely faid, "Dr. Johnson, I am going, with your pardon, to accuse myself, for I have the same custom which I perceive you have. But it seems odd that one should have fuch a defire to look at the backs of books." Johnfon, ever ready for conteft, instantly started from his reverie, wheeled about, and answered, "Sir, the reason is very plain. Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a fubject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. When we inquire into any subject, the first thing we have to do is to know what books have treated of it. This leads us to look at catalogues, and at the backs of books in libraries." Sir Joshua observed to me, the extraordinary promptitude with which Johnfon flew upon an argument. "Yes, (faid I,) he has no formal preparation, no flourishing with his fword; he is through your body in an inftant." Johnson was here folaced with an elegant entertainment, a very accomplished family, and much good company; among whom was Mr. Harris of Salisbury, who paid him many compliments on his "Journey to the Western Islands." The common remark as to the utility of reading history being made ;JOHNSON. "We must confider how very little hiftory there is; I mean real authentick history. That certain Kings reigned, and certain battles were fought, we can depend upon as true; but all the colouring, all the philofophy, of 1775 of history is conjecture." BOSWELL. "Then, Sir, you would reduce all Ætat. 66. hiftory to no better than an almanack, a mere chronological series of remarkable events." Mr. Gibbon, who must at that time have been employed upon his history, of which he published the first volume in the following year, was present, but did not step forth in defence of that species of writing. He probably did not like to trust himself with Johnson 7. Johnson observed, that the force of our early habits was so great, that though reason approved, nay, though our senses relished a different course, almost every man returned to them. I do not believe there is any observation upon human nature better founded than this; and, in many cases, it is a very painful truth; for where early habits have been mean and wretched, the joy and elevation resulting from better modes of life, must be damped by the gloomy confciousness of being under an almost inevitable doom to fink back into a situation which we recollect with disgust. It furely may be prevented, by constant attention and unremitting exertion to establish contrary habits of fuperiour efficacy. "The Beggars Opera," and the common question, whether it was pernicious in its effects, having been introduced ;-JOHNSON. "As to this matter, which has been very much contested, I myself am of opinion, that more influence has been afcribed to 'The Beggars Opera,' than it in reality ever had; for I do not believe that any man was ever made a rogue by being present at its representation. At the same time I do not deny that it may have some influence, by making the character of a rogue familiar, and in some degree pleasing." Then collecting himself, as it were, to give a heavy stroke: "There is in it such a labefactation of all principles, as may be injurious to morality." While he pronounced this response, we fat in a comical fort of restraint, smothering a laugh, which we were afraid might burst out. In his Life of Gay, he has been still more decisive as to the inefficiency of "The Beggars Opera," in corrupting society. But I have ever thought somewhat differently; 7 See page 478. • A very eminent physician, whose discernment is as acute and penetrating in judging of the human character as it is in his own profession, remarked once at a club where I was, that a lively young man, fond of pleasure and without money, would hardly resist a solicitation from his mistress to go upon the highway, immediately after being present at the representation of "The Beggars Opera." I have been told of an ingenious obfervation by Mr. Gibbon, that "The Beggars Opera may, perhaps, have fometimes increased the number of highwaymen; but that it has had a beneficial effect in refining that class of men, making them less ferocious, more polite, in short, more like gentlemen." Upon this Mr. Courtenay said, that "Gay was the Orpheus of highwaymen." for 1775 for, indeed, not only are the gaiety and heroism of a highwayman very captivating to a youthful imagination, but the arguments for adventurous Ætat, 66. depredation are so plausible, the allusions so lively, and the contrafts with the ordinary and more painful modes of acquiring property are so artfully displayed, that it requires a cool and strong judgement to resist so impofing an aggregate: yet, I own, I should be very forry to have "The Beggars Opera" fuppressed; for there is in it so much of real London life, fo much brilliant wit, and fuch a variety of airs, which, from early affociation of ideas, engage, foothe, and enliven the mind, that no performance which the theatre exhibits, delights me more. The late "worthy" Duke of Queensberry, as Thomson, in his "Seafons," justly characterises him, told me, that when Gay first shewed him "The Beggars Opera," his Grace's observation was, "This is a very odd thing, Gay; I am fatisfied that it is either a very good thing, or a very bad thing." It proved the former, beyond the warmest expectations of the authour or his friends. Mr. Cambridge, however, shewed us to day, that there was good reason enough to doubt concerning its success. He was told by Quin, that during the first night of its appearance it was long in a very dubious state; that there was a disposition to damn it, and that it was saved by the song, " Oh ponder well, be not severe." Quin himself had fo bad an opinion of it, that he refused the part of Captain Macheath, and gave it to Walker, who acquired great celebrity by his grave yet animated performance of it. We talked of a young gentleman's marriage with an eminent finger, and his determination that she should no longer sing in publick, though his father was very earnest she should, because her talents would be liberally rewarded so as to make her a good fortune. It was questioned whether the young gentleman, who had not a fhilling in the world, but was blest with very uncommon talents, was not foolishly delicate, or foolishly proud, and his father truly rational without being mean. Johnfon, with all the high spirit of a Roman fenator, exclaimed, " He refolved wisely and nobly to be fure. He is a brave man. Would not a gentleman be disgraced by having his wife finging publickly for hire? No, Sir, there can be no doubt here. I know not if I should not prepare myself for a publick finger, as readily as let my wife be one." Johnfon arraigned the modern politicks of this country, as entirely devoid of all principle of whatever kind. "Politicks (faid he) are now nothing more than means of rising in the world. With this fole view do men engage in politicks, and their whole conduct proceeds upon it. How different in that respect is the state of the nation now from what it was in Rrr the 1775 the time of Charles the First, during the Ufurpation, and after the RestoraEtat. 66. tion, in the time of Charles the Second. Hudibras affords a strong proof how much hold political principles had then upon the minds of men. There is in Hudibras a great deal of bullion, which will always last. But to be fure the brightest strokes of his wit owed their force to the impression of the characters, which was upon men's minds at the time; to their knowing them, at table and in the street; in short, being familiar with them; and above all, to his fatire being directed against those whom a little while before they had hated and feared. The nation in general has ever been loyal, has been at all times attached to the monarch, though a few daring rebels have been wonderfully powerful for a time. The murder of Charles the First was undoubtedly not committed with the approbation or consent of the people. Had that been the cafe, parliament would not have ventured to consign the regicides to their deferved punishment. And we know what exuberance of joy there was when Charles the Second was restored. If Charles the Second had bent all his mind to it, had made it his fole object, he might have been as absolute as Louis the Fourteenth." A gentleman observed he would have done no harm if he had. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, absolute princes seldom do any harm. But they who are governed by them are governed by chance. There is no security for good government." CAMBRIDGE. "There have been many fad victims to absolute power." JOHNSON. "So, Sir, have there been to popular factions." BOSWELL. "The question is, which is worst, one wild beaft or many?" Johnfon praifed "The SPECTATOR," particularly the character of Sir Roger de Coverley. He faid, " Sir Roger did not die a violent death, as has been generally fancied. He was not killed; he died only because others were to die, and because his death afforded an opportunity to Addison for fome very fine writing. We have the example of Cervantes making Don Quixote die. I never could fee why Sir Roger is reprefented as a little cracked. It appears to me that the story of the widow was intended to have fomething fuperinduced upon it: but the fuperftructure did not come." Somebody found fault with writing verses in a dead language, maintaining that they were merely arrangements of fo many words, and laughed at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, for fending forth collections of them not only in Greek and Latin, but even in Syriack, Arabick, and other more unknown tongues. JOHNSON. " I would have as many of these as possible; I would have verses in every language that there are the means of acquiring. Nobody imagines that an University is to have at once two hundred poets; but it should be able to shew two hundred scholars. Peiresc's death was lamented, |