CONTAINING

APHORISMS.

ON

LITERATURE, LIFE, AND MANNERS;

WITH

ANECDOTES

OF

DISTINGUISHED PERSONS:

SELECTED AND ARRANGED

FROM

MR. BOSWELL's LIFE OF JOHNSON.

He that questioneth much hall learn auch, and content
much; but especially if he apply Eis queftions to the fkill of the
perfons whom he afketh: for he had give them occafion to
please themselves in fpeaking; and himself thall continually
gather knowledge.

EACON'S ESSAYS.

London:

PRINTED FOR C. DILLY IN THE POULTRY,

M,DCC,XCVIII.

DA

LENOX LIBRARY
NEW YORK

MEM AOBK

THE approbation bestowed on BOSWELL's Life of JOHNSON, fuggefted the propriety of the selection now offered to the Public. The fentiments of that great moralift and judge of human nature on various interefting topics are here arranged and digefted in a manner which it is hoped will prove agreeable to a numerous clafs of readers; thofe, namely, who feek for inftruction from works which they may take up or lay down at pleasure, without interrupting the chain of an argument, or the circumftances of a nar

ration.

Dr. JOHNSON's converfation poffeffed precisely that ex◄ cellence fo well defcribed by LORD VERULAM in a sentence almost immediately preceding that which has been chofen for the motto to the Title Page of this work:-" It is good in difcourfe and speech of converfation (Jays his Lordship, in the quaint but expreffive language of his age) to vary and intermingle Speech of the prefent occafion with arguments; tales with reafons; asking of questions with telling of opinions; and jeft with earnest.”

In