marked, “ have not that painted form which is the taste of this age, but it is a book which will always sell; it has such a stability of dates, such a certainty of facts, and such a punctuality of citation. I never before read Scotch history with certainty."

"Great abilities," said he, "are not requisite for an historian; for in historical composition all the great powers of the human mind are quiescent. He has facts ready to his hand; so there is no exercise of invention. Imagination is not required in any high degree; only about as much as is used in the lower kinds of poetry. Some penetration, accuracy, and colouring, will fit a man for the task, if he can give the application which is necessary."

Mr. Kristrom, a Swede, who was tutor to some young gentleman in the city, told Boswell, that there was a very good History of Sweden, by Da. line. Having at that time an intention of writing a history of that country, Boswell asked Dr. Johnson, whether one might write a history of Sweden, without going thither. "Yes, sir,” said he, one for common use."

66

At a dinner party at general Paoli's, an animated debate took place, whether Martinelli should continue his History of England. JOHNSON." No, sir, he would give great offence. He would have to tell of almost all the living great what they do not wish told." GOLDSMITH." It may, perhaps, be necessary for a native to be more cautious; but a foreigner, who comes among us without prejudice, may be considered as holding the place of a judge, and may speak his mind freely." JOHNSON. "Sir, a foreigner, when he sends a work from the press, ought to be on his guard against catching the error

and mistaken enthusiasm of the people among whom he happens to be." GOLDSMITH." Sir, he wants only to sell his history, and to tell truth; one an honest, the other a laudable motive." "JOHNSON. Sir, they are both laudable motives. It is laudable in a man to wish to live by his labours; but he should write so as he may live by them, not so as he may be knocked on the head. I would advise him to be at Calais before he publishes his history of the present age. A foreigner, who attaches himself to a political party in this country, is in the worst state that can be imagined: he is looked upon as a mere intermeddler. A native may do it from interest." BOSWELL. " Or principle." GOLDSMITH." There are people who tell a hundred political lies every day, and are not hurt by it. Surely, then, one may tell truth with safety." JOHNSON. Why, sir, in the first place, he who tells a hundred lies has disarmed the force of his lies: but, besides, a man had rather have a hundred lies told of him, than one truth which he does not wish should be told." GOLDSMITH." For my part, I'd tell truth, and shame the devil." JOHNSON. "Yes, sir; but the devil will be angry. I wish to shame the devil as much as you do, but I should choose to be out of the reach of his claws." GOLDSMITH. "His claws can do you no harm, when you have the shield of truth."

The common remark as to the utility of reading history being made: JOHNSON. "We must consider how very little history there is; I mean real authentic history. That certain kings reigned, and certain battles were fought, we can depend upon as

true; but all the colouring, all the philosophy of history, is conjecture." BoswELL. "Then, sir, you would reduce all history 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.*

• Boswell here alludes to a speech made by Gibbon on a former occasion. In a company where they were both present, the mention of the wolf had led Johnson to think of other wild beasts; and while sir Joshua Reynolds and Mr. Langton were carrying on a dialogue about something which engaged them earnestly, he, in the midst of it, broke out," Pennant tells of bears." They went on; which he, being dull of hearing, did not perceive, or, if he did, was not willing to break off his talk; so he continued to vociferate his remarks, and bear (" like a word in a catch," as Beauclerk said) was repeatedly heard at intervals, which coming from him, who, by those who did not know him, had been so often assimilated to that ferocious animal, while those who were sitting around could hardly stifle laughter, produced a very ludicrous effect, Silence having ensued, he proceeded: "We are told, that the black bear is innocent; but I should not like to trust myself with him." Mr. Gibbon muttered, in a low tone of voice, "I should not like to trust myself with you."

No. VII.

NATURAL HISTORY.

THE custom of eating dogs at Otaheite being mentioned, Goldsmith observed, that this was also a custom in China; that a dog-butcher is as common there as any other butcher; and that when he walks abroad, all the dogs fall on him. JOHNSON. "That is not owing to his killing dogs, sir. I remember a butcher at Lichfield, whom a dog that was in the house where I lived always attacked. It is the smell of carnage which provokes this, let the animals he has killed be what they may." GOLDSMITH." Yes, there is a general abhorrence in animals at the signs of massacre. If you put a tub full of blood into a stable the horses are like to go mad." JOHNSON. "I doubt that." GOLDSMITH. 66 Nay, sir, it is a fact well authenticated." THRALE. "You had better prove it before you put it into your book on natural history. You may do it in my stable if you will." JOHNSON. "Nay, sir, I would not have him prove it. If he is content to take his information from others, he may get through his book with little trouble, and without much endangering his reputation; but if he makes experiments for so comprehensive a book as his, there would be no end to them: his erroneous assertions would then fall upon himself; and he might be blamed for not having made experiments as to every particular."

Boswell related, that he had, several times, when

in Italy, seen the experiment of placing a scorpion within a circle of burning coals; that it ran round and round in extreme pain; and finding no way to escape, retired to the centre, and, like a true Stoic philosopher, darted its sting into its head, and thus at once freed itself from its woes. "This must

end 'em." This, he observed, was a curious fact, as it showed deliberate suicide in a reptile. Johnson would not admit the fact. He said, Maupertuis was of opinion that it does not kill itself, but dies of the heat; that it gets to the centre of the circle as the coolest place; that its turning its tail in upon its head is merely in convulsion, and that it does not sting itself. He said he would be satisfied if the great anatomist Morgagni, after dissecting a scorpion, on which the experiment had been tried, should certify that its sting had penetrated into its head.

He seemed pleased to talk of natural philosophy. "That woodcocks," said he, "fly over the northern countries, is proved, because they have been observed at sea. Swallows certainly sleep all winter. A number of them conglobulate together, by flying round and round; and then, all in a heap, throw themselves under water, and lie in the bed of a river." He said, one of his first essays was a Latin poem upon the glow-worm.

Talking of birds, Boswell mentioned Mr. Daines Barrington's ingenious Essay against the received notion of their migration. JOHNSON. “I think we have as good evidence for the migration of woodcocks as can be desired. We find they disappear at a certain time of the year, and appear again at a certain time of the year; and some of them, when