1784.

Had Johnson treated at large De Claris Oretoribus, he might have given

ཡི
us an admirable work. When the Duke of Bedford attacked the ministry delat. 75.
as vehemently as he could, for having taken upon them to extend the time
for the importation of corn, Lord Chatham, in his first speech in the House
of Lords, boldly avowed himfelf to be an adviser of that measure. "My
colleagues, (said he,) as I was confined by indisposition, did me the signal
honour of coming to the bed-side of a sick man, to ask his opinion. But,
had they not thus condescended, I should have taken up my bed and walked,
in order to have delivered that opinion at the Council Board.” Mr. Langton,
who was present, mentioned this to Johnson, who observed, “Now, Sir,
we see that he took these words as he found them; without considering, that
though the expression in Scripture, take up thy bed and walk, strictly suited
the instance of the sick man restored to health and strength, who would of course
be supposed to carry his bed with him, it could not be proper in the case of
a man who was lying in a state of feebleness, and who certainly would not add,
to the difficulty of moving at all, that of carrying his bed.”
When I pointed out to him in the news-paper one of Mr. Grattan's

I
animated and glowing speeches, in favour of the freedom of Ireland, in which
this expreslion occurred, (I know not if accurately taken): “We will per-
fevere, till there is not one link of the English chain left to clank upon the
rags of the meanest beggar in Ireland.”—“ Nay, Sir, (said Johnson,) don's
you perceive that one link cannot clank.”

Mrs. Thrale has published', as Johnson's, a kind of parody or counterpart
of a fine poetical passage in one of Mr. Burke's speeches on American Tax-
ation. It is vigorously but somewhat coarsely executed; and I am inclined to
suppose, is not quite correctly exhibited. I hope he did not use the words
“ vile agents for the Americans in the House of Parliament;" and if he dich
so, in an extempore effufion, I wisń the lady had not committed it to writing.

Mr. Burke uniformly shewed Johnson the greatest respect; and when Mr. Townshend, now Lord Sydney, at a period when he was conspicuous in opposition, threw out some reflection in parliament upon the grant of a pension to a man of such political principles as Johnson ; Mr. Burke, though then of the same party with Mr. Townshend, stood warmly forth in defence of his friend, to whom, he justly observed, the pension was granted solely on account of his eminent literary merit. I am well affured, that Mr. Townshend's attack upon Johnson was the occasion of his “ hitching in a rhyme ;" for, that

1784.

in the original copy of Goldsmith's character of Mr.Burke, in his “Retaliation,” another person's name stood in the couplet where Mr. Townshend is now introduced :

Ætat. 75.

Though fraught with all learning, kept straining his throat, " To persuade Tommy Townshend to lend him a vote.”

It may be worth remarking, among the minutie of my collection, that Johnson was once drawn for the militia, the Trained Bands of the City of London, and that Mr. Rackstrow, of the Museum in Fleet-street, was his Colonel. It may be believed he did not serve in perfon; but the idea, with all its circumstances, is certainly laughable. He upon that occasion provided himself with a musket, and with a sword and belt, which I have seen hanging in his closet.

He was very constant to those whom he once employed, if they gave him no reason to be displeased. When somebody talked of being imposed on in the purchase of tea and sugar, and such articles ; “ That will not be the case, (said he,) if you go to a stately shop, as I always do. In such a. shop it is not worth their while to take a petty advantage.”

An authour of most anxious and restless vanity being mentioned, “Sir,(said he,) there is not a young sapling upon Parnaffus more feverely blown about by every wind of criticism than that

poor

fellow.” The difference he observed, between a well-bred and an ill-bred man is this: “ One immediately attracts your liking, the other your aversion. You love the one till you find reason to hate him; you hate the other till reason to love him.”

The wife of one of his acquaintance had fraudulently made a purse to herfelf out of her husband's fortune. Feeling a proper compunction in her last moments, the confessed how much fhe Mad secreted; but before she could tell where it was placed, she was seised with a convulsive fit and expired. Her husband said, he was more hurt by her want of confidence in him, than by the loss of his money. “I told him (said Johnson) that he should console himself; for perhaps the money might be found, and he was sure that his wife. was gone."

A foppish physician imagined that Johnson had animadverted on his wearing a fine coat, and mentioned it to him. “ I did not notice you;” was his answer. The physician still insisted. “Sir, (said Johnson,) had you been dipt in Pactolus, I should not have noticed you.'

you find

1

1784.

Ætat. 75

He seemed to take a pleasure in speaking in his own style ; for when he Had carelessly missed it, he would repeat the thought transated into it. Talking of the Comedy of “ The Rehearsal,” he said, “ It has not wit enough to keep it sweet.” This was easy ;-—he therefore caught himself, and pronounced a more rounded sentence, “ It has not vitality enough to preserve it from putrefaction.”

He censured a writer of entertaining Travels for assuming a feigned character, saying (in his sense of the word) “He carries out one lye; we know not how many he brings back.”

Though he had no taste for painting, he admired much the manner in which Sir Joshua Reynolds treated of his art, in his “ Discourses to the Royal Academy.” He observed of a passage one day, “ I think I might as well have said this myself.” And once when Mr. Langton was sitting by him, he read one of them very eagerly, and expressed himself thus: “ Very well, Master Reynolds; very well, indeed. But it will not be understood.”'

No man was more ready to make an apology when he had censured unjustly than Johnson. When a proof-sheet of one of his works was brought to him, he found fault with the mode in which a part of it was arranged, refused to read it, and in a passion desired that the compositor might be sent to him. The compositor was Mr. Manning, a decent sensible man, who had compoled about one half of his “ Dictionary,” when in Mr. Strahan's printinghouse; and a great part of his “Lives of the Poets,” when in Mr. Nichols's printing-house; and now (in his seventy-seventh year) when in Mr. Baldwin's printing-house, has composed a part of this work concerning him. By producing the manuscript, he at once satisfied Dr. Johnson that he was not to blame. Upon which Johnson candidly and earnestly said to him, “ Mr. Compositor, I ask your pardon. Mr. Compositor, I ask your pardon, again and again.”

His generous humanity to the miserable was almost beyond example. The following instance is well attested: Coming home late one night, he found a poor woman lying in the street, so much exhausted that she could not walk; he took her upon his back, and carried her to his house, where he discovered that fhe was one of those wretched females who had fallen into the lowest state of vice, poverty, and disease. Instead of harshly upbraiding her, he had her taken care of with all tenderness for a long time, at a considerable

6

6

• Compositor, in the art of printing, means, the person who adjusts the types in the order in which they are to stand for printing; one who arranges what is called the form, from which an impression is taken.

Aisat. 75.

expence, till she was restored to health, and endeavoured to put her into a virtuous way of living?.

He thought Mr. Caleb Whitefoord, singularly happy in hitting on the signature of Papyrius Cursor, to his ingenious and diverting cross-readings of the news-papers; it being a real name of an ancient Roman, and clearly expressive of the thing done in this lively conceit.

He once in his life was known to have uttered what is called a bull; Sir Joshua Reynolds, when they were riding together in Devonshire, complained that he had a very bad horse, for that even when going down hill he moved Nowly step by step. “ Ay (said Johnson) and when he goes up hill, he stands ftill.”

He had a great aversion to gesticulating in company. He called once to a gentleman who offended him in that point, “ Don't attitudenise.” And

« ” when another gentleman thought he was giving additional force to what he uttered, by expresive movements of his hands, Johnson fairly seized them, and held them down.

An authour of considerable eminence having engrossed a good share of the conversation in the company of Johnson, and having said nothing but what was very triling and insignificant; Johnson when he was gone, observed to us, « It is wonderful what a difference there fometimes - is betwcen a man's powers of writing and of talking.

writes with great spirit, but is a poor talker;

had he held his tongue we might have supposed him to have been restrain’d by modesty; but he has spoken a great deal to-day; and you have heard what stuff it was.

A gentleman having said that a congé d'elire, has not perhaps the force of a command, but may be considered only as a strong recommendation. “ Sir, (replied Johnson, who overheard him,) it is such a recommendation, as if I Mould throw you out of a two-pair-of-stairs window, and recommend to you to fall foft 8.”

Mr. Steevens, who passed many a social hour with him during their long acquaintance, which commenced when they both lived in the Temple, has preserved a good number of particulars concerning him, most of which are to be found in the department of Apothegms, &c. in the Collection of

a

1784.

Ætat. 7

* Johnson's Works.” But he has been pleased to favour me with the following,
which are original:

“ One evening, previous to the trial of Baretti, a consultation of his friends
was held at the house of Mr. Cox, the Solicitor, in Southampton-buildings,
Chancery-lane. Among others present were, Mr. Burke and Dr. Johnson,
who differed in sentiments concerning the tendency of some part of the
defence the prisoner was to make. When the meeting was over, Mr. Steevens
observed, that the question between him and his friend had been agitated with
rather too much warmth. It may be so, Sir, (replied the Doctor,) for

fo
Burke and I should have been of one opinion, if we had had no audience.”

“ Dr. Johnson once assumed a character in which perhaps even Mr. Boswell
never saw him. His curiosity having been excited by the praises bestowed on
the celebrated Torré's fireworks at Marybone-Gardens, he desired Mr. Steevens
to accompany him thither. The evening had proved showery; and soon after
the few people present were assembled, publick notice was given, that the
conductors to the wheels, suns, stars, &c. were so thoroughly water-soaked,
that it was impossible any part of the exhibition should be made. (This is
a mere excuse (says the Doctor) to save their crackers for a more profitable
company. Let us but hold up our sticks, and threaten to break those coloured
lamps that surround the Orchestra, and we shall foon have our wishes gratified.
The core of the fire-works cannot be injured; let the different pieces be
touched in their respective centers, and they will do their offices as well as
ever.:-Some young men who overheard him, immediately began the
violence he had recommended, and an attempt was speedily made to fire some
of the wheels which appeared to have received the smallest damage; but to
little purpose were they lighted, for most of them completely failed. The
authour of The Rambler,' however, may be considered on this occasion, as
the ring-leader of a successful riot, though not as a skilful pyrotechnist.”.

“ It has been supposed that Dr. Johnson, fo far as fashion was concerned, was careless of his appearance in publick. But this is not altogether true, as the following night instance may show :-Goldsmith's last Comedy was to be represented during some court-mourning; and Mr. Steevens appointed to call on Dr. Johnson, and carry him to the tavern where he was to dine with others of the Poet's friends. The Doctor was ready dressed, but in coloured cloaths; yet being told that he would find every one else in black, received the intelligence with a profusion of thanks, hastened to change his attire, all. the while repeating his gratitude for the information that had saved him from an appearance so improper in the front row of a front box. I would not

(added.