close to a man in conversation, that you dis. cover what his real abilities are: to make a speech in a public assembly is a knack. Now I honour Thurlow, Sir; Thurlow is a fine fellow; he fairly puts his mind to yours." After repeating to him some of his pointed, lively sayings, I said, “It is a pity, Sir, you don't always remember your own good things, that you may have a laugh when you will." JOHNSON: 66 Nay, Sir, it is better that I forget them, that I may be reminded of them, and have a laugh on their being brought to my recollection." 66 When I recalled to him his having said as we sailed up Lochlomond, "That if he wore any thing fine, it should be very fine;" I observed that all his thoughts were upon a great scale. JOHNSON: Depend upon it, Sir, every man will have as fine a thing as he can get; as large a diamond for his ring." BOSWELL: "Pardon me, Sir: a man of a narrow mind will not think of it, a slight trinket will satisfy him: 'Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera gemmæ." "* I told him I should send him some "Essays" which I had written,+ which I hoped he would be so good as to read, and pick out the good ones. JOHNSON: "Nay, Sir, send me only the good ones; dont make me pick them." I heard him once say, "Though the proverb Nullum numen abest, si sit prudentia,' does not always prove true, we may be certain of the converse of it, Nullum numen adest, si sit imprudentia " Once, when Mr. Seward was going to Bath, and asked his commands, he said, "Tell Dr. Harrington that I wish he would publish another volume of the Nuge antique; it is a very pretty book." Mr. Seward seconded this wish, and recommendsays to larrington to dedicate it to John " Inculto latet hoc sub corpore." After Mr. Beauclerk's death, when it became Mr. Langton's property, he made the in scription be defaced. Johnson said compla cently, "It was kind in you to take it off;" and then, after a short pause, added, "and not unkind in him to put it on." He said, "how few of his friends' houses would a man choose to be at, when he is sick!" He mentioned one or two. I recal lect only Thrale's. He observed, "There is a wicked inclina. tion in most people to suppose an old man decayed in his intellects. If a young or middle-aged man, when leaving a company, does not recollect where he laid his hat, it is nothing; but if the same inattention is discovered in an old man, people will shrug up their shoulders, and say, his memory is going." 999 When I once talked to him of some of the sayings which every body repeats, but nobody knows where to find, such as, Qua DEUS vult perdere, prius dementat; be toid me that he was once offered ten guiness to point out from whence Semel insanirinna omnes was taken. He could not do it; but many years afterwards met with it by chance in Johannes Baptista Mantuanus.¶ [The words occur (as Mr. Bindley observes to ne in the First Eclogue of Mantuanus, De honesto Amore, bu Id commune malum; semel insanirimus omad. With the following elucidation of the other si Quos Deus (it should rather beQuem Jupiter) rud perdere, prius dementat-Mr. Boswell was furished by Mr. Richard How, of Aspley, in Bedfordshire, as com municated to that gentleman by his friend Mr. Ju Pitts, late Rector of Great Brickhill, in Buckinghe shire : quoted than this. motto what Catullus namque tu solebas, Meas esse aliquid putare NUGAS."} As a small proof of his kindliness and delicacy of feeling, the following circumstance may be mentioned: one evening when we were in the street together, and I told him I was going to sup at Mr. Beauclerk's, he said, I'll go with you." walked part of the way, seeming to recollect After having something, he suddenly stopped and said, "I cannot go,-but I do not love Beauclerk the less." Juvenal. Sat. i. 29. [Under the title of "The Hypochondriack." M.] It has since appeared. [A new and greatly improved edition of this very curious collection was published by Mr. Park in 1804, in two volumes, octavo. In this edition the letters are chronologically arranged, and the account of the Bishops, which was formerly printed from a very corrupt copy, is taken from Sir John Harrington's original manuscript, which he presented to Henry, Prince of Wales, and is now in the Royal Library in the Museum. M.] Carm. i. 3 "Perhaps no scrap of Latin whatever has been mom It occasionally falls even fram that who are scrupulous even to pedantry in their Lathy and will not admit a word into their compositions, d After & lungit either as a verb active or neut not the sanction of the first age. The word amenit some gentlemen of Cambriage use of deciding a be ments of Euripides, in what edition I do to recIZED the fut where it is given as a translation of a Greek Lambick: Ὃν Θεὸς θέλει ἀπολέσαι, πρῶτ ̓ ἀποφρενος The above scrap was found in the hand-writing of 4 suicide of fashion, Sir D. O. some years ago, hig The suicide was a man of classical acquirements. De the table of the room where he had destroyed he left no other paper behind him." Another of these proverbial sayings, Incidit in Scyllam, cupiens vitare Charybdim, I some years ago, in a Note on a passage in THE VO CHANT OF VENICE, traced to its source. It occu a slight variation) in the ALEXANDREIS of Prie altier, (a poet of the thirteenth century, when a printed at Lyons in 1558. Darius is the person addres Quo tendis inertern, Rex periture, fugam? nescis, heu! perdite. noch Quem fugias: hostes incurris, dum fugis hosten: Incidis in Scyllam, cupiens vitare Charybdım. The author of this line was first ascertained by Cab leottus Martius, who died in 1476; as is observed a MENAGIANA, vol. iii. p. 130, edit. 1762.-For at of Philip Gualtier, see Vossius de Poet. Latin p fol. 1697. A line not less frequently quoted than any of the pum I am very sorry that I did not take a note of an eloquent argument in which he maintained that the situation of Prince of Wales was the happiest of any person's in the kingdom, even beyond that of the Sovereign. I recollect only-the enjoyment of hope,the high superiority of rank, without the anxious cares of government, and a great degree of power, both from natural influence wisely used, and from the sanguine expectations of those who look forward to the chance of future favour. Sir Joshua Reynolds communicated to me the following particulars: Johnson thought the poems published as translations from Ossian had so little merit, that he said, "Sir, a man might write such stuff for ever, if he would abandon his mind to it." He said, "A man should pass a part of his time with the laughers, by which means any thing ridiculous or particular about him might be presented to his view, and corrected." I observed, he must have been a bold laugher who would have ventured to tell Dr. Johnson of any of his particularities. Having observed the vain ostentatious importance of many people in quoting the authority of Dukes and Lords, as having been in their company, he said, he went to the other extreme, and did not mention his authority when he should have done it, had it not been that of a Duke or a Lord. | constant rule to talk as well as he could both as to sentiment and expression, by which means, what had been originally effort became familiar and easy. The consequence of this, Sir Joshua observed, was, that his common conversation in all companies was such as to secure him universal attention, as something above the usual colloquial style was expected. Yet, though Johnson had this habit in company, when another mode was necessary, in order to investigate truth, he could descend to a language intelligible to the meanest capacity. An instance of this was witnessed by Sir Joshua Reynolds, when they were present at an examination of a little blackguard boy, by Mr. Saunders Welch, the late Westminster Justice. Welch, who imagined that he was exalting himself in Dr. Johnson's eyes by using big words, spoke in a manner that was utterly unintelligible to the boy; Dr. Johnson perceiving it, addressed himself to the boy, and changed the pompous phraseology into colloquial language. Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was much amused by this procedure, which seemed a kind of reversing of what might have been expected from the two men, took notice of it to Dr. Johnson, as they walked away by themselves. Johnson said, that it was continually the case; and that he was always obliged to translate the justice's swelling diction (smiling,) so as that his meaning might be understood by the vulgar, from whom information was to be obtained. together. "No matter, Sir, (said Johnson ;) they consider it as a compliment to be talked to, as if they were wiser than they are. So true is this, Sir, that Baxter made it a rule in every sermon that he preached, to say something that was above the capacity of his audience."+ Dr. Goldsmith said once to Dr. Johnson, that he wished for some additional members to the LITERARY CLUB, to give it an agree- Sir Joshua once observed to him, that he able variety; for (said he,) there can now had talked above the capacity of some peɔbe nothing new among us: we have travel-ple with whom they had been in company led over one another's minds. Johnson seemed a little angry, and said, “Sir. you have not travelled over my mind, I promise you." Sir Joshua, however, thought Goldsmith right; observing, that "when people have lived a great deal together, they know what each of them will say on every subject. A new understanding, therefore, is desirable; because, though it may only furnish the same sense upon a question which would have been furnished by those with whom we are accustomed to live, yet this sense will have a different colouring; and colouring is of much effect in every thing else as well as in painting." Johnson used to say that he made it a Johnson's dexterity in retort, when he seemed to be driven to an extremity by his adversary, was very remarkable. Of his power in this respect, our common friend, Mr. Windham, of Norfolk, has been pleased to furnish me with an eminent instance. However unfavourable to Scotland, he uniformly gave liberal praise to George Buchanan, as a writer. In a conversation concerning the literary merits of the two coun eding, was suggested for inquiry, several years ago, in tries, in which Buchanan was introduced, a Note on THE RAPE OF LUCRECE: Soiamen miseris socios habuisse doloris '- But the author of this verse has not, I believe, been scovered. M.] I am happy, however, to mention a pleasing instance f his enduring with great gentleness to hear one of his Dost striking particularities pointed out :-Miss Hunter, niece of his friend Christopher Smart, when a very oung girl, struck by his extraordinary motions, said to im, Pray, Dr. Johnson, why do you make such range gestures?"-" From bad habit (he replied.) Do ou my dear, take care to guard against bad habits.' his I was told by the young lady's brother at Margate. Scotchman, imagining that on this ground he should have an undoubted triumph over him, exclaimed, "Ah, Dr. Johnson, what would you have said of Buchanan, had he The justness of this remark is confirmed by the fol lowing story, for which I am indebted to Lord Elliot: A country Parson, who was remarkable for quoting scraps of Latin in his sermons, having died, one of his parishioners was asked how he liked his successor; "He is a very good preacher (was his answer,) but no latiner." been an Enghishman ?"-" Why, Sir (said Johnson after a little pause,) I should not have said of Buchanan, had he been an Englishman, what I will now say of him as a Scotchman, that he was the only man of genius his country ever produced." And this brings to my recollection another instance of the same nature. I once reminded him that when Dr. Adam Smith was expatiating on the beauty of Glasgow, he had cut him short by saying, "Pray, Sir, have you ever seen Brentford?" and I took the liberty to add, "My dear Sir, surely that was shocking.""Why, then, Sir (he replied,) you have never seen Brentford." Though his usual phrase for conversation was talk, yet he made a distinction; for when he once told me that he dined the day before at a friend's house, with "a very pretty company;" and I asked him if there was good conversation, he answered, "No, Sir; we had talk enough, but no conversation; there was nothing discussed." Talking of the success of the Scotch in London, he imputed it in a considerable degree to their spirit of nationality. "You know, Sir, (said he,) that no Scotchman publishes a book, or has a play brought upon the stage, but there are five hundred people ready to applaud him." He gave much praise to his friend, Dr. Burney's elegant and entertaining travels, and told Mr. Seward that he had them in his eye, when writing his "Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland." Such was his sensibility, and so much was he affected by pathetic poetry, that, when he was reading Dr. Beattie's" Hermit," in my presence, it brought tears into his eyes." "Let you and I, Sir, go together, and eat a beef-steak in Grub-street." Sir William Chambers, that great architect+ whose works shew a sublimity of ge nius, and who is esteemed by all who know him, for his social, hospitable, and generous qualities, submitted the manuscript of his Chinese Architecture" to Dr. Johnson's perusal. Johnson was much pleased with it, and said, "It wants no addition nor cutrection, but a few lines of introduction ;” which he furnished, and Sir William adop ted. He said to Sir William Scott, "The ag is running mad after innovation; and ali the business of the world is to be done in a new way; men are to be hanged in a new way; Tyburn itself is not safe from the fury of innovation." It having been argued that this was an improvement"No, Sir, (said he, eagerly,) it is not an improvement; they object, that the old me thod drew together a number of spectators. Sir, executions are intended to draw spectstors. If they do not draw spectators, they don't answer their purpose. The old method was most satisfactory to all parties · the public was gratified by a procession; the criminal was supported by it. Why is all this to be swept away ?" I perfectly agree with Dr. Johnson upon this head, and an persuaded that executions now, the solem procession being discontinued, have at nearly the effect which they formerly bad. Magistrates, both in London and elsewhere, have, I am afraid, in this, had too much re gard to their own ease. have been chosen." He, however, said of him at another time to the same gentleman, "Hurd, Sir, is a man whose acquaintance's a valuable acquisition." Of Dr. Hurd, Bishop of Worcester, Jahnson said to a friend, Hurd, Sir, is one of He disapproved much of mingling real a set of men who account for every thing facts with fiction. On this account he cen- systematically; for instance, it has been i sured a book entitled "Love and Madness." fashion to wear scarlet breeches; these me Mr. Hoole told him, he was born in Moor- would tell you, that according to causes in! fields, and had received part of his early in-effects, no other wear could at that t struction in Grub-street. "Sir (said Johnson, smiling,) you have been regularly educated." Having asked who was his instructor, and Mr. Hoole having answered, " My uncle, Sir, who was a tailor;" Johnson, recollecting himself, said, “Sir, I knew him ; we called him the metaphysical tailor. He was of a club in Old-street, with me and George Psalmanazar, and some others: but pray, Sir, was he a good tailor?" Mr. Hoole having answered that he believed he was too mathematical, and used to draw squares and triangles on his shop-board, so that he did not excel in the cut of a coat ;"-"I am sorry for it (said Johnson,) for I would have every man to be master of his own business." In pleasant reference to himself and Mr. Hoole, as brother authors, he often said, • [The particular passage which excited this strong emotion, was, as I have heard from my father, the thud stanza, Tis night," &c. J. B.-O.j + The Honourable Horace Walpole, late Earl of ford, thus bears testimony to this gentleman's S a writer: Mr. Chambers's Treatise on G12 Arh ture is the most sensible book and the most c from prejudices, that ever was written on that scen -Preface to "Anecdotes of Painting in Engbad" The introductory lines are these: It is de avoid praising too little or too much. The bes panegyrics which have been lavished upon the Olese learning, policy, and arts, shew with what power s attracts regard, and how naturally esteem sweie a: admiration. "I am far from desiring to be numbered exaggerators of Chinese excellence. I consider great, or wise, only in comparison with the nat surround them; and have no intention to place '17 4 competition either with the ancients or with the ta derns of this part of the world; yet they mus lowed to claim our notice as a distinct and vers 2 race of men: as the inhabitants of a region its situation from all civilized countries, who had * ed their own manners, and invented their own arte d out the assistance of example." That learned and ingenious Prelate it is | nation who are shewn into a room together, well known published at one period of his at a house where they are both visitors, will life" Moral and Political Dialogues," with immediately find some conversation. But a wofully whiggish cast. Afterwards, his two Englishmen will probably go each to a Lordship having thought better, came to different window, and remain in obstinate see his error, and republished the work with silence. Sir, we as yet do not enough una more constitutional spirit. Johnson, how-derstand the common rights of humanity." ever, was unwilling to allow him full credit for his political conversion. I remember when his Lordship declined the honour of being Archbishop of Canterbury, Johnson said, "I am glad he did not go to Lambeth; for, after all, I fear he is a Whig in his heart." Johnson's attention to precision and clearness in expression was very remarkable. He disapproved of a parenthesis; and I believe in all his voluminous writings, not half a dozen of them will be found. He never used the phrases the former and the latter, having observed, that they often occasioned obscurity; he therefore contrived to construct his sentences so as not to have occasion for them, and would even rather repeat the same words, in order to avoid them. Nothing is more common than to mistake surnames, when we hear them carelessly uttered for the first time. To prevent this, he used not only to pronounce them slowly and distinctly, but to take the trouble of spelling them; a practice which I have often followed; and which I wish were general. Such was the heat and irritability of his blood, that not only did he pare his nails to the quick; but scraped the joints of his fingers with a penknife, till they seemed quite red and raw. 66 The heterogeneous composition of human nature was remarkably exemplified in Johnson. His liberality in giving his money to persons in distress was extraordinary. Yet there lurked about him a propensity to paltry saving. One day I owned to him that "I was occasionally troubled with a fit of narrowness." Why, Sir, (said he,) so am I. But I do not tell it." He has now and then borrowed a shilling of me; and when I asked him for it again, seemed to be rather out of humour. A droll little circumstance once occurred: As if he meant to reprimand my minute exactness as a creditor, he thus addressed me ;-" Boswell, lend me Sixpence-not to be repaid." This great man's attention to small things was very remarkable. As an instance of it, he one day said to me, "Sir, when you get silver in change for a guinea, look carefully at it; you may find some curious piece of coin. Though a stern true-born Englishman, and fully prejudiced against all other nations, he had discernment enough to see, and candour enough to censure, the cold reserve too common among Englishmen towards strangers: Sir, (said he,) two men of any other Johnson was at a certain period of his life a good deal with the Earl of Shelburne, now Marquis of Lansdown, as he doubtless could not but have a due value for that nobleman's activity of mind, and uncommon acquisitions of important knowledge, however much he might disapprove of other parts of his Lordship's character, which were widely different from his own. Morice Morgann, Esq., author of the very ingenious "Essay on the Character of Fal staff," being a particular friend of his Lordship, had once an opportunity of entertaining Johnson for a day or two at Wycombe, when this Lord was absent, and by him I have been favoured with two anecdotes. One is not a little to the credit of John son's candour. Mr. Morgann and he had a dispute pretty late at night, in which Johnson would not give up, though he had the wrong side, and in short, both kept the field. Next morning, when they met in the breakfast-room, Dr. Johnson accosted Mr. Morgann thus: "Sir, I have been thinking on our dispute last night-You were in the right." The other was as follows: Johnson for sport perhaps, or from the spirit of contra, diction, eagerly maintained that Derrick had merit as a writer. Mr. Morgann argued with him directly in vain. At length he had recourse to this device. "Pray, Sir, (said he,) whether do you reckon Derrick or Smart the best poet ?" Johnson at once felt himself roused; and answered, "Sir, there is no settling the point of precedency between a louse and a flea." Once, when checking my boasting too frequently of myself in company, he said to me, "Boswell, you often vaunt so much as to provoke ridicule. You put me in mind of a man who was standing in the kitchen of an inn with his back to the fire, and thus accosted the person next him, Do you know, Sir, who I am? No, Sir, (said the other,) I have not that advantage.' • Sir (said he,) I am the great TwALMLEY, who invented the New Floodgate Iron.'"+ The Bishop of Killaloe, on my repeating the story to him, defended TwALMLEY, by observing that he was entitled to the epithet of great; for Virgil in his group of worthies in the Elysian fields Hic manus, ob patriam pugnando vulnera | isting in that tongue to balance the partial passi; &c. mentions Inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes. He was pleased to say to me one morning when we were left alone in his study, "Boswell, I think, I am easier with you than with almost any body." He would not allow Mr. David Hume any credit for his political principles, though similar to his own; saying of him, "Sir, he was a Tory by chance." His acute observations of human life made him remark, "Sir, there is nothing by which a man exasperates most people more, than by displaying a superior ability of brilliancy in conversation. They seem pleased at the time; but their envy makes them curse him at their hearts." My readers will probably be surprised to hear that the great Dr. Johnson could amuse himself with so slight and playful a species of composition as a Charade. I have recovered one which he made on Dr. Barnard, now Lord Bishop of Killaloe; † who has been pleased for many years to treat me with so much intimacy and social ease, that I may presume to call him not only my Right Reverend, but by very dear Friend. I therefore with peculiar pleasure give to the world a just and elegant compliment thus paid to his Lordship by Johnson. Johnson asked Richard Owen Cambridge, Esq. if he had read the Spanish translation of Sallust, said to be written by a Prince of Spain, with the assistance of his tutor, who is professedly the author of a treatise annexed, on the Phoenician language. Mr. Cambridge commended the work, particularly as he thought the Translator understood his author better than is commonly the case with Translators; but said, he was disappointed in the purpose for accounts which the Roman writers have left us." JOHNSON: 66 No, Sir. They have not been partial, they have told their own story, without shame or regard to equitable treatment of their injured enemy; they had no compunction, no feeling for a Carthagi nian. Why, Sir, they would never have borne Virgil's description of Æneas's treatment of Dido, if she had not been a Cartha ginian." I gratefully acknowledge this and other communications from Mr. Cambridge, whom, if a beautiful villa on the banks of the Thames, a few miles distant from London, a numerous and excellent library, which he accurately knows and reads, a choice collec tion of pictures, which he understands and relishes, an easy fortune, an amiable family, an extensive circle of friends and acquaint ance, distinguished by rank, fashion, and ge nius, a literary fame, various elegant and still increasing, colloquial talents rarely to be found, and with all these means of happiness, enjoying, when well advanced in years, health and vigour of body, serenity and ani mation of mind, do not entitle to be addres sed fortunate senex! I know not to whom, in any age, that expression could with propriety have been used. Long may he live to hear and to feel it!§ Johnson's love of little children, which he discovered upon all occasions, calling them" pretty dears," and giving them sweet meats, was an undoubted proof of the real humanity and gentleness of his disposition. His uncommon kindness to his servants, and serious concern, not only for their cofort in this world, but their happiness in the next, was another unquestionable evidence of what all, who were intimately acquainted with him, knew to be true. Nor would it be just under this head, to omit the fondness which he shewed for animals which he had taken under his protec tion. I never shall forget the indulgence with which he treated Hodge, his cat; for whom he himself used to go out and buy oysters, lest the servants having that trouble should take a dislike to the poor creature. I am, unluckily, one of those who have an a tipathy to a cat, so that I am uneasy whet in the room with one; and I own, I fre quently suffered a good deal from the pre sence of the same Hodge. I recollect b one day scrambling up Br. Johnson's bread. apparently with much satisfaction, while n friend, smiling and half-whistling, rubbed and when I observed he was a fine cat, s down his back, and pulled him by the tail which he borrowed the book; to see whether a Spaniard could be better furnished with inscriptions from monuments, coins, or other antiquities, which he might more probably find on a coast, so immediately opposite to Carthage, than the Antiquaries of any other countries. JOHNSON: I am very sorry you were not gratified in your expectations." CAMBRIDGE: "The language would haveing, "Why, yes, Sir, but I have had cal whom I liked better than this;" and th been of little use, as there is no history ex • Æn. vi. 660. +[Afterwards translated to the see of Limerick. M.] + Bar. § Nard. Barnard. $[Mr. Cambridge enjoyed all the blessings here merated for many years after this passage was He died at his seat near Twickenham, Sept. 17, 12 his eighty-sixth year. M.] |