But, when the milder beams of mercy play, The tithes, his parish freely paid, he took; The country churls, according to their kind Yet of his little he had some to spare, A poorer than himself he would not see. "True priests," he said, "and preachers of the word, Wide was his parish; not contracted close All this, the good old man perform'd alone, But duly watch'd his flock, by night and day; The proud he tamed, the penitent he cheer'd: His preaching much, but more his practice wrought The prelate for his holy life he prized; These marks of church and churchmen he design'd, In purple he was crucified, not born. They who contend for place and high degree, Not but he knew the signs of earthly power The prince may keep his pomp, the fisher must be plain. Such was the saint; who shone with every grace, Reflecting, Moses like, his Maker's face. God saw his image lively was express'd; And his own work, as in creation bless'd. The tempter saw him too with envious eye; And, as on Job, demanded leave to try. He took the time when Richard was deposed, This prince, though great in arms, the priest withstood: Conquest, an odious name, was laid aside, The people's right remains; let those who dare Dispute their power, when they the judges are. He join'd not in their choice, because he knew Worse might, and often did, from change ensue : Much to himself he thought; but little spoke; And, undeprived, his benefice forsook. Now, through the land, his cure of souls he stretch'd: And like a primitive apostle preach'd. Still cheerful; ever constant to his call; By many follow'd; loved by most, admired by all, He went not with the crowd to see a shrine; In deference to his virtues, I forbear He needs no foil, but shines by his own proper light. 353.-DR. JOHNSON'S DINNER TALK. BOSWELL. [MR. MACAULAY, in his Review of Boswell's Life of Johnson,' says, 'Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic poets, Shakspere is not more decidedly the first of dramatists, Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of orators, than Boswell is the first of biographers. * * * * Many of the greatest men that ever lived have written biography. Boswell was one of the smallest men that ever lived, and he has beaten them all." Undoubtedly Boswell was a vain man, a bore, a ridiculous man-without moral dignity, without any logical or poetical capacity—but he was not "one of the smallest men that ever lived.” That he accurately reported what he heard and saw of the eminent persons to whose society he was admitted, there can be no doubt. But the very interest of the record shows that he could discriminate. He did not put down all that he heard the conversation of six hours occupies only six pages;-he knew what was good in the talk of Johnson, and Goldsmith, and Reynolds, and Burke; and, what is better, he felt what was characteristic of the men; and these things make the charm of the book. This was talent, and an uncommon talent; and Jemmy Boswell, to whom we all owe so many hours of delight, must not be despised. Boswell was the son of Alexander Boswell, a Lord of Session; he was born in 1740; died 1795.] On Tuesday, April 13, he and Dr. Goldsmith and I dined at General Oglethorpe's. Goldsmith expatiated on the commòn topic, that the race of our people was degenerated, and that this was owing to luxury. -JOHNSON. Sir, in the first place, I doubt the fact. I believe that there are as many tall men in England now as ever there were. But, secondly, supposing the stature of our people to be diminished, that is not owing to luxury; for, sir, consider to how very small a proportion of our people luxury can reach. Our soldiery, surely, are not luxurious, who live on sixpence a day; and the same remark will apply to almost all the other classes. Luxury, so far as it reaches the poor, will do good to the race of people; it will strengthen and multiply them. Sir, no nation was ever hurt by luxury; for, as I said before, it can reach but to a very few. I admit that the great increase of commerce and manufactures hurts the military spirit of a people; because it produces a competition for something else than martial honours—a competition for riches. It also hurts the bodies of the people; for you 66 will observe, there is no man who works at any particular trade but you may know him from his appearance to do so. One part or other of his body being more used than the rest, he is in some degree deformed; but, sir, that is not luxury. A tailor sits cross-legged, but that is not luxury."-GOLDSMITH. "Come, you 're just going to the same place by another road."-JOHNSON. Nay, sir, I say that is not luxury. Let us take a walk from Charing Cross to Whitechapel, through, I suppose, the greatest series of shops in the world; what is there in any of these shops (if you except gin-shops) that can do any human being any harm?"-GOLDSMITH. Well, sir, I'll accept your challenge. The very next shop to Northumberland House is a pickleshop."JOHNSON. Well, sir; do we not know that a maid can, in one afternoon, make pickles sufficient to serve a whole family for a year? Nay, that five pickle-shops can serve all the kingdom? Besides, sir, there is no harm done to anybody by the making of pickles, or the eating of pickles." 66 We drank tea with the ladies; and Goldsmith sung Tony Lumpkin's song in his comedy,' She Stoops to Conquer,' and a very pretty one, to an Irish tune, which he had designed for Miss Hardcastle; but as Mrs. Bulkeley, who played the part, could not sing, it was left out. He afterwards wrote it down for me, by which means it was preserved, and now appears amongst his poems. Dr. Johnson, in his way home, stopped at my lodgings in Piccadilly, and sat with me, drinking tea a second time, till a late hour. I told him that Mrs. Macauley said, she wondered how he could reconcile his political principles with his moral: his notions of inequality and subordination with wishing well to the happiness of all mankind, who might live so agreeably had they all their portions of land, and none to domineer over another.—JOHNSON. Why, sir, I reconcile my principles very well, because mankind are happier in a state of inequality and subordination. Were they to be in this pretty state of equality, they would soon degenerate into brutes; they would become Monboddo's nation; their tails would grow. Sir, all would be losers, were all to work for all: they would have no intellectual improvement. All intellectual improvement arises from leisure; all leisure arises from one working for another." On Thursday, April 15, I dined with him and Dr. Goldsmith at |