I genteel appearance, and that is all 1. Upon the subject of exaggerated praise I know nobody who blasts by praise as you took the liberty to say, that I thought there do for whenever there is exaggerated might be very high praise given to a known praise, every body is set against a character. character which deserved it, and therefore They are provoked to attack it. Now it would not be exaggerated. Thus, one there is Pepys2: you praised that man with might say of Mr. Edmund Burke, he is a such disproportion, that I was incited to very wonderful man. JOHNSON. "No, lessen him, perhaps more than he deserves. | sir, you would not be safe, if another man His blood is upon your head. By the same had a mind perversely to contradict. He principle, your malice defeats itself; for might answer, Where is all the wonder? your censure is too violent. And yet (look- Burke is, to be sure, a man of uncommon ing to her with a leering smile) she is the abilities; with a great quantity of matter first woman in the world, could she but re- in his mind, and a great fluency of language strain that wicked tongue of hers;-she in his mouth. But we are not to be stunwould be the only woman, could she but ned and astonished by him.' So you see, command that little whirligig." sir, even Burke would suffer, not from any fault of his own, but from your folly 3" ED. [Between Johnson and Pepys there was no cordiality, and Johnson's dislike was certainly increased, if not caused, by some degree of jealousy at the regard which Mrs. Thrale had for Pepys; and as the latter would not tamely submit to Johnson's violence, there were sometimes Piozzi, stormy scenes between them.] [On Anec. one occasion, when he had prop. 109. voked Mr. Pepys, till something much too like a quarrel was grown up between them, the moment he was gone, Now," says Dr. Johnson," is Pepys gone home hating me, who love him better than I did before. He spoke in defence of his dead friend; but though I hope I spoke better who spoke against him, yet all my eloquence will gain me nothing but an honest man for my enemy He did not, however, cordially love Mr. Pepys, though he respected his abilities. "I knew the dog was a scholar," said he, when they had been disputing about the classics for three hours together one morning at Streatham; "but that he had so much taste and so much knowledge I did not believe I might have taken Barnard's word though, for Barnard would not lie."] 1 Here Johnson condescended to play upon the words Long and short. But little did he know that, owing to Mr. Long's reserve in his presence, he was talking thus of a gentleman distinguished amongst his acquaintance for acuteness of wit; and to whom, I think, the French expression, " Il petille d'esprit," is particularly suited. He has gratified me by mentioning that he heard Dr. Johnson say, "Sir, if I were to lose Boswell it would be a limb amputated."-BosWELL. . Mrs. Thrale mentioned a gentleman who had acquired a fortune of four thousand a year in trade, but was absolutely miserable because he could not talk in company; so miserable, that he was impelled to lament his situation in the street to ******, whom he hates, and who he knows despises him. "I am a most unhappy man," said he. "I am invited to conversations; I go to conversations; but, alas! I have no conversation," JOHNSON. "Man commonly cannot be successful in different ways. This gentleman has spent, in getting four thousand pounds a year, the time in which he might have learnt to talk; and now he cannot talk." Mr. Perkins made a shrewd and droll remark: "If he had got his four thousand a year as a mountebank, he might have learnt to talk at the same time that he was getting his fortune." Some other gentlemen came in. The conversation concerning the person 4 whose character Dr. Johnson had treated so slightingly, as he did not know his merit, was resumed. Mrs. Thrale said, "You think so of him, sir, because he is quiet, and does not exert himself with force. You'll be saying the same thing of Mr. ***** there, who sits as quiet." This was not well bred; and Johnson did not let it pass without correction." Nay, madam, what right have you to talk thus? Both Mr. ***** and I have reason to take it ill. You may talk so of Mr. ***** ; but why do you make me do it? Have I said any thing against Mr. ***** ? You have set him, that I might shoot him: but I have not shot him." One of the gentlemen said he had seen three folio volumes of Dr. Johnson's say 2 William Weller Pepys, Esq., one of the masters in the high court of chancery, and well known in polite circles. My acquaintance with him is not sufficient to enable me to speak of him from my own judgment. But I know that both at Eton 3 [This is a fresh instance (see ante, 29th and Oxford he was the intimate friend of the late March, 1776) of Johnson's contradicting his own Sir James Macdonald, the Marcellus of Scotland, assertions when another person ventured to repeat whose extraordinary talents, learning, and virtues them. Boswell's supposed folly was saying exwill ever be remembered with admiration and re-actly the same thing that Johnson had said to him gret.-BOSWELL, [See ante, vol. i. p. 285.- on the 20th March, 1776. Ante, p. 38.-ED.] ED.] 4 [Mr. Dudley North.-ED.] ings collected by me. "I must put you Mr. Thrale's death was a very essentia loss to Johnson, who, although he did not foresee all that afterwards happened, was sufficiently convinced that the comforts which Mr. Thrale's family afforded him would now in a great measure cease. He, however, continued to show a kind attention to his widow and children as long as it was acceptable; and he took upon him, with a very earnest concern, the office of one of his executors; the importance of which seemed greater than usual to him, from his circumstances having been always such that he had scarcely any share in the real business of life. His friends of the Club were in hopes that Mr. Thrale might have made a liberal provision for him for his life, which, as Mr. Thrale left no son and a very large fortune, it would have been highly to his honour to have done; and, considering Dr. Johnson's age, could not have been of long duration; but he bequeathed him only two hundred pounds, which was the legacy given to each of his executors. I could not but be somewhat diverted by hearing Johnson talk in a pompous manner of his new office, and particu Johnson was in the house, and thus men- larly of the concerns of the brewery, which tions the event: Mr. Thrale appeared very lethargick today. I saw him again on Monday evening, at which time he was not thought to be in immediate danger: but early in the morning of Wednesday the 4th he expired. Upon that day there was a call of the literary Club; but Johnson apologised for his absence by the following note: "Wednesday, [4th April.] "Mr. Johnson knows that Sir Joshua Reynolds and the other gentlemen will excuse his incompliance with the call, when they are told that Mr. Thrale died this morning." ["Good Friday, 13th April, 1781. "On Wednesday, 11th, was buried my dear friend Thrale, who died on Wednesday, 4th; and with him were buried many of my hopes and pleasures. About five, I think, on Wednesday morning he expired. I felt almost the last flutter of his pulse, and looked for the last time upon the face that for fifteen years had never been turned upon me but with respect or benignity 1. Farewell. May God, that delighteth in mercy, have had mercy on thee! "I had constantly prayed for him some time before his death. "The decease of him, from whose friendship I had obtained many opportunities of amusement, and to whom I turned my thoughts as to a refuge from misfortunes, has left me heavy. But my business is with myself."] ED. Pr. and it was at last resolved should be sold. Lord Lucan tells a very good story, which, if not precisely exact, is certainly characteristical; that when the sale of Thrale's brewery was going forward, Johnson ap. peared bustling about, with an inkhorn and pen in his button-hole, like an exciseman; and on being asked what he really consid ered to be the value of the property which was to be disposed of, answered, "We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice." vol. ii. p. 191. [TO MRS. THRALE. "London, 5th April, 1781. "DEAREST MADAM,-Of your in- Letters, junctions to pray for you and write to you, I hope to leave neither unobserved; and I hope to find you willing in a short time to alleviate your trouble by some other exercise of the mind. I am not without my part of the calamity. No [At a subsequent date he added, on death since that of my wife has ever opthe same paper, "18th September. "My first knowledge of Thrale Med. p. was in 1765. I enjoyed his favour for almost a fourth part of my life.”] 188. 1 Johnson's expressions on this occasion remind us of Isaac Walton's eulogy on Whitgift, in his Life of Hooker. "He lived to be present at the expiration of her (Queen Elizabeth's) last breath, and to behold the closing of those eyes that had long looked upon him with reverence and affection."-KEARNEY. pressed me like this. But let us remember that we are in the hands of Him who knows when to give and when to take away, who will look upon us with mercy through all our variations of existence, and who invites us to call on him in the day of trouble. Call upon him in this great revolution of life, and call with confidence. You will then find comfort for the past, and support for the future. He that has given you happiness in marriage, to a degree of which, without personal knowledge, I should have thought the description fabulous, can give you another mode of happiness as a mother, | pears at first sight so unfeeling, that it is and at last the happiness of losing all tem- but justice to insert extracts of letters to poral cares in the thoughts of an eternity in Mrs. Thrale, in which Johnson accounts heaven for going into company at this period.] "I do not exhort you to reason yourself into tranquillity. We must first pray, and then labour; first implore the blessing of God, and those means which he puts into our hands. Cultivated ground has few weeds; a mind occupied by lawful business has little room for useless regret. "We read the will to-day; but I will not fill my first letter with any account than that, with all my zeal for your advantage, I am satisfied; and that the other executors, more used to consider property than I, commended it for wisdom and equity. Yet why should I not tell you that you have five hundred pounds for your immediate expenses, and two thousand pounds a year, with both the houses, and all the goods? "Let us pray for one another, that the time, whether long or short, that shall yet be granted us, may be well spent; and that when this life, which at the longest is very short, shall come to an end, a better may begin which shall never end."] Hawk. p. 551, ["DR. JOHNSON TO MRS. THRALE. "London, April 9th, 1781. "DEAREST MADAM,-That you Letters, are gradually recovering your tran- vol. ii. quillity is the effect to be humbly p. 195. expected from trust in God. Do not represent life as darker than it is. Your loss has been very great, but you retain more than almost any other can hope to possess. You are high in the opinion of mankind; you have children from whom much pleasure may be expected; and that you will find many friends you have no reason to doubt. Of my friendship, be it more or less, I hope you think yourself certain, without much art or care. It will not be easy for me to repay the benefits that I have received; but I hope to be always ready at your call. Our sorrow has different effects: you are withdrawn into solitude, and I am driven into company. I am afraid of thinking what I have lost. I never had such a friend before. Let me have your prayers and those of my dear Queeney. "The prudence and resolution of your design to return so soon to your business and your duty deserves great praise: I shall communicate it on Wednesday to the other executors."] ["DR. JOHNSON TO MRS. THRALE. [The death of Mr. Thrale dissolved the friendship between him 552. and Johnson; but it abated not in the latter that care for the interests of those whom his friend had left behind him, which he thought himself bound to cherish, as a living principle of gratitude. The favours he had received from Mr. Thrale were to be repaid by the exercise of kind offices to- "DEAREST MADAM,-You will not supwards his relict and her children, and these, pose that much has happened since last circumstanced as Johnson was, could only night, nor indeed is this a time for talking be prudent counsels, friendly admonition to much of loss and gain. The business of the one, and preceptive instruction to the Christians is now for a few days in their others, both which he was ever ready to in- own bosoms. God grant us to do it. pro-terpose. Nevertheless, it was observed by perly! I hope you gain ground on your af myself, and other of Johnson's friends, that, fliction: I hope to overcome mine. You soon after the decease of Mr. Thrale, his and Miss must comfort one another. May visits to Streatham became less and less fre- you long live happily together! I have noquent, and that he studiously avoided the body whom I expect to share my uneasi mention of the place or family. It seems ness; nor, if I could communicate it, would that between him and the widow there was it be less. I give it little vent, and amuse a formal taking of leave, for I find in his it as I can. Let us pray for one another; diary the following note: and when we meet, we may try what fideli-ty and tenderness will do for us. April 5th, 1783. "I took leave of Mrs. Thrale. I was "There is no wisdom in useless and! much moved. I had some expostulations hopeless sorrow; but there is something in with her. She said that she was likewise it so like virtue, that he who is wholly with-affected. I commended the Thrales without it cannot be loved, nor will, by me at great good-will to God. May my petitions | least, be thought worthy of esteem."] have been heard!"] He had told Mr. Hoole that he wished to have a city Club, and asked him to collect one; but, said he, "Don't let them be pa-triots." The company were to-day very sensible, well-behaved men. I have pre On Friday, April 6, he carried me to dine at a club which, at his desire, had been lately formed at the Queen's Arms in St. Paul's Churchyard. [Their dining at a club on the next day but one after the loss of such a friend as Mr. Thrale ap-served only two particulars of his conversa ED VOL II. 37 tion. He said he was glad Lord George | dining twice abroad in Passion-week; a Gordon had escaped, rather than that a laxity in which I am convinced he would precedent should be established for hanging not have indulged himself at the time when a man for constructive treason, which, in he wrote his solemn paper in "The Ramconsistency with his true, manly, constitu- bler" upon that awful season. It appeared tional toryism, he considered would be a to me, that by being much more in compadangerous engine of arbitrary power. And ny, and enjoying more luxurious living, he upon its being mentioned that an opulent had contracted a keener relish for pleasure, and very indolent Scotch nobleman, who and was consequently less rigorous in his totally resigned the management of his af- religious rites. This he would not acknowfairs to a man of knowledge and abilities, ledge; but he reasoned with admirable had claimed some merit by saying, "The sophistry as follows: "Why, sir, a bishnext best thing to managing a man's own op's calling company together in this week affairs well is being sensible of incapacity, is, to use the vulgar phrase, not the thing. and not attempting it, but having full con- But you must consider laxity is a bad thing; fidence in one who can do it: "JOHNSON. but preciseness is also a bad thing; and "Nay, sir, this is paltry. There is a mid-your general character may be more hurt dle course. Let a man give application; and depend upon it he will soon get above a despicable state of helplessness, and attain the power of acting for himself." On Saturday, April 7, I dined with him at Mr. Hoole's with Governour Bouchier and Captain Orme, both of whom had been long in the East Indies; and, being men of good sense and observation, were very entertaining. Johnson defended the oriental regulation of different castes of men1, which was objected to as totally destructive of the hopes of rising in society by personal merit. He showed that there was a principle in it sufficiently plausible by analogy. "We see," said he, "in metals that there are different species; and so likewise in animals, though one species may not differ very widely from another, as, in the species of dogs, the cur, the spaniel, the mastiff. The Bramins are the mastiffs of mankind." On Thursday, April 12, I dined with him at a bishop's, where were Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Berenger, and some more company. He had dined the day before at another bishop's 2. I have unfortunately recorded none of his conversation at the bishop's where we dined together: but I have preserved his ingenious defence of his Rajapouts, the military caste; the Bramins, pacifick and abstemious.-KEARNEY. 2 [The only bishops at whose houses Johnson is recorded to have dined were Shipley of St. Asaph and Porteus of Chester, afterwards of London. By a letter post, April, 1782, it appears that he dined two consecutive days, in April, with the Bishops of St. Asaph's and Chester. It seems so unlikely that he should, in two succeeding Aprils, have dined successively with these two bishops, that the Editor suspected that the letter placed under the year 1782, but undated in Mrs. Piozzi's volume, really belonged to 1781, and referred to the dinners mentioned in the text; but the statement in that letter, that the second of May fell on a Thursday, fixes its date to 1782. The matter is of some little importance, for we had rather be assured that Bishop Porteus were not the bishop alluded to.-ED.] by preciseness than by dining with a bishop in Passion-week. There might be a handle for reflection. It might be said, 'He refuses to dine with a bishop in Passion-week, but was three Sundays absent from church."" BOSWELL. CC Very true, sir. But suppose a man to be uniformly of good conduct, would it not be better that he should refuse to dine with a bishop in this week, and so not encourage a bad practice by his example?" JOHNSON. "Why, sir, you are to consider whether you might not do more harm by lessening the influence of a bishop's character by your disapprobation in refusing him, than by going to him." "TO MRS. LUCY PORTER, In lichfield. "London, 12th April, 1781 "DEAR MADAM,-Life is full of troubles. I have just lost my dear friend Thrale. I hope he is happy; but I have had a great loss. I am otherwise pretty well. I require some care of myself, but that care is not ineffectual; and when I am out of order, I think it often my own fault. "The spring is now making quick advances. As it is the season in which the whole world is enlivened and invigorated, I hope that both you and I shall partake of its benefits. My desire is to see Lichfield; but being left executor to my friend, I know not whether I can be spared; but I will try, for it is now long since we saw one another; and how little we can promise ourselves many more interviews, we are taught by hourly examples of mortality. not be an evil. Write to me soon, my dear. Let us try to live so as that mortality may est: your letters will give me great plea sure. "I am sorry that Mr. Porter has not had his box; but by sending it to Mr. Mathias, who very readily undertook its conveyance, I did the best I could, and perhaps before now he has it. "Be so kind as to make my compliments to my friends. I have a great value for "SAM. JOHNSON." I told him, that in a company where I had lately been, a desire was expressed to know his authority for the shocking story of Addison's sending an execution into Steele's house 2. "Sir," said he, "it is generally known; it is known to all who are acquainted with the literary history of that period: it is as well known as that he wrote Cato.' Mr. Thomas Sheridan once defended Addison to me, by alleging that he did it in order to cover Steele's goods from other creditors, who were going to seize them." We talked of the difference between the mode of education at Oxford and that in those colleges where instruction is chiefly conveyed by lectures. JOHNSON. "Lectures were once useful; but now, when all can read, and books are so numerous, lectures are unnecessary. If your attention fails, and you miss a part of the lecture, it is lost; you cannot go back as you do upon a book." Dr. Scott agreed with him. "But yet," said I," Dr. Scott, you yourself gave lectures at Oxford." He smiled. "You laughed," then said I," at those who came to you.' their kindness, and hope to enjoy it before | best papers in "The Spectator" when summer is past. Do write to me. I am, warm with wine. Dr. Johnson did not dearest love, your most humble servant, seem willing to admit this. Dr. Scott, as a confirmation of it, related, that Blackstone, a sober man, composed his "Commenta On Friday, April 13, being Good Fri-ries" with a bottle of port before him; and day, I went to St. Clement's church with found his mind invigorated and supported him as usual. There I saw again his old in the fatigue of his great work, by a temfellow-collegian, Edwards, to whom I said, perate use of it. "I think, sir, Dr. Johnson and you meet only at church." "Sir," said he, "it is the best place we can meet in, except heaven, and I hope we shall meet there too." Dr. Johnson told me that there was very little communication between Edwards and him after their unexpected renewal of acquaintance. "But," said he, smiling," he met me once and said, 'I am told you have written a very pretty book called "The Rambler." › I was unwilling that he should leave the world in total darkness, and sent him a set." Mr. Berenger visited him to-day, and was very pleasing. We talked of an evening society for conversation at a house in town, of which we were all members, but of which Johnson said, "It will never do, sir. There is nothing served about there; neither tea, nor coffee, nor lemonade, nor any thing whatever; and depend upon it, sir, a man does not love to go to a place from whence he comes out exactly as he went in." I endeavoured, for argument's sake, to maintain that men of learning and talents might have very good intellectual society, without the aid of any little gratifications of the senses. Berenger joined with Johnson, and said that without these any meeting would be dull and insipid. He would therefore have all the slight refreshments; nay, it would not be amiss to have some cold meat, and a bottle of wine upon a sideboard. "Sir," said Johnson to me, with an air of triumph, "Mr. Berenger knows the world. Every body loves to have good things furnished to them without any trouble. I told Mrs. Thrale once, that, as she did not choose to have card-tables, she should have a profusion of the best sweetmeats, and she would be sure to have company enough come to her." I agreed with my illustrious friend upon this subject; for it has pleased God to make man a com- I mentioned a kind of religious Robinposite animal, and where there is nothing Hood society, which met every Sunday to refresh the body, the mind will languish. evening at Coachmakers'-hall, for free deOn Sunday, April 15, being Easter day, bate; and that the subject for this night after solemn worship in St. Paul's church, was, the text which relates, with other mirI found him alone. Dr. Scott, of the Com- acles which happened at our Saviour's death, mons, came in. He talked of its having" And the graves were opened, been said, that Addison wrote some of his and many bodies of the saints of the graves after his resurrection, and which slept arose, and came out went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." Mrs. Hall said it was a very curi 1 Richard Berenger, Esq., many years gentle man of the horse to his present majesty, and authour of "The History and Art of Horseman ship," in two volumes, 4to. 1771.--MALONE [Sce ante, vol. i. p. 258, and p. 158 of this vol. ED.] وو Dr. Scott left us, and soon afterwards we went to dinner. Our company consisted of Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Desmoulins, Mr. Levett, Mr. Allen, the printer, (Mr. Macbean), and Mrs. Hall, sister of the Reverend Mr. John Wesley, and resembling him, as I thought, both in figure and manner. Johnson produced now, for the first time, some handsome silver salvers, which he told me he had bought fourteen years ago; so it was a great day. I was not a little amused by observing Allen perpetually struggling to talk in the manner of Johnson, like the little frog in the fable blowing himself up to resemble the stately ox. 2 [See ante, p. 274, n.—ED.] Matt. xxvii. 52. |