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sit with people of whom I had not a good opinion. JOHNSON. "But you must not indulge your delicacy too much; or you will be a tête à-tête man all your life."

During my stay in London this spring, I find I was unaccountably negligent in preserving Johnson's sayings, more so than at any time when I was happy enough to have an opportunity of hearing his wisdom and wit. There is no help for it now. I must content myself with presenting such scraps as I have. But I am nevertheless ashamed and vexed to think how much has been lost. It is not that there was a bad crop this year; but that I was not sufficiently careful in gathering it in. I, therefore, in some instances, can only exhibit a few detached frag

ments.

Talking of the wonderful concealment of the nuthour of the celebrated letters signed Junius; he said, I should have believed Burke to be Junius, because I know no man but Burke who is capable of writing these letters; but Burke spontaneously denied it to me. The case would have been different, had I asked him if he was the authour; a man so questioned, as to an anonymous publication, may think he has a right to deny it."

He observed that his old friend, Mr. Sheridan, had been honoured with extraordinary attention in his own country, by having had an exception made in his favour in an Irish Act of Parliament concerning insolvent debtors. "Thus to be singled out (said he) by a legislature, as an object of public consideration and kindness, is a proof of no common merit."

At Streatham, on Monday, March 29, at break

1779.

Etat. 70.

1779. fast, he maintained that a father had no right to controul the inclinations of his daughter in marriage.

Ætat. 70.

On Wednesday, March 31, when I visited him, and confessed an excess of which I had very seldom been guilty that I had spent a whole night in playing at cards, and that I could not look back on it with satisfaction: instead of a harsh animadversion, he mildly said, "Alas, Sir, on how few things can we look back with satisfaction."

On Thursday, April 1, he commended one of the Dukes of Devonshire for "a dogged veracity." 993 He said too, "London is nothing to some people; but to a man whose pleasure is intellectual, London is the place. And there is no place where economy can be so well practised as in London: more can be had here for the money, even by ladies, than any where else. You cannot play tricks with your fortune in a small place; you must make an uniform appearance. Here a lady may have well-furnished apartments, and elegant dress, without any meat in her kitchen."

I was amused by considering with how much ease and coolness he could write or talk to a friend, exhorting him not to suppose that happiness was not to be found as well in other places as in London; when he himself was at all times sensible of its being, comparatively speaking, a heaven upon earth. The truth is, that by those who from sagacity, attention, and experience, have learnt the full advantage of London, its pre-eminence over every other place, not only for variety of enjoyment, but for comfort, will be felt

3 See p. 204 of this Volume.

66

Ætat. 70.

with a philosophical exultation. The freedom from 1779. remark and petty censure, with which life may be passed there, is a circumstance which a man who knows the teazing restraint of a narrow circle must relish highly. Mr. Burke, whose orderly and amiable domestick habits might make the eye of observation less irksome to him than to most men, said once very pleasantly, in my hearing, Though I have the honour to represent Bristol, I should not like to live there; I should be obliged to be so much upon my good behaviour." In London, a man may live in splendid society at one time, and in frugal retirement at another, without animadversion. There, and there alone, a man's own house is truly his castle, in which he can be in perfect safety from intrusion whenever he pleases. I never shall forget how well this was expressed to me one day by Mr. Meynell : "The chief advantage of London (said he) is, that a man is always so near his burrow."

He said of one of his old acquaintances, "He is very fit for a travelling governour." He knows French very well.

He is a man of good principles; and there would be no danger that a young gentleman should catch his manner; for it is so very bad, that it must be avoided. In that respect he would be like the drunken Helot."

A gentleman has informed me, that Johnson said of the same person, "Sir, he has the most inverted understanding of any man whom I have ever known."

On Friday, April 2, being Good-Friday, I visited him in the morning as usual; and finding that we insensibly fell into a train of ridicule upon the foibles of one of our friends, a very worthy man, I, by way of

1779.

Etat. 70.

a check, quoted some good admonition from "The
Government of the Tongue," that very pious book.
It happened also remarkably enough, that the subject
of the sermon preached to us to-day by Dr. Burrows,
the rector of St. Clement Danes, was the certainty
that at the last day we must give an account of " the
deeds done in the body;" and amongst various acts
of culpability he mentioned evil-speaking. As we
were moving slowly along in the crowd from church,
Johnson jogged my elbow and said, "Did you at-
tend to the sermon ?"-" Yes, Sir, (said I,) it was
very applicable to us." He, however, stood upon
the defensive. 66
Why, Sir, the sense of ridicule is
given us, and may be lawfully used. The authour
of The Government of the Tongue' would have us
treat all men alike."

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4

In the interval between morning and evening service, he endeavoured to employ himself earnestly in devotional exercise; and, as he has mentioned in his "Prayers and Meditations," gave me "Les Pensées de Paschal," that I might not interrupt him. I preserve the book with reverence. His presenting it to me is inarked upon it with his own hand, and I have found in it a truly divine unction. We went to church again in the afternoon.

On Saturday, April 3, I visited him at night, and found him sitting in Mrs. Williams's room, with her, and one who he afterwards told me was a natural son 5 of the second Lord Southwell. The table had a singular appearance, being covered with a heterogeneous

A Page 173.

5[Mr. Mauritius Lowe, a painter, in whose favour Johnson, some years afterwards, wrote a kind letter to Sir Joshua Reynolds. MALONE.]

and 1779.

assemblage of oysters and porter for his company,
tea for himself. I mentioned my having heard an
eminent physician, who was himself a Christian, argue
in favour of universal toleration, and maintain, that
no man could be hurt by another man's differing
from him in opinion. JOHNSON." Sir, you are to a
certain degree hurt by knowing that even one man
does not believe."

On Easter-day, after solemn service at St. Paul's, I dined with him: Mr. Allen the printer was also his guest. He was uncommonly silent; and I have not written down any thing, except a single curious fact, which, having the sanction of his inflexible veracity, may be received as a striking instance of human insensibility and inconsideration. As he was passing by a fishmonger who was skinning an eel alive, he heard him "curse it, because it would not lye still."

Ætat. 70.

On Wednesday, April 7, I dined with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds's. I have not marked what company was there. Johnson harangued upon the qualities of different liquors; and spoke with great contempt of claret, as so weak, that "a man would be drowned by it before it made him drunk." He was persuaded to drink one glass of it, that he might judge, not from recollection, which might be dim, but from immediate sensation. He shook his head, and said, "Poor stuff! No, Sir, claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero (smiling) must drink brandy. In the first place, the flavour of brandy is most grateful to the palate; and then brandy will do soonest for a man what drinking can do for him. There are, indeed, few who are able to drink brandy. to be wished for than attained.

That is a power rather
And yet, (proceeded

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