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 "SAM, JOHNSON." a confirmation of it, related, that Blackstone, a sober man, composed his "Commentaries" with a bottle of port before him; and found his mind invigorated and supported in the fatigue of his great work, by a temperate use of it.

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?. 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."

On Friday, April 13, being Good Friday, I went to St. Clement's church with him as usual. There I saw again his old fellow-collegian, Edwards, to whom I said, "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 comI 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 xxvii. 52, which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and 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, [See ante, vol. i. p. 258, and p. 158 of this vol. -ED.]

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.

[See ante, p. 274, n.-ED.]

Matt.

ous subject, and she should like to hear it discussed. JOHNSON (Somewhat warmly). "One would not go to such a place to hear it, one would not be seen in such a place to give countenance to such a meeting." I, however, resolved that I would go. "But, sir," said she to Johnson, “I should like to hear you discuss it." He seemed reluctant to engage in it. She talked of the resurrection of the human race in general, and maintained that we shall be raised with the same bodies. JOHNSON. "Nay, madam, we see that it is not to be the same body; for the Scripture uses the illustration of grain sown, and we know that the grain which grows is not the same with what is sown. You cannot suppose that we shall rise with a diseased body; it is enough if there be such a sameness as to distinguish identity of person." She seemed desirous of knowing more, but he left the question in obscurity.

Of apparitions, he observed, "A total disbelief of them is adverse to the opinion of the existence of the soul between death and the last day; the question simply is, whether departed spirits ever have the power of making themselves perceptible to us: a man who thinks he has seen an apparition can only be convinced himself; his authority will not convince another; and his conviction, if rational, must be founded on being told something which cannot be known but by supernatural means."

home one evening to Kilmarnock, he heard himself called from a wood, by the voice of a brother who had gone to America; and the next packet brought accounts of that brother's death." Macbean asserted that this inexplicable calling was a thing very well known. Dr. Johnson said, that one day at Oxford, as he was turning the key of his chamber, he heard his mother distinctly call-Sam. She was then at Lichfield; but nothing ensued. This phenomenon is, I think, as wonderful as any other mysterious fact, which many people are very slow to believe, or rather, indeed, reject with an obstinate contempt.

p. 148.

[It is probably another version of the same story to which Mrs. Piozzi Piozzi, alludes, when she says, "that at Brighthelmstone once, when Johnson was not present, Mr. Beauclerk asserted that he was afraid of spirits; and I, who was secretly offended at the charge, asked him, the first opportunity I could find, what ground he had ever given to the world for such a report? I can,' replied he, recollect nothing nearer it, than my telling Dr. Lawrence many years ago, that a long time after my poor mother's death I heard her voice call Sam.' What answer did the doctor make to your story, sir?” said I. 'None in the world,' replied he; and suddenly changed the conversation. Now as Dr. Johnson had a most unshaken faith, without any mixture of credulity, this story He mentioned a thing as not unfrequent, must either have been strictly true, or his of which I had never heard before,-being persuasion of its truth the effect of disorcalled, that is, hearing one's name pronounc-dered spirits. I relate the anecdote preed by the voice of a known person at a great distance, far beyond the possibility of being reached by any sound uttered by human organs. "An acquaintance, on whose veracity I can depend, told me, that walking

cisely as he told it me; but could not prevail on him to draw out the talk into length for farther satisfaction of my curiosity."]

Some time after this, upon his making a remark which escaped my attention, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Hall were both together striving to answer him. He grew angry, and

speak at once, it is intolerable." But check-
ing himself, and softening, he said, "This
one may say, though you are ladies." Then
he brightened into gay humour, and ad-
dressed them in the words of one of the
songs in "The Beggar's Opera,”
"But two at a time there's no mortal can bear."

1 As this subject frequently recurs in these volumes, the reader may be led erroneously to sup-called out loudly, "Nay, when you both pose that Dr. Johnson was so fond of such discussions as frequently to introduce them. But the truth is, that the authour himself delighted in talking concerning ghosts and what he has frequently denominated the mysterious; and therefore took every opportunity of leading Johnson to converse on such subjects.---MALONE. The authour of this work was most undoubtedly fond of the mysterious, and perhaps upon some occasions may have directed the conversation to those topics, when they would not spontaneously have suggest

ed themselves to Johnson's mind; but that he also had a love for speculations of that nature may be gathered from his writings throughout.-J. BOSWELL. [All this is very true, and we have seen (ante, vol. i. p. 437, n.) that Mr. Boswell had some faith in apparitions; but the conversation of this particular evening might have arisen amongst men not at all inclined to the mysterious, from the mention of the subject which was that night to be debated at Coachmakers'-hall.---ED.]

"What, sir,” said I, "are you going to turn Captain Macheath?" There was something as pleasantly ludicrous in this between Macheath, Polly, and Lucy-and scene as can be imagined. The contrast Dr. Samuel Johnson, blind, peevish Mrs. Williams, and lean, lank, preaching Mrs. Hall, was exquisite.

I stole away to Coachmakers'-hall, and heard the difficult text of which we had talked, discussed with great decency, and some intelligence, by several speakers.

tion to a splendid entertainment, we were regaled with Lichfield ale, which had a peculiar appropriate value. Sir Joshua, and Dr. Burney, and I, drank cordially of it to Dr. Johnson's health; and though he would not join us, he as cordially answered, Gentlemen, I wish you all as well as you do me."

The general effect of this day dwells upon my mind in fond remembrance; but I do not find much conversation recorded. What I have preserved shall be faithfully given.

There was a difference of opinion as to the appearance of ghosts in modern times, though the arguments for it, supported by Mr. Addison's authority, preponderated. The immediate subject of debate was embarrassed by the bodies of the saints having been said to rise, and by the question what" became of them afterwards :-did they return again to their graves? or were they translated to heaven? Only one evangelist mentions the fact, and the commentators whom I have looked at do not make the passage clear. There is, however, no occasion for our understanding it farther One of the company mentioned Mr. than to know that it was one of the extra-Thomas Hollis, the strenuous whig, who ordinary manifestations of divine power used to send over Europe presents of dewhich accompanied the most important mocratical books, with their boards stampevent that ever happened. ed with daggers and caps of liberty. Mrs. Carter said, "He was a bad man: he used to talk uncharitably." JOHNSON. "Poh! poh! madam; who is the worse for being talked of very uncharitably? Besides, he was a dull poor creature as ever lived: and I believe he would not have done harm to a man whom he knew to be of very opposite principles to his own. I remember once at the Society of Arts, when an advertisement was to be drawn up, he pointed me out as the man who could do it best. This, you will observe, was kindness to me. I however slipt away and escaped it."

On Friday, April 20, I spent with him one of the happiest days that I remember to have enjoyed in the whole course of my life. Mrs. Garrick, whose grief for the loss of her husband was, I believe, as sincere as wounded affection and admiration could produce, had this day, for the first time since his death, a select party of his friends to dine with her. The company was, Miss Hannah More, who lived with ner, and whom she called her chaplain; Mrs. Boscawen, Mrs. Elizabeth Carter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Dr. Burney, Dr. Johnson, and myself. We found ourselves very elegantly entertained at her house in the Adelphi, where I have passed many a pleasing hour with him "who gladdened life." She looked well, talked of her husband with complacency, and while she cast her eyes on his portrait, which hung over the chimney-piece, said, that "death was now the most agreeable object to her." The very semblance of David Garrick was cheering. Mr. Beauclerk, with happy propriety, inscribed under that fine portrait of him, which by Lady Diana's kindness is now the property of my friend Mr. Langton, the following passage from his beloved Shaks

peare:

-A merrier man,
Within the limit of becoming mirth,
I never spent an hour's talk withal.
His eye begets occasion for his wit;
For every object that the one doth catch
The other turns to a mirth-moving jest;
Which his fair tongue (Conceit's expositor)
Delivers in such apt and gracious words,
That aged ears play truant at his tales,
And younger hearings are quite ravished;
So sweet and voluble is his discourse 2."

We were all in fine spirits; and I whispered to Mrs. Boscawen, "I believe this is as much as can be made of life." In addi

St. Matthew, chap. xxvii. v. 52,

WELL.

2 [Rosaline's character of Biron bour Lost, act 2, sc. 1.-ED.]

53.--Bos

Love's La

Mrs. Carter having said of the same person, “I doubt he was an atheist :" JOHNsON. "I don't know that. He might, perhaps, have become one, if he had had time to ripen (smiling). He might have exuberated into an atheist."

6

Sir Joshua Reynolds praised "Mudge's 3 Sermons." JOHNSON. "Mudge's Sermons are good, but not practical. He grasps more sense than he can hold; he takes more corn than he can make into meal; he opens a wide prospect, but it is so distant, it is indistinct. I love Blair's Sermons.' Though the dog is a Scotchman, and a presbyterian, and every thing he should not be, I was the first to praise them. Such was my candour" (smiling). MRS. BosCAWEN. "Such his great merit, to get the better of all your prejudices." JOHNSON. Why, madam, let us compound the matter; let us ascribe it to my candour, and his merit."

In the evening we had a large company in the drawing-room; several ladies, the Bishop of Killaloe, [Dr. Barnard] Dr. Percy, Mr. Chamberlayne of the treasury, &c. &c. Somebody said, the life of a mere literary man could not be very entertaining. JOHNSON. "But it certainly may. This is a remark which has been made, and relife of a literary man be less entertaining peated, without justice. Why should the than the life of any other man? Are there 3 [See page 284 of this volume.-ED.]

not as interesting varieties in such a life? | to give Opposition the satisfaction of knowAs a literary life it may be very entertaining." BOSWELL. "But it must be better surely when it is diversified with a little active variety-such as having gone to Jamaica;-or-his having gone to the Hebrides." Johnson was not displeased at this

man is as good as another." WILKES. | favourably, and she was acquitted 2. After "Pray, Boswell, how much may be got in which, Bet said, with a gay and satisfied a year by an advocate at the Scotch bar?" air, 'Now that the counterpane is my own, BOSWELL. "I believe, two thousand I shall make a petticoat of it."" pounds." WILKES. "How can it be possible to spend that money in Scotland?" JOHNSON. "Why, sir, the money may be spent in England; but there is a harder question. If one man in Scotland gets possession of two thousand pounds, what remains for all the rest of the nation?" WILKES. "You know, in the last war, the immense booty which Thurot carried off by the complete plunder of seven Scotch isles; he re-embarked with three and sixpence." Here again Johnson and Wilkes joined in extravagant sportive raillery upon the supposed poverty of Scotland, which Dr. Beattie and I did not think it worth our while to dispute.

Talking of oratory, Mr. Wilkes described it as accompanied with all the charms of poetical expression. JOHNSON. 'No, sir; oratory is the power of beating down your adversary's arguments, and putting better in their place." WILKES. "But this does not move the passions." JOHNSON. "He must be a weak man who is to be so moved." WILKES (naming a celebrated orator). "Amidst all the brilliancy of's 3 imagination, and the exuberance of his wit, there is a strange want of taste. It was observed of Apelles's Venus 4, that her flesh seemed as if she had been nourished by roses: his oratory would sometimes make one suspect that he eats potatoes and drinks whiskey."

Mr. Wilkes observed, how tenacious we are of forms in this country; and gave as an instance, the vote of the house of commons for remitting money to pay the army in America in Portugal pieces, when, in reality, the remittance is made not in Portugal money, but in our specie. JOHNSON.

The subject of quotation being introduced, Mr. Wilkes censured it as pedantry. JOHNSON. "No, sir, it is a good thing; there is a community of mind in it. Classical quotation is the parole of literary men all over the world." WILKES. "Upon the continent they all quote the vulgate Bible. Shakspeare is chiefly quoted here; and we quote also Pope, Prior, Butler," Is there not a law, sir, against exportWaller, and sometimes Cowley."

We talked of letter-writing. JOHNSON. "It is now become so much the fashion to publish letters that, in order to avoid it, I put as little into mine as I can." BosWELL. "Do what you will, sir, you cannot avoid it. Should you even write as ill as you can, your letters would be published as curiosities :

• Behold a miracle! instead of wit,
See two dull lines with Stanhope's pencil writ.'"'
He gave us an entertaining account of
Bet Flint, a woman of the town, who, with
some eccentrick talents and much effronte-
ry, forced herself upon his acquaintance.
"Bet," said he, "wrote her own Life in
verse 1, which she brought to me, wishing
that I would furnish her with a preface to
it (laughing). I used to say of her, that
she was generally slut and drunkard ;-
Occasionally whore and thief. She had,
however, genteel lodgings, a spinnet on
which she played, and a boy that walked
before her chair. Poor Bet was taken up
on a charge of stealing a counterpane, and
tried at the Old Bailey. Chief Justice
[Willes,] who loved a wench, summed up

ing the current coin of the realm?" WILKES. "Yes, sir; but might not the house of commons, in case of real evident necessity, order our own current coin to be sent into our own colonies?" Here Johnson, with that quickness of recollection which distinguished him so eminently, gave the Mid

2 The account which Johnson had received on this occasion was not quite accurate. Bet was tried at the Old Bailey in September, 1758, not by the chief justice [Willes.-ED.] here alluded to (who however tried another cause on the same day), but before Sir William Moreton, recorder; and she was acquitted, not in consequence of any favourable summing up of the judge, but because that the goods charged to have been stolen (a.counthe prosecutrix, Mary Walthow, could not prove terpane, a silver spoon, two napkins, &c.) were her property. Bet does not appear to have lived at that time in a very genteel style; for she paid for her ready-furnished room in Meard's-court, Deanstreet, Soho, from which these articles were-alleged to be stolen, only five shillings a week. Mr. James Boswell took the trouble to examine the sessions paper to ascertain these particulars.MALONE.

3 [Mr. Burke's.--ED.]

4 [Mr. Wilkes mistook the objection of Euphranor to the Theseus of Parrhasius for a description of the Venus of Appelles. Vide Plutarch. "Bellone an pace clariores Athenienses."

" Johnson, whose memory was wonderfully retentive, remembered the first four lines of this cu---KEARNEY. ["Euphranor, comparing his rious production, which have been communicated to me by a young lady of his acquaintance:

"When first I drew my vital breath,

A little minikin I came upon earth;
And then I came from a dark abode,
Into this gay and gaudy world."-BOSWELL.

own representation of Theseus with that by Parrhasius, said that the latter looked as if the hero had been fed on roses, but that his showed that he had lived on beef." Plut. Xyl. v. ii. p. 346.---ED.]