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." 66 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 peculiarities 1. I, some years ago, in a note on a passage in The Merchant of Venice, traced to its source. It occurs (with a slight variation) in the Alexandreis of Philip Gualtier (a poet of the thirteenth century), which was printed at Lyons in 1558. Darius is the person addressed: 66 Quo tendis inertem, Rex periture, fugam? nescis, heu! perdite, nescis The authour of this line was first acertained by Galleottus Martius, who died in 1476, as is observed in Menagiana, vol. iii. p. 130, edit. 1762. For an account of Philip Gualtier, see Vossius de Poet. Latin., p. 254, fol. 1697. A line, not less frequently quoted than any of the preceding, was suggested for inquiry, several years ago, in a note on The Rape of Lucrece : "Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris." But the authour of this verse has not, I believe, been discovered.-MALONE. 1 I am happy, however, to mention a pleasing instance of his enduring with great gentleness to hear one of his most striking particularities pointed out: Miss Hunter, a niece of his friend, Christopher Smart, when a very young girl, struck by his extraordinary motions, said to him, "Pray, Dr. Johnson, why do you make such strange gestures ?" "From bad habit," he replied. "Do you, my dear, take care to guard against bad habits." This I was told by the young lady's brother at Margate.-Boswell. 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. Dr. Goldsmith said once to Dr. Johnson that he wished for some additional members to the Literary Club, to give it an agreeable variety; "for," said he, "there can now be nothing new among us: we have travelled 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 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 proceeding, 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. Sir Joshua once observed to him, that he had talked above the capacity of some people with whom they had been in company 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'." 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 com 1 The justness of this remark is confirmed by the following story, for which I am indebted to Lord Eliot :-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."-BoswELL. [Mr. Chalmers makes this anecdote interesting by giving it "a local habitation and a name." This "very good preacher" was, he says, the celebrated Dr. Edward Pocock, who had a living at Childry, near Oxford. One of his Oxford friends, as he travelled through Childry, inquiring, for his diversion, of some people, who was their minister? and how they liked him? received from them this answer: "Our parson is one Mr. Pocock, a plain, honest man; but, master," said they, tiner."-Pocock's Life, sect. iii.—ED.] "he is no La Piozzi Anec. p. 133. mon 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 countries, in which Buchanan was introduced, a 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 been an Englishman?" 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 Scotchman,—that he was the only man of genius his country ever produced '.' 66 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." 66 YOU [When his friend Mr. Strahan, a native of Scotland, at his return from the Hebrides asked him, with a firm tone of voice, what he thought of his country? "That it is a very vile country to be sure, sir" returned for answer Dr. Johnson. "Well, sir!" replies the other somewhat mortified, "God made it." Certainly he did," answers Dr. Johnson again; 66 This prompt and sarcastic retort may not unaptly be compared with Sir Henry Wotton's celebrated answer to a priest in Italy, who asked him "Where was your religion to be found before Luther?" "My religion was to be found then, where yours is not to be found now, in the written word of God." But Johnson's admirable reply has a sharper edge and perhaps more ingenuity than that of Wotton.-MALONE. [In Selden's Table Talk we have the following more witty reply made to this same question: "Where was America an hundred or six score years ago ?"-J. H. MARKLAND.] "but we must always remember that he made it for Scotchmen, and comparisons are odious, Mr. Strahan ; but God made hell."] 66 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 pathetick poetry, that, when he was reading Dr. Beattie's "Hermit," in my presence, it brought tears into his eyes'. He disapproved much of mingling real facts with fiction. On this account he censured a book entitled "Love and Madness." Mr. Hoole told him he was born in Moorfields, and had received part of his early instruction in Grubstreet. "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 1 The particular passage which excited this strong emotion was, as I have heard from my father, the third stanza, ""Tis night," &c.-J. BoswELL. [It is the fourth stanza.-J. H. MARKLAND.] VOL. V. F |