LIFE OF DR. JOHNSON Goldsmith, though his vanity often exci sional competition, had a very high rega which he at this time expressed in the stro the Dedication of his comedy, entitled, She S He told me that he had twelve or fou tempted to keep a journal of his life, but severe. He advised me to do it. 'The g recorded, (said he,) is the state of your own should write down every thing that you re cannot judge at first what is good or bad; ar ately while the impression is fresh, for it will a week afterwards.' I again solicited him to communicate to m of his early life. He said, 'You shall have t pence. I hope you shall know a great deal fore you write my Life.' He mentioned many circumstances, which I wrote down wh and have interwoven in the former part of t On Tuesday, April 13, he and Dr. Goldsm at General Oglethorpe's. Goldsmith expatia mon topick, that the race of our people w and that this was owing to luxury. JOHNSO first place, I doubt the fact. I believe the tall men in England now, as ever there were. supposing the stature of our people to be dim not owing to luxury; for, Sir, consider to h a proportion of our people luxury can reach. surely, are not luxurious, who live on sixpen the same remark will apply to almost all the Luxury, so far as it reaches the poor, will race of people; it will strengthen and multi no nation was ever hurt by luxury; for, as I can reach but to a very few. I admit that the of commerce and manufactures hurts the mi a people; because it produces a competition else than martial honours,- -a competition also hurts the bodies of the people; for you 1773] VALUE OF LEISURE 203 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 White-chapel, 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 pickle-shop.' 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 any body by the making of pickles, or the eating of pickles.' 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. Macaulay 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.' LIFE OF DR. JOHNSON Talking of the family of Stuart, he said, that the family at present on the throne has as good a right as the former family, by th the people; and that to disturb this righ sidered as culpable. At the same time I own difficult question, when considered with resp of Stuart. To oblige people to take oaths a right, is wrong. I know not whether I c but I do not blame those who do.' So cons delicate was he upon this subject, which h much clamour against him. On Thursday, April 15, I dined with hin smith at General Paoli's. I spoke of Allan Ramsay's Gentle Shepherd dialect, as the best pastoral that had ever b only abounding with beautiful rural imager pleasing sentiments, but being a real pict and I offered to teach Dr. Johnson to unde Sir, (said he,) I won't learn it. You shall re ority by my not knowing it.' It having been observed that there was lit London; JOHNSON. 'Nay, Sir, any man w or who has the power of pleasing, will be invited in London. The man, Sterne, I has had engagements for three months.' Go a very dull fellow.' JOHNSON. 'Why, no, Martinelli told us, that for several years with Charles Townshend, and that he vent he was a bad joker. JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, say upon the subject. One day he and a f to go and dine in the country, and each bring a friend in his carriage with him. Cha asked Fitzherbert to go with him, but told h find somebody to bring you back: I can there." Fitzherbert did not much like thi He however consented, observing sarcastical very well; for then the same jokes will serve ing as in going."" 1773] SON. ON REVOLUTIONS 205 'I remember being present when he shewed himself to be so corrupted, or at least something so different from what I think right, as to maintain, that a member of parliament should go along with his party right or wrong. Now, Sir, this is so remote from native virtue, from scholastick virtue, that a good man must have undergone a great change before he can reconcile himself to such a doctrine. It is maintaining that you may lie to the publick; for you lie when you call that right which you think wrong, or the reverse. A friend of ours, who is too much an echo of that gentleman, observed, that a man who does not stick uniformly to a party, is only waiting to be bought. Why then, said I, he is only waiting to be what that gentleman is already.' We talked of the King's coming to see Goldsmith's new play. I wish he would,' said Goldsmith; adding, however, with an affected indifference, 'Not that it would do me the least good.' JOHNSON. 'Well then, Sir, let us say it would do him good, (laughing.) No, Sir, this affectation will not pass;—it is mighty idle. In such a state as ours, who would not wish to please the Chief Magistrate?' GOLDSMITH. do wish to please him. I remember a line in Dryden, "And every poet is the monarch's friend." 'I It ought to be reversed.' JOHNSON. 'Nay, there are finer lines in Dryden on this subject:— "For colleges on bounteous Kings depend, General Paoli observed, that 'successful rebels might.' MARTINELLI. 'Happy rebellions.' GOLDSMITH. 'We have no such phrase.’ GENERAL PAOLI. 'But have you not the thing?' GOLDSMITH. 'Yes; all our happy revolutions. They have hurt our constitution, and will hurt it, till we mend it by another HAPPY REVOLUTION.' I never before discovered that my friend Goldsmith had so much of the old prejudice in him. General Paoli, talking of Goldsmith's new play, said, 'Il |