LIFE OF DR. JOHNSON

with the English than the Scotch do; their la to English; as a proof of which, they succ players, which Scotchmen do not. Then, S that extreme nationality which we find in will do you, Boswell, the justice to say, that unscottified of your countrymen. You are instance of a Scotchman that I have known every other sentence bring in some other Sc

On Friday, May 7, I breakfasted with him in the Borough. While we were alone, I well as I could to apologise for a lady who ha from her husband by act of Parliament. had used her very ill, had behaved brutally she could not continue to live with him with delicacy contaminated; that all affection fo destroyed; that the essence of conjugal uni there remained only a cold form, a mere that she was in the prime of life, with quali happiness; that these ought not to be lost; gentleman on whose account she was divord her heart while thus unhappily situated. Sec by the charms of the lady in question, I t to palliate what I was sensible could not be when I had finished my harangue, my venera me a proper check: 'My dear Sir, never a mind to mingle virtue and vice. The wom and there's an end on't.'

He described the father of one of his frien he was so exuberant a talker at publick mee gentlemen of his county were afraid of him. could be done for his declamation.'

He did not give me full credit when I men had carried on a short conversation by sig Esquimaux who were then in London, particul of them who was a priest. He thought I co them understand me. No man was more incr particular facts, which were at all extraordinary

I dined with him this day at the house of my friends, Messieurs Edward and Charles Dilly, booksellers in the Poultry: there were present, their elder brother Mr. Dilly of Bedfordshire, Dr. Goldsmith, Mr. Langton, Mr. Claxton, Reverend Dr. Mayo a dissenting minister, the Reverend Mr. Toplady, and my friend the Reverend Mr. Temple.

BOSWELL. 'I am well assured that the people of Otaheite who have the bread tree, the fruit of which serves them for bread, laughed heartily when they were informed of the tedious process necessary with us to have bread; -plowing, sowing, harrowing, reaping, threshing, grinding, baking.' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, all ignorant savages will laugh when they are told of the advantages of civilized life. Were you to tell men who live without houses, how we pile brick upon brick, and rafter upon rafter, and that after a house is raised to a certain height, a man tumbles off a scaffold, and breaks his neck; he would laugh heartily at our folly in building; but it does not follow that men are better without houses. No, Sir, (holding up a slice of a good loaf,) this is better than the bread tree.' Hiw

I introduced the subject of toleration. JOHNSON. 'Every society has a right to preserve publick peace and order, and therefore has a good right to prohibit the propagation of opinions which have a dangerous tendency. To say the magistrate has this right, is using an inadequate word: it is the society for which the magistrate is agent. He may be morally or theologically wrong in restraining the propagation of opinions which he thinks dangerous, but he is politically right.' MAYO. 'I am of opinion, Sir, that every man is entitled to liberty of conscience in religion; and that the magistrate cannot restrain that right.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, I agree with you. Every man has a right to liberty of conscience, and with that the magistrate cannot interfere. People confound liberty of thinking with liberty of talking; nay, with liberty of preaching. Every man has a physical right to think as he pleases; for it cannot be discovered how

LIFE OF DR. JOHNSON

holds to be true. The magistrate, I say, m what he thinks: but while he thinks himself and ought to enforce what he thinks.' MAY we are to remain always in errour, and truth vail; and the magistrate was right in perse Christians.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, the only metho ligious truth can be established is by ma magistrate has a right to enforce what he t who is conscious of the truth has a right to afraid there is no other way of ascertaining th persecution on the one hand and enduring it GOLDSMITH. 'But how is a man to act, Sir? convinced of the truth of his doctrine, may h wrong to expose himself to persecution? Has do so? Is it not, as it were, committing volun JOHNSON. 'Sir, as to voluntary suicide, as you are twenty thousand men in an army who w scruple to be shot at, and mount a breach for day.' GOLDSMITH. 'But have they a moral this?' JOHNSON. 'Nay, Sir, if you will not versal opinion of mankind, I have nothing to say. cannot defend their own way of thinking, I c it. Sir, if a man is in doubt whether it would him to expose himself to martyrdom or not, h do it. He must be convinced that he has a del heaven.' GOLDSMITH. 'I would consider whe the greater chance of good or evil upon the who a man who had fallen into a well, I would wish out; but if there is a greater probability that me in, than that I shall pull him out, I would it. So were I to go to Turkey, I might wish to Grand Signor to the Christian faith; but when that I should probably be put to death without my purpose in any degree, I should keep my JOHNSON. 'Sir, you must consider that we have imperfect obligations. Perfect obligations, whi erally not to do something, are clear and positive

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1773] say how much another should give to the poor, or when a man has given too little to save his soul. In the same manner it is a duty to instruct the ignorant, and of consequence to convert infidels to Christianity; but no man in the common course of things is obliged to carry this to such a degree as to incur the danger of martyrdom, as no man is obliged to strip himself to the shirt in order to give charity. I have said, that a man must be persuaded that he has a particular delegation from heaven.' GOLDSMITH. 'How is this to be known? Our first reformers, who were burnt for not believing bread and wine to be CHRIST'-JOHNSON. (interrupting him,) 'Sir, they were not burnt for not believing bread and wine to be CHRIST, but for insulting those who did believe it. And, Sir, when the first reformers began, they did not intend to be martyred: as many of them ran away as could.' BOSWELL. 'But, Sir, there was your countryman, Elwal, who you told me challenged King George with his blackguards, and his red-guards.' JOHNSON. 'My countryman, Elwal, Sir, should have been put in the stocks; a proper pulpit for him; and he'd have had a numerous audience. A man who preaches in the stocks will always have hearers enough.' BOSWELL. 'But Elwal thought himself in the right.' JOHNSON. 'We are not providing for mad people; there are places for them in the neighbourhood.' (meaning Moorfields.) MAYO. 'But, Sir, is it not very hard that I should not be allowed to teach my children what I really believe to be the truth?' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, you might contrive to teach your children extrà scandalum; but, Sir, the magistrate, if he knows it, has a right to restrain you. Suppose you teach your children to be thieves?' MAYO. "This is making a joke of the subject.' JOHNSON. 'Nay, Sir, take it thus:-that you teach them the community of goods; for which there are as many plausible arguments as for most erroneous doctrines. You teach them that all things at first were in common, and that no man had a right to any thing but as he laid his hands upon it; and that this still is, or ought to be, the rule amongst mankind. Here, Sir, you sap a great principle in society,—property. And don't you think the magistrate would have a right to

prevent you? Or, suppose you should teach the notion of the Adamites, and they should the streets, would not the magistrate have 'em into their doublets?' MAYO. 'I think has no right to interfere till there is some ov WELL. 'So, Sir, though he sees an enemy to t ing a blunderbuss, he is not to interfere till MAYO. 'He must be sure of its direction aga JOHNSON. 'The magistrate is to judge of tha right to restrain your thinking, because the yourself. If a man were sitting at this table, off his fingers, the magistrate, as guardian of t has no authority to restrain him, however h from kindness as a parent.-Though, indeed, u sideration, I think he may; as it is probable, chopping off his own fingers, may soon proce those of other people. If I think it right to st plate, I am a bad man; but he can say nothin make an open declaration that I think so, he out of his house. If I put forth my hand, I sh Newgate. This is the gradation of thinking, acting: if a man thinks erroneously, he may kee to himself, and nobody will trouble him; if erroneous doctrine, society may expel him; if h sequence of it, the law takes place, and he is han 'But, Sir, ought not Christians to have liberty of JOHNSON. 'I have already told you so, Si coming back to where you were.' BOSWELL. is always taking a return post-chaise, and go over again. He has it at half price.' Jo Mayo, like other champions for unlimited to got a set of words. Sir, it is no matter, politic the magistrate be right or wrong. Suppose a be formed, to drink confusion to King Georg and a happy restoration to Charles the Third, very bad with respect to the State; but every that club must either conform to its rules or h