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1775

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He obferved, "The great in France live very magnificently, but the reft Atat. 66. very miferably. There is no happy middle flate as in England. The shops of Paris are mean; the meat in the markets is fuch as would be fent to a gaol in England: and Mr. Thrale juftly obferved, that the cookery of the French was forced upon them by neceffity; for they could not eat their meat, unlefs they added fome tafle to it. The French are an indelicate people; they will fpit upon any place. At Madame's, a literary lady of rank, the footman took the fugar in his fingers, and threw it into my coffee. I was going to put it afide; but hearing it was made on purpofe for me, I e'en tafted Tom's fingers. The fame lady would needs make tea á l'Anglife. The fpout of the tea-pot did not pour freely: fhe bade the footman blow into it. France is worfe than Scotland in every thing but climate. Nature has done more for the French; but they have done lefs for themfelves than the Scotch have done."

It happened that Foote was at Paris at the fame time with Dr. Johnfon, and his defcription of my friend while there was abundantly ludicrous. He told me, that the French were quite aftonished at his figure and manner, and at his drefs, which he obftinately continued exactly as in London ;-his brown clothes, black ftockings, and plain fhirt. He mentioned, that an Irifh gentleman faid to Johnfon, Sir, you have not feen the beft French players." JOHNSON." Players, Sir! I look on them as no better than creatures fet upon tables and joint-ftools to make faces and produce laughter, like dancing, dogs."" But, Sir, you will allow that fome players are better than others?" JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir, as fome dogs dance better than others." While Johnson was in France, he was generally very refolute in fpeaking Latin. It was a maxim with him that a man fhould not let himself down, by speaking a language which he speaks imperfectly. Indeed, we must have often obferved how inferiour, how much like a child a man appears, who speaks a broken tongue. When Sir Joshua Reynolds, at one of the dinners of the Royal Academy, presented him to a Frenchman of great diftin&tion, he would not deign to fpeak French, but talked Latin, though his Excellency did not understand it, owing, perhaps, to Johnfon's English pronunciation : yet upon another occafion he was obferved to speak French to a Frenchman of high rank, who fpoke English; and being asked the reafon, with fome expreffion of furprize,-he answered, "Because I think my French is as good as his English." Though Johnfon understood French perfectly, he could not fpeak it readily, as I have observed at his firft interview with General Paoli, in 1769; yet he wrote it, I imagine, very well, as appears from fome of his letters in Mrs. Piozzi's collection, of which I fhall transcribe one.

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A Madame

A Madame La Comteffe de

July 16, 1771

" OUI, Madame, le moment est arrivé, et il faut que je parte. Mais pourquoi faut il partir? Eft ce que je m'ennuye? Je m'ennuyerai alleurs. Eft ce que je cherche ou quelque plaifir, ou quelque foulagement? Je ne cherche rien, je n'efpere rien. Aller voir ce que jai vú, etre un peu rejoué, un peu degouté, ne refouvenir que la vie fe paffe, et qu'elle fe paffe en vain, me plaindre de moi, m'endurcir aux dehors; voici le tout de ce qu'on compte pour les delices de l'anné. Que Dieu vous donne, Madame, tous les agrémens de la vie, avec un efprit qui peut en jouir fans s'y livrer trop."

Here let me not forget a curious anecdote, as related to me by Mr. Beauclerk, which I fhall endeavour to exhibit as well as I can in that gentleman's lively manner; and in juftice to him it is proper to add, that Dr. Johnson told me, I might rely both on the correctnefs of his memory, and the fidelity of his narrative. "When Madame de Boufflers was first in England, (faid Beauclerk,) fhe was defirous to fee Johnson. I accordingly went with her to his chambers in the Temple, where the was - entertained with his converfation for fome time. When our vifit was over, fhe and I left him, and were got into Inner Temple-lane, when all at once I heard a noise like thunder. This was occafioned by Johnson, who it seems upon a little recollection, had taken it into his head that he ought to have done the honours of his literary refidence to a foreign lady of quality, and eager to fhew himself a man of gallantry, was hurrying down the ftaircase in violent agitation. He overtook us before we reached the Templegate, and brufhing in between me and Madame de Boufflers, feifed her hand, and conducted her to her coach. His drefs was a rusty brown morning fuit, a pair of old fhoes by way of flippers, a little fhrivelled wig fticking on the top of his head, and the fleeves of his fhirt and the knees of his breeches hanging loofe. A confiderable crowd of people gathered round, and were not a little ftruck by this fingular appearance."

He spoke Latin with wonderful fluency and elegance. When Pere Boscovich was in England, Johnfon dined in company with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, and at Dr. Douglas's, now Bifhop of Carlifle. Upon both occafions that celebrated foreigner expreffed his aftonishment at Johnson's Latin converfation.

1775.

Ætat. 66.

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1775.

Etat. 66.

"MY DEAR SIR,

To Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON.

Edinburgh, Dec. 5, 1775.

"MR. ALEXANDER MACLEAN, the prefent young Laird of Col, being to set out to-morrow for London, I give him this letter to introduce him to your acquaintance. The kindness which you and I experienced from his brother, whofe unfortunate death we fincerely lament, will make us always defirous to fhew attention to any branch of the family. Indeed, you have fo much of the true Highland cordiality, that I am fure you would have thought me to blame if I had neglected to recommend to you this Hebridean prince, in whofe ifland we were hofpitably entertained. I ever am with refpectful attachment, my dear Sir,

"Your most obliged

"And moft humble Servant,

<< JAMES BOSWELL."

Mr. Maclean returned with the most agreeable accounts of the polite attention with which he was received by Dr. Johnson.

In the course of this year Dr. Burney informs me, that " he very frequently met Dr. Johnson at Mr. Thrale's, at Streatham, where they had many long converfations, often fitting up as long as the fire and candles lasted, and much longer than the patience of the fervants fubfifted."

A few of Johnson's fayings, which that gentleman recollects, fhall here be inferted.

"I never take a nap after dinner but when I have had a bad night, and then the nap takes me."

"The writer of an epitaph fhould not be confidered as faying nothing but what is ftrictly true. Allowance must be made for fome degree of exaggerated praife. In lapidary infcriptions a man is not upon oath."

"There is now lefs flogging in our great schools than formerly, but then lefs is learned there; fo that what the boys get at one end, they lofe at the other." "More is learned in publick than in private schools, from emulation; there is the collifion of mind with mind, or the radiation of many minds pointing to one center. Though few boys make their own exercifes, yet if a good exercife is given up, out of a great number of boys, it is made by fomebody." "I hate bye-roads in education. Education is as well known, and has long been as well known, as ever it can be. Endeavouring to make children 5 prematurely

1775.

prematurely wife is useless labour. Suppofe they have more knowledge at five or fix years old than other children, what use can be made of it? It tat. 66. will be loft before it is wanted, and the waste of fo much time and labour of the teacher can never be repaid. Too much is expected from precocity, and too little performed. Mifs was an inftance of early cultivation, but in what did it terminate? In marrying a little Prefbyterian parfon, who keeps an infant boarding-fchool, fo that all her employment now is, to fuckle fools and chronicle finall beer.' She tells the children, This is a cat, and that is a dog, with four legs and a tail; fee there! you are much better than a cat or a dog, for you can fpeak.' If I had beftowed fuch an education on a daughter, and had discovered that fhe thought of marrying fuch a fellow, I would have fent her to the Congress."

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After having talked flightingly of mufick, he was obferved to listen very attentively while Mifs Thrale played on the harpsichord, and with eagerness he called to her, "Why don't you dafh away like Burney?" Dr. Burney upon this faid to him, "I believe, Sir, we fhall make a musician of you at last." Johnfon with candid complacency replied, "Sir, I fhall be glad to have a new fenfe given to me."

He had come down one morning to the breakfast-room, and been a confiderable time by himself before any body appeared. When on a subsequent day, he was twitted by Mrs. Thrale for being very late, which he generally was, he defended himself by alluding to the extraordinary morning, when he had been too early, "Madam, I do not like to come down to vacuity." Dr. Burney having remarked that Mr. Garrick was beginning to look old, he faid, "Why, Sir, you are not to wonder at that; no man's face has had more wear and tear."

Not having heard from him for a longer time than I fuppofed he would be filent, I wrote to him December 18, not in good spirits, "Sometimes I have been afraid that the cold which has gone over Europe this year like a fort of peftilence, has feifed you feverely; fometimes my imagination, which is upon occafions prolifick of evil, hath figured that you may have fomehow taken offence at fome part of my conduct.”

"DEAR SIR,

To JAMES BOSWELL, Efq.

"NEVER dream of any offence, how fhould you offend me? I confider your friendship as a poffeffion, which I intend to hold till you take it from me, and to lament if ever by my fault I fhould lofe it. However,

1775.

Etat. 66.

However, when fuch fufpicions find their way into your mind, always give them vent, I shall make hafte to difperfe them, but hinder their first ingrefs if you can. Confider fuch thoughts as morbid.

"Such illness as may excufe my omiffion to Lord Hailes I cannot honestly plead. I have been hindered I know not how, by a fucceffion of petty obftructions. I hope to mend immediately, and to fend next post to his Lordship. Mr. Thrale would have written to you if I had omitted; he sends his compliments, and wifhes to fee you.

"You and your lady will now have no more wrangling about feudal inheritance. How does the young Laird of Auchinleck? I fuppofe Mifs Veronica is grown a reader and difcourfer.

"I have just now got a cough, but it has never yet hindered me from fleeping: I have had quieter nights than are common with. me.

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"I cannot but rejoice that Jofeph has had the wit to find the way back. He is a fine fellow, and one of the best travellers in the world.

Young Col brought me your letter. He is a very pleasing youth. I took him two days ago to the Mitre, and we dined together. I was as civil as I had the means of being.

"I have had a letter from Rafay, acknowledging, with great appearance of fatisfaction, the insertion in the Edinburgh paper. I am very glad that it was done.

My compliments to Mrs. Bofwell, who does not love me; and of all the reft, I need only fend them to thofe that do; and I am afraid it will give you very little trouble to distribute them. I am, my dear, dear Sir, "Your affectionate humble fervant,

"December 23, 1775.

SAM. JOHNSON.”

Jofeph Rieter, a Bohemian, who was in my fervice many years, and attended Dr. Johnson and me in our Tour to the Hebrides. After having left me for fome time, he had now returned to me.

THE END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

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