IhavementionedJohnson’sgeneralaversiontoapun。Heonce，however，enduredoneofmine。Whenweweretalkingofanumerouscompanyinwhichhehaddistinguishedhimselfhighly，Isaid，’Sir，youwereaCODsurroundedbysmelts。Isnotthisenoughforyou？
　　atatimetoowhenyouwerenotFISHINGforacompliment？’Helaughedatthiswithacomplacentapprobation。OldMr。Sheridanobserved，uponmymentioningittohim，’Helikedyourcomplimentsowell，hewaswillingtotakeitwithPUNSAUCE。’Formyownpart，Ithinknoinnocentspeciesofwitorpleasantryshouldbesuppressed；andthatagoodpunmaybeadmittedamongthesmallerexcellenciesoflivelyconversation。
　　Mr。BurkeuniformlyshewedJohnsonthegreatestrespect；andwhenMr。Townshend，nowLordSydney，ataperiodwhenhewasconspicuousinopposition，threwoutsomereflectioninparliamentuponthegrantofapensiontoamanofsuchpoliticalprinciplesasJohnson；Mr。Burke，thoughthenofthesamepartywithMr。
　　Townshend，stoodwarmlyforthindefenceofhisfriend，towhom，hejustlyobserved，thepensionwasgrantedsolelyonaccountofhiseminentliterarymerit。Iamwellassured，thatMr。Townshend’sattackuponJohnsonwastheoccasionofhis’hitchinginarhyme；’
　　for，thatintheoriginalcopyofGoldsmith’scharacterofMr。
　　Burke，inhisRetaliation，anotherperson’snamestoodinthecoupletwhereMr。Townshendisnowintroduced：——
　　’Thoughfraughtwithalllearningkeptstraininghisthroat，TopersuadeTommyTownshendtolendhimavote。’
　　Itmaybeworthremarking，amongtheminutiaeofmycollection，thatJohnsonwasoncedrawntoserveinthemilitia，theTrainedBandsoftheCityofLondon，andthatMr。Rackstrow，oftheMuseuminFleet-street，washisColonel。Itmaybebelievedhedidnotserveinperson；buttheidea，withallitscircumstances，iscertainlylaughable。Heuponthatoccasionprovidedhimselfwithamusket，andwithaswordandbelt，whichIhaveseenhanginginhiscloset。
　　Anauthourofmostanxiousandrestlessvanitybeingmentioned，’Sir，saidhe，thereisnotayoungsaplinguponParnassusmoreseverelyblownaboutbyeverywindofcriticismthanthatpoorfellow。’
　　Thedifference，heobserved，betweenawell-bredandanill-bredmanisthis：’Oneimmediatelyattractsyourliking，theotheryouraversion。Youlovetheonetillyoufindreasontohatehim；youhatetheothertillyoufindreasontolovehim。’
　　AfoppishphysicianonceremindedJohnsonofhishavingbeenincompanywithhimonaformeroccasion；’Idonotrememberit，Sir。’
　　Thephysicianstillinsisted；addingthathethatdayworesofineacoatthatitmusthaveattractedhisnotice。’Sir，saidJohnson，hadyoubeendiptinPactolusIshouldnothavenoticedyou。’
　　Heseemedtotakeapleasureinspeakinginhisownstyle；forwhenhehadcarelesslymissedit，hewouldrepeatthethoughttranslatedintoit。TalkingoftheComedyofTheRehearsal，hesaid，’Ithasnotwitenoughtokeepitsweet。’Thiswaseasy；hethereforecaughthimself，andpronouncedamoreroundsentence；’Ithasnotvitalityenoughtopreserveitfromputrefaction。’
　　Thoughhehadnotasteforpainting，headmiredmuchthemannerinwhichSirJoshuaReynoldstreatedofhisart，inhisDiscoursestotheRoyalAcademy。Heobservedonedayofapassageinthem，’I
　　thinkImightaswellhavesaidthismyself：’andoncewhenMr。
　　Langtonwassittingbyhim，hereadoneofthemveryeagerly，andexpressedhimselfthus：——’Verywell，MasterReynolds；verywell，indeed。Butitwillnotbeunderstood。’
　　WhenIobservedtohimthatPaintingwassofarinferiourtoPoetry，thatthestoryorevenemblemwhichitcommunicatesmustbepreviouslyknown，andmentionedasanaturalandlaughableinstanceofthis，thatalittleMissonseeingapictureofJusticewiththescales，hadexclaimedtome，’See，there’sawomansellingsweetmeats；’hesaid，’Painting，Sir，canillustrate，butcannotinform。’
　　Nomanwasmorereadytomakeanapologywhenhehadcensuredunjustly，thanJohnson。Whenaproof-sheetofoneofhisworkswasbroughttohim，hefoundfaultwiththemodeinwhichapartofitwasarranged，refusedtoreadit，andinapassiondesiredthatthecompositormightbesenttohim。ThecompositorwasMr。Manning，adecentsensibleman，whohadcomposedaboutonehalfofhisDictionary，wheninMr。Strahan’sprinting-house；andagreatpartofhisLivesofthePoets，wheninthatofMr。Nichols；andwhoinhisseventy-seventhyear，wheninMr。Baldwin’sprinting-house，composedapartofthefirsteditionofthisworkconcerninghim。
　　Byproducingthemanuscript，heatoncesatisfiedDr。Johnsonthathewasnottoblame。UponwhichJohnsoncandidlyandearnestlysaidtohim，’Mr。Compositor，Iaskyourpardon。Mr。Compositor，I
　　askyourpardon，againandagain。’
　　Hisgeneroushumanitytothemiserablewasalmostbeyondexample。
　　Thefollowinginstanceiswellattested：——Cominghomelateonenight，hefoundapoorwomanlyinginthestreet，somuchexhaustedthatshecouldnotwalk；hetookheruponhisback，andcarriedhertohishouse，wherehediscoveredthatshewasoneofthosewretchedfemaleswhohadfallenintotheloweststateofvice，poverty，anddisease。Insteadofharshlyupbraidingher，hehadhertakencareofwithalltendernessforalongtime，atconsiderableexpence，tillshewasrestoredtohealth，andendeavouredtoputherintoavirtuouswayofliving。
　　HeonceinhislifewasknowntohaveutteredwhatiscalledaBULL：SirJoshuaReynolds，whentheywereridingtogetherinDevonshire，complainedthathehadaverybadhorse，forthatevenwhengoingdownhillhemovedslowlystepbystep。’AysaidJohnson，andwhenhegoesuphill，heSTANDSSTILL。’
　　Hehadagreataversiontogesticulatingincompany。Hecalledoncetoagentlemanwhooffendedhiminthatpoint，’Don’tATTITUDENISE。’Andwhenanothergentlemanthoughthewasgivingadditionalforcetowhatheuttered，byexpressivemovementsofhishands，Johnsonfairlyseizedthem，andheldthemdown。
　　Mr。Steevens，whopassedmanyasocialhourwithhimduringtheirlongacquaintance，whichcommencedwhentheybothlivedintheTemple，haspreservedagoodnumberofparticularsconcerninghim，mostofwhicharetobefoundinthedepartmentofApothegms，&c。
　　intheCollectionofJohnson’sWorks。Buthehasbeenpleasedtofavourmewiththefollowing，whichareoriginal：——
　　’Dr。JohnsononceassumedacharacterinwhichperhapsevenMr。
　　Boswellneversawhim。HiscuriosityhavingbeenexcitedbythepraisesbestowedonthecelebratedTorre’sfireworksatMarybone-
　　Gardens，hedesiredMr。Steevenstoaccompanyhimthither。Theeveninghadprovedshowery；andsoonafterthefewpeoplepresentwereassembled，publicknoticewasgiven，thattheconductorstothewheels，suns，stars，&c。，weresothoroughlywater-soaked，thatitwasimpossibleanypartoftheexhibitionshouldbemade。“Thisisamereexcuse，saystheDoctor，tosavetheircrackersforamoreprofitablecompany。Letusbutholdupoursticks，andthreatentobreakthosecolouredlampsthatsurroundtheOrchestra，andweshallsoonhaveourwishesgratified。Thecoreofthefireworkscannotbeinjured；letthedifferentpiecesbetouchedintheirrespectivecenters，andtheywilldotheirofficesaswellasever。“Someyoungmenwhooverheardhim，immediatelybegantheviolencehehadrecommended，andanattemptwasspeedilymadetofiresomeofthewheelswhichappearedtohavereceivedthesmallestdamage；buttolittlepurposeweretheylighted，formostofthemcompletelyfailed。TheauthourofTheRambler，however，maybeconsidered，onthisoccasion，astheringleaderofasuccessfulriot，thoughnotasaskilfulpyrotechnist。’
　　’IthasbeensupposedthatDr。Johnson，sofarasfashionwasconcerned，wascarelessofhisappearanceinpublick。Butthisisnotaltogethertrue，asthefollowingslightinstancemayshow：——
　　Goldsmith’slastComedywastoberepresentedduringsomecourt-
　　mourning：andMr。SteevensappointedtocallonDr。Johnson，andcarryhimtothetavernwherehewastodinewithothersofthePoet’sfriends。TheDoctorwasreadydressed，butincolouredcloaths；yetbeingtoldthathewouldfindeveryoneelseinblack，receivedtheintelligencewithaprofusionofthanks，hastenedtochangehisattire，allthewhilerepeatinghisgratitudefortheinformationthathadsavedhimfromanappearancesoimproperinthefrontrowofafrontbox。“Iwouldnotaddedhe，fortenpounds，haveseemedsoretrogradetoanygeneralobservance。“
　　’Hewouldsometimesfoundhisdislikesonveryslendercircumstances。HappeningonedaytomentionMr。Flexman，aDissentingMinister，withsomecomplimenttohisexactmemoryinchronologicalmatters；theDoctorreplied，“Letmehearnomoreofhim，Sir。ThatisthefellowwhomadetheIndextomyRamblers，andsetdownthenameofMiltonthus：Milton，MR。John。“’
　　Inthecourseofthisworkanumerousvarietyofnameshasbeenmentioned，towhichmanymightbeadded。IcannotomitLordandLadyLucan，atwhosehouseheoftenenjoyedallthataneleganttableandthebestcompanycancontributetohappiness；hefoundhospitalityunitedwithextraordinaryaccomplishments，andembellishedwithcharmsofwhichnomancouldbeinsensible。
　　OnTuesday，June22，IdinedwithhimatTHELITERARYCLUB，thelasttimeofhisbeinginthatrespectablesociety。TheothermemberspresentweretheBishopofSt。Asaph，LordEliot，LordPalmerston，Dr。Fordyce，andMr。Malone。Helookedill；buthadsuchamanlyfortitude，thathedidnottroublethecompanywithmelancholycomplaints。Theyallshewedevidentmarksofkindconcernabouthim，withwhichhewasmuchpleased，andheexertedhimselftobeasentertainingashisindispositionallowedhim。
　　Theanxietyofhisfriendstopreservesoestimablealife，aslongashumanmeansmightbesupposedtohaveinfluence，madethemplanforhimaretreatfromtheseverityofaBritishwinter，tothemildclimateofItaly。ThisschemewasatlastbroughttoaseriousresolutionatGeneralPaoli’s，whereIhadoftentalkedofit。Oneessentialmatter，however，Iunderstoodwasnecessarytobepreviouslysettled，whichwasobtainingsuchanadditiontohisincome，aswouldbesufficienttoenablehimtodefraytheexpenceinamannerbecomingthefirstliterarycharacterofagreatnation，andindependentofallhisothermerits，theAuthourofTHE
　　DICTIONARYOFTHEENGLISHLANGUAGE。ThepersontowhomIaboveallothersthoughtIshouldapplytonegociatethisbusiness，wastheLordChancellor，becauseIknewthathehighlyvaluedJohnson，andthatJohnsonhighlyvaluedhisLordship；sothatitwasnodegradationofmyillustriousfriendtosolicitforhimthefavourofsuchaman。IhavementionedwhatJohnsonsaidofhimtomewhenhewasatthebar；andafterhisLordshipwasadvancedtotheseals，hesaidofhim，’IwouldpreparemyselffornomaninEnglandbutLordThurlow。WhenIamtomeetwithhimIshouldwishtoknowadaybefore。’HowhewouldhavepreparedhimselfIcannotconjecture。Wouldhehaveselectedcertaintopicks，andconsideredthemineveryviewsoastobeinreadinesstoarguethematallpoints？andwhatmaywesupposethosetopickstohavebeen？Ioncestartedthecuriousinquirytothegreatmanwhowasthesubjectofthiscompliment：hesmiled，butdidnotpursueit。
　　IfirstconsultedwithSirJoshuaReynolds，whoperfectlycoincidedinopinionwithme；andItherefore，thoughpersonallyverylittleknowntohisLordship，wrotetohim，statingthecase，andrequestinghisgoodofficesforDr。Johnson。ImentionedthatI
　　wasobligedtosetoutforScotlandearlyinthefollowingweek，sothatifhisLordshipshouldhaveanycommandsformeastothispiousnegociation，hewouldbepleasedtosendthembeforethattime；otherwiseSirJoshuaReynoldswouldgiveallattentiontoit。
　　ThisapplicationwasmadenotonlywithoutanysuggestiononthepartofJohnsonhimself，butwasutterlyunknowntohim，norhadhethesmallestsuspicionofit。Anyinsinuations，therefore，whichsincehisdeathhavebeenthrownout，asifhehadstoopedtoaskwhatwassuperfluous，arewithoutanyfoundation。But，hadheaskedit，itwouldnothavebeensuperfluous；forthoughthemoneyhehadsavedprovedtobemorethanhisfriendsimagined，orthanI