Then,Sir,theyhavenotthatextremenationalitywhichwefindintheScotch。Iwilldoyou,Boswell,thejusticetosay,thatyouarethemostUNSCOTTIFIEDofyourcountrymen。YouarealmosttheonlyinstanceofaScotchmanthatIhaveknown,whodidnotateveryothersentencebringinsomeotherScotchman。’
PartThree
OnFriday,May7,IbreakfastedwithhimatMr。Thrale’sintheBorough。Whilewewerealone,IendeavouredaswellasIcouldtoapologiseforaladywhohadbeendivorcedfromherhusbandbyactofParliament。Isaid,thathehadusedherveryill,hadbehavedbrutallytoher,andthatshecouldnotcontinuetolivewithhimwithouthavingherdelicacycontaminated;thatallaffectionforhimwasthusdestroyed;thattheessenceofconjugalunionbeinggone,thereremainedonlyacoldform,amerecivilobligation;
thatshewasintheprimeoflife,withqualitiestoproducehappiness;thattheseoughtnottobelost;and,thatthegentlemanonwhoseaccountshewasdivorcedhadgainedherheartwhilethusunhappilysituated。Seduced,perhaps,bythecharmsoftheladyinquestion,IthusattemptedtopalliatewhatIwassensiblecouldnotbejustified;forwhenIhadfinishedmyharangue,myvenerablefriendgavemeapropercheck:’MydearSir,neveraccustomyourmindtominglevirtueandvice。Thewoman’sawhore,andthere’sanendon’t。’
Hedescribedthefatherofoneofhisfriendsthus:’Sir,hewassoexuberantatalkeratpublickmeeting,thatthegentlemenofhiscountywereafraidofhim。Nobusinesscouldbedoneforhisdeclamation。’
HedidnotgivemefullcreditwhenImentionedthatIhadcarriedonashortconversationbysignswithsomeEsquimauxwhoweretheninLondon,particularlywithoneofthemwhowasapriest。HethoughtIcouldnotmakethemunderstandme。Nomanwasmoreincredulousastoparticularfacts,whichwereatallextraordinary;andthereforenomanwasmorescrupulouslyinquisitive,inordertodiscoverthetruth。
Idinedwithhimthisdayatthehouseofmyfriends,MessieursEdwardandCharlesDilly,booksellersinthePoultry:therewerepresent,theirelderbrotherMr。DillyofBedfordshire,Dr。
Goldsmith,Mr。Langton,Mr。Claxton,ReverendDr。Mayoadissentingminister,theReverendMr。Toplady,andmyfriendtheReverendMr。
Temple。
BOSWELL。’IamwellassuredthatthepeopleofOtaheitewhohavethebreadtree,thefruitofwhichservesthemforbread,laughedheartilywhentheywereinformedofthetediousprocessnecessarywithustohavebread;——plowing,sowing,harrowing,reaping,threshing,grinding,baking。’JOHNSON。’Why,Sir,allignorantsavageswilllaughwhentheyaretoldoftheadvantagesofcivilizedlife。Wereyoutotellmenwholivewithouthouses,howwepilebrickuponbrick,andrafteruponrafter,andthatafterahouseisraisedtoacertainheight,amantumblesoffascaffold,andbreakshisneck;hewouldlaughheartilyatourfollyinbuilding;butitdoesnotfollowthatmenarebetterwithouthouses。No,Sir,holdingupasliceofagoodloaf,thisisbetterthanthebreadtree。’
Iintroducedthesubjectoftoleration。JOHNSON。’Everysocietyhasarighttopreservepublickpeaceandorder,andthereforehasagoodrighttoprohibitthepropagationofopinionswhichhaveadangeroustendency。TosaytheMAGISTRATEhasthisright,isusinganinadequateword:itistheSOCIETYforwhichthemagistrateisagent。Hemaybemorallyortheologicallywronginrestrainingthepropagationofopinionswhichhethinksdangerous,butheispoliticallyright。’MAYO。’Iamofopinion,Sir,thateverymanisentitledtolibertyofconscienceinreligion;andthatthemagistratecannotrestrainthatright。’JOHNSON。’Sir,Iagreewithyou。Everymanhasarighttolibertyofconscience,andwiththatthemagistratecannotinterfere。Peopleconfoundlibertyofthinkingwithlibertyoftalking;nay,withlibertyofpreaching。
Everymanhasaphysicalrighttothinkashepleases;foritcannotbediscoveredhowhethinks。Hehasnotamoralright,forheoughttoinformhimself,andthinkjustly。But,Sir,nomemberofasocietyhasarighttoTEACHanydoctrinecontrarytowhatthesocietyholdstobetrue。Themagistrate,Isay,maybewronginwhathethinks:butwhilehethinkshimselfright,hemayandoughttoenforcewhathethinks。’MAYO。’Then,Sir,wearetoremainalwaysinerrour,andtruthnevercanprevail;andthemagistratewasrightinpersecutingthefirstChristians。’JOHNSON。’Sir,theonlymethodbywhichreligioustruthcanbeestablishedisbymartyrdom。Themagistratehasarighttoenforcewhathethinks;
andhewhoisconsciousofthetruthhasarighttosuffer。Iamafraidthereisnootherwayofascertainingthetruth,butbypersecutionontheonehandandenduringitontheother。’
GOLDSMITH。’Buthowisamantoact,Sir?Thoughfirmlyconvincedofthetruthofhisdoctrine,mayhenotthinkitwrongtoexposehimselftopersecution?Hashearighttodoso?Isitnot,asitwere,committingvoluntarysuicide?’JOHNSON。’Sir,astovoluntarysuicide,asyoucallit,therearetwentythousandmeninanarmywhowillgowithoutscrupletobeshotat,andmountabreachforfive-penceaday。’GOLDSMITH。’Buthavetheyamoralrighttodothis?’JOHNSON。’Nay,Sir,ifyouwillnottaketheuniversalopinionofmankind,Ihavenothingtosay。Ifmankindcannotdefendtheirownwayofthinking,Icannotdefendit。Sir,ifamanisindoubtwhetheritwouldbebetterforhimtoexposehimselftomartyrdomornot,heshouldnotdoit。Hemustbeconvincedthathehasadelegationfromheaven。’GOLDSMITH。’I
wouldconsiderwhetherthereisthegreaterchanceofgoodoreviluponthewhole。IfIseeamanwhohadfallenintoawell,Iwouldwishtohelphimout;butifthereisagreaterprobabilitythatheshallpullmein,thanthatIshallpullhimout,Iwouldnotattemptit。SowereItogotoTurkey,ImightwishtoconverttheGrandSignortotheChristianfaith;butwhenIconsideredthatI
shouldprobablybeputtodeathwithouteffectuatingmypurposeinanydegree,Ishouldkeepmyselfquiet。’JOHNSON。’Sir,youmustconsiderthatwehaveperfectandimperfectobligations。Perfectobligations,whicharegenerallynottodosomething,areclearandpositive;as,“thoushaltnotkill?’Butcharity,forinstance,isnotdefinablebylimits。Itisadutytogivetothepoor;butnomancansayhowmuchanothershouldgivetothepoor,orwhenamanhasgiventoolittletosavehissoul。Inthesamemanneritisadutytoinstructtheignorant,andofconsequencetoconvertinfidelstoChristianity;butnomaninthecommoncourseofthingsisobligedtocarrythistosuchadegreeastoincurthedangerofmartyrdom,asnomanisobligedtostriphimselftotheshirtinordertogivecharity。Ihavesaid,thatamanmustbepersuadedthathehasaparticulardelegationfromheaven。’GOLDSMITH。’Howisthistobeknown?Ourfirstreformers,whowereburntfornotbelievingbreadandwinetobeCHRIST’——JOHNSON。interruptinghim,’Sir,theywerenotburntfornotbelievingbreadandwinetobeCHRIST,butforinsultingthosewhodidbelieveit。And,Sir,whenthefirstreformersbegan,theydidnotintendtobemartyred:
asmanyofthemranawayascould。’BOSWELL。’But,Sir,therewasyourcountryman,Elwal,whoyoutoldmechallengedKingGeorgewithhisblack-guards,andhisred-guards。’JOHNSON。’Mycountryman,Elwal,Sir,shouldhavebeenputinthestocks;aproperpulpitforhim;andhe’dhavehadanumerousaudience。Amanwhopreachesinthestockswillalwayshavehearersenough。’BOSWELL。’ButElwalthoughthimselfintheright。’JOHNSON。’Wearenotprovidingformadpeople;thereareplacesforthemintheneighbourhood。’
meaningmoorfields。MAYO。’But,Sir,isitnotveryhardthatI
shouldnotbeallowedtoteachmychildrenwhatIreallybelievetobethetruth?’JOHNSON。’Why,Sir,youmightcontrivetoteachyourchildrenextrascandalum;but,Sir,themagistrate,ifheknowsit,hasarighttorestrainyou。Supposeyouteachyourchildrentobethieves?’MAYO。’Thisismakingajokeofthesubject。’JOHNSON。’Nay,Sir,takeitthus:——thatyouteachthemthecommunityofgoods;forwhichthereareasmanyplausibleargumentsasformosterroneousdoctrines。Youteachthemthatallthingsatfirstwereincommon,andthatnomanhadarighttoanythingbutashelaidhishandsuponit;andthatthisstillis,oroughttobe,theruleamongstmankind。Here,Sir,yousapagreatprincipleinsociety,——property。Anddon’tyouthinkthemagistratewouldhavearighttopreventyou?Or,supposeyoushouldteachyourchildrenthenotionoftheAdamites,andtheyshouldrunnakedintothestreets,wouldnotthemagistratehavearighttoflog’emintotheirdoublets?’MAYO。’Ithinkthemagistratehasnorighttointerferetillthereissomeovertact。’
BOSWELL。’So,Sir,thoughheseesanenemytothestatechargingablunderbuss,heisnottointerferetillitisfiredoff?’MAYO。
’Hemustbesureofitsdirectionagainstthestate。’JOHNSON。
’Themagistrateistojudgeofthat——Hehasnorighttorestrainyourthinking,becausetheevilcentersinyourself。Ifamanweresittingatthistable,andchoppingoffhisfingers,themagistrate,asguardianofthecommunity,hasnoauthoritytorestrainhim,howeverhemightdoitfromkindnessasaparent——
Though,indeed,uponmoreconsideration,Ithinkhemay;asitisprobable,thathewhoischoppingoffhisownfingers,maysoonproceedtochopoffthoseofotherpeople。IfIthinkitrighttostealMr。Dilly’splate,Iamabadman;buthecansaynothingtome。IfImakeanopendeclarationthatIthinkso,hewillkeepmeoutofhishouse。IfIputforthmyhand,IshallbesenttoNewgate。Thisisthegradationofthinking,preaching,andacting:
ifamanthinkserroneously,hemaykeephisthoughtstohimself,andnobodywilltroublehim;ifhepreacheserroneousdoctrine,societymayexpelhim;ifheactsinconsequenceofit,thelawtakesplace,andheishanged。’MAYO。’But,Sir,oughtnotChristianstohavelibertyofconscience?’JOHNSON。’Ihavealreadytoldyouso,Sir。Youarecomingbacktowhereyouwere。’
BOSWELL。’Dr。Mayoisalwaystakingareturnpost-chaise,andgoingthestageoveragain。Hehasitathalfprice。’JOHNSON。
’Dr。Mayo,likeotherchampionsforunlimitedtoleration,hasgotasetofwords。Sir,itisnomatter,politically,whetherthemagistrateberightorwrong。Supposeaclubweretobeformed,todrinkconfusiontoKingGeorgetheThird,andahappyrestorationtoCharlestheThird,thiswouldbeverybadwithrespecttotheState;buteverymemberofthatclubmusteitherconformtoitsrules,orbeturnedoutofit。OldBaxter,Iremember,maintains,thatthemagistrateshould“tolerateallthingsthataretolerable。“Thisisnogooddefinitionoftolerationuponanyprinciple;butitshowsthathethoughtsomethingswerenottolerable。’TOPLADY。’Sir,youhaveuntwistedthisdifficultsubjectwithgreatdexterity。’
Duringthisargument,Goldsmithsatinrestlessagitation,fromawishtogetinandSHINE。Findinghimselfexcluded,hehadtakenhishattogoaway,butremainedforsometimewithitinhishand,likeagamester,whoatthecloseofalongnight,lingersforalittlewhile,toseeifhecanhaveafavourableopeningtofinishwithsuccess。Oncewhenhewasbeginningtospeak,hefoundhimselfoverpoweredbytheloudvoiceofJohnson,whowasattheoppositeendofthetable,anddidnotperceiveGoldsmith’sattempt。Thusdisappointedofhiswishtoobtaintheattentionofthecompany,Goldsmithinapassionthrewdownhishat,lookingangrilyatJohnson,andexclaiminginabittertone,’TAKEIT。’