Itiswonderfulthathehasbeenabletowritesuchvarietyofthem。’
AtMr。Beauclerk’s,whereIsupped,wasMr。Garrick,whomImadehappywithJohnson’spraiseofhisprologues;andIsuppose,ingratitudetohim,hetookuponeofhisfavouritetopicks,thenationalityoftheScotch,whichhemaintainedinapleasantmanner,withtheaidofalittlepoeticalfiction。’Come,come,don’tdenyit:theyarereallynational。Why,now,theAdamsareasliberal-mindedmenasanyintheworld:but,Idon’tknowhowitis,alltheirworkmenareScotch。Youare,tobesure,wonderfullyfreefromthatnationality:butsoithappens,thatyouemploytheonlyScotchshoe-blackinLondon。’Heimitatedthemannerofhisoldmasterwithludicrousexaggeration;repeating,withpausesandhalf-whistlingsinterjected,’Oshominisublimededit,——caelumquetueriJussit,——eterectosadsidera——tollerevultus’;
lookingdownwardsallthetime,and,whilepronouncingthefourlastwords,absolutelytouchingthegroundwithakindofcontortedgesticulation。
Garrick,however,whenhepleased,couldimitateJohnsonveryexactly;forthatgreatactor,withhisdistinguishedpowersofexpressionwhichweresouniversallyadmired,possessedalsoanadmirabletalentofmimickry。HewasalwaysjealousthatJohnsonspokelightlyofhim。Irecollecthisexhibitinghimtomeoneday,asifsaying,’Davyhassomeconvivialpleasantryabouthim,but’tisafutilefellow;’whichheutteredperfectlywiththetoneandairofJohnson。
Icannottoofrequentlyrequestofmyreaders,whiletheyperusemyaccountofJohnson’sconversation,toendeavourtokeepinmindhisdeliberateandstrongutterance。Hismodeofspeakingwasindeedveryimpressive;andIwishitcouldbepreservedasmusickiswritten,accordingtotheveryingeniousmethodofMr。Steele,whohasshewnhowtherecitationofMr。Garrick,andothereminentspeakers,mightbetransmittedtoposterityINSCORE。
NextdayIdinedwithJohnsonatMr。Thrale’s。HeattackedGray,callinghim’adullfellow。’BOSWELL。’Iunderstandhewasreserved,andmightappeardullincompany;butsurelyhewasnotdullinpoetry。’JOHNSON。’Sir,hewasdullincompany,dullinhiscloset,dulleverywhere。Hewasdullinanewway,andthatmademanypeoplethinkhimGREAT。Hewasamechanicalpoet。’Hethenrepeatedsomeludicrouslines,whichhaveescapedmymemory,andsaid,’IsnotthatGREAT,likehisOdes?’Mrs。ThralemaintainedthathisOdesweremelodious;uponwhichheexclaimed,’Weavethewarp,andweavethewoof;’——
Iadded,inasolemntone,’Thewinding-sheetofEdward’srace。’
’THEREisagoodline。’’Ay,saidhe,andthenextlineisagoodone,’pronouncingitcontemptuously;
’Giveamplevergeandroomenough。’——
’No,Sir,therearebuttwogoodstanzasinGray’spoetry,whichareinhisElegyinaCountryChurch-yard。’Hethenrepeatedthestanza,’Forwhotodumbforgetfulnessaprey,’&c。
mistakingoneword;forinsteadofprecinctshesaidconfines。Headded,’TheotherstanzaIforget。’
Ayoungladywhohadmarriedamanmuchherinferiourinrankbeingmentioned,aquestionarosehowawoman’srelationsshouldbehavetoherinsuchasituation;and,whileIrecapitulatethedebate,andrecollectwhathassincehappened,Icannotbutbestruckinamannerthatdelicacyforbidsmetoexpress。WhileIcontendedthatsheoughttobetreatedwithaninflexiblesteadinessofdispleasure,Mrs。Thralewasallformildnessandforgiveness,and,accordingtothevulgarphrase,’makingthebestofabadbargain。’
JOHNSON。Madam,wemustdistinguish。WereIamanofrank,I
wouldnotletadaughterstarvewhohadmadeameanmarriage;buthavingvoluntarilydegradedherselffromthestationwhichshewasoriginallyentitledtohold,Iwouldsupportheronlyinthatwhichsheherselfhadchosen;andwouldnotputheronalevelwithmyotherdaughters。Youaretoconsider,Madam,thatitisourdutytomaintainthesubordinationofcivilizedsociety;andwhenthereisagrossandshamefuldeviationfromrank,itshouldbepunishedsoastodeterothersfromthesameperversion。’
OnFriday,March31,Isuppedwithhimandsomefriendsatatavern。Oneofthecompany*attempted,withtoomuchforwardness,torallyhimonhislateappearanceatthetheatre;buthadreasontorepentofhistemerity。’Why,Sir,didyougotoMrs。
Abington’sbenefit?Didyousee?’JOHNSON。’No,Sir。’’Didyouhear?’JOHNSON。’No,Sir。’’Whythen,Sir,didyougo?’
JOHNSON。’Because,Sir,sheisafavouriteofthepublick;andwhenthepublickcaresthethousandthpartforyouthatitdoesforher,Iwillgotoyourbenefittoo。’
*VerylikelyBoswell——HILL。
NextmorningIwonasmallbetfromLadyDianaBeauclerk,byaskinghimastooneofhisparticularities,whichherLadyshiplaidI
durstnotdo。ItseemshehadbeenfrequentlyobservedattheClubtoputintohispockettheSevilleoranges,afterhehadsqueezedthejuiceofthemintothedrinkwhichhemadeforhimself。
BeauclerkandGarricktalkedofittome,andseemedtothinkthathehadastrangeunwillingnesstobediscovered。Wecouldnotdivinewhathedidwiththem;andthiswastheboldquestiontobeput。Isawonhistablethespoilsoftheprecedingnight,somefreshpeelsnicelyscrapedandcutintopieces。’O,Sir,saidI,
InowpartlyseewhatyoudowiththesqueezedorangeswhichyouputintoyourpocketattheClub。’JOHNSON。’Ihaveagreatloveforthem。’BOSWELL。’Andpray,Sir,whatdoyoudowiththem?
Youscrapethem,itseems,veryneatly,andwhatnext?’JOHNSON。
’Letthemdry,Sir。’BOSWELL。’Andwhatnext?’JOHNSON。’Nay,Sir,youshallknowtheirfatenofurther。’BOSWELL。’Thentheworldmustbeleftinthedark。Itmustbesaidassumingamocksolemnity,hescrapedthem,andletthemdry,butwhathedidwiththemnext,henevercouldbeprevailedupontotell。’JOHNSON。
’Nay,Sir,youshouldsayitmoreemphatically:——hecouldnotbeprevailedupon,evenbyhisdearestfriends,totell。’
HehadthismorningreceivedhisDiplomaasDoctorofLawsfromtheUniversityofOxford。Hedidnotvauntofhisnewdignity,butI
understoodhewashighlypleasedwithit。
IobservedtohimthattherewereveryfewofhisfriendssoaccurateasthatIcouldventuretoputdowninwritingwhattheytoldmeashissayings。JOHNSON。’WhyshouldyouwritedownMY
sayings?’BOSWELL。’Iwritethemwhentheyaregood。’JOHNSON。
’Nay,youmayaswellwritedownthesayingsofanyoneelsethataregood。’ButWHERE,Imightwithgreatproprietyhaveadded,canIfindsuch?
Nextday,Sunday,April2,IdinedwithhimatMr。Hoole’s。WetalkedofPope。JOHNSON。’Hewrote,hisDunciadforfame。Thatwashisprimarymotive。Haditnotbeenforthat,theduncesmighthaverailedagainsthimtilltheywereweary,withouthistroublinghimselfaboutthem。Hedelightedtovexthem,nodoubt;buthehadmoredelightinseeinghowwellhecouldvexthem。’
HisTaxationnoTyrannybeingmentioned,hesaid,’IthinkIhavenotbeenattackedenoughforit。Attackisthere-action;IneverthinkIhavehithard,unlessitrebounds。’BOSWELL。’Idon’tknow,Sir,whatyouwouldbeat。Fiveorsixshotsofsmallarmsineverynewspaper,andrepeatedcannonadinginpamphlets,might,I
think,satisfyyou。But,Sir,you’llnevermakeoutthismatch,ofwhichwehavetalked,withacertainpoliticallady,*sinceyouaresosevereagainstherprinciples。’JOHNSON。’Nay,Sir,Ihavethebetterchanceforthat。SheisliketheAmazonsofold;shemustbecourtedbythesword。ButIhavenotbeensevereuponher。’
BOSWELL。’Yes,Sir,youhavemadeherridiculous。’JOHNSON。
’Thatwasalreadydone,Sir。ToendeavourtomakeHERridiculous,islikeblackingthechimney。’
*CrokeridentifiesherasMrs。Macaulay。Seep。119——ED。
ItalkedofthecheerfulnessofFleet-street,owingtotheconstantquicksuccessionofpeoplewhichweperceivepassingthroughit。
JOHNSON。’Why,Sir,Fleet-streethasaveryanimatedappearance;
butIthinkthefulltideofhumanexistenceisatCharing-cross。’
Hemadethecommonremarkontheunhappinesswhichmenwhohaveledabusylifeexperience,whentheyretireinexpectationofenjoyingthemselvesatease,andthattheygenerallylanguishforwantoftheirhabitualoccupation,andwishtoreturntoit。Hementionedasstronganinstanceofthisascanwellbeimagined。’Aneminenttallow-chandlerinLondon,whohadacquiredaconsiderablefortune,gaveupthetradeinfavourofhisforeman,andwenttoliveatacountry-houseneartown。Hesoongrewweary,andpaidfrequentvisitstohisoldshop,wherehedesiredtheymightlethimknowtheirmelting-days,andhewouldcomeandassistthem;whichheaccordinglydid。Here,Sir,wasaman,towhomthemostdisgustingcircumstanceinthebusinesstowhichhehadbeenusedwasarelieffromidleness。’
OnWednesday,April5,IdinedwithhimatMessieursDilly’s,withMr。JohnScottofAmwell,theQuaker,Mr。Langton,Mr。Miller,nowSirJohn,andDr。ThomasCampbell,anIrishclergyman,whomItookthelibertyofinvitingtoMr。Dilly’stable,havingseenhimatMr。Thrale’s,andbeentoldthathehadcometoEnglandchieflywithaviewtoseeDr。Johnson,forwhomheentertainedthehighestveneration。HehassincepublishedAPhilosophicalSurveyoftheSouthofIreland,averyentertainingbook,whichhas,however,onefault;——thatitassumesthefictitiouscharacterofanEnglishman。
Wetalkedofpublickspeaking——JOHNSON。’Wemustnotestimateaman’spowersbyhisbeingable,ornotabletodeliverhissentimentsinpublick。IsaacHawkinsBrowne,oneofthefirstwitsofthiscountry,gotintoParliament,andneveropenedhismouth。
Formyownpart,Ithinkitismoredisgracefulnevertotrytospeak,thantotryitandfail;asitismoredisgracefulnottofight,thantofightandbebeaten。’Thisargumentappearedtomefallacious;forifamanhasnotspoken,itmaybesaidthathewouldhavedoneverywellithehadtried;whereas,ifhehastriedandfailed,thereisnothingtobesaidforhim。’Whythen,I