couldcaricaturemyownstylemuchbettermyself。’HedefendedhisremarkuponthegeneralinsufficiencyofeducationinScotland；andconfirmedtometheauthenticityofhiswittysayingonthelearningoftheScotch；——’Theirlearningislikebreadinabesiegedtown：everymangetsalittle，butnomangetsafullmeal。’’Thereissaidhe，inScotland，adiffusionoflearning，acertainportionofitwidelyandthinlyspread。Amerchanttherehasasmuchlearningasoneoftheirclergy。
NosoonerhadwemadeourbowtoMr。Cambridge，inhislibrary，thanJohnsonraneagerlytoonesideoftheroom，intentonporingoverthebacksofthebooks。SirJoshuaobserved，aside，’Herunstothebooks，asIdotothepictures：butIhavetheadvantage。Icanseemuchmoreofthepicturesthanhecanofthebooks。’Mr。Cambridge，uponthis，politelysaid，’Dr。Johnson，I
amgoing，withyourpardon，toaccusemyself，forIhavethesamecustomwhichIperceiveyouhave。Butitseemsoddthatoneshouldhavesuchadesiretolookatthebacksofbooks。’Johnson，everreadyforcontest，instantlystartedfromhisreverie，wheeledabout，andanswered，’Sir，thereasonisveryplain。Knowledgeisoftwokinds。Weknowasubjectourselves，orweknowwherewecanfindinformationuponit。Whenweenquireintoanysubject，thefirstthingwehavetodoistoknowwhatbookshavetreatedofit。
Thisleadsustolookatcatalogues，andthebacksofbooksinlibraries。’SirJoshuaobservedtometheextraordinarypromptitudewithwhichJohnsonflewuponanargument。’Yes，saidI，hehasnoformalpreparation，noflourishingwithhissword；heisthroughyourbodyinaninstant。’
Johnsonwasheresolacedwithanelegantentertainment，averyaccomplishedfamily，andmuchgoodcompany；amongwhomwasMr。
HarrisofSalisbury，whopaidhimmanycomplimentsonhisJourneytotheWesternIslands。
Thecommonremarkastotheutilityofreadinghistorybeingmade；——
JOHNSON。’Wemustconsiderhowverylittlehistorythereis；I
meanrealauthentickhistory。ThatcertainKingsreigned，andcertainbattleswerefought，wecandependuponastrue；butallthecolouring，allthephilosophyofhistoryisconjecture。’
BOSWELL。’Then，Sir，youwouldreduceallhistorytonobetterthananalmanack，amerechronologicalseriesofremarkableevents。’Mr。Gibbon，whomustatthattimehavebeenemployeduponhisHistory，ofwhichhepublishedthefirstvolumeinthefollowingyear，waspresent；butdidnotstepforthindefenceofthatspeciesofwriting。HeprobablydidnotliketoTRUSThimselfwithJOHNSON!
TheBeggar’sOpera，andthecommonquestion，whetheritwasperniciousinitseffects，havingbeenintroduced；——JOHNSON。’Astothismatter，whichhasbeenverymuchcontested，Imyselfamofopinion，thatmoreinfluencehasbeenascribedtoTheBeggar’sOpera，thanitinrealityeverhad；forIdonotbelievethatanymanwasevermadearoguebybeingpresentatitsrepresentation。
AtthesametimeIdonotdenythatitmayhavesomeinfluence，bymakingthecharacterofaroguefamiliar，andinsomedegreepleasing。’Thencollectinghimselfasitwere，togiveaheavystroke：’ThereisinitsuchaLABEFACTATIONofallprinciples，asmaybeinjurioustomorality。’
Whilehepronouncedthisresponse，wesatinacomicalsortofrestraint，smotheringalaugh，whichwewereafraidmightburstout。
Wetalkedofayounggentleman’s*marriagewithaneminentsinger，andhisdeterminationthatsheshouldnolongersinginpublick，thoughhisfatherwasveryearnestsheshould，becausehertalentswouldbeliberallyrewarded，soastomakeheragoodfortune。Itwasquestionedwhethertheyounggentleman，whohadnotashillingintheworld，butwasblestwithveryuncommontalents，wasnotfoolishlydelicate，orfoolishlyproud，andhisfathertruelyrationalwithoutbeingmean。Johnson，withallthehighspiritofaRomansenator，exclaimed，’Heresolvedwiselyandnoblytobesure。Heisabraveman。Wouldnotagentlemanbedisgracedbyhavinghiswifesingingpublicklyforhire？No，Sir，therecanbenodoubthere。IknownotifIshouldnotPREPAREmyselfforapublicksinger，asreadilyasletmywifebeone。’
*ProbablyRichardBrinsleySheridan，whoseromanticmarriagewiththebeautifulElizabethLinleytookplacein1773。HebecameamemberoftheClubonJohnson’sproposal。Seebelow，p。325——ED。
Johnsonarraignedthemodernpoliticksofthiscountry，asentirelydevoidofallprincipleofwhateverkind。’Politickssaidhe，
arenownothingmorethanmeansofrisingintheworld。Withthissoleviewdomenengageinpoliticks，andtheirwholeconductproceedsuponit。’
Somebodyfoundfaultwithwritingversesinadeadlanguage，maintainingthattheyweremerelyarrangementsofsomanywords，andlaughedattheUniversitiesofOxfordandCambridge，forsendingforthcollectionsofthemnotonlyinGreekandLatin，buteveninSyriac，Arabick，andothermoreunknowntongues。JOHNSON。
’Iwouldhaveasmanyoftheseaspossible；Iwouldhaveversesineverylanguagethattherearethemeansofacquiring。NobodyimaginesthatanUniversityistohaveatoncetwohundredpoets；
butitshouldbeabletoshowtwohundredscholars。Pieresc’sdeathwaslamented，Ithink，infortylanguages。AndIwouldhavehadateverycoronation，andeverydeathofaKing，everyGaudium，andeveryLuctus，Universityverses，inasmanylanguagesascanbeacquired。Iwouldhavetheworldtobethustold，“Hereisaschoolwhereeverythingmaybelearnt。“’
HavingsetoutnextdayonavisittotheEarlofPembroke，atWilton，andtomyfriend，Mr。Temple，atMamhead，inDevonshire，andnothavingreturnedtotowntillthesecondofMay，IdidnotseeDr。Johnsonforaconsiderabletime，andduringtheremainingpartofmystayinLondon，keptveryimperfectnotesofhisconversation，whichhadIaccordingtomyusualcustomwrittenoutatlargesoonafterthetime，muchmighthavebeenpreserved，whichisnowirretrievablylost。
OnMonday，May8，wewenttogetherandvisitedthemansionsofBedlam。IhadbeeninformedthathehadoncebeentherebeforewithMr。Wedderburne，nowLordLoughborough，Mr。Murphy，andMr。
Foote；andIhadheardFootegiveaveryentertainingaccountofJohnson’shappeningtohavehisattentionarrestedbyamanwhowasveryfurious，andwho，whilebeatinghisstraw，supposeditwasWilliamDukeofCumberland，whomhewaspunishingforhiscrueltiesinScotland，in1746。Therewasnothingpeculiarlyremarkablethisday；butthegeneralcontemplationofinsanitywasveryaffecting。
Iaccompaniedhimhome，anddinedanddrankteawithhim。
OnFriday，May12，ashehadbeensogoodastoassignmearoominhishouse，whereImightsleepoccasionally，whenIhappenedtositwithhimtoalatehour，Itookpossessionofitthisnight，foundeverythinginexcellentorder，andwasattendedbyhonestFranciswithamostcivilassiduity。IaskedJohnsonwhetherImightgotoaconsultationwithanotherlawyeruponSunday，asthatappearedtometobedoingworkasmuchinmyway，asifanartisanshouldworkonthedayappropriatedforreligiousrest。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，whenyouareofconsequenceenoughtoopposethepracticeofconsultinguponSunday，youshoulddoit：butyoumaygonow。Itisnotcriminal，thoughitisnotwhatoneshoulddo，whoisanxiousforthepreservationandincreaseofpiety，towhichapeculiarobservanceofSundayisagreathelp。Thedistinctionisclearbetweenwhatisofmoralandwhatisofritualobligation。’
OnSaturday，May13，Ibreakfastedwithhimbyinvitation，accompaniedbyMr。AndrewCrosbie，aScotchAdvocate，whomhehadseenatEdinburgh，andtheHon。ColonelnowGeneralEdwardStopford，brothertoLordCourtown，whowasdesirousofbeingintroducedtohim。Histeaandrollsandbutter，andwholebreakfastapparatuswereallinsuchdecorum，andhisbehaviourwassocourteous，thatColonelStopfordwasquitesurprized，andwonderedathishavingheardsomuchsaidofJohnson’sslovenlinessandroughness。
Ipassedmanyhourswithhimonthe17th，ofwhichIfindallmymemorialis，’muchlaughing。’Itshouldseemhehadthatdaybeeninahumourforjocularityandmerriment，anduponsuchoccasionsI
neverknewamanlaughmoreheartily。Wemaysuppose，thatthehighrelishofastatesodifferentfromhishabitualgloom，producedmorethanordinaryexertionsofthatdistinguishingfacultyofman，whichhaspuzzledphilosopherssomuchtoexplain。
Johnson’slaughwasasremarkableasanycircumstanceinhismanner。Itwasakindofgoodhumouredgrowl。TomDaviesdescribeditdrollyenough：’Helaughslikearhinoceros。’
’TOBENNETLANGTON，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，——Ihaveanoldamanuensisingreatdistress。IhavegivenwhatIthinkIcangive，andbeggedtillIcannottellwheretobegagain。Iputintohishandsthismorningfourguineas。Ifyoucouldcollectthreeguineasmore，itwouldclearhimfromhispresentdifficulty。Iam，Sir，yourmosthumbleservant，’May21，1775。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
AftermyreturntoScotland，Iwrotethreeletterstohim。
’TOJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，——Iamreturnedfromtheannualrambleintothemiddlecounties。HavingseennothingIhadnotseenbefore，Ihavenothingtorelate。Timehasleftthatpartoftheislandfewantiquities；andcommercehasleftthepeoplenosingularities。I
wasgladtogoabroad，and，perhaps，gladtocomehome；whichis，inotherwords，Iwas，Iamafraid，wearyofbeingathome，andwearyofbeingabroad。Isnotthisthestateoflife？But，ifweconfessthisweariness，letusnotlamentit，forallthewiseandallthegoodsay，thatwemaycureit……
’Mrs。ThralewassoentertainedwithyourJournal，*thatshealmostreadherselfblind。Shehasagreatregardforyou。
’OfMrs。Boswell，thoughsheknowsinherheartthatshedoesnotloveme，Iamalwaysgladtohearanygood，andhopethatsheandthelittledearladieswillhaveneithersicknessnoranyotheraffliction。Butsheknowsthatshedoesnotcarewhatbecomesofme，andforthatshemaybesurethatIthinkherverymuchtoblame。
’Never，mydearSir，doyoutakeitintoyourheadtothinkthatI