donotloveyou；youmaysettleyourselfinfullconfidencebothofmyloveandmyesteem；Iloveyouasakindman，Ivalueyouasaworthyman，andhopeintimetoreverenceyouasamanofexemplarypiety。Iholdyou，asHamlethasit，“inmyheartofhearts，“andtherefore，itislittletosay，thatIam，Sir，youraffectionatehumbleservant，’SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　’London，Aug。27，1775。’
　　*MyJournalofaTourtotheHebrides，whichthatladyreadintheoriginalmanuscript——BOSWELL。
　　’TOMR。ROBERTLEVET。
　　’Paris，*Oct。22，1775。
　　’DEARSIR，——Wearestillhere，commonlyverybusyinlookingaboutus。Wehavebeento-dayatVersailles。Youhaveseenit，andI
　　shallnotdescribeit。WecameyesterdayfromFontainbleau，wheretheCourtisnow。WewenttoseetheKingandQueenatdinner，andtheQueenwassoimpressedbyMiss，**thatshesentoneoftheGentlementoenquirewhoshewas。IfindalltruethatyouhaveevertoldmeofParis。Mr。Thraleisveryliberal，andkeepsustwocoaches，andaveryfinetable；butIthinkourcookeryverybad。Mrs。ThralegotintoaconventofEnglishnuns；andItalkedwithherthroughthegrate，andIamverykindlyusedbytheEnglishBenedictinefriars。ButuponthewholeIcannotmakemuchacquaintancehere；andthoughthechurches，palaces，andsomeprivatehousesareverymagnificent，thereisnoverygreatpleasureafterhavingseenmany，inseeingmore；atleastthepleasure，whateveritbe，mustsometimehaveanend，andwearebeginningtothinkwhenweshallcomehome。Mr。Thralecalculatesthat，asweleftStreathamonthefifteenthofSeptember，weshallseeitagainaboutthefifteenthofNovember。
　　*WrittenfromatourinFrancewiththeThrales，Johnson’sonlyvisittotheContinent——ED。
　　**MissThrale。
　　’IthinkIhadnotbeenonthissideoftheseafivedaysbeforeI
　　foundasensibleimprovementinmyhealth。Iranaraceintherainthisday，andbeatBaretti。Barettiisafinefellow，andspeaksFrench，Ithink，quiteaswellasEnglish。
　　’MakemycomplimentstoMrs。Williams；andgivemylovetoFrancis；
　　andtellmyfriendsthatIamnotlost。Iam，dearSir，youraffectionatehumble，&c。
　　’SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　ItistoberegrettedthathedidnotwriteanaccountofhistravelsinFrance；forasheisreportedtohaveoncesaid，that’hecouldwritetheLifeofaBroomstick，’so，notwithstandingsomanyformertravellershaveexhaustedalmosteverysubjectforremarkinthatgreatkingdom，hisveryaccurateobservation，andpeculiarvigourofthoughtandillustration，wouldhaveproducedavaluablework。
　　WhenImethiminLondonthefollowingyear，theaccountwhichhegavemeofhisFrenchtour，was，’Sir，IhaveseenallthevisibilitiesofParis，andaroundit；buttohaveformedanacquaintancewiththepeoplethere，wouldhaverequiredmoretimethanIcouldstay。IwasjustbeginningtocreepintoacquaintancebymeansofColonelDrumgold，averyhighman，Sir，headofL’EcoleMilitaire，amostcompletecharacter，forhehadfirstbeenaprofessorofrhetorick，andthenbecameasoldier。And，Sir，IwasverykindlytreatedbytheEnglishBenedictines，andhaveacellappropriatedtomeintheirconvent。’
　　Heobserved，’ThegreatinFranceliveverymagnificently，buttherestverymiserably。ThereisnohappymiddlestateasinEngland。
　　TheshopsofParisaremean；themeatinthemarketsissuchaswouldbesenttoagaolinEngland：andMr。Thralejustlyobserved，thatthecookeryoftheFrenchwasforceduponthembynecessity；
　　fortheycouldnoteattheirmeat，unlesstheyaddedsometastetoit。TheFrenchareanindelicatepeople；theywillspituponanyplace。AtMadame——’s，aliteraryladyofrank，thefootmantookthesugarinhisfingers，andthrewitintomycoffee。Iwasgoingtoputitaside；buthearingitwasmadeonpurposeforme，I
　　e’entastedTom’sfingers。Thesameladywouldneedsmaketeaal’Angloise。Thespoutofthetea-potdidnotpourfreely；shehadthefootmanblowintoit。FranceisworsethanScotlandineverythingbutclimate。NaturehasdonemorefortheFrench；buttheyhavedonelessforthemselvesthantheScotchhavedone。’
　　IthappenedthatFootewasatParisatthesametimewithDr。
　　Johnson，andhisdescriptionofmyfriendwhilethere，wasabundantlyludicrous。Hetoldme，thattheFrenchwerequiteastonishedathisfigureandmanner，andathisdress，whichheobstinatelycontinuedexactlyasinLondon；——hisbrownclothes，blackstockings，andplainshirt。Hementioned，thatanIrishgentlemansaidtoJohnson，’Sir，youhavenotseenthebestFrenchplayers。’JOHNSON。’Players，Sir!Ilookonthemasnobetterthancreaturessetupontablesandjoint-stoolstomakefacesandproducelaughter，likedancingdogs。’——’But，Sir，youwillallowthatsomeplayersarebetterthanothers？’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，assomedogsdancebetterthanothers。’
　　WhileJohnsonwasinFrance，hewasgenerallyveryresoluteinspeakingLatin。Itwasamaximwithhimthatamanshouldnotlethimselfdown，byspeakingalanguagewhichhespeaksimperfectly。
　　Indeed，wemusthaveoftenobservedhowinferiour，howmuchlikeachildamanappears，whospeaksabrokentongue。WhenSirJoshuaReynolds，atoneofthedinnersoftheRoyalAcademy，presentedhimtoaFrenchmanofgreatdistinction，hewouldnotdeigntospeakFrench，buttalkedLatin，thoughhisExcellencydidnotunderstandit，owing，perhaps，toJohnson’sEnglishpronunciation：yetuponanotheroccasionhewasobservedtospeakFrenchtoaFrenchmanofhighrank，whospokeEnglish；andbeingaskedthereason，withsomeexpressionofsurprise，——heanswered，’becauseIthinkmyFrenchisasgoodashisEnglish。’ThoughJohnsonunderstoodFrenchperfectly，hecouldnotspeakitreadily，asIhaveobservedathisfirstinterviewwithGeneralPauli，in1769；yethewroteit，I
　　imagine，prettywell。
　　Hereletmenotforgetacuriousanecdote，asrelatedtomebyMr。
　　Beauclerk，whichIshallendeavourtoexhibitaswellasIcaninthatgentleman’slivelymanner；andinjusticetohimitispropertoadd，thatDr。JohnsontoldmeImightrelybothonthecorrectnessofhismemory，andthefidelityofhisnarrative。
　　’WhenMadamedeBoufflerswasfirstinEngland，saidBeauclerk，
　　shewasdesiroustoseeJohnson。IaccordinglywentwithhertohischambersintheTemple，whereshewasentertainedwithhisconversationforsometime。Whenourvisitwasover，sheandI
　　lefthim，andweregotintoInnerTemple-lane，whenallatonceI
　　heardanoiselikethunder。ThiswasoccasionedbyJohnson，whoitseems，uponalittlerecollection，hadtakenitintohisheadthatheoughttohavedonethehonoursofhisliteraryresidencetoaforeignladyofquality，andeagertoshewhimselfamanofgallantry，washurryingdownthestair-caseinviolentagitation。
　　HeovertookusbeforewereachedtheTemple-gate，andbrushinginbetweenmeandMadamedeBoufflers，seizedherhand，andconductedhertohercoach。Hisdresswasarustybrownmorningsuit，apairofoldshoesbywayofslippers，alittleshrivelledwigstickingonthetopofhishead，andthesleevesofhisshirtandthekneesofhisbreecheshangingloose。Aconsiderablecrowdofpeoplegatheredround，andwerenotalittlestruckbythissingularappearance。’
　　HespokeLatinwithwonderfulfluencyandelegance。WhenPereBoscovichwasinEngland，JohnsondinedincompanywithhimatSirJoshuaReynolds’s，andatDr。Douglas’s，nowBishopofSalisbury。
　　UponbothoccasionsthatcelebratedforeignerexpressedhisastonishmentatJohnson’sLatinconversation。WhenatParis，JohnsonthuscharacterisedVoltairetoFrerontheJournalist：’Virestacerrimiingeniietpaucarumliterarum。’
　　InthecourseofthisyearDr。Burneyinformsmethat’heveryfrequentlymetDr。JohnsonatMr。Thrale’s，atStreatham，wheretheyhadmanylongconversations，oftensittingupaslongasthefireandcandleslasted，andmuchlongerthanthepatienceoftheservantssubsisted。’
　　AfewofJohnson’ssayings，whichthatgentlemanrecollects，shallherebeinserted。
　　’InevertakeanapafterdinnerbutwhenIhavehadabadnight，andthenthenaptakesme。’
　　’Thewriterofanepitaphshouldnotbeconsideredassayingnothingbutwhatisstrictlytrue。Allowancemustbemadeforsomedegreeofexaggeratedpraise。Inlapidaryinscriptionsamanisnotuponoath。’
　　’Thereisnowlessflogginginourgreatschoolsthanformerly，butthenlessislearnedthere；sothatwhattheboysgetatoneendtheyloseattheother。’
　　’Moreislearnedinpublickthaninprivateschools，fromemulation；thereisthecollisionofmindwithmind，ortheradiationofmanymindspointingtoonecentre。Thoughfewboysmaketheirownexercises，yetifagoodexerciseisgivenup，outofagreatnumberofboys，itismadebysomebody。’
　　’Ihateby-roadsineducation。Educationisaswellknown，andhaslongbeenaswellknown，aseveritcanbe。Endeavouringtomakechildrenprematurelywiseisuselesslabour。Supposetheyhavemoreknowledgeatfiveorsixyearsoldthanotherchildren，whatusecanbemadeofit？Itwillbelostbeforeitiswanted，andthewasteofsomuchtimeandlabouroftheteachercanneverberepaid。Toomuchisexpectedfromprecocity，andtoolittleperformed。Miss——wasaninstanceofearlycultivation，butinwhatdiditterminate？InmarryingalittlePresbyterianparson，whokeepsaninfantboarding-school，sothatallheremploymentnowis，“Tosucklefools，andchroniclesmall-beer。“
　　Shetellsthechildren，“Thisisacat，andthatisadog，withfourlegsandatail；seethere!youaremuchbetterthanacatoradog，foryoucanspeak。“IfIhadbestowedsuchaneducationonadaughter，andhaddiscoveredthatshethoughtofmarryingsuchafellow，IwouldhavesenthertotheCongress。’