Bailey，totakeawayhislife，afterhehasrobbedme。IamsurerIamrightintheonecasethanintheother。Imaybemistakenastotheman，whenIswear：Icannotbemistaken，ifIshoothimintheact。Besides，wefeellessreluctancetotakeawayaman’slife，whenweareheatedbytheinjury，thantodoitatadistanceoftimebyanoath，afterwehavecooled。’BOSWELL。’So，Sir，youwouldratheractfromthemotiveofprivatepassion，thanthatofpublickadvantage。’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，whenIshootthehighwaymanIactfromboth。’BOSWELL。’Verywell，verywell——
　　Thereisnocatchinghim。’JOHNSON。’Atthesametimeonedoesnotknowwhattosay。Forperhapsonemay，ayearafter，hanghimselffromuneasinessforhavingshotaman。Fewmindsarefittobetrustedwithsogreatathing。’BOSWELL。’Then，Sir，youwouldnotshoothim？’JOHNSON。’ButImightbevexedafterwardsforthattoo。’
　　Thrale’scarriagenothavingcomeforhim，asheexpected，I
　　accompaniedhimsomepartofthewayhometohisownhouse。Itoldhim，thatIhadtalkedofhimtoMr。Dunningafewdaysbefore，andhadsaid，thatinhiscompanywedidnotsomuchinterchangeconversation，aslistentohim；andthatDunningobserved，uponthis，’OneisalwayswillingtolistentoDr。Johnson：’towhichI
　　answered，’Thatisagreatdealfromyou，Sir。’——’Yes，Sir，saidJohnson，agreatdealindeed。Hereisamanwillingtolisten，towhomtheworldislisteningalltherestoftheyear。’BOSWELL。
　　’Ithink，Sir，itisrighttotellonemanofsuchahandsomething，whichhasbeensaidofhimbyanother。Ittendstoincreasebenevolence。’JOHNSON。’Undoubtedlyitisright，Sir。’
　　OnTuesday，April7，Ibreakfastedwithhimathishouse。Hesaid，’nobodywascontent。’ImentionedtohimarespectablepersoninScotlandwhomheknew；andIasserted，thatIreallybelievedhewasalwayscontent。JOHNSON。’No，Sir，heisnotcontentwiththepresent；hehasalwayssomenewscheme，somenewplantation，somethingwhichisfuture。Youknowhewasnotcontentasawidower；forhemarriedagain。’BOSWELL。’Butheisnotrestless。’JOHNSON。’Sir，heisonlylocallyatrest。Achymistislocallyatrest；buthismindishardatwork。Thisgentlemanhasdonewithexternalexertions。Itistoolateforhimtoengageindistantprojects。’BOSWELL。’Heseemstoamusehimselfquitewell；tohavehisattentionfixed，andhistranquillitypreservedbyverysmallmatters。Ihavetriedthis；butitwouldnotdowithme。’JOHNSON。laughing，’No，Sir；itmustbebornwithamantobecontentedtotakeupwithlittlethings。Womenhaveagreatadvantagethattheymaytakeupwithlittlethings，withoutdisgracingthemselves：amancannot，exceptwithfiddling。HadI
　　learnttofiddle，Ishouldhavedonenothingelse。’BOSWELL。
　　’Pray，Sir，didyoueverplayonanymusicalinstrument？’JOHNSON。
　　’No，Sir。Ionceboughtmeaflagelet；butInevermadeoutatune。’BOSWELL。’Aflagelet，Sir!——sosmallaninstrument？I
　　shouldhavelikedtohearyouplayonthevioloncello。THATshouldhavebeenYOURinstrument。’JOHNSON。’Sir，Imightaswellhaveplayedonthevioloncelloasanother；butIshouldhavedonenothingelse。No，Sir；amanwouldneverundertakegreatthings，couldhebeamusedwithsmall。Ioncetriedknotting。Dempster’ssisterundertooktoteachme；butIcouldnotlearnit。’BOSWELL。
　　’So，Sir；itwillberelatedinpompousnarrative，“Onceforhisamusementhetriedknotting；nordidthisHerculesdisdainthedistaff。“’JOHNSON。’Knittingofstockingsisagoodamusement。
　　AsafreemanofAberdeenIshouldbeaknitterofstockings。’HeaskedmetogodownwithhimanddineatMr。Thrale’satStreatham，towhichIagreed。IhadlenthimAnAccountofScotland，in1702，writtenbyamanofvariousenquiry，anEnglishchaplaintoaregimentstationedthere。JOHNSON。’Itissadstuff，Sir，miserablywritten，asbooksingeneralthenwere。Thereisnowaneleganceofstyleuniversallydiffused。NomannowwritessoillasMartin’sAccountoftheHebridesiswritten。Amancouldnotwritesoill，ifheshouldtry。Setamerchant’sclerknowtowrite，andhe’lldobetter。’
　　Hetalkedtomewithseriousconcernofacertainfemalefriend’s’laxityofnarration，andinattentiontotruth。’——’Iamasmuchvexedsaidhe，attheeasewithwhichshehearsitmentionedtoher，asatthethingitself。Itoldher，“Madam，youarecontentedtoheareverydaysaidtoyou，whatthehighestofmankindhavediedfor，ratherthanbear。“——Youknow，Sir，thehighestofmankindhavediedratherthanbeartobetoldtheyhadutteredafalsehood。
　　Dotalktoherofit：Iamweary。’
　　BOSWELL。’WasnotDr。JohnCampbellaveryinaccuratemaninhisnarrative，Sir？Heoncetoldme，thathedrankthirteenbottlesofportatasitting。’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，IdonotknowthatCampbelleverliedwithpenandink；butyoucouldnotentirelydependonanythinghetoldyouinconversation：iftherewasfactmixedwithit。However，IlovedCampbell：hewasasolidorthodoxman：hehadareverenceforreligion。Thoughdefectiveinpractice，hewasreligiousinprinciple；andhedidnothinggrosslywrongthatIhaveheard。’
　　Talkingofdrinkingwine，hesaid，’Ididnotleaveoffwine，becauseIcouldnotbearit；Ihavedrunkthreebottlesofportwithoutbeingtheworseforit。UniversityCollegehaswitnessedthis。’BOSWELL。’Why，then，Sir，didyouleaveitoff？’JOHNSON。
　　’Why，Sir，becauseitissomuchbetterforamantobesurethatheisnevertobeintoxicated，nevertolosethepoweroverhimself。Ishallnotbegintodrinkwineagain，tillIgrowold，andwantit。’BOSWELL。’Ithink，Sir，youoncesaidtome，thatnottodrinkwinewasagreatdeductionfromlife。’JOHNSON。’Itisadiminutionofpleasure，tobesure；butIdonotsayadiminutionofhappiness。Thereismorehappinessinbeingrational。’BOSWELL。’Butifwecouldhavepleasurealways，shouldnotwebehappy？Thegreatestpartofmenwouldcompoundforpleasure。’JOHNSON。’Supposingwecouldhavepleasurealways，anintellectualmanwouldnotcompoundforit。Thegreatestpartofmenwouldcompound，becausethegreatestpartofmenaregross。’
　　ImentionedtohimthatIhadbecomeverywearyinacompanywhereIheardnotasingleintellectualsentence，exceptthat’amanwhohadbeensettledtenyearsinMinorcawasbecomeamuchinferiourmantowhathewasinLondon，becauseaman’smindgrowsnarrowinanarrowplace。’JOHNSON。’Aman’smindgrowsnarrowinanarrowplace，whosemindisenlargedonlybecausehehaslivedinalargeplace：butwhatisgotbybooksandthinkingispreservedinanarrowplaceaswellasinalargeplace。AmancannotknowmodesoflifeaswellinMinorcaasinLondon；buthemaystudymathematicksaswellinMinorca。’BOSWELL。’Idon’tknow，Sir：ifyouhadremainedtenyearsintheIsleofCol，youwouldnothavebeenthemanthatyounoware。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，ifIhadbeentherefromfifteentotwenty-five；butnotiffromtwenty-fivetothirty-five。’BOSWELL。’Iown，Sir，thespiritswhichIhaveinLondonmakemedoeverythingwithmorereadinessandvigour。I
　　cantalktwiceasmuchinLondonasanywhereelse。’
　　OfGoldsmithhesaid，’Hewasnotanagreeablecompanion，forhetalkedalwaysforfame。Amanwhodoessonevercanbepleasing。
　　Themanwhotalkstounburthenhismindisthemantodelightyou。
　　Aneminentfriendofoursisnotsoagreeableasthevarietyofhisknowledgewouldotherwisemakehim，becausehetalkspartlyfromostentation。’
　　SoonafterourarrivalatThrale’s，Iheardoneofthemaidscallingeagerlyonanother，togotoDr。Johnson。Iwonderedwhatthiscouldmean。Iafterwardslearnt，thatitwastogiveheraBible，whichhehadbroughtfromLondonasapresenttoher。
　　HewasforaconsiderabletimeoccupiedinreadingMemoiresdeFontenelle，leaningandswinginguponthelowgateintothecourt，withouthishat。
　　Atdinner，Mrs。ThraleexpressedawishtogoandseeScotland。
　　JOHNSON。’SeeingScotland，Madam，isonlyseeingaworseEngland。
　　Itisseeingtheflowergraduallyfadeawaytothenakedstalk。
　　SeeingtheHebrides，indeed，isseeingquiteadifferentscene。’
　　OnThursday，April9，IdinedwithhimatSirJoshuaReynolds’s，withtheBishopofSt。Asaph，Dr。Shipley，Mr。AllanRamsay，Mr。
　　Gibbon，Mr。Cambridge，andMr。Langton。
　　Goldsmithbeingmentioned，Johnsonobserved，thatitwaslongbeforehismeritcametobeacknowledged。Thatheoncecomplainedtohim，inludicroustermsofdistress，’WheneverIwriteanything，thepublickMAKEAPOINTtoknownothingaboutit：’butthathisTravellerbroughthimintohighreputation。LANGTON。’Thereisnotonebadlineinthatpoem；notoneofDryden’scarelessverses。SIRJOSHUA。’IwasgladtohearCharlesFoxsay，itwasoneofthefinestpoemsintheEnglishlanguage。’LANGTON。’Whywasyouglad？Yousurelyhadnodoubtofthisbefore。’JOHNSON。
　　’No；themeritofTheTravellerissowellestablished，thatMr。
　　Fox’spraisecannotaugmentit，norhiscensurediminishit。’SIR
　　JOSHUA。’Buthisfriendsmaysuspecttheyhadtoogreatapartialityforhim。’JOHNSON。Nay，Sir，thepartialityofhisfriendswasalwaysagainsthim。Itwaswithdifficultywecouldgivehimahearing。Goldsmithhadnosettlednotionsuponanysubject；sohetalkedalwaysatrandom。Itseemedtobehisintentiontoblurtoutwhateverwasinhismind，andseewhatwouldbecomeofit。Hewasangrytoo，whencatchedinanabsurdity；butitdidnotpreventhimfromfallingintoanotherthenextminute。
　　IrememberChamier，aftertalkingwithhimforsometime，said，“Well，Idobelievehewrotethispoemhimself：and，letmetellyou，thatisbelievingagreatdeal。“Chamieronceaskedhim，whathemeantbyslow，thelastwordinthefirstlineofTheTraveller，“Remote，unfriended，melancholy，slow。“
　　Didhemeantardinessoflocomotion？Goldsmith，whowouldsaysomethingwithoutconsideration，answered，“Yes。“Iwassittingby，andsaid，“No，Sir；youdonotmeantardinessoflocomotion；
　　youmean，thatsluggishnessofmindwhichcomesuponamaninsolitude。“ChamierbelievedthenthatIhadwrittenthelineasmuchasifhehadseenmewriteit。Goldsmith，however，wasaman，who，whateverhewrote，diditbetterthananyothermancoulddo。
　　HedeservedaplaceinWestminster-Abbey，andeveryyearhelived，wouldhavedeserveditbetter。Hehad，indeed，beenatnopainstofillhismindwithknowledge。Hetransplanteditfromoneplacetoanother；anditdidnotsettleinhismind；sohecouldnottellwhatwasinhisownbooks。’