WhenwegottoDr。Johnson’shouse，andwereseatedinhislibrary，thedialoguewentonadmirably。EDWARDS。’Sir，IrememberyouwouldnotletussayPRODIGIOUSatCollege。Foreventhen，Sir，turningtome，hewasdelicateinlanguage，andweallfearedhim。’*JOHNSON。toEdwards，’Fromyourhavingpractisedthelawlong，Sir，Ipresumeyoumustberich。’EDWARDS。’No，Sir；Igotagooddealofmoney；butIhadanumberofpoorrelationstowhomIgaveagreatpartofit。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavebeenrichinthemostvaluablesenseoftheword。’EDWARDS。’ButIshallnotdierich。’JOHNSON。’Nay，sure，Sir，itisbettertoLIVErichthantoDIErich。’EDWARDS。’IwishIhadcontinuedatCollege。’
　　JOHNSON。’Whydoyouwishthat，Sir？’EDWARDS。’BecauseIthinkIshouldhavehadamucheasierlifethanminehasbeen。Ishouldhavebeenaparson，andhadagoodliving，likeBloxamandseveralothers，andlivedcomfortably。’JOHNSON。’Sir，thelifeofaparson，ofaconscientiousclergyman，isnoteasy。Ihavealwaysconsideredaclergymanasthefatherofalargerfamilythanheisabletomaintain。IwouldratherhaveChancerysuitsuponmyhandsthanthecureofsouls。No，Sir，Idonotenvyaclergyman’slifeasaneasylife，nordoIenvytheclergymanwhomakesitaneasylife。’Heretakinghimselfupallofasudden，heexclaimed，’O!
　　Mr。Edwards!I’llconvinceyouthatIrecollectyou。DoyourememberourdrinkingtogetheratanalehousenearPembrokegate？
　　Atthattime，youtoldmeoftheEtonboy，who，whenversesonourSAVIOUR’Sturningwaterintowinewereprescribedasanexercise，broughtupasingleline，whichwashighlyadmired，——
　　“ViditeterubuitlymphapudicaDEUM，“
　　andItoldyouofanotherfinelineinCamden’sRemains，aneulogyupononeofourKings，whowassucceededbyhisson，aprinceofequalmerit：——
　　“Miracano，Soloccubuit，noxnullasecutaest。“’
　　*Johnsonsaidtomeafterwards，’Sir，theyrespectedmeformyliterature：andyetitwasnotgreatbutbycomparison。Sir，itisamazinghowlittleliteraturethereisintheworld。’——BOSWELL
　　EDWARDS。’Youareaphilosopher，Dr。Johnson。Ihavetriedtooinmytimetobeaphilosopher；but，Idon’tknowhow，cheerfulnesswasalwaysbreakingin。’——Mr。Burke，SirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。
　　Courtenay，Mr。Malone，and，indeed，alltheeminentmentowhomI
　　havementionedthis，havethoughtitanexquisitetraitofcharacter。Thetruthis，thatphilosophy，likereligion，istoogenerallysupposedtobehardandsevere，atleastsograveastoexcludeallgaiety。
　　EDWARDS。’Ihavebeentwicemarried，Doctor。You，Isuppose，haveneverknownwhatitwastohaveawife。’JOHNSON。’Sir，Ihaveknownwhatitwastohaveawife，andinasolemn，tender，faulteringtoneIhaveknownwhatitwastoLOSEAWIFE——Ithadalmostbrokemyheart。’
　　EDWARDS。’Howdoyoulive，Sir？Formypart，Imusthavemyregularmeals，andaglassofgoodwine。IfindIrequireit。’
　　JOHNSON。’Inowdrinknowine，Sir。EarlyinlifeIdrankwine：
　　formanyyearsIdranknone。Ithenforsomeyearsdrankagreatdeal。’EDWARDS。’Somehogs-heads，Iwarrantyou。’JOHNSON。’I
　　thenhadasevereillness，andleftitoff，andIhaveneverbegunitagain。Ineverfeltanydifferenceuponmyselffromeatingonethingratherthananother，norfromonekindofweatherratherthananother。Therearepeople，Ibelieve，whofeeladifference；butI
　　amnotoneofthem。Andastoregularmeals，IhavefastedfromtheSunday’sdinnertotheTuesday’sdinner，withoutanyinconvenience。Ibelieveitisbesttoeatjustasoneishungry：
　　butamanwhoisinbusiness，oramanwhohasafamily，musthavestatedmeals。Iamastraggler。ImayleavethistownandgotoGrandCairo，withoutbeingmissedhereorobservedthere。’
　　EDWARDS。’Don’tyoueatsupper，Sir？’JOHNSON。’No，Sir。’
　　EDWARDS。’Formypart，now，Iconsidersupperasaturnpikethroughwhichonemustpass，inordertogettobed。’
　　JOHNSON。’Youarealawyer，Mr。Edwards。Lawyersknowlifepractically。Abookishmanshouldalwayshavethemtoconversewith。Theyhavewhathewants。’EDWARDS。’Iamgrownold：Iamsixty-five。’JOHNSON。’Ishallbesixty-eightnextbirth-day。
　　Come，Sir，drinkwater，andputinforahundred。’
　　ThisinterviewconfirmedmyopinionofJohnson’smosthumaneandbenevolentheart。Hiscordialandplacidbehaviourtoanoldfellow-collegian，amansodifferentfromhimself；andhistellinghimthathewouldgodowntohisfarmandvisithim，showedakindnessofdispositionveryrareatanadvancedage。Heobserved，’howwonderfulitwasthattheyhadbothbeeninLondonfortyyears，withouthavingeveroncemet，andbothwalkersinthestreettoo!’Mr。Edwards，whengoingaway，againrecurredtohisconsciousnessofsenility，andlookingfullinJohnson’sface，saidtohim，’You’llfindinDr。Young，“Omycoevals!remnantsofyourselves。“’
　　Johnsondidnotrelishthisatall；butshookhisheadwithimpatience。Edwardswalkedoff，seeminglyhighlypleasedwiththehonourofhavingbeenthusnoticedbyDr。Johnson。Whenhewasgone，IsaidtoJohnson，Ithoughthimbutaweakman。JOHNSON。
　　’Why，yes，Sir。Hereisamanwhohaspassedthroughlifewithoutexperience：yetIwouldratherhavehimwithmethanamoresensiblemanwhowillnottalkreadily。Thismanisalwayswillingtosaywhathehastosay。’YetDr。Johnsonhadhimselfbynomeansthatwillingnesswhichhepraisedsomuch，andIthinksojustly；forwhohasnotfeltthepainfuleffectofthedrearyvoid，whenthereisatotalsilenceinacompany，foranylengthoftime；
　　or，whichisasbad，orperhapsworse，whentheconversationiswithdifficultykeptupbyaperpetualeffort？
　　Johnsononceobservedtome，’TomTyersdescribedmethebest：
　　“Sir，saidhe，youarelikeaghost：youneverspeaktillyouarespokento。“’
　　ThegentlemanwhomhethusfamiliarlymentionedwasMr。ThomasTyers，sonofMr。JonathanTyers，thefounderofthatexcellentplaceofpublickamusement，VauxhallGardens，whichmusteverbeanestatetoitsproprietor，asitispeculiarlyadaptedtothetasteoftheEnglishnation；therebeingamixtureofcuriousshow，——gayexhibition，musick，vocalandinstrumental，nottoorefinedforthegeneralear；——forallwhichonlyashillingispaid；and，thoughlast，notleast，goodeatinganddrinkingforthosewhochoosetopurchasethatregale。Mr。ThomasTyerswasbredtothelaw；buthavingahandsomefortune，vivacityoftemper，andeccentricityofmind，hecouldnotconfinehimselftotheregularityofpractice。
　　Hethereforeranabouttheworldwithapleasantcarelessness，amusingeverybodybyhisdesultoryconversation。Heaboundedinanecdote，butwasnotsufficientlyattentivetoaccuracy。I
　　thereforecannotventuretoavailmyselfmuchofabiographicalsketchofJohnsonwhichhepublished，beingoneamongthevariouspersonsambitiousofappendingtheirnamestothatofmyillustriousfriend。Thatsketchis，however，anentertaininglittlecollectionoffragments。ThosewhichhepublishedofPopeandAddisonareofhighermerit；buthisfamemustchieflyrestuponhisPoliticalConferences，inwhichheintroducesseveraleminentpersonsdeliveringtheirsentimentsinthewayofdialogue，anddiscoversaconsiderableshareoflearning，variousknowledge，anddiscernmentofcharacter。ThismuchmayIbeallowedtosayofamanwhowasexceedinglyobligingtome，andwholivedwithDr。
　　Johnsoninaseasyamannerasalmostanyofhisverynumerousacquaintance。
　　Mr。Edwardshadsaidtomeaside，thatDr。Johnsonshouldhavebeenofaprofession。IrepeatedtheremarktoJohnsonthatImighthavehisownthoughtsonthesubject。JOHNSON。’Sir，itWOULD
　　havebeenbetterthatIhadbeenofaprofession。Ioughttohavebeenalawyer。’BOSWELL。’Idonotthink，Sir，itwouldhavebeenbetter，forweshouldnothavehadtheEnglishDictionary。’
　　JOHNSON。’ButyouwouldhavehadReports。’BOSWELL。’Ay；buttherewouldnothavebeenanother，whocouldhavewrittentheDictionary。TherehavebeenmanyverygoodJudges。SupposeyouhadbeenLordChancellor；youwouldhavedeliveredopinionswithmoreextentofmind，andinamoreornamentedmanner，thanperhapsanyChancelloreverdid，oreverwilldo。But，Ibelieve，causeshavebeenasjudiciouslydecidedasyoucouldhavedone。’JOHNSON。
　　’Yes，Sir。Propertyhasbeenaswellsettled。’
　　Johnson，however，hadanobleambitionfloatinginhismind，andhad，undoubtedly，oftenspeculatedonthepossibilityofhissupereminentpowersbeingrewardedinthisgreatandliberalcountrybythehighesthonoursofthestate。SirWilliamScottinformsme，thatuponthedeathofthelateLordLichfield，whowasChancelloroftheUniversityofOxford，hesaidtoJohnson，’Whatapityitis，Sir，thatyoudidnotfollowtheprofessionofthelaw。
　　YoumighthavebeenLordChancellorofGreatBritain，andattainedtothedignityofthepeerage；andnowthatthetitleofLichfleld，yournativecity，isextinct，youmighthavehadit。’Johnson，uponthis，seemedmuchagitated；and，inanangrytone，exclaimed，’Whywillyouvexmebysuggestingthis，whenitistoolate？’
　　Buthedidnotrepineattheprosperityofothers。ThelateDr。
　　ThomasLeland，toldMr。Courtenay，thatwhenMr。EdmundBurkeshewedJohnsonhisfinehouseandlandsnearBeaconsfield，Johnsoncoollysaid，’Nonequideminvideo；mirormagis。’*
　　*IamnotentirelywithoutsuspicionthatJohnsonmayhavefeltalittlemomentaryenvy；fornomanlovedthegoodthingsofthislifebetterthanhedidandhecouldnotbutbeconsciousthathedeservedamuchlargershareofthem，thanheeverhad——BOSWELL。
　　YetnomanhadahighernotionofthedignityofliteraturethanJohnson，orwasmoredeterminedinmaintainingtherespectwhichhejustlyconsideredasduetoit。Ofthis，besidesthegeneraltenorofhisconductinsociety，somecharacteristicalinstancesmaybementioned。
　　HetoldSirJoshuaReynolds，thatoncewhenhedinedinanumerouscompanyofbooksellers，wheretheroombeingsmall，theheadofthetable，atwhichhesat，wasalmostclosetothefire，heperseveredinsufferingagreatdealofinconveniencefromtheheat，ratherthanquithisplace，andletoneofthemsitabovehim。