Nomanlovestobetreatedwithcontempt。’BEAUCLERK。withapoliteinclinationtowardsJohnson，’Sir，youhaveknownmetwentyyears，andhoweverImayhavetreatedothers，youmaybesureI
　　couldnevertreatyouwithcontempt。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavesaidmorethanwasnecessary。’Thusitended；andBeauclerk’scoachnothavingcomeforhimtillverylate，Dr。Johnsonandanothergentlemansatwithhimalongtimeaftertherestofthecompanyweregone；andheandIdinedatBeauclerk’sontheSaturdayse’nnightfollowing。
　　Afterthistempesthadsubsided，Irecollectthefollowingparticularsofhisconversation：——
　　’Iamalwaysforgettingaboyforwardinhislearning；forthatisasuregood。IwouldlethimatfirstreadANYEnglishbookwhichhappenstoengagehisattention；becauseyouhavedoneagreatdealwhenyouhavebroughthimtohaveentertainmentfromabook。He’llgetbetterbooksafterwards。’
　　’Tobecontradicted，inordertoforceyoutotalk，ismightyunpleasing。YouSHINE，indeed；butitisbybeingGROUND。’
　　OnSaturday，April24，IdinedwithhimatMr。Beauclerk’s，withSirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。Jones，afterwardsSirWilliam，Mr。
　　Langton，Mr。Steevens，Mr。Paradise，andDr。Higgins。ImentionedthatMr。WilkeshadattackedGarricktome，asamanwhohadnofriend。’Ibelieveheisright，Sir。[Greektextomitted]——Hehadfriends，butnofriend。Garrickwassodiffused，hehadnomantowhomhewishedtounbosomhimself。Hefoundpeoplealwaysreadytoapplaudhim，andthatalwaysforthesamething：sohesawlifewithgreatuniformity。’Itookuponme，foronce，tofightwithGoliath’sweapons，andplaythesophist——Garrickdidnotneedafriend，ashegotfromeverybodyallhewanted。Whatisafriend？
　　Onewhosupportsyouandcomfortsyou，whileothersdonot。
　　Friendship，youknow，Sir，isthecordialdrop，“tomakethenauseousdraughtoflifegodown：“butifthedraughtbenotnauseous，ifitbeallsweet，thereisnooccasionforthatdrop。’
　　JOHNSON。’Manymenwouldnotbecontenttoliveso。IhopeI
　　shouldnot。Theywouldwishtohaveanintimatefriend，withwhomtheymightcompareminds，andcherishprivatevirtues。OneofthecompanymentionedLordChesterfield，asamanwhohadnofriend。
　　JOHNSON。’ThereweremorematerialstomakefriendshipinGarrick，hadhenotbeensodiffused。’BOSWELL。’Garrickwaspuregold，butbeatouttothinleaf。LordChesterfieldwastinsel。’
　　JOHNSON。’Garrickwasaverygoodman，thecheerfullestmanofhisage；adecentliverinaprofessionwhichissupposedtogiveindulgencetolicentiousness；andamanwhogaveaway，freely，moneyacquiredbyhimself。Hebegantheworldwithagreathungerformoney；thesonofahalf-payofficer，bredinafamily，whosestudywastomakefour-pencedoasmuchasothersmadefour-pencehalfpennydo。But，whenhehadgotmoney，hewasveryliberal。’I
　　presumedtoanimadvertonhiseulogyonGarrick，inhisLivesofthePoets。’Yousay，Sir，hisdeatheclipsedthegaietyofnations。’JOHNSON。’Icouldnothavesaidmorenorless。Itisthetruth；ECLIPSED，notEXTINGUISHED；andhisdeathDIDeclipse；
　　itwaslikeastorm。’BOSWELL。’Butwhynations？Didhisgaietyextendfartherthanhisownnation？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，someexaggerationmustbeallowed。Besides，nationsmaybesaid——ifweallowtheScotchtobeanation，andtohavegaiety，——whichtheyhavenot。YOUareanexception，though。Come，gentlemen，letuscandidlyadmitthatthereisoneScotchmanwhoischeerful。’
　　BEAUCLERK。’ButheisaveryunnaturalScotchman。’I，however，continuedtothinkthecomplimenttoGarrickhyperbolicallyuntrue。
　　Hisactinghadceasedsometimebeforehisdeath；atanyratehehadactedinIrelandbutashorttime，atanearlyperiodofhislife，andneverinScotland。Iobjectedalsotowhatappearsananticlimaxofpraise，whencontrastedwiththeprecedingpanegyrick，——’anddiminishedthepublicstockofharmlesspleasure!’——’IsnotHARMLESSPLEASUREverytame？’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，harmlesspleasureisthehighestpraise。Pleasureisawordofdubiousimport；pleasureisingeneraldangerous，andpernicioustovirtue；tobeablethereforetofurnishpleasurethatisharmless，pleasurepureandunalloyed，isasgreatapowerasmancanpossess。’Thiswas，perhaps，asingeniousadefenceascouldbemade；still，however，Iwasnotsatisfied。
　　Talkingofcelebratedandsuccessfulirregularpractisersinphysick；hesaid，’TaylorwasthemostignorantmanIeverknew；
　　butsprightly。Wardthedullest。TaylorchallengedmeoncetotalkLatinwithhim；laughing。IquotedsomeofHorace，whichhetooktobeapartofmyownspeech。Hesaidafewwordswellenough。’BEAUCLERK。’Iremember，Sir，yousaidthatTaylorwasaninstancehowfarimpudencecouldcarryignorance。’Mr。Beauclerkwasveryentertainingthisday，andtoldusanumberofshortstoriesinalivelyelegantmanner，andwiththatairofTHEWORLD
　　whichhasIknownotwhatimpressiveeffect，asifthereweresomethingmorethanisexpressed，orthanperhapswecouldperfectlyunderstand。AsJohnsonandIaccompaniedSirJoshuaReynoldsinhiscoach，Johnsonsaid，’ThereisinBeauclerkapredominanceoverhiscompany，thatonedoesnotlike。Butheisamanwhohaslivedsomuchintheworld，thathehasashortstoryoneveryoccasion；heisalwaysreadytotalk，andisneverexhausted。’
　　Soonafterthistimealittleincidentoccurred，whichIwillnotsuppress，becauseIamdesirousthatmyworkshouldbe，asmuchasisconsistentwiththestrictesttruth，anantidotetothefalseandinjuriousnotionsofhischaracter，whichhavebeengivenbyothers，andthereforeIinfuseeverydropofgenuinesweetnessintomybiographicalcup。
　　’TODR。JOHNSON。
　　’MYDEARSIR，——Iamingreatpainwithaninflamedfoot，andobligedtokeepmybed，soampreventedfromhavingthepleasuretodineatMr。Ramsay’sto-day，whichisveryhard；andmyspiritsaresadlysunk。Willyoubesofriendlyastocomeandsitanhourwithmeintheevening。Iameveryourmostfaithful，andaffectionatehumbleservant，’SouthAudley-street，Monday，April26。’
　　’JAMESBOSWELL。’
　　’TOMR。BOSWELL。
　　’Mr。JohnsonlamentstheabsenceofMr。Boswell，andwillcometohim——Harley-street。’
　　Hecametomeintheevening，andbroughtSirJoshuaReynolds。I
　　needscarcelysay，thattheirconversation，whiletheysatebymybedside，wasthemostpleasingopiatetopainthatcouldhavebeenadministered。
　　JohnsonbeingnowbetterdisposedtoobtaininformationconcerningPopethanhewaslastyear，sentbymetomyLordMarchmontapresentofthosevolumesofhisLivesofthePoetswhichwereatthistimepublished，witharequesttohavepermissiontowaitonhim；andhisLordship，whohadcalledonhimtwice，obliginglyappointedSaturday，thefirstofMay，forreceivingus。
　　OnthatmorningJohnsoncametomefromStreatham，andafterdrinkingchocolateatGeneralPaoli’s，inSouth-Audley-street，weproceededtoLordMarchmont’sinCurzon-street。HisLordshipmetusatthedoorofhislibrary，andwithgreatpolitenesssaidtoJohnson，’IamnotgoingtomakeanencomiumuponMYSELF，bytellingyouthehighrespectIhaveforYOU，Sir。’Johnsonwasexceedinglycourteous；andtheinterview，whichlastedabouttwohours，duringwhichtheEarlcommunicatedhisanecdotesofPope，wasasagreeableasIcouldhavewished。Whenwecameout，IsaidtoJohnson，thatconsideringhisLordship’scivility，Ishouldhavebeenvexedifhehadagainfailedtocome。’Sir，saidhe，I
　　wouldratherhavegiventwentypoundsthannothavecome。’I
　　accompaniedhimtoStreatham，wherewedined，andreturnedtotownintheevening。
　　Hehad，beforeIleftLondon，resumedtheconversationconcerningtheappearanceofaghostatNewcastleuponTyne，whichMr。JohnWesleybelieved，buttowhichJohnsondidnotgivecredit。Iwas，however，desiroustoexaminethequestionclosely，andatthesametimewishedtobemadeacquaintedwithMr。JohnWesley；forthoughIdifferedfromhiminsomepoints，Iadmiredhisvarioustalents，andlovedhispiouszeal。Atmyrequest，therefore，Dr。Johnsongavemealetterofintroductiontohim。
　　’TOTHEREVERENDMR。JOHNWESLEY。
　　’SIR，——Mr。Boswell，agentlemanwhohasbeenlongknowntome，isdesirousofbeingknowntoyou，andhasaskedthisrecommendation，whichIgivehimwithgreatwillingness，becauseIthinkitverymuchtobewishedthatworthyandreligiousmenshouldbeacquaintedwitheachother。Iam，Sir，yourmosthumbleservant，’May3，1779。’
　　’SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　Mr。WesleybeinginthecourseofhisministryatEdinburgh，I
　　presentedthislettertohim，andwasverypolitelyreceived。I
　　beggedtohaveitreturnedtome，whichwasaccordinglydone。Hisstateoftheevidenceastotheghostdidnotsatisfyme。
　　MyreaderswillnotbedispleasedatbeingtoldeveryslightcircumstanceofthemannerinwhichDr。Johnsoncontrivedtoamusehissolitaryhours。Hesometimesemployedhimselfinchymistry，sometimesinwateringandpruningavine，sometimesinsmallexperiments，atwhichthosewhomaysmile，shouldrecollectthattherearemomentswhichadmitofbeingsoothedonlybytrifles。*
　　*InoneofhismanuscriptDiaries，thereisthefollowingentry，whichmarkshiscuriousminuteattention：’July26，1768。Ishavedmynailbyaccidentinwhettingtheknife，aboutaneighthofaninchfromthebottom，andaboutafourthfromthetop。ThisI
　　measurethatImayknowthegrowthofnails；thewholeisaboutfiveeighthsofaninch。’
　　Anotherofthesamekindappears，’Aug。7，1779，Partembrachiidextricarpoproximumetcutempectoriscircamamillamdextramrasi，utnotumfieretquantotemporispilirenovarentur。’
　　And，’Aug。15，1773。Icutfromthevine41leaves，whichweighedfiveoz。andahalf，andeightscruples：——Ilaythemuponmybookcase，toseewhatweighttheywilllosebydrying。’——BOSWELL。
　　MyfriendColonelJamesStuart，secondsonoftheEarlofBute，whohaddistinguishedhimselfasagoodofficeroftheBedfordshiremilitia，hadtakenapublick-spiritedresolutiontoservehiscountryinitsdifficulties，byraisingaregularregiment，andtakingthecommandofithimself。This，intheheiroftheimmensepropertyofWortley，washighlyhonourable。HavingbeeninScotlandrecruiting，heobliginglyaskedmetoaccompanyhimtoLeeds，thenthehead-quartersofhiscorps；fromthencetoLondonforashorttime，andafterwardstootherplacestowhichtheregimentmightbeordered。Suchanoffer，atatimeoftheyearwhenIhadfullleisure，wasverypleasing；especiallyasIwastoaccompanyamanofsterlinggoodsense，information，discernment，andconviviality；andwastohaveasecondcropinoneyearofLondonandJohnson。OfthisIinformedmyillustriousfriend，incharacteristicalwarmterms，inaletterdatedthe30thofSeptember，fromLeeds。
　　OnMonday，October4，Icalledathishousebeforehewasup。Hesentformetohisbedside，andexpressedhissatisfactionatthisincidentalmeeting，withasmuchvivacityasifhehadbeeninthegaietyofyouth。Hecalledbriskly，’Frank，goandgetcoffee，andletusbreakfastINSPLENDOUR。’
　　OnSunday，October10，wedinedtogetheratMr。Strahan’s。TheconversationhavingturnedontheprevailingpracticeofgoingtotheEast-Indiesinquestofwealth；——JOHNSON。’AmanhadbetterhavetenthousandpoundsattheendoftenyearspassedinEngland，thantwentythousandpoundsattheendoftenyearspassedinIndia，becauseyoumustcomputewhatyouGIVEformoney；andamanwhohaslivedtenyearsinIndia，hasgivenuptenyearsofsocialcomfortandallthoseadvantageswhicharisefromlivinginEngland。TheingeniousMr。Brown，distinguishedbythenameofCapabilityBrown，toldme，thathewasonceattheseatofLordClive，whohadreturnedfromIndiawithgreatwealth；andthatheshewedhimatthedoorofhisbed-chamberalargechest，whichhesaidhehadoncehadfullofgold；uponwhichBrownobserved，“Iamgladyoucanbearitsonearyourbed-chamber。“’