is more justifiable than war, in which thousands go forth, without any cause of personal quarrel, and massacre each other.

When Mr. Vesey was proposed as a member of the Literary Club, Mr. Burke began by saying, that he was a man of gentle manners. "Sir," said Johnson, " you need say no more: when you have said a man of gentle manners, you have said enough."

The late Mr. Fitzherbert told Mr. Langton that Johnson said to him, "Sir, a man has no more right to say an uncivil thing, than to act one; no more right to say a rude thing to another, than to knock him down."

No. XV.

CONVERSATION.

On this subject, Johnson laid down the following general rules: "Never speak of a man in his own presence; it is always indelicate, and may be offensive. Questioning is not the mode of conversation among gentlemen: it is assuming a superiority; and it is particularly wrong to question a man concerning himself; there may be parts of his former life which he may not wish to be made known to other persons, or even brought to his own recollection. A man should be careful never to tell tales of himself to his own disadvantage: people may be amused, and laugh at the time, but they will be remembered, and brought up against him upon some subsequent occasion."

The uncommon vivacity of general Oglethorpe's mind, and variety of knowledge, having sometimes made his conversation seem too desultory, Johnson observed, "Oglethorpe, sir, never completes what he has to say."

He, on the same account, made a similar remark on Patrick lord Elibank: "Sir, there is nothing conclusive in his talk."

When Boswell complained of having dined at a splendid table without hearing one sentence of con- . versation worthy of being remembered, he said, "Sir, there seldom is any such conversation." BOSWELL. "Why then meet at table?" JOHNSON. "Why, to eat and drink together, and to promote kindness; and, sir, this is better done when there is no solid conversation: for when there is, people differ in opinion, and get into bad humour, or some of the company, who are not capable of such conversation, are left out, and feel themselves uneasy. It was for this reason sir Robert Walpole said, he always talked bawdy at his table, because in that all could join."

Being irritated by hearing a gentleman ask Mr. Levet a variety of questions concerning him, when he was sitting by, he broke out, "Sir, you have but two topics, yourself and me: I am sick of both." "A man," said he, "should not talk of himself,. nor much of any particular person: he should take care not to be made a proverb; and, therefore, should avoid having any one topic of which people can say, "We shall hear him upon it. There was a Dr. Oldfield, who was always talking of the duke of Marlborough: he came into a coffee-house one day, and told that his grace had spoken in the house

of lords for half an hour. 'Did he indeed speak for half an hour?' said Belchier, the surgeon.'Yes.'' And what did he say of Dr. Oldfield ?'— 'Nothing.'-'Why then, sir, he was very ungrateful; for Dr. Oldfield could not have spoken for a quarter of an hour, without saying something of him.'"

A learned gentleman, who, in the course of conversation, wished to communicate this simple fact, that the counsel upon the circuit of Shrewsbury were much bitten by fleas, took seven or eight minutes in relating it circumstantially. In the plenitude of phrase he related that large bales of woollen cloth were lodged in the town-hall; that, by reason of this, fleas nestled there in prodigious numbers; that the lodgings of the counsel were near the townhall; and that those little animals moved from place to place with wonderful agility. Johnson sat in great impatience till the gentleman had finished his tedious narrative, and then burst out (playfully however,)" It is a pity, sir, that you have not seen a lion; for a flea has taken you such a time, that a lion must have served you a twelvemonth."

Boswell having expressed his regret that Goldsmith would,upon every occasion, endeavour to shine, by which he often exposed himself. LANGTON. "He is not like Addison, who was content with the fame of his writings; he did not aim also at excellence in conversation, for which he found himself unfit; and said to a lady, who complained of his having talked little in company, Madam, I have but ninepence in ready money, but I can draw for a thousand pounds.' BOSWELL. "Goldsmith has a great deal of gold in his cabinet; but not content

with this, he is always taking out his purse." JoHNSON. "Yes, sir, and that so often an empty purse!"

Of the same celebrated author, Johnson said, "He is not an agreeable companion, for he talks always for fame: a man who does so never can be pleasing. The man who talks to unburthen his mind is the man to delight you. An eminent friend of ours is not so agreeable as the variety of his knowledge would otherwise make him, because he talks partly from ostentation."

Again: The misfortune of Goldsmith in conversation is this-he goes on without knowing how he is to get off. His genius is great, but his knowledge is small. As they say of a generous man, it is a pity he is not rich, we may say of Goldsmith, it is a pity he is not knowing: he would not keep his knowledge to himself."

And on another, occasion: "Goldsmith should not be for ever attempting to shine in conversation : he has not temper for it, he is so much mortified when he fails. Sir, a game of jokes is composed partly of skill, partly of chance; a man may be beat at times by one who has not the tenth part of his wit. Now Goldsmith's putting himself against another, is like a man laying a hundred to one who cannot spare the hundred: it is not worth a man's while. A man should not lay a hundred to one, unless he can easily spare it, though he has a hundred chances for him: he can get but a guinea, and he may lose a hundred. Goldsmith is in this state. When he contends, if he gets the better, it is a very little addition to a man of his literary reputation; if he does not get the better, he is miserably

vexed."

Johnson's own superlative powers of wit set him above any risk of such uneasiness. Garrick had remarked of him, a few days before, "Rabelais and all other wits are nothing compared with him. You may be diverted by them; but Johnson gives you a forcible hug, and shakes laughter out of you, whether you will or no."

Goldsmith, however, was often very fortunate in his witty contests, even when he entered the lists with Johnson himself. Sir Joshua Reynolds was in company with them one day, when Goldsmith said, that he thought he could write a good fable, mentioned the simplicity which that kind of composition requires, and observed, that in most fables the animals introduced seldom talk in character. "For instance," said he, "the fable of the little fishes, who saw birds fly over their heads, and envying them, petitioned Jupiter to be changed into birds. The skill," continued he, "consists in making them talk like little fishes." While he indulged himself in this fanciful reverie, he observed Johnson shaking his sides, and laughing: upon which he smartly proceeded" Why, Dr. Johnson, this is not so easy as you seem to think; for if you were to make little fishes talk, they would talk like whales.”

The English Roscius having been mentioned, Johnson said of him, "Garrick's conversation is gay and grotesque; it is a dish of all sorts, but all good things: there is no solid meat in it; there is a want of sentiment in it: not but that he has sen. timent sometimes, and sentiment too very powerful and very pleasing; but it has not its full proportion in his conversation."

He used frequently to observe, that men might