No. V.

MADNESS.

JOHNSON said, "A madman loves to be with people whom he fears; not as a dog fears the lash, but of whom he stands in awe." Boswell remarks, "I was struck with the justice of this observation. To be with those of whom a person, whose mind is wavering and dejected, stands in awe, represses and composes an uneasy tumult of spirits, and consoles him with the contemplation of something steady, and at least comparatively great."

Johnson added, " Madmen are all sensual in the lower stages of the distemper. They are eager for gratifications to soothe their minds, and divert their attention from the misery which they suffer: but when they grow very ill, pleasure is too weak for them, and they seek for pain. Employment, sir, and hardships, prevent melancholy. I suppose in all our army in America, there was not one man who went mad."

On another occasion he observed, " Madness frequently discovers itself merely by unnecessary deviation from the usual modes of the world. My poor friend Smart showed the disturbance of his mind, by falling upon his knees, and saying his prayers in the street, or in any unusual place. Now, although, rationally speaking, it is greater madness not to pray at all, than to pray as Smart did, I am afraid there are so many who do not

pray, that their understanding is not called in question."

ease;

Concerning this unfortunate poet, Christopher Smart, who was confined in a mad-house, he had, at another time, the following conversation with Dr. Burney. BURNEY. "How does poor Smart do, sir? is he likely to recover?" JOHNSON. "It seems as if his mind had ceased to struggle with the disfor he grows fat upon it." BURNEY. "Perhaps, sir, that may be from want of exercise." JOHNSON. " No, sir; he has partly as much exercise as he used to have, for he digs in the garden. Indeed before his confinement, he used, for exercise, to walk to the ale-house; but he was carried back again. I did not think he ought to be shut up. His infirmities were not noxious to society. He insisted on people praying with him; and I'd as lief pray with Kit Smart as any one else. Another charge was, that he did not love clean linen; and I have no passion for it."

66

Talking of the melancholy end of a gentleman who had destroyed himself. JOHNSON." It was owing to imaginary difficulties in his affairs, which, had he talked of with any friend, would soon have vanished." BoSWELL. "Do you think, sir, that all who commit suicide are mad?" JOHNSON. Sir, they are often not universally disordered in their intellects; but one passion presses so upon them, that they yield to it, and commit suicide, as a passionate man will stab another. I have often thought, that after a man has taken the resolution to kill himself, it is not courage in him to do any thing, however desperate, because he has nothing to fear." GOLDSMITH." I don't see that." JOHN

SON.

Nay, but my dear sir, why should not you see what every one else sees?" GOLDSMITH." It is for fear of something that he has resolved to kill himself and will not that timid disposition restrain him?" JOHNSON. "It does not signify that the fear of something made him resolve; it is upon the state of his mind, after the resolution is taken, that I argue. Suppose a man, either from fear, or pride, or conscience, or whatever motive, has resolved to kill himself; when once the resolution is taken, he has nothing to fear. He may then go and take the king of Prussia by the nose, at the head of his army. He cannot fear the rack, who is resolved to kill himself. When Eustace Budgel was walking down to the Thames, determined to drown himself, he might, if he pleased, without any apprehension of danger, have turned aside, and first set fire to St. James's Palace."

No. VI.

PREJUDICE.

JOHNSON'S prejudice against Scotland appeared remarkably strong at times. When Boswell talked of the advancement of the Scotch in literature, "Sir," said he," you have learnt a little from us, and you think yourselves very great men. Hume would never have written history, had not Voltaire written it before him. He is an echo of Voltaire." BosWELL. But, sir, we have lord Kames." JOHNSON. "You have lord Kames. Keep him. Ha! ha ha! We don't envy you him.

66

Do you ever see

Dr. Robertson?" BOSWELL. "Yes, sir." JOHNSON. "Does the dog talk of me?" BOSWELL." Indeed, sir, he does, and loves you." Boswell adds: "Thinking that I now had him in a corner, and being solicitous for the literary fame of my country, I pressed him for his opinion on the merit of Dr. Robertson's History of Scotland. But, to my surprise, he escaped. Sir, I love Robertson, and I won't talk of his book.' It is but justice, both to him and Dr. Robertson, to add, that though he indulged himself in this sally of wit, he had too goodtaste not to be fully sensible of the merits of that admirable work."

6

"He played off his wit against Scotland with a good humoured pleasantry, which gave," says Boswell," though no bigot to national prejudices, an opportunity for a little contest with him. I having said, that England was obliged to us for gardeners, almost all their good gardeners being Scotchmen: JOHNSON. Why, sir, that is because gardening is much more necessary amongst you than with us, which makes so many of your people learn it. It is all gardening with you. Things which grow wild here must be cultivated with great care in Scotland. Pray, now,' (throwing himself back in his chair, and laughing) are you ever able to bring the sloe to perfection?'

7

"I boasted that we had the honour of being the first to abolish the unhospitable, troublesome, and ungracious custom of giving vails to servants. JOHNSON. Sir, you abolished vails, because you were too poor to be able to give them. "

He would not allow Scotland to derive any credit from lord Mansfield; for he was educated in Eng

1

land. "Much," said he, 66 may be made of a Scotchman, if he be caught young."

Boswell told him he had been informed by Mr. Orme, that many parts of the East Indies were better mapped than the Highlands of Scotland. JOHNSON. "That a country may be mapped, it must be travelled over." "Nay," said Boswell, meaning to laugh with him at one of his prejudices, "can't you say it is not worth mapping?"

Johnson expressed to his friend Mr. Windham, of Norfolk, his wonder at the extreme jealousy of the Scotch, and their resentment at having their country described by him as it really was; when, to say that it was a country as good as England, would have been a gross falsehood. "None of us," said he, "would be offended, if a foreigner who has travelled here should say, that vines and olives don't grow in England." And as to his prejudice against the Scotch, which Boswell always ascribed to that nationality which he observed in them, he said to the same gentleman, "When I find a Scotchman, to whom an Englishman is as a Scotchman, that Scotchman shall be as an Englishman to me." His intimacy with many gentlemen of Scotland, and his employing so many natives of that country as his amanuenses, prove that his prejudice was not virulent; and Boswell has deposited in the British Museum, among other pieces of his writing, the following note, in answer to one from him, asking if he would meet him at dinner at the Mitre, though a friend of his, a Scotchman, was to be there :"Mr. Johnson does not see why Mr. Boswell should suppose a Scotchman less acceptable than any other man. He will be at the Mitre."