allowable at any time to depart from Truth? Johnson observed, "The general rule is, that Truth should never be violated, because it is of the utmost importance to the comfort of life, that we should have a full security by mutual faith; and occasional inconveniencies should be willingly suffered that we may preserve it. There must, however, be some exceptions.-If, for instance, a murderer should ask which way you a man is gone, you may tell him what is not true, because you are under a previous obligation not to betray a man to a murderer."-BoswELL. "Supposing the person who wrote Junius were asked whether he was the author, might he deny it ?”—J. “I don't know what to say to this. If you were sure that he wrote Junius, would you, if he denied it, think as well of him afterwards? Yet it may be urged, that what a man has no right to ask, you may refuse to communicate; and there is no other effectual mode of preserving a secret, and an important secret, the discovery of which may be very hurtful to you, but by a flat denial; for if you are silent, or hesitate, or evade, it will be held equivalent to a confession. But stay, Sir: here is another case. Supposing the author had told me confidentially that he had written Junius, and I were asked if he had, I should hold myself at liberty to deny it, as being under a previous promise, express or implied, to con

ceal it. Now what I ought to do for the author, may I not do for myself? But I deny the lawfulness of telling a lie to a sick man, for fear of alarming him. You have no business with consequences; you are to tell the truth. Besides, you are not sure what effect your telling him that he is in danger may have. It may bring his distemper to a crisis, and that may cure him. Of all lying, I have the greatest abhorrence of this, because I believe it has been frequently practised on myself."

Johnson's notion of the duty of a member of Parliament, sitting upon an election-committee, was very high; and when he was told of a gentleman upon one of those committees, who read the newspapers part of the time, and slept the rest, while the merits of a vote were examined by the counsel, and as an excuse, when challenged

"I cannot help thinking (says Mr. B.) that there is much weight in the opinion of those who have held, that Truth, as an eternal and immutable principle, ought upon no account whatever to be violated, from supposed previous or superior obligations, of which every man being to judge for himself, there is great danger that we too often, from partial motives, persuade ourselves that they exist; and probably whatever extraordinary instances may sometimes occur, where some evil may be prevented by violating this noble principle, it would be found that human happiness would, upon the whole, be more perfect were Truth universally preserved."

by the chairman for such behaviour, bluntly an-swered, "I had made up my mind upon that case;" -Johnson, with an indignant contempt, said, "If he was such a rogue as to make up his mind upon a case without hearing it, he should not have been such a fool as to tell it."-" I think (said a gentleman present) the Doctor has pretty plainly made him out to be both rogue and fool."

Talking of public speaking, Johnson said, "We must not estimate a man's powers by his being able or not able to deliver his sentiments in public. Isaac Hawkins Browne, one of the first wits of this country, got into Parliament, and never opened his mouth. For my own part, I think it is more disgraceful never to try to speak, than to try it, and fail; as it is more disgraceful not to fight, than to fight and be beaten."-This argument appeared to Mr. Boswell to be fallacious; for if a man has not spoken, it may be said that he would have done very well, if he had tried; whereas, if he has tried and failed, there is nothing to be said for him. "Why then (he asked) is it thought disgraceful for a man not to fight, and not disgraceful not to speak in public?" -7. "Because there be other reasons for a man's not speaking in public than want of resolution he may have nothing to say (laughing). Whereas, Sir, you know courage is reckoned

may

the greatest of all virtues; because, unless a man has that virtue, he has no security for preserving any other."

66

The conversation turned upon war. Johnson said, Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea."-Boswell. "Lord Mansfield does not." JOHNSON. "Sir, if Lord Mansfield were in a company of General Officers and Admirals who have been in service, he would shrink; he'd wish to creep under the table."-B. "No; he'd think he could try them all."-7. " Yes, if he could catch them; but they'd try him much sooner. No, Sir; were Socrates and Charles the Twelfth of Sweden both present in any company, and Socrates to say, • Follow me, and hear a lecture in philosophy; and Charles, laying his hand on his sword, to say, Follow me, and dethrone the Czar;' a man would be ashamed to follow Socrates. Sir, the impression is universal: yet it is strange. As to the sailor, when you look down from the quarter-deck to the space below, you see the utmost extremity of human misery; such crowding, such filth, such stench!"-B. "Yet sailors are happy."-7. "They are happy as brutes are happy, with a piece of fresh meat, with the grossest sensuality. But, Sir, the profession of soldiers and sailors has the dignity of danger. Mankind reverence those who have got over fear,

which is so general a weakness."-SCOTT." But is not courage mechanical, and to be acquired?" -J. "Why, yes, Sir, in a collective sense. Soldiers consider themselves only as parts of a great machine."-S. «We find people fond of being sailors."-J." I cannot account for that, any more than I can account for other strange perversions of imagination."

< His abhorrence of the profession of a sailor was uniformly viclent; but in conversation he always exalted the profession of a soldier.

Talking of fame, for which there is so great a desire, Mr. Boswell observed how little there was of it in reality, compared with the other objects of human attention." Let every man recollect, and he will be sensible how small a part of his time is employed in talking or thinking of Shakespeare, Voltaire, or any of the most celebrated men that have ever lived, or are now supposed to occupy the attention and admiration of the world, Let this be extracted and compressed; into what a narrow space will it go!" He then slily introduced Mr. Garrick's fame, and his assuming the airs of a great man.-JOHNSON. "Sir, it is wonderful how little Garrick assumes. No, Sir, Garrick fortunam reverenter habet. Consider, Sir: celebrated men, such as you have mentioned, have had their applause at a distance; but Garrick had it dashed in his face, sounded in his