Cock Lane Ghost, and related with much satisfaction how he had assisted in detecting the cheat, and had published an account of it in the newspapers. Upon this subject I incautiously offended him, by pressing him with too many questions, and he showed his displeasure. I apologized, saying that "I asked questions in order to be instructed and entertained; I repaired eagerly to the fountain; but that the moment he gave me a hint, the moment he put a lock upon the well, I desisted." "But, sir," said he, "that is forcing one to do a disagreeable thing." And he continued to rate me. "Nay, sir,” said I, "when you have put a lock upon the well, so that I can no longer drink, do not make the fountain of your wit play upon me and wet me."-Boswell.

He sometimes could not bear being teased with questions. I was once present when a gentleman asked so many—as, "What did you do, sir?" "What did you say, sir?"—that he at last grew enraged, and said, "I will not be put to the question. Don't you consider, sir, that these are not the manners of a gentleman? I will not be baited with what and why; what is this? what is that? why is a cow's tail. long? why is a fox's tail bushy ?" The gentleman, who was a good deal out of countenance, said, "Why, sir, you are so good, that I venture to trouble you.' "Johnson: "Sir, my being so good is no reason why you should be so ill."Boswell.

I unluckily entered upon the controversy concerning the right of Great Britain to tax America, and attempted to argue in favor of our fellow-subjects on the other side of the Atlantic. I insisted that America might be very well governed, and made to yield sufficient revenue by the means of influence, as exemplified in Ireland, while the people might be pleased with the imagination of their participating of the British constitution, by having a body of representatives, without whose consent money could not be

exacted from them. Johnson could not bear my thus opposing his avowed opinion, which he had exerted himself with an extreme degree of heat to enforce; and the violent agitation into which he was thrown, while answering, or rather reprimanding me, alarmed me so, that I heartily repented of my having unthinkingly introduced the subject.

Last night, when we were talking of compliments and gross speeches, Mrs. Thrale most justly said that nobody could make either like Dr. Johnson. "Your compliments, sir, are made seldom, but when they are made they have an elegance unequalled; but then, when you are angry, who dares make speeches so bitter and cruel? Dr. Johnson : "Madam, I am always sorry when I make bitter speeches, and I never do it but when I am insufferably vexed." Mrs. Thrale: "Yes, sir, but you suffer things to vex you that nobody else would vex at."-Madame D'Arblay.

He, however, charged Mr. Langton with what he thought want of judgment upon an interesting occasion. "When I was ill," said he, "I desired he would tell me sincerely in what he thought my life was faulty. Sir, he brought me a sheet of paper, on which he had written down several texts of Scripture, recommending Christian charity. And when I questioned him what occasion I had given for such an animadversion, all that he could say amounted to this—that I sometimes contradicted people in conversation. Now what harm does it do to any man to be contradicted ?" Boswell: "I suppose he meant the manner of doing it; roughly and harshly." Johnson: "And who is the worse for that?" Boswell: "It hurts people of weaker nerves." Johnson: "I know no such weak-nerved people." Mr. Burke, to whom I related this conference, said, "It is well if, when a man comes to die, he has nothing heavier upon his conscience than having been a little rough in conversa

tion." Johnson, at the time when the paper was presented to him, though at first pleased with the attention of his friend, whom he thanked in an earnest manner, soon exclaimed, in a loud and angry tone, "What is your drift, sir ?" Sir Joshua Reynolds pleasantly observed, that it was a scene for a comedy to see a penitent get into a violent passion, and belabor his confessor.-Boswell.

It grew dusky, and we had a very tedious ride for what was called five miles, but I am sure would measure ten. We had no conversation. I was riding forward to the inn at Glenelg, on the shore opposite to Skye, that I might take proper measures before Dr. Johnson, who was now advancing in dreary silence, Hay leading his horse, should arrive. Vass also walked by the side of his horse, and Joseph followed behind. As therefore he was thus attended, and seemed to be in deep meditation, I thought there could be no harm in leaving him for a little while. He called me back with a tremendous shout, and was really in a passion with me for leaving him. I told him my intentions, but he was not satisfied, and said, "Do you know, I should as soon have thought of picking a pocket as doing so." Boswell: "I am diverted with you, sir." Johnson: “Sir, I could never be diverted with incivility; doing such a thing makes one lose confidence in him who has done it, as one cannot tell what he may do next." His extraordinary warmth confounded me so much that I justified myself but lamely to him; yet my intentions were not improper. I wished to get on to see how we were to be lodged, and how we were to get a boat-all which I thought I could best settle myself without his having any trouble. I resumed the subject of my leaving him on the road, and endeavored to defend it better. He was still violent upon that head, and said, "Sir, had you gone on, I was thinking that I should have returned with you to Edinburgh, and then have parted from you, and never spoken to you more.' ."—Boswell.

He was easily led into topics: it was not easy to turn him from them; but who would wish it? If a man wanted to show himself off by getting up and riding upon him, he was sure to run restive and kick him off; you might as safely have backed Bucephalus, before Alexander had lunged him. Neither did he always like to be over-fondled when a certain gentleman out-acted his part in this way, he is said to have demanded of him, "What provokes your risibility, sir? Have I said anything that you understand? Then I ask pardon of the rest of the company."R. Cumberland.

PUGNACITY AND CONTRADICTORINESS.

JOHNSON attacked the Americans with intemperate vehemence of abuse. I said something in their favor, and added that I was always sorry when he talked on that subject. This, it seems, exasperated him, though he said nothing at the time. The cloud was charged with sulphureous vapor which was afterward to burst in thunder. We talked of a gentleman who was running out his fortune in London, and I said, "We must get him out of it. All his friends must quarrel with him, and that will soon drive him away.” Johnson: "Nay, sir, we'll send you to him. If your company does not drive a man out of his house, nothing will.” This was a horrible shock, for which there was no visible cause. I afterward asked him why he had said so harsh a thing. Johnson: "Because, sir, you made me angry about the Americans." Boswell: "But why did you not take your revenge directly?" Johnson (smiling): “Because, sir, I had nothing ready. A man cannot strike till he has weapons." This was a candid and pleasant confession.-Boswell.

In talking of Hackman, Johnson argued, as Judge Blackstone had done, that his being furnished with two pistols

was a proof that he meant to shoot two persons. Mr. Beauclerk said, "No; for that every wise man who intended to shoot himself took two pistols, that he might be sure of doing it at once. Lord's cook shot himself with one pistol, and lived ten days in great agony. Mr., who loved buttered muffins, but durst not eat them because they disagreed with his stomach, resolved to shoot himself; and then he eat three buttered muffins for breakfast, before shooting himself, knowing that he should not be troubled with indigestion. He had two charged pistols; one was found lying charged upon the table by him, after he had shot himself with the other." "Well," said Johnson, with an air of triumph, "you see, here one pistol was sufficient." Beauclerk replied smartly, "Because it happened to kill him." And either then or very little afterward, being piqued at Johnson's triumphant remark, added, "This is what you don't know, and I do." There was then a cessation of the dispute, and some minutes intervened, during which dinner and the glass went on cheerfully, when Johnson suddenly and abruptly exclaimed, “Mr. Beauclerk, how came you to talk so petulantly to me as 'This is what you don't know, but what I know? One thing I know, which you don't seem to know that you are very uncivil." Beauclerk: "Because you began by being uncivil (which you always are)." The words in parentheses were, I believe, not heard by Dr. Johnson. Here again there was a cessation of arms. Johnson told me that the reason why he waited at first some time without taking any notice of what Mr. Beauclerk said, was because he was thinking whether he should resent it. But when he considered that there were present a young lord and an eminent traveller-two men of the world with whom he had never dined before-he was apprehensive that they might think they had a right to take such liberties with him as Beauclerk did, and therefore resolved he would not let it pass, adding, that he "would not appear a coward." A little while after this, the conversation turned on the violence