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colours are gay (faid he), but the fubftance flight.' Of James Harris's dedication to his Hermes I have heard him obferve, that, though but fourteen lines long, there were fix grammatical faults in it. A friend was praising the ftyle of Dr. Swift; Mr. Johnfon did not find himself in the humour to agree with him the critic was driven from one of his performances to the other. At length you muft allow me, faid the gentleman, that there are strong facts in the account of the four last years of Queen Anne: "Yes furely Sir, (replies Johnfon) and so there are in the Ordinary of Newgate's account." This was like the story which Mr. Murphy tells, and Johnfon always acknowledged how Mr. Rofe of Hammerfmith, contending for the preference of Scotch writers over the English, after having fet up his authors like nine pins, while the Doctor kept bowling them down again; at laft, to make sure of victory, he named Fergufon upon civil fociety, and praifed the book for being written in a new manner. I do not (fay's Johnfon) perceive the value of this new manner; it is only like Buckinger, who had no hands, and fo wrote with his feet." Of a modern martial, when it came out; "There are in thefe verfes (fays Dr. Johnfon) too much folly for madnefs, I think, and too much madnefs for folly." If, however, Mr. Johnfon lamented, that the nearer he approached to his own times, the more enemies he fhould make, by telling biographical truths in his lives of the later poets, what may I not apprehend, who, if I relate anecdotes of Mr. Johnson, am obliged to repeat expreffions of feverity, and fentences of contempt? Let me at leaft, foften them a little, by faying, that he did not hate the perfons he treated with roughness, or defpife them whom he drove from him by apparent fcorn. He really loved and refpected many whom he would not fuffer to love him. And when he related to me a fhort dialogue that paffed between himfelf and a writer of the first eminence in the world, when hewas in Scotland, I was shocked to think how he must have difgufted him. "Dr. — asked me (faid he), why I did not join in their public worship when among them? for (faid he) I went to your churches often when in England.

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So (replied Johnson), I have read that the Siamefe fent Ambaffadors to Louis Quatorze, but I never heard that the King of France thought it worth his while to fend ambassadors from his court to that

of Siam:" He was no gentler with myfelf, or thofe for whom I had the greatest regard. When I one day lamented the lofs of a first coufin killed in America→ "Prithee, my dear (faid he), have done. with canting: how would the world be worfe for it I may afk, if all your relations were at once fpitted like larks, and roafted for Prefto's fupper? Presto was the dog that lay under the table while we talked.When we went into Wales together, and fpent fome time at Sir Robert Cotton's at Lleweny, one day at dinner I meant to pleafe Mr. Johníon particularly with a difh of very young peas. Are not they charming? faid I to him, while he was eating them." Perhaps, (faid he) they would be fo---to a pig.”I only inftance thefe replies, to excufe my mentioning those he made to others.

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Mr. Johnfon's health had been always extremely bad fince I first knew him, and his over-anxious care to retain without blemish the perfect fanity of his mind, contributed much to disturb it. He had ftudied medicine diligently in all its branches; but had given particular at tention to the difeafes of the imagination, which he watched in himself with a folicitade deftructive of his own peace, and intolerable to thofe he trusted. Dr. Lawrence told him one day, that if he would come and beat him once a week be would bear it; but to hear his complaints

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more than man could fupport.'Twas therefore that he tried, I fuppofe, and in eighteen years contrived to weary the patience of a woman. When Mr. Johnfon felt his fancy, or fancied he felt it, difordered, his conftant recurrence was to the ftudy of arithmetic; and one day that he was totally confined to his chamber, and I enquired what he had been doing to divert himself, he fhewed me a calculation, which I could fcarce be made to understand, fo vaft was the plan of it, and fo very intricate were the figures.

His Dislike of Whiggifm, and Kindness to

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alfo indulgence. He loved the poor as I never yet faw any once elfe do, with an earneft defire to make them happy.... What fignifies fays fome one, giving halfpence to common beggars? they only lay it out in gin or tobacco. " And why fhould they be denied fuch fweeteners of their exiftence (fays Johnson): it is furely very favage to refuse them every poffible avenue to pleafure, reckoned too coarfe for our own acceptance. Life is a pill which none of us can bear to fwallow without gilding; yet for the poor we delight in ftripping it ftil barer, and are not afhamed to thew even vifible difpleafure, if ever the bitter taste is taken from their mouths." In confequence of these principles, he nurfed whole nefts of people in his houfe, where the lame, the blind, the fick, and the forrowful, found a fure retreat from all the evils whence his little income could fecure them; and commonly spending the middle of the week at our houte, he kept his numerous family in Fleet-freet, upon a fettled allowance; but returned to them every Saturday, to give them three good dinners, and his company before he came back to us on the Monday night-treating them with the fame, or perhaps more ceremonious civility than he would have done by as many people of fashion-making the holy fcriptures thus the rule of his conduct, and only expecting falvation as he was able to obey its precepts..

While Dr. Johnson poffeffed however the ftrongest compaffion for poverty or illnefs, he did not even pretend to feel for those who lamented the lofs of a child, a parent, or a friend. "Thefe are the dif treffes of fentiment, (he would reply) which a man who is really to fbe pitied bas no leifure to feel. The fight of people who want food and raiment is fo com mon in great cities, that a furly fellow like me, has no compaffion to fpare for wounds given only to vanity or softness." No man, therefore, who marted from the ingratitude of his friends, found any fympathy from our philofopher: "Let him do good on higher motives next time," would be the answer; "he will then be fure of his reward." It is eafy to obferve, that the juftice of fuch fentences made them offenfive; but we must be careful how we condemn a man for faying what we know to be true, only because it is fo. I hope that the reafon our hearts rebelled a little against his feverity, was chiefly because it came from a living mouth.

His Caprice attended with Good-nature.

Mr. Johnfon, though in general a grofs feeder, kept faft in Lent, particularly the holy week, with a rigour very dangerous to his general health; but though he had left off wine (for religious motives as I always believed, though he did not own it), yet he did not hold the commutation of offences by voluntary penance, or encourage others to practile feverity upon themfelves. He even once faid, ́“ that he thought it an error to endeavour at pleafing God by taking the rod of reproof out of his hands." And when we talked of convents, and the hardships fuffered in them" Remember always (said he) that a convent is an idle place, and where there is nothing to be done, tomething must be endured: mustard has a bad taste per je you may obferve, but very infipid food cannot be eaten without it."

His refpect however for places of re ligious retirement was carried to the greateft degree of earthly veneration: the Be nedictine convent at Paris paid him all poffible honours in return, and the Prior and he parted with tears of tenderness. Two of that college being fent to England on the million fome years after, pent much of their time with him at Bolt Court I know, and he was ever earnest to retain their friendship; but though beloved by all his Roman Catholic ac quaintance, particularly Dr. Nugent, for whofe efteem he had a fingular value, yet was Mr. Johnfon a most unfhaken church of England man; and I think, or at least I once did think, that a letter written by him to Mr. Barnard the King's librarian, when he was in Italy collecting books, contained fome very particular advice to his friend to be on his guard against the feductions of the church of Rome.

The fettled averfion Dr. Johnfon felt towards an infidel 'he expreffed to all ranks, and at all times, without the fmalleft referve; for though on common occafions he paid great deference to birth or title, yet his regard for truth and virtue never gave way to meaner confiderations. We talked of a dead wit one evening, and fomebody praised him" Let us never praise talents fo ill employed, Sir; we foul our mouths by commending fuch infidels (faid he)." Allow him the i mieres at leaft, intreated one of the company" I do allow him, Sir (replied Johnfon), just enough to light him to hell."- -Of a Jamaica gentleman, then

Lately

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lately dead—" He will not, whither he is now gone (faid Johnson), find much difference, I believe, either in the climate or the company."The Abbe Reynal probably remembers that, being at the house of a common friend in London, the master of it approached Johnson with that gentleman fo much celebrated in his hand, and this speech in his mouth: Will you permit me, Sir, to prefent to you the Abbe Reynal. "No, Sir," (replied the Doctor very loud) and fuddenly turned away from them both.

Though Mr. Johnfon had but little reverence either for talents or fortune, when he found them unfupported by virtue; yet it was fufficient to tell him a man was very pious, or very charitable, and he would at leaft begin with him on good terms, however the converfation might end. He would, fometimes too, good-naturedly enter into a long chat for the inftruction or entertainment of people he defpifed. I perfectly recollet his condefcending to delight my daughter's dancing-mafter, with a long argument about his art; which the man protested, at the clofe of the difcourfe,, the Doctor knew more of than himself; who remained aftonifhed, enlightened, and amufed by the talk of a perfon little likely to make a good difquifition upon dancing. I have fometimes deed been rather pleafed than vexed when Mr. Johnfon has given a rough anfwer to a man who perhaps deferved one only half as rough, because I knew he would repent of his hafty reproof, and make us all amends by fome converfation at once inftructive and entertaining, as in the following cafes: A young fellow afked him abruptly one day, Pray, Sir, what and where is Palmira? I heard fomebody talk laft night of the ruins of Palmira. "'Tis a hill in Ireland (replies Johnson), with palms growing on the top, and a bog at the bottom, and fo they call it Palm-mira." Seeing however that the lad thought him ferious, and thanked him for the information, he undeceived him very gently indeed; told him the hiftory, geography, and chronology of Tadmor in the wilderness, with every incident that literature could fur nish I think, or eloquence exprefs, from the building of Solomon's palace to the voyage of Dawkins and Wood.

On another occafion, when he was mufing over the fire in our drawing room at Streatham, a young gentleman called to him fuddenly, and I fuppofe he

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thought difrefpectfully, in these words: Mr. Johnfon, Would you advise me to marry? I would advise no man to marry, Sir, (returns for aufwer in a very angry tone Dr. Johnfon) who is not likely to propagate understanding;" and so left the room. Our companion looked confounded, and I believe had fcarce recovered the confciousness of his own exiftence, when Johnfon came back, and drawing his chair among us, with altered looks and a foftened voice, joined in the general chat, infenfibly led the converfation to the fubject of marriage, where he laid himself out in a differtation fo ufeful, fo elegant, fo founded on the true knowledge of human life, and fo adorned with beauty of fentiment, that no one ever recollected the offence, ekcept to rejoice in its confequences. He repented just as certainly however, if he had been led to praise any perfon or thing by accident more than he thought it deferved; and was on fuch occafions comically earneft to deftroy the praise or pleasure he had unintentionally given.

Tour to France with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale.

When we were at Rouen together, he took a great fancy to the Abbe Rofferte, with whom he converfed about the deftruction of the order of Jefuits, and condemned it loudly, as a blow to the general power of the church, and likely to be followed with many and dangerous innovations, which might at length become fatal to religion itself, and shake even the foundation of Christianity. The gentleman feemed to wonder and delight in his converfation: the talk was all in Latin, which both spoke fluently, and Mr. Johnfon pronounced a long eulogium upon Milton, with fo much ardour, eloquence, and ingenuity, that the Abbe rofe from his feat and embraced him. My husband feeing them apparently fo charmed with the company of each other, politely invited the Abbe to England, intending to oblige his friend; who instead of thanking, reprimanded him feverely before the man, for fuch a fudden burft of tendernefs towards a perfon he could know nothing at all of; and thus put a fudden finish to all his own and Mr. Thrale's entertainment, from the company of the Abbe Roffette.

When at Verfailles, the people fhewed us the theatre. As we food on the stage looking at fome machinery for playhouse purposes: Now we are here, what shall

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way, that they may not be tempted by the luxuries of Porridge-Ifland to with for gratifications they are not able to ob tain you are certainly not better than all of them; give God thanks that you are happier."

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we act, Mr. Johnfon,-The Englishman at Paris? “No, no (replied he), we will try to act Harry the Fifth." His diflike of the French was well known to both nations, I believe; but he applauded the number of their books and the graces of their ftyle." They have few fentiments (faid he), but they exprefs them neatly; they have little meat too, but they drefs Anecdotes of Goldsmith, Boyce, and

it well."

His fingular Tafie in Eating and Drinking.

Dr. Johnfon's own notions about eating, however, were nothing lefs than delicate; a leg of pork boiled till it dropped from the bone, a veal-pye with plumbs and fugar, or the outfide cut of a falt buttock of beef, were his favourite dainties: with regard to drink, his liking was for the ftrongeft, as it was not the flavour, but the effect he fought for, and profeffed to defire; and when I first knew him, he used to pour capillaire into his Port wine. For the last twelve years however, he left off all fermented liquors. To make himfelf fome amends indeed, he took his chocolate liberally, pouring in large quantities of cream, or even melted butter; and was fo fond of fruit, that though he ufually cat feven or eight large peaches of a morning before breakfast began, and treated them with proportionate attention after dinner again, yet I have heard him proteft that he never had quite as much as he wifhed of wall-fruit, except once in his life, and that was when we were altogether at Ombersley, the feat of my Lord Sandys. I was faying to a friend one day, that I did not like goofe; one fmells it fo while it is roafting, faid I : "But you, Madam (replies the Doctor), have been at all times a fortunate woman, having always had your hunger fo foreftalled by indulgence, that you never experienced the delight of fmelling your dinner beforehand." Which pleafure, anfvered I pertly, is to be enjoyed in perfection by fuch as have the happiness to pals through Porridge-Ifland of a morning, "Come, come (fays he gravely), let's have no fneering at what is ferious to fo many: hundreds of your fellow-creatures, dear Lady, turn another

*Porridge-Iland is a mean ftreet in London, filled with cooks fhops for the convenience of the poorer inhabitants; the real name of it I know not, but fufpect that it is generally known by, to have been originally a term of derifion.

others.

I have forgotten the year, but it could I fcarcely think be later than 1765 or 1766, that he was called abruptly from our houfe after dinner, and returning in about three hours, faid, he had been with an enraged author, whofe landlady preff ed him for payment within doors, while the bailiffs was befetting him without; that he was drinking himself drunk with Maderia to drown care, and fretting over a novel, which when finished was to be his whole fortune; but he could not get it done for distraction, nor could he ftep out of doors to offer it to fale. Mr. Johnfon therefore fet away the bottle, and went to the book feller recommending the performance, and defiring fome immediate relief which when he brought back to the writer, he called the woman of the Houfs directly to partake of punch, and pass their time in merriment.

It was not till ten years after, I dare fay, that fomething in Dr. Goldfmith's behaviour ftruck me with an idea that he was the very man, and then Johnson confeffed that he was fo; the novel was the charming Vicar of Wakefield.

There was a Mr. Boyce too, who wrote fome very elegant verfes printed in the magazines of five-and-twenty years ago, of whofe ingenuity and diftrefs I have heard Dr. Johnfon tell fome curious anecdotes; particularly, that when he was almoft perishing with hunger, and fome money was produced to buy him a dinner, he got a bit of roaft beef, but could not eat it without ketchup, and laid out the laft half guinea he poffeffed in truffles and mushrooms, eating them in bed too, for want of clothes, or even a fhirt to fit up in.

Another man for whom he often beg. ged, made as wild a ufe of his friend's be neficence as these, spending in punch the folitary guinea which had been brought him one morning, when refolving to add another claimant to a fhare of the bowl, befides a woman who always lived with him, and a footman, who used to carry

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out petitions for charity, he borrowed a chairman's watch, and pawning it for half a crown, paid a clergyman to marry him to a fellow lodger in the wretched houfe they all inhabited, and got so drunk over the guinea bowl of punch the evening of his wedding-day, that having many years loft the use of one leg, he now con trived to fall from the top of the stairs to the bottom, and break his arm, in which condition his companions left him to call Mr. Johafon, who relating the feries of his tragi-comical diftrelles, obtained from the Literary Club a feasonable relief.

Of that refpectable fociety I have heard him fpeak in the highest terms, and with a magnificent panegyrick upon each member, when it confifted only of a dozen or fourteen friends; but as foon as the necellity of enlarging it brought in new faces, and took off from his confidence in the company, he grew lefs fond of the meeting, and loudly prociaimed his careleffnefs who might be admitted when it was become a mere dinner club. I think the original names, when I first heard him talk with fervor of every member's peculiar powers of inftructing or delighting mankind, were, Sir John Hawkins, Mr. Burke, Mr. Langton, Mr. Beauclerc, Dr. Percy, Dr. Nugent, Dr. Goldsmith, Sir Robert Chambers, Mr. Dyer, and Sir Jofhua Reynolds, whom he called their Romulus, or faid fomebody elfe of the company called him fo, which was more likely but this was, I believe in the year 1775 or 1776. It was a fupper meeting then, and I fancy Dr. Nugent ordered an omelet fometimes on a Friday or Saturday night; for I remember Mr. Johnfon felt very painful fenfations at the fight of that difh foon after his death, and tried, "Ah, my poor dear friend! I fhall never eat omelet with thee again!" quite in an agony. The truth is, nobody fuffered more from pungent forrow at a friend's death than Johnfon, though he would fuffer no one else to complain of their loffes in the fame way; for (fays he) we must either outlive our friends you know, or our friends muft outlive us; and I fee no man that would hesitate about the choice.

Mr. Johnfon loved late hours extremely, or more properly hated early ones. No thing was more terrifying to him than the idea of retiring to bed, which he never would call going to reft, or fuffer another to call fo." Ilie down (faid he) that my acPOL, MAG. VOL. X. APRIL 1786,

quaintance may fleep; but I lie down to endure oppreffive mifery, and foon rife again to pafs the night in anxiety and pain. By this pathetic manner, which no one ever poffefled in fo eminent a degree, he used to fhock me from quitting his company. till I hurt my own health not a little by fitting up with him, when I was myfelf far from well: nor was it an eafy matter to oblige him even by compliance, for he always maintained that no one forebore their own gratifications for the fake of pleafing another, and if one did fit up, it was probably to amufe one's felf. Some right however, he certainly had to fay fo, as he made his company exceedingly entertaining when he had once forced one, by his vehement lamentations and piercing reproofs, not to quit the room, but to fit quietly and make tea for him, as I often did in London till four o'clock in the morning. At Streatham indeed I managed better, having always fome friend who was kind enough to engage him in talk, and favour my retreat.

The first time I ever faw this extraordinary man was in the year 1764, when Mr. Murphy, who had been long the friend and confidential intimate of Mr. Thrale, perfuaded him to wifh for Johnfon's converfation, extolling it in terms which that of no other perfon could have deferved, till we were only in doubt how to obtain his company, and find an excufe for the invitation. The celebrity of Mr. Woodhouse a fhoemaker, whofe verfes were at that time the fubject of common difcourfe, foon afforded a pretence, and Mr. Murphy brought Johnson to meet him, giving me general cautions not to be furprifed at his figure, drefs, or behavi

our.

What I recollect beft of the day's talk was, his earneftly recommending Addifon's works to Mr. Woodhouse as a model for imitation. "Give nights and days, Sir (faid he) to the ftudy of Addifon, if you mean either to be a good writer, or what is more worth, an honeft man." When I faw fomething like the fame expreffion in his criticifm on that author, lately published, I put him in mind of his paft injunctions to the young poet, to which he replied, "that he wished the fhoemaker might have remembered them as well." Mr. Johnfon liked his new acquaintance fo much however, that from that time he dined with us every Thurfday through the winter, and in the autumn of the next year he followed us to Qq

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