Ætat. 75. a did not think a young Lord could have mentioned to me a book in the English 1784. history that was not known to me.” An addition to our company came after we went up to the drawing-room ; Dr. Johnson seemed to rise in spirits as his audience increased. He said, « He wished that Lord Orford's pictures, and Sir Ashton Lever's Museum, might be purchased by the publick, because both the money, and the pictures, and the curiosities, would remain in the country. Whereas, if they were sold into another kingdom, the nation would indeed get some money, but would lose the pictures and curiofities, which it would be desirable we should have for improvement in taste and natural history. The only question was, that as the nation was much in want of money, whether it would not be better to take a large price from a foreign state.” He entered upon a curious discussion of the difference between intuition and sagacity, one being immediate in its effect, the other requiring a circuitous process; one he observed, was the eye of the mind, the other the nose of the mind. A gentleman present took up the argument against him, and maintained that no man ever thinks of the nose of the mind, not adverting that though that figurative phrase seems strange to us, as very unusual, it is truly not more forced than Hamlet's “In my mind's eye, Horatio.” He persisted much too long, and appeared to Johnson as putting himself forward as his antagonist with too much presumption; upon which he called to him in a loud tone, “ What is it you are contending for, if you be contending ?”—And afterwards imagining that the gentleman retorted upon him with a kind of finart drollery, he said, « Mr. it does not become you to talk so to me. Besides, ridicule is not your talent ; you have there neither intuition nor fagacity.”—The gentleman protested that he had intended no improper freedom, but had the greatest respect for Dr. Johnson. After a short pause, during which we were. somewhat uneasy-Johnson. “ Give me your hand, Sir. You were too tedious, and I was too short.” Mr. – "Sir, I am honoured by your attention in any way.” Johnson. “Come, Sir, let's have no more of it. We offended one another by our contention ; let us not offend the company by our compliments.” He now faid, “He wished much to go to Italy, and that he dreaded passing the winter in England.” I said nothing, but enjoyed a secret facisfaction in thinking that I had taken the most effectual measures to make such a scheme practicable. On Monday, June 28, I had the honour to receive from the Lord Chancellor the following letter : TO a 1784. To James BOSWELL, Eja. Ætat. 75• 6 SIR, " I SHOULD have answered your letter immediately; if (being much engaged when I received it) I had not put it in my pocket, and forgot to open it till this morning. . “ I am much obliged to you for the suggestion; and I will adopt and press it as far as I can. The best argument, I am sure, and I hope it is not likely to fail, is Dr. Johnson's merit.-But it will be necessary, if I should be so unfortunate as to miss seeing you, to converse with Sir Joshua on the sum it will be proper to ask-in short, upon the means of setting him out. It would be a reflection on us all, if such a man should perish for want of the means to take care of his health. Yours, &c: « THURLOW.” This letter gave me a very high satisfaction; I next day went and Thewed it to Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was exceedingly pleased with it. He thought that I should now communicate the negociation to Dr. Johnson, who might afterwards complain if the attention with which it had been honoured, should be too long concealed from him. I intended to set out for Scotland next morning, but Sir Joshua cordially insisted that I should stay another day, that Johnson and I might dine with him, that we three might talk of his Italian Tour, and as Sir Joshua expressed himself, o have it all out.” I hastened to Johnson, and was told by him that he was rather better to-day. Boswell. “ I am very anxious about you, Sir, and particularly that you should go to Italy for the winter, which I believe is your own wish.” Johnson. “ It is, Sir.” Boswell. “You have no objection, I presume, but the money it would require.” Johnson. “Why no, Sir." Upon which I , gave him a particular account of what had been done, and read to him the Lord Chancellor's letter.-He listened with much attention; then warmly said, “ This is taking prodigious pains about a man.”—“O! Sir, (said I, with most sincere affection,) your friends would do every thing for you." He paused-grew more and more agitated--till tears started into his eyes, and he exclaimed with fervent emotion, “ God bless you all.” I was so affected that I also shed tears.--After a short silence, he renewed and extended his grateful benediction, “ God bless you all, for Jesus Christ's sake.” We both remained for some time unable to speak.--He rose suddenly and quitted the room quite melted in tenderness. He staid but a short time, till he had recovered a recovered his firmness; foon after he returned I left him, having first engaged 1784. him to dine at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, next day.--I never was again under Ætat. 75. that roof which I had so long reverenced. On Wednesday, June 30, the friendly confidential dinner with Sir Joshua Reynolds took place, no other company being present. Had I known that this was the last time that I should enjoy in this world, the conversation of a friend whom I so much respected, and from whom I derived so much instruction and entertainment, I should have been deeply affected. When I now look back to it, I am vexed that a single word should have been forgotten. Both Sir Joshua and I were so fanguine in our expectations, that we expatiated with confidence on the large provision which we were sure would be made for him, conjecturing whether munificence would be displayed in one large donation, or in an ample increase of his pension. He himself catched so much of our enthusiasm, as to allow himself to suppose it not impossible that our hopes might in one way or other be realised. He said. that he would rather have his pension doubled than a grant of a thousand pounds; “ For (said he) though probably I may not live to receive as much as a thousand pounds, a man would have the consciousness that he should pafs the remainder of his life in fplendour, how long soever it might be.” Considering what a moderate proportion an income of six hundred pounds a year bears to innumerable fortunes in this country, it is worthy of remark, that a man so truly great should think it splendour.. As an instance of extraordinary liberality of friendship, he told us, that Dr. Brocklesby had upon this occasion, offered him a hundred a year for his life. A grateful tear started into his eye, as he spoke this in a faultering a a tone. Sir Joshua and I endeavoured to Aatter his imagination with agreeable prospects of happiness in Italy. Nay (said he). I must not expect much of that; when a man goes to Italy merely to feel how he breathes the air, he can enjoy very little.” Our conversation turned upon living in the country, which Johnson, whose melancholy mind required the dissipation of quick successive variety, had habituated himself to consider as a kind of mental imprisonment. “ Yet, Sir, (said I,) there are many people who are content to live in the country.” Johnson. “ Sir, it is in the intellectual world as in the physical world; we are told by natural philosophers, that a body is at rest in the place that is fit for it; they who are content to live in the country are fit for the country.”. Talking 1784. Ætat. 75. court. Talking of various enjoyments, I argued that a refinement of taste was a disadvantage, as they who have attained to it must be feldomer pleased than those who have no nice discrimination, and are therefore fatisfied with every thing that comes in their way. Johnson.“ Nay, Sir; that is a paltry notion. a Endeavour to be as perfect as you can in every respect.” I accompanied him in Sir Joshua Reynolds's coach, to the entry of Bolt He asked me whether I would not go with him to his house; I declined it, from an apprehension that my spirits would sink. We bade adieu to each other affeétionately in the carriage. When he had got down upon the foot-pavement, he called out, “Fare you well;” and without looking back, sprung away with a kind of pathetick briskness, if I may use that expresion, which seemed to indicate a struggle to conceal uneasiness, and imprefied me with a foreboding of our long, long separation. 1 remained one day more in town, to have the chance of talking over my negociation with the Lord Chancellor; but the multiplicity of his Lordship’s important engagements did not allow of it; so I left the management of the business in the hands of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Soon after this time Dr. Johnson had the mortification of being informed by Mrs. Thrale, that “ what she supposed he never believed,” was true, namely, that she was actually going to marry Signor Piozzi, an Italian musickmaster. He endeavoured to prevent it, but in vain. If she would publish the whole of the correspondence that passed between Dr. Johnson and her on the subject, we should have a full view of his real sentiments. As it is, our judgement must be biased by that characteristick fpecimen, which Sir John Hawkins has given us: “ Poor Thrale! I thought that either her virtue or her vice would have restrained her from such a marriage. She is now become a subject for her enemies to exult over, and for her friends, if she has any left, to forget, or pity!.” It must be admitted that Johnson derived a considerable portion of happiness from the comforts and elegancies which he enjoyed in Mr. Thrale's family; but Mrs. Thrale affures us he was indebted for these to her husband alone, who certainly respected him sincerely. Her words are, < Veneration for his virtue, reverence for his talents, delight in his conversation, and habitual endurance of a yoke my husband first put upon me, and of which he contentedly bore his fbare for fixteen or seventeen years, made me go on so long with 8 « Letters to Mrs. Thrale," Vol. II. page 375. Mr. Mr. Johnson; but the perpetual confinemeit I will own to have been terrifying, 1784. . in the first years of our friendship, and irksome in the last ; nor could I pretend Ærar. 75. 10 support it without help when my coadjutor was no more.” Alas! how different is this from the declarations which I have heard Mrs. Thrale make in his life-time, without a single murmur against any peculiarities, or against any one circumstance which attended their intimacy. As a sincere friend of the great man whose Life I am writing, I think it necessary to guard my readers against the mistaken notion of Dr. Johnson's character, which this lady's “ Anecdotes” of him suggest; for from the very nature and form of her book, it “ lends deception lighter wings to fly.” “Let it be remembered, (fays an eminent critick?,) that he has comprised in a small volume all that she could recollect of Dr. Johnson in twenty years, during which period, doubtless, some severe things were said by him; and they who read the book in two bours, naturally enough suppose that his whole conversation was of this complexion. But the fact is, I have been often in his company, and never once heard him fay a severe thing to any one; and many others can attest the fame. When he did say a severe thing it was generally extorted by ignorance pretending to knowledge, or by extreme vanity or affectation. “ Two instances of inaccuracy (adds he) are peculiarly worthy of notice: “ It is said ', ' That natural roughness of his manner so often mentioned, would, Rotwithstanding the regularity of bis notions burst through them all from time to time; and he once bade a very celebrated lady, who praised him with too much zeal perhaps, or perhaps too strong an emphasis, (which always offended him,) consider what her flattery was worth before she chocked him with it.' “ Now let the genuine anecdote be contrasted with this.—The person thus represented as being harshly treated, though a very celebrated lady, was then just come to London from an obscure situation in the country. At Sir Joshua Reynolds's one evening she met Dr. Johnson. She very soon began to pay her court to him in the most fulsome strain. "Spare me, I beseech you, . , dear Madam,' was his reply. She still laid it on. Pray, Madam, let us have no more of this,' he rejoined. Not paying any attention to these warnings, she continued still her culogy. At length, provoked by this indelicate and vain obtrusion of compliment, he exclaimed, · Dearest lady, consider with yourself what your fattery is worth before you bestow it so freely.' ? Who has been pleased to furnith me with his remarks. Y yy " How |