1776.

Ætat. 67.

« Please to write me immediately, if they can be found. Make my compliments to all our friends round the world, and to Mrs. Williams at home. “ I am, Sir, your, &c.

« SAM. JOHNSON. “ Search for the papers as soon as you can, that, if it is necessary, I may write to you again before you come down.”

On the 26th of April, I went to Bath; and on my arrival at the Pelican inn, found lying for me an obliging invitation from Mr. and Mrs. Thrale, by whom I was agreeably entertained almost constantly during my stay. They were gone to the rooms; but there was a kind note from Dr. Johnson, that he should sit at home all the evening. I went to him directly, and before Mr. and Mrs. Thrale returned, we had by ourselves some hours of tea-drinking and talk.

I shall groupe together such of his sayings as I preserved during the few days that I was at Bath.

Of a person who differed from him in politicks, he faid, “In private life he is a very honest gentleman; but I will not allow him to be fo in publick life. People may be honest, though they are doing wrong: that is between their Maker and them. But we, who are suffering by their pernicious conduct, are to destroy them. We are sure that - acts from interest. We know what his genuine principles were. They who allow their passions to confound the distinctions between right and wrong, are criminal. They may be convinced ; but they have not come honestly by their conviction.”

It having been mentioned, I know not with what truth, that a certain female political writer, whose doctrines he disiked, had of late become very fond of dress, fat hours together at her toilet, and even put on rouge ;-Johnson. “She is better employed at her toilet than using her pen. It is better she should be reddening her own cheeks, than blackening other people's characters.”

He told us that “ Addison wrote Budgell's papers in the Spectator, at least mended them so much, that he made them almost all his own; and that Draper, Tonson's partner, assured Mrs. Johnson, that the much admired Epilogue to · The Distressed Mother,' which came out in Budgell's name, was in reality written by Addison.”

“ The mode of government by one may be ill adapted to a small society, but is best for a great nation. The characteristick of our own government at present is imbecillity. The magistrate dare not call the guards for fear of

being

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blind rage

1776. being hanged. The guards will not come, for fear of being given up to the

of popular juries.”
Of the father of one of our friends, he observed, “ He never clarified his

"
notions, by filtrating them through other minds. He had a canal upon his
estate, where at one place the bank was too low.—I dug the canal deeper,”
said he.

He told me that “ so long ago as 1748, he had read The Grave, a Poem";'
but did not like it much.” I differed from him ; for though it is not equal
throughout, and is seldom elegantly correct, it abounds in solemn thought, and
poetical imagery beyond the common reach. The world has differed from
him; for the poem has passed through many editions, and is still much read
by people of a serious caft of mind.

A literary lady of large fortune was mentioned, as one who did good to
many, but by no means “ by stealth,” and instead of “ blushing to find it

,
fame,” acted evidently from vanity. JOHNSON. “ I have seen no beings
who do as much good from benevolence, as she does, from whatever motive.
If there are such under the earth, or in the clouds, I wish they would come
up, or come down. What Soame Jennyns says upon this subject is not to
be minded; he is a wit. No, Sir, to act from pure benevolence is not
possible for finite beings. Human benevolence is mingled with vanity, interest,
or some other motive.”

He would not allow me to praise a lady then at Bath; observing, “She does
not gain upon me, Sir ; I think her empty-headed.” He was, indeed, a stern
critick upon characters and manners. Even Mrs. Thrale did not escape his
friendly animadversion at times. When he and I were one day endeavouring
to ascertain article by article, how one of our friends could possibly spend as
much money in his family as he told us he did, the interrupted us with a
lively extravagant fally, on the expence of clothing his children, describing
it in a very ludicrous and fanciful manner. Johnfon looked a little angry,
and faid, “ Nay, Madam, when you are declaiming, declaim; and when
you are calculating, calculate.” At another time, when she faid, perhaps
affectedly, “I don't like to fly.” Johnson. “ With your wings, Madam,

a

s I am sorry that there are no memoirs of the Reverend Robert Blair, the authour of this poem. He was the representative of the ancient family of Blair, of Blair in Ayrshire, but the citate had descended to a female, and afterwards passed to the fon of her husband by another marriage. He was minister of the parish of Athelftaneford, where Mr. John Home was his fucceffor , fo that it may be truly called classick ground. His son, who is of the same name, and a man eminent for talents and learning, is now, with universal approbation, Solicitor-General of Scotland. 6 6

you

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you must fly: but have a care, there are clippers abroad." How very well 1776.
was this said, and how fully has experience proved the truth of it! But Arat. 77.
have they not clipped rather rudely, and gone a great deal closer than was
neceffary?

A gentleman expressed a wish to go and live three years at Otaheite, or
New Zealand, in order to obtain a full acquaintance with people, fo totally
different from all that we have ever known, and be satisfied what pure
nature can do for man. JOHNSON. “ What could you learn, Sir? What
can savages tell, but what they themselves have seen? Of the past, or the
invisible, they can tell nothing. The inhabitants of Otaheite and New-
Zealand are not in a state of pure nature; for it is plain they broke off from
some other people. Had they grown out of the ground, you might have
judged of a state of pure nature. Fanciful people may talk of a mythology
being amongst them, but it must be invention. They have once had
religion, which has been gradually debased. And what account of their
religion can you suppose to be learnt from savages ? Only consider, Sir, our
own state : Our religion is in a book; we have an order of men whose duty
it is to teach it; we have one day in the week set apart for it, and this in
general pretty well observed: Yet ask the first ten gross men you meet, and
hear what they can tell of their religion.”

On Monday, April 29, he and I made an excursion to Bristol, where I was entertained with seeing him inquire upon the spot, into the authenticity of “ Rowley's Poetry,” as I had seen him inquire upon the spot into the authenticity of “Offian's Poetry.” George Catcot, the pewterer, who was as zealous for Rowley, as Dr. Hugh Blair was for Ofan, (I trust my Reverend friend will excuse the comparison,) attended us at our inn, and with a triumphant air of lively simplicity called out, “ I'll make Dr. Johnson a convert.” Dr. Johnson, at his desire, read aloud some of Chatterton's fabricated verses, while Catcot stood at the back of his chair, moving himself like a pendulum, and beating time with his feet, and now and then looking into Dr. Johnson's face, wondering that he was not yet convinced. We called on Mr. Barret, the surgeon, and saw some of the originals as they were called, which were executed very artificially; but from a careful inspection of them, and a consideration of the circumstances with which they were attended, we were quite satisfied of the imposture, which, indeed, has been clearly demonftrated from internal evidence, by several able criticks .

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1776. Honest Catcot seemed to pay no attention whatever to any objections, but
Ætat. 67. insisted, as an end of all controversy, that we should go with him to the tower

of the church of St. Mary, Redcliff, and view with our own eyes the ancient
chest in which the manuscripts were found. To this, Dr. Johnson good-
naturedly agreed; and though troubled with a shortness of breathing, laboured
up a long flight of steps, till we came to the place where the wondrous chest
stood. “ There, (faid Catcot, with a bouncing confident credulity,) there is
the very chest itlelf.” After this ocular demonstration, there was no more to be
said. He brought to my recollection a Scotch Highlander, a man of learning
too, and who had seen the world, attesting, and at the same time giving his
reasons for the authenticity of Fingal :—“I have heard all that poem when I
was young."-" Have you, Sir ? Pray what have you heard?"_“I have
heard Offian, Oscar, and every one of them.”

Johnson said of Chatterton, “ This is the most extraordinary young man
that has encountered my knowledge. It is wonderful how the whelp has written
such things."

We were by no means pleased with our inn at Bristol. « Let us see now, (said I, how we should describe it.” Johnson was ready with his raillery. “ Describe it, Sir ? -Why, it was so bad that Boswell wished to be in Scotland !”

After Dr. Johnson's return to London, I was several times with him at his house, where I occasionally Nept, in the room that had been assigned to me. i dined with him at Dr. Taylor's, at General Oglethorpe's, and at General Paoli's. To avoid a tedious minuteness, I shall groupe together what I have preserved of his conversation during this period also, without specifying each scene where it passed, except one, which will be found so remarkable as certainly to deserve a very particular relation. Where the place or the persons do not contribute to the zest of the conversation, it is unnecessary to encumber my page with mentioning them. To know of what vintage our wine is, enables us to judge of its value, and to drink it with more relish: but to have the produce of each vine of one vineyard, in the same year, kept separate, would serve no purpose. To know that our wine (to use an advertising phrase,) is “ of the stock of an Ambassadour lately deceased,” heightens its flavour: but it fignifies nothing to know the bin where each bottle was once deposited.

“ Garrick (he observed,) does not play the part of Archer in “ The Beaux Stratagem” well. The gentleman should break out through the footman, which is not the case as he does it."

" Where

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1776.

Ætat. 67.

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« Where there is no education, as in savage countries, men will have the upper hand of women. Bodily strength, no doubt, contributes to this: but it would be so, exclusive of that; for it is mind that always governs. When it comes to dry understanding, man has the better.”

“ The little volumes entitled “ Respublicæ,” which are very well done, were a book seller's work."

“ There is much talk of the misery which we cause to the brute creation ; but they are recompensed by existence. If they were not useful to man, and therefore protected by him, they would not be nearly so numerous.” This argument is to be found in the able and benignant Hutchinfon’s “Moral Philofophy.” But the question is, whether the animals who endure such sufferings of various kinds, for the service and entertainment of man, would accept of existence upon the terms on which they have it. Madame Sevigné, who, though she had many enjoyments, felt with delicate sensibility the prevalence of misery, complains of the task of existence having been imposed upon her without her consent.

“ That man is never happy for the present is so true, that all his relief from unhappiness is only forgetting himself for a little while. Life is a progress from want to want, not from enjoyment to enjoyment.”

“ Though many men are nominally entrusted with the administration of hospitals and other publick institutions, almost all the good is done by one man, by whom the rest are driven on; owing to confidence in him, and indolence in them.”

« Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his son, I think, might be made a very pretty book. Take out the immorality, and it should be put into the hands of every young gentleman. An elegant manner and easiness of behaviour are acquired gradually and imperceptibly. No man can say, “I'll be genteel.' There are ten genteel women for one genteel man, because they are more restrained. A man without some degree of restraint is insufferable ; but we are all less restrained than women. Were a woman sitting in company to put out her legs before her as most men do, we should be tempted to kick them in.”

No man was a more attentive and nice observer of behaviour in those in whose company he happened to be, than Johnson ; or, however strange it may seem to many, had a higher estimation of its refinements. Lord Eliot informs me, that one day when Johnson and he were at dinner at a gentleman's house in London, upon Lord Chesterfield's Letters being mentioned, Johnson surprized the company by this sentence : « Every man of any education would

“