be believed it was Dodd's. Besides, sir, I did not directly tell a lie: I left the matter uncertain. Perhaps I thought that Seward would not believe it the less to be mine for what I said; but I would not put it in his power to say I had owned it.”

He praised Blair's Sermons: "Yet," said he, (willing to let us see he was aware that fashionable fame, however deserved, is not always the most lasting,)“ perhaps they may not be reprinted after seven years; at least not after Blair's death.”

He said, "Goldsmith was a plant that flowered late. There appeared nothing remarkable about him when he was young; though when he had got high in fame, one of his friends1 began to recollect something of his being distinguished at college. Goldsmith in the same manner recollected more of that friend's early years, as he grew a greater man."

I mentioned that Lord Monboddo told me, he awaked every morning at four, and then for his health got up and walked in his room naked, with the window open, which he called taking an air-bath ; after which he went to bed again, and slept two hours more. Johnson, who was always ready to beat down any thing that seemed to be exhibited with disproportionate importance, thus observed: "I suppose, sir, there is no more in it than this, he wakes at four, and cannot sleep till he chills himself, and makes the warmth of the bed a grateful sensation.”

I talked of the difficulty of rising in the morning. Dr. Johnson told me, "that the learned Mrs. Carter, at that period when she was eager in study, did not awake as early as she wished, and she therefore had a contrivance, that, at a certain hour, her chamber

[Mr. Burke.-ED.]

2 He was distinguished in college, as appears from a circumstance mentioned by Dr. Kearney. See vol. i. p. 420.-MALONE.

light should burn a string to which a heavy weight was suspended, which then fell with a strong sudden noise this roused her from sleep, and then she had no difficulty in getting up." But I said that was my difficulty; and wished there could be some medicine invented which would make one rise without pain, which I never did, unless after lying in bed a very long time. Perhaps there may be something in the stores of Nature which could do this. I have thought of a pulley to raise me gradually; but that would give me pain, as it would counteract my internal inclination. I would have something that can dissipate the vis inertia, and give elasticity to the muscles. As I imagine that the human body may be put, by the operation of other substances, into any state in which it has ever been; and as I have experienced a state in which rising from bed was not disagreeable, but easy, nay, sometimes agreeable; I suppose that this state may be produced, if we knew by what. We can heat the body, we can cool it; we can give it tension or relaxation; and surely it is possible to bring it into a state in which rising from bed will not be a pain.

Johnson observed, that "a man should take a sufficient quantity of sleep, which Dr. Mead says is between seven and nine hours." I told him, that Dr. Cullen said to me, that a man should not take more sleep than he can take at once. JOHNSON. "This rule, sir, cannot hold in all cases; for many people have their sleep broken by sickness; and surely, Cullen would not have a man to get up, after having slept but an hour. Such a regimen would soon end in a long sleep1." Dr. Taylor remarked I think

This regimen was, however, practised by Bishop Ken, of whom Hawkins (not Sir John) in his life of that venerable prelate, page 4, tells us, "And that neither his study might be the aggressor on his hours of instruction, or what he VOL. IV.

с

Hawk.

A poph. p. 204.

Piozzi, p. 168, 165.

very justly, that " a man who does not feel an inclination to sleep at the ordinary times, instead of being stronger than other people, must not be well; for a man in health has all the natural inclinations to eat, drink, and sleep, in a strong degree."

Johnson advised me to-night not to refine in the education of my children. "Life," said he, "will not bear refinement: you must do as other people do." [When he was asked by Dr. Lawrence what he thought the best system of education, he replied, "School in school-hours, and home-instruction in the intervals."]

[On another occasion he maintained that "A boy should never be sent to Eton or Westminster school before he is twelve years old at least; for if in his years of babyhood he fails to attain that general and transcendent knowledge without which life is perpetually put to a stand, he will never get it at a public school, where if he does not learn Latin and Greek, he learns nothing." Dr. Johnson often said, "that there was too much stress laid upon literature as indispensably necessary: there is surely no need that every body should be a scholar, no call that every one should square the circle. Our manner of teaching cramps and warps many a mind, which if left more at liberty would have been respectable in some way, though perhaps not in that." "We lop our trees, and prune them, and pinch them about," he would say, "and nail them tight up to the wall, while a

judged his duty, prevent his improvements; or both, his closet addresses to his God; he strictly accustomed himself to but one sleep, which often obliged him to rise at one or two of the clock in the morning, and sometimes sooner; and grew so habitual, that it continued with him almost till his last illness. And so lively and cheerful was his temper, that he would be very facetious and entertaining to his friends in the evening, even when it was perceived that with difficulty he kept his eyes open; and then seemed to go to rest with no other purpose than the refreshing and enabling him with more vigour and cheerfulness to sing his morning hymn, as he then used to do to his lute before he put on his clothes."-BOSWELL.

good standard is at last the only thing for bearing healthy fruit, though it commonly begins later. Let the people learn necessary knowledge: let them learn to count their fingers, and to count their money, before they are caring for the classics; for," says Dr. Johnson, "though I do not quite agree with the proverb, that Nullum numen abest si sit prudentia, yet we may very well say, that Nullum numen adestni sit prudentia."

Indeed useful and what we call every-day knowledge had the most of his just praise. "Let your boy learn arithmetic, dear madam," was his advice to the mother of a rich young heir: "he will not then be a prey to every rascal which this town swarms with teach him the value of money and how to reckon it: ignorance to a wealthy lad of oneand-twenty is only so much fat to a sick sheep: it just serves to call the rooks about him.'

[This young heir was the well-known Sir John ED. Lade', and Dr. Johnson's sagacity had, no doubt, detected in him a disposition to that profusion for which he was afterwards so remarkable. It is curious too, that, on another important subject, Johnson should have given Sir John some early advice, which, in the sequel, he too notoriously disregarded.]

[One day as he was musing over the fire of the Piozzi, drawing-room at Streatham, this young gentleman p.74,75. [who was Mr. Thrale's nephew and ward] called to him suddenly, and rather disrespectfully, in these words: Dr. Johnson, would you advise me to marry? "I would advise no man to marry, sir (replied in a

[He was the posthumous son of the fourth baronet, by Mr. Thrale's sister. He entered eagerly into all the follies of the day; was a remarkable whip, and married a woman of the town. See towards the close of the fourth vol. the lively, satirical, and too prophetic verses which Johnson wrote on his coming of age.-ED.]

very angry tone Dr. Johnson), who is not likely to propagate understanding;" and so left the room. Our companion looked confounded, and seemed to have scarce recovered the consciousness of his own existence, when Johnson came back, and drawing his chair among the party, with altered looks and a softened voice, joined in the general chat, insensibly led the conversation to the subject of marriage, where he explained himself in a dissertation so useful, so elegant, so founded on the true knowledge of human life, and so adorned with beauty of sentiment, that no one ever recollected the offence, except to rejoice in its consequences.]

As we drove back to Ashbourne, Dr. Johnson recommended to me, as he had often done, to drink water only: "For," said he, "you are then sure not to get drunk; whereas, if you drink wine, you are never sure." I said, drinking wine was a pleasure which I was unwilling to give up. "Why, sir," said he, "there is no doubt that not to drink wine is a great deduction from life: but it may be necessary." He however owned, that in his opinion a free use of wine did not shorten life; and said, he would not give less for the life of a certain Scotch Lord1 (whom he named) celebrated for hard drinking, than for that of a sober man. “But stay,” said he, with his usual intelligence, and accuracy of inquiry-" does it take much wine to make him drunk?" I answered, "a great deal either of wine or strong punch.” "Then," said he, "that is the worse." I presume to illustrate my friend's observation thus; "A fortress which soon surrenders has its walls less shattered than when a long and obstinate resistance is made."

1 [Probably Thomas, sixth Earl of Kellie, born in 1732; died in 1781. He was remarkable for some musical talents, but still more for his conviviality. Even the Peerage confesses "that he was more assiduous in the service of Bac chus than Apollo."-ED.]