1775. Ætat. 66. Mr. Strahan talked of launching into the great ocean of London, in order to have a chance for rifing to eminence, and obferving that many men were kept back from trying their fortune there, because they were born to a competency, faid, "Small certainties are the bane of men of talents:" which Johnfon confirmed. Mr. Strahan put Johnfon in mind of a remark which he had made to him; "There are few ways in which a man can be more innocently employed than in getting money.' "The more one thinks of this, (faid Strahan,) the jufter it will appear." "Mr. Mr. Strahan had taken a poor boy from the country as an apprentice, upon Johnson's recommendation. Johnfon having inquired after him, faid, Strahan, let me have five guineas on account, and I'll give this boy one. Nay, if a man recommends a boy, and does nothing for him, it is fad work. Call him down." I followed him into the court-yard, behind Mr. Strahan's house; and there I had a proof of what I had heard him profefs, that he talked alike to all. "Some people (faid he,) tell you that they let themfelves down to the capacity of their hearers. I never do that. I speak uniformly, in as intelligible a manner as I can." "Well, my boy, how do you go on ?"-" Pretty well, Sir; but they are afraid I an't strong enough for some parts of the bufinefs." JOHNSON. “ Why I shall be forry for it; for when you confider with how little mental power and corporeal labour a printer can get a guinea a week, it is a very defirable occupation for you. Do you hear, take all the pains you can; and if this does not do, we must think of fome other way of life for you. There's a guinea." Here was one of the many, many inftances of his active benevolence. At the fame time, the flow and fonorous folemnity with which, while he bent himself down, he addreffed a little thick fhort-legged boy, contrafted with the boy's aukwardness and awe, could not but excite fome ludicrous emotions. I met him at Drury-lane playhouse in the evening. Sir Jofhua Reynolds, at Mrs. Abington's request, had promised to bring a body of wits to her benefit; and having secured forty places in the front boxes, had done me the honour to put me in the groupe. Johnson fat on the feat directly behind me; and as he could neither fee nor hear at fuch a distance from the stage, he was wrapped up in grave abstraction, and feemed quite a cloud, amidst all the funfhine of glitter and gaiety. I wondered at his patience in fitting out a play of five acts, and a farce of two. He faid very little; but after the prologue to "Bon Ton" had been spoken, which he could hear pretty well from the more flow and diftinct utterance, he obferved, "Dryden has written prologues prologues fuperiour to any that David Garrick has written; but David Garrick has written more good prologues than Dryden has done. It is wonderful that he has been able to write fuch a variety of them." At Mr. Beauclerk's, where I fupped, was Mr. Garrick, whom I made happy with Johnson's praise of his prologues; and I fuppofe, in gratitude to him, he took up one of his favourite topicks, the nationality of the Scotch, which he maintained in his pleasant manner, with the aid of a little poetical fiction. "Come, come, don't deny it: they are really national. Why, now, the Adams are as liberal-minded men as any in the world: but, I don't know how it is, all their workmen are Scotch. You are, to be fure, wonder-fully free from that nationality; but fo it happens, that you employ the only Scotch fhoe-black in London." He imitated the manner of his old master with ludicrous exaggeration; repeating, with pauses and half whistlings interjected, "Os homini fublime dedit,-cælumque tueri— looking downwards all the time, and, while pronouncing the four last words, abfolutely touching the ground with a kind of contorted gefticulation. Garrick, however, when he pleased, could imitate Johnson very exactly; for that great actor, with his distinguished powers of expreffion which were so univerfally admired, poffeffed also an admirable talent of mimickry. He was always jealous that Johnson spoke lightly of him. I recollect his exhibiting him to me one day, as if faying "Davy is futile," which he uttered perfectly with the tone and air of Johnson. I cannot too frequently request of my readers while they perufe my account of Johnson's converfation, to endeavour to keep in mind his deliberate and ftrong utterance. His mode of speaking was indeed very impreffive+; and I wish it could be preferved as mufick is written, according to the very • My noble friend Lord Pembroke faid once to me at Wilton, with a happy pleasantry and fome truth, that "Dr. Johnson's fayings would not appear fo extraordinary, were it not for his bowwow way." The fayings themselves are generally of fterling merit; but, doubtless, his manner was an addition to their effect, and therefore fhould be attended to as much as may be. It is neceffary, however, to guard those who were not acquainted with him, against overcharged imitations or caricatures of his manner, which are frequently attempted, and many of which are fecondhand copies from the late Mr. Henderson the actor, who, though a good mimick of some perfons, did not reprefent Johnfon correctly. 1775 1775 ingenious method of Mr. Steele', who has fhewn how the recitation of Etat. 66. Mr. Garrick, and other eminent fpeakers, might be tranfmitted to posterity in fcore. Next day I dined with Johnfon at Mr. Thrale's. He attacked Gray, calling him "a dull fellow." BoswELL. "I understand he was reserved, and might appear dull in company; but furely he was not dull in poetry." JOHNSON. "Sir, he was dull in company, dull in his clofet, dull every where. He was dull in a new way, and that made many people think him GREAT. He was a mechanical poet." He then repeated fome ludicrous lines, which have escaped my memory, and faid, "Is not that GREAT, like his Odes?" Mrs. Thrale maintained that his Odes were melodious; upon which he exclaimed, "Weave the warp, and weave the woof;" I added, in a folemn tone, "The winding-fheet of Edward's race." There is a good line."-" Aye, (faid he,) and the next line is a good one;" (pronouncing it contemptuously): "Give ample verge and room enough," "No, Sir, there are but two good stanzas in Gray's poetry, which are in his Elegy in a Country Church-yard." He then repeated the stanza, "For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey," &c. miftaking one word; for inftead of precincts he faid confines. He added, A young lady who had married a man much her inferiour in rank being mentioned, a queftion arofe how a woman's relations fhould behave to her in fuch a fituation; and, while I recapitulate the debate, and recollect what has fince happened, I cannot but be ftruck in a manner that delicacy forbids me to exprefs. While I contended that fhe ought to be treated with an inflexible fteadiness of difpleafure, Mrs. Thrale was all for mildness and forgiveness, and, 5 See "Profodia Rationalis; or, an Effay towards eftablishing the Melody and Meafure of Speech, to be expreffed and perpetuated by peculiar Symbols." London, 1779. J according 1775 according to the vulgar phrafe, making the best of a bad bargain. Tour "Madam, we must diftinguish. Were I a man of rank, I would not let a tat. 66. daughter starve who had made a mean marriage; but having voluntarily degraded herself from the station which she was originally entitled to hold, I would fupport her only in that which she herself has chofen; and would not put her on a level with my other daughters. You are to confider, Madam, that it is our duty to maintain the fubordination of civilised fociety; and when there is a grofs and shameful deviation from rank, it should be punished so as to deter others from the fame perverfion." After frequently confidering this fubject, I am more and more confirmed in what I then meant to exprefs, and which was fanctioned by the authority, and illustrated by the wifdom, of Johnson; and I think it of the utmost confequence to the happiness of Society, to which fubordination is abfolutely neceffary. It is weak, and contemptible, and unworthy, in a parent to relax in fuch a cafe. It is facrificing general advantage to private feelings. And let it be confidered, that the claim of a daughter who has acted thus, to be restored to her former situation, is either fantastical or unjust. If there be no value in the distinction of rank, what does she suffer by being kept in the fituation to which fhe has defcended? If there be a value in that distinction, it ought to be steadily maintained. If indulgence be fhewn to fuch conduct, and the offenders know that in a longer or fhorter time they shall be received as well as if they had not contaminated their blood by a base alliance, the great check upon that inordinate caprice which generally occafions low marriages, will be removed, and the fair and comfortable order of improved life will be miferably disturbed. Lord Chesterfield's letters being mentioned, Johnfon faid, "It was not to be wondered at that they had fo great a fale, confidering that they were the letters of a statesman, a wit, one who had been fo much in the mouths of mankind, one long accustomed virum volitare per ora." On Friday, March 31, I fupped with him and fome friends at a tavern. One of the company attempted, with too much forwardnefs, to rally him on his late appearance at the theatre; but had reafon to repent of his temerity. Why, Sir, did you go to Mrs. Abington's benefit? Did you fee?" JOHNSON. No, Sir." "Did you hear "" JOHNSON. "No, Sir." Why then, Sir, did you go?" JOHNSON. "Because, Sir, fhe is a favourite of the publick: and when the publick cares the thoufandth part for you that it does for her, I will go to your benefit too.” 1775. Etat. 66. Next morning I won a small bett from Lady Diana Beauclerk, by asking him as to one of his particularities, which her Ladyship laid I durft not do. It seems he had been frequently obferved at the club to put into his pocket the Seville oranges, after he had fqueezed the juice of them into the drink which he made for himself. Beauclerk and Garrick talked of it to me, and feemed to think that he had a ftrange unwillingness to be difcovered. We could not divine what he did with them; and this was the bold question to be put. I faw on his table the fpoils of the preceding night, fome fresh peels nicely fcraped and cut into pieces. "O, Sir, (faid I,) I now partly fee what you do with the fqueezed oranges which you put into your pocket at the club." JOHNSON. "I have a great love for them." BOSWELL." And pray, Sir, what do you do with them? You fcrape them, it seems, very neatly, and what next?" JOHNSON. "I let them dry, Sir." BOSWELL. "And what next?" JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, you fhall know their fate no further." BOSWELL. "Then the world must be left in the dark. It must be faid, (affuming a mock folemnity,) he scraped them, and let them dry, but what he did with them next, he never could be prevailed upon to tell." JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, you should say it more emphatically:-he could not be prevailed upon, even by his dearest friends, to tell." He had this morning received his Diploma as Doctor of Laws from the University of Oxford. He did not vaunt of his new dignity, but I understood he was highly pleafed with it. I fhall here infert the progrefs and completion. of that high academical honour, in the fame manner as I have traced his obtaining that of Master of Arts. To the Reverend Dr. FOTHERGILL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford,. to be communicated to the Heads of Houfes, and propofed in Convocation. "Mr. Vice-Chancellor and Gentlemen, "THE honour of the degree of M. A. by diploma, formerly conferred upon Mr. SAMUEL JOHNSON, in confequence of his having eminently distinguished himself by the publication of a series of effays, excellently calculated to form the manners of the people, and in which the cause of religion. and morality has been maintained and recommended by the strongest powers of argument and elegance of language, reflected an equal degree of luftre upon the University itself. "The |