do it in moderation. I found myself apt to go to excess in it, and therefore, after having been for fome time without it on account of illness, I thought it better not to return to it. Every man is to judge for himself according to the effects which he experiences. One of the fathers tells us, he found fasting made him fo peevish that he did not practise it."

Though he often enlarged upon the evil of intoxication he was by no means harth and unforgiving to those who indulged in occafional excess in wine. One of his friends came to sup at a tavern with him and some other gentlemen, and too plainly discovered that he had drunk too much at dinner. When one who loved mischief, thinking to produce a severe cenfure, asked Johnson, a few days afterwards, "Well, Sir, what did your friend say to you as an apology for being in such a fituation?"- Johnson answered, he said all that a man should fay-he said he was forry for it."

Sir,

" I was at one time (says Mr. B.) myself a water-drinker upon trial by Johnson's recommendation; and my friend observed, "Bofwell is a bolder combatant than Sir Joshua: he argues for wine without the help of wine; but Sir Joshua with it." - SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS (who was of the party), " But to please one's company company is a strong motive." -7. (who from drinking only water supposed every body who drank wine to be elevated), "I won't argue any more with you, Sir. You are too far gone."-SIR JOSHUA. "I should have thought so indeed, Sir, had I made fuch a speech as you have now done." -JOHNSON. (drawing himself in, and blushing), "Nay, don't be angry. I did not mean to offend you."-SIR J. "At first the taste of wine was disagreeable to me; but I brought myself to drink it that I might be like other people. The pleafure of drinking wine is so connected with pleasing your company, that altogether there is something of social goodness in it."-7. "Sir, this is only saying the fame thing over again." Sir J. "No, this is new."-7. "You put it in new words, but it is an old thought. This is one of the disadvantages of wine. It makes a man mistake words for thoughts."-B. "I think it is a new thought, at least it is in a new attitude." -7. ." Nay, Sir, it is only in a new coat; or an old coat with a new facing. It is (laughing heartily), the old dog in a new doublet. An extraordinary instance, however, may occur where a man's patron will do nothing for him unless he will drink: there may be a good reason for drinking." 66

Mr.

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Mr. Bofwell mentioned a nobleman who

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he believed was really uneasy if his company
would not drink hard. - JOHNSON. "That
is from having had people about him whom he
has been accustomed to command."-Bos-
WELL. Suppofing I should be tête-à-tête
with him at table." -7. Sir, there is no more
reason for your drinking with him, than his
being fober with you."-B. "Why that is
true; for it would do him less hurt to be
fober than it would do me to get drunk."-
7. "Yes, Sir; and from what I have heard
of him one would not wish to facrifice him-
felf to fuch a man. If he must always have
somebody to drink with him he should buy
a flave, and then he would be sure to have
it. They who submit to drink as another
pleases make themselves his flaves."- B.

"

But, Sir, you will surely make allowance for the duty of hofpitality.-A gentleman who loves drinking comes to vifit me."-7. " Sir, a man knows whom he vifits; he comes to the table of a fober man."-B. "But, Sir, you and I should not have been so well received in the Highlands and Hebrides if I had not drunk with our worthy friends. Had I drunk water only, as you did, they would not have been so cordial."-7. "Sir William Temple mentions,

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mentions, that in his travels through the Netherlands he had two or three gentlemen with him, and when a bumper was necefsary he put it on them. Were I to travel again through the ifslands I would have Sir Joshua with me to take the bumpers."-B. But, Sir, let me put a cafe: Suppose Sir Joshua should take a jaunt into Scotland; he does me the honour to pay me a visit at my house in the country; I am overjoyed at seeing him; we are quite by ourselves; shall I unsociably and churlishly let him fit drinking by himself? No, no, my dear Sir Joshua, you shall not be treated so, I will take a bottle with you."

MARRIAGE.

- To Mr. Bofwell on the eve of marriage Johnson said, "Now that you are going to marry, do not expect more from life than life will afford. You may often find yourself out of humour, and you may often think your wife not studious enough to please you; and yet you may have reason to confider yourfelf as upon the whole very happily married."

Of

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MARRIAGE.

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Of marriage in general, he observed, "Our marriage service is too refined: It is calculated only for the best kind of marriages; whereas we should have a form for matches of convenience, of which there are many."

At General Paoli's, a question was one day started, whether the state of marriage was natural to man. JOHNSON. "Sir, it is so far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a state of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilized society imposes to prevent separation, are hardly sufficient to keep them together." The General said, that in a state of nature a man and woman uniting together, would form a strong and constant affection, by the mutual pleasure each would receive; and that the same causes of diffention would not arife between them, as occur between husband and wife in a civilized state.--7. "Sir, they would have diffentions enough, though of another kind. One would choose to go a hunting in this wood, the other in that; one would choose to go a fishing in this lake, the other in that; or, perhaps, one would choose to go a hunting when the other would choose to go a fishing; and so they would part. Besides, Sir, a savage man and a savage woman meet by chance; and when the man sees another

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