"With gentle speech fhe warns him now to yield, The Honourable Thomas Hervey and his lady having unhappily disagreed, When I mentioned to Johnson this story, in as delicate terms as I could, he told me that the fifty pound note was given to him by Mr. Hervey in confideration of his having written for him a pamphlet against Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, who, Mr. Harvey imagined, was the authour of an attack upon him; but that it was afterwards difcovered to be the work of a garretteer, who wrote "The Fool:" fo the pamphlet against Sir Charles was not printed. In February, 1767, there happened one of the moft remarkable incidents of Johnson's life, which gratified his monarchical enthusiasm, and which he loved to relate with all its circumftances, when requested by his friends. This was his being honoured by a private converfation with his Majefty, in the library at the Queen's houfe. He had frequently visited thofe fplendid rooms Pp 2 and 1766. Etat. 57. 1767. 1767. Etat. 58. and noble collection of books, which he used to fay was more numerous and curious than he supposed any person could have made in the time which the King had employed. Mr. Barnard, the librarian, took care that he should have every accommodation that could contribute to his ease and convenience, while indulging his literary tafte in that place; fo that he had here a very agreeable refource at leifure hours. His Majefty having been informed of his occafional vifits, was pleased to fignify a defire that he fhould be told when Dr. Johnfon came next to the library. Accordingly, the next time that Johnfon did come, as foon as he was fairly engaged with a book, on which, while he fat by the fire, he feemed quite intent, Mr. Barnard ftole round to the apartment where the King was, and, in obedience to his Majefty's commands, mentioned that Dr. Johnson was then in the library. His Majefty faid he was at leifure, and would go to him; upon which Mr. Barnard took one of the candles that stood on the King's table, and lighted his Majefty through a fuite of rooms, till they came to a private door into the library, of which his Majefty had the key. Being entered, Mr. Barnard stepped forward haftily to Dr. Johnson, who was ftill in a profound study, and whispered him, "Sir, here is the King." Johnson started up, and stood ftill. His Majefty approached him, and at once was courteously eafy 7. His Majesty began by obferving, that he understood he came fometimes to the library; and then mentioning his having heard that the Doctor had been • Dr. Johnfon had the honour of contributing his affistance towards the formation of this library; for I have read a long letter from him to Mr. Barnard, giving the most masterly instructions on the fubject. I wished much to have gratified my readers with the perufal of this letter, and have reafon to think that his Majefty would have been graciously pleased to permit its publication; but Mr. Barnard, to whom I applied, declined it on his own account." 7 The particulars of this conversation I have been at great pains to collect with the utmost authenticity, from Dr. Johnson's own detail to my felf; from Mr. Langton, who was present when he gave an account of it to Dr. Jofeph Warton, and several other friends, at Sir Joshua Reynolds's ; from Mr. Barnard; from the copy of a letter written by the late Mr. Strahan the printer, to Bishop Warburton; and from a minute, the original of which is among the papers of the late Sir James Caldwell, and a copy of which was moft obligingly obtained for me from his fon Sir John Caldwell, by Sir Francis Lumm. To all thefe gentlemen I beg leave to make my grateful acknowledgements, and particularly to Sir Francis Lumm, who was pleafed to take a great deal of trouble, and even had the minute laid before the King by Lord Caermarthen, now Duke of Leeds, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, who announced to Sir Francis the Royal pleasure concerning it by a letter, in thefe words: "I have the King's commands to affure you, Sir, how fenfible his Majefty is of your attention in communicating the minute of the converfation previous to its publication. As there appears no objection to your complying with Mr. Bofwell's wishes on the fubject, you are at full liberty to deliver it to that gentleman, to make fuch ufe of in his Life of Dr. Johnfon, as he may think proper." lately 1767. lately at Oxford, asked him if he was not fond of going thither. To which Johnfon anfwered, that he was indeed fond of going to Oxford fometimes, Etat. 58. but was likewife glad to come back again. The King then asked him what they were doing at Oxford. Johnson answered, he could not much commend their diligence, but that in some respects they were mended, for they had put their prefs under better regulations, and were at that time printing Polybius. He was then afked whether there were better libraries at Oxford or Cambridge. He answered, he believed the Bodleian was larger than any they had at Cambridge; at the fame time adding, "I hope, whether we have more books or not than they have at Cambridge, we fhall make as good use of them as they do." Being asked whether All-Souls or Chrift-Church library was the largest, he answered, “All-Souls library is the largest we have, except the Bodleian.” Aye, (faid the King,) that is the publick library." His Majefty enquired if he was then writing any thing. He answered, he was not, for he had pretty well told the world what he knew, and must now read to acquire more knowledge. The King, as it fhould feem with a view to urge him to rely on his own ftores as an original writer, and to continue his labours, then faid, "I do not think you borrow much from any body.” Johnson faid, he thought he had already done his part as a writer. "I fhould have thought fo too, (faid the King,) if you had not written fo well.”— Johnson obferved to me, upon this, that "No man could have paid a handfomer compliment; and it was fit for a King to pay. It was decifive." When afked by another friend, at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, whether he made any reply to this high compliment, he answered, "No, Sir. When the King had said it, it was to be fo. It was not for me to bandy civilities with my fovereign.” Perhaps no man who had spent his whole life in courts could have fhewn a more nice and dignified fenfe of true politenefs, than Johnson did in this instance. His Majesty having obferved to him that he fuppofed he must have read a great deal; Johnson answered, that he thought more than he read; that he had read a great deal in the early part of his life, but having fallen into ill health, he had not been able to read much, compared with others: for inftance, he said he had not read much compared with Dr. Warburton. Upon which the King faid, that he heard Dr. Warburton was a man of fuch general knowledge, that you could scarce talk with him on any fubject on which he was not qualified to speak; and that his learning refembled Garrick's acting, in its univerfality. His Majefty then talked of the controverfy between Warburton and Lowth, which he feemed to have read, and afked Johnfon what he thought of it. Johnfon answered, " Warburton has most general, moft 1767. Etat. 58. most scholastick learning; Lowth is the more correct scholar. I do not know which of them calls names beft." The King was pleased to say he was of the fame opinion; adding, "You do not think then, Dr. Johnson, that there was much argument in the cafe." Johnson faid, he did not think there was. "Why truly, (faid the King,) when once it comes to calling names, argument is pretty well at an end." His Majesty then asked him what he thought of Lord Lyttelton's history, which was then just published. Johnson faid, he thought his ftyle pretty good, but that he had blamed Henry the Second rather too much. Why, (faid the King,) they feldom do these things by halves." "No, Sir, (answered Johnson,) not to Kings." But fearing to be misunderstood, he proceeded to explain himself; and immediately subjoined, "That for those who spoke worfe of Kings than they deserved, he could find no excufe, but that he could more easily conceive how fome might speak better of them than they deserved, without any ill intention; for, as Kings had much in their power to give, those who were favoured by them would frequently, from gratitude, exaggerate their praises; and as this proceeded from a good motive, it was certainly excufeable, as far as errour could be excufeable." · The King then asked him what he thought of Dr. Hill. Johnson answered, that he was an ingenious man, but had no veracity; and immediately mentioned, as an inftance of it, an affertion of that writer, that he had feen objects magnified to a much greater degree by using three or four microscopes at a time, than by using one. "Now, (added Johnson,) every one acquainted with microscopes knows, that the more of them he looks through, the less the object will appear.' Why, (replied the King,) this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumfily; for, if that be the cafe, every one who can look through a microscope will be able to detect him." "I now, (faid Johnson to his friends, when relating what had paffed,) began to confider that I was depreciating this man in the estimation of his sovereign, and thought it was time for me to fay fomething that might be more favourable." He added, therefore, that Dr. Hill was, notwithstanding, a very curious obferver; and if he would have been contented to tell the world no more than he knew, he might have been a very confiderable man, and needed not to have recourfe to fuch mean expedients to raise his reputation. The King then talked of literary journals, mentioned particularly the Journal des Savans, and asked Johnfon if it was well done. Johnson said, it was formerly very well done, and gave fome account of the perfons who began 1767. began it, and carried it on for fome years; enlarging at the fame time, on the The converfation next turned on the Philofophical Tranfactions, when Johnson obferved, that they had now a better method of arranging their materials than formerly. Aye, (faid the King,) they are obliged to Dr. Johnson for that;" for his Majefty had heard and remembered the circumstance, which Johnson himself had forgot. His Majefty expreffed a defire to have the literary biography of this country ably executed, and proposed to Dr. Johnson to undertake it. Johnson fignified his readiness to comply with his Majesty's wishes. During the whole of this interview, Johnson talked to his Majesty with profound respect, but still in his firm manly manner, with a fonorous voice, and never in that fubdued tone which is commonly used at the levee and in the drawing-room. After the King withdrew, Johnson fhewed himself highly pleased with his Majesty's conversation and gracious behaviour. He faid to Mr. Barnard, "Sir, they may talk of the King as they will; but he is the finest gentleman I have ever seen." And he afterwards obferved to Mr. Langton, "Sir, his manners are thofe of as fine a gentleman as we may fuppofe Lewis the Fourteenth or Charles the Second." At Sir Joshua Reynolds's, where a circle of Johnson's friends was collected round him to hear his account of this memorable converfation, Dr. Jofeph Warton, in his frank and lively manner, was very active in preffing him to mention the particulars. "Come now, Sir, this is an interesting matter; do favour us with it." Johnfon, with great good humour, complied. He told them, "I found his Majefty wished I fhould talk, and I made it my bufinels to talk. I find it does a man good to be talked to by his fovereign. In the first place, a man cannot be in a paffion-" Here fome question interrupted him, which is to be regretted, as he certainly would have pointed out and illuftrated many circumstances of advantage, from being in a fituation, where the powers of the mind are at once excited to vigorous exertion, and tempered by reverential awe. |