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 pofterity

in fcore.

Next day I dined with Johnson 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 He was a mechanical poet." He then repeated fome ludicrous lines, which have escaped my memory, and said, "Is not that GREAT, like his Odes?" Mrs. Thrale maintained that his Odes were melodious; upon which he exclaimed,

GREAT.

"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.

mistaking one word; for instead of precincts he said confines. He added, "The other stanza I forget."

A young lady who had married a man much her inferiour in rank being mentioned, a question arose 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 she ought to be treated with an inflexible fteadiness of difpleasure, Mrs. Thrale was all for mildness and forgiveness, and,

5 See "Profodia Rationalis; or, an Effay towards establishing the Melody and Measure of Speech, to be expreffed and perpetuated by peculiar Symbols." London, 1779.

1775

according to the vulgar phrase, making the best of a bad bargain. JOHNSON. "Madam, we must distinguish. 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 fhe 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 civilifed fociety; and when there is a grofs and fhameful deviation from rank, it should be punished fo 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 wisdom, of Johnfon; and I think it of the utmost consequence 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 fituation, is either fantastical or unjust. If there be no value in the distinction of rank, what does fhe fuffer 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 fhall 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, Johnson 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 so 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." "No, Sir." "Why then, Sir,

did

you go?" JOHNSON. "Because, Sir, fhe is a favourite of the publick: and when the publick cares the thousandth 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 feems 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 strange unwillingness to be discovered. We could not divine what he did with them; and this was the bold question to be put. I faw on his table the spoils of the preceding night, fome fresh peels nicely scraped and cut into pieces. "O, Sir, (faid I,) I now partly see what you do with the squeezed 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 shall know their fate no further." BOSWELL. "Then the world must be left in the dark. It must be faid, (affuming a mock folemnity,) he fcraped 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 Mafter of Arts..

To the Reverend Dr. FOTHERGILL, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, to be communicated to the Heads of Houses, and proposed 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 cálculated 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 itfeif.

<< The

"The many learned labours which have fince that time employed the attention and displayed the abilities of that great man, so much to the advancement of literature and the benefit of the community, render him worthy of more distinguished honours in the republick of letters: and I perfuade myself, that I fhall act agreeably to the fentiments of the whole University, in defiring that it may be propofed in Convocation to confer on him the degree of Doctor. in Civil Law by diploma, to which I readily give my confent; and am, "Mr. Vice-Chancellor and Gentlemen,

"Downing-ftreet, March 23, 1775:"

"Your affectionate friend and fervant,

"NORTH"."

1775. ང་

Ætat. 66.

DIPLOMA.

"CANCELLARIUS, Magiftri, et Scholares Univerfitatis Oxonienfis, omnibus ad quos præfentes Litera pervenerint, Salutem in Domino Sempiternam..

"SCIATIS, virum illuftrem, SAMUELEM JOHNSON, in omni humaniorum literarum genere eruditum, omniumque fcientiarum comprehenfione feliciffimum, fcriptis fuis, ad popularium mores formandos fummâ verborum elegantiá ac fententiarum gravitate compofitis, ita olim inclaruiffe, ut dignus videretur cui ab Academia Jua eximia quædam laudis præmia deferentur, quique venerabilem Magiftrorum Ordinem fummâ cum dignitate cooptaretur:

"Cùm verò eundem clariffimum virum tot pofteà tantique labores, in patria præfertim lingud ornandå et ftabilienda feliciter impenfi, ita infigniverint, ut in Literarum Republica PRINCEPS jam et PRIMARIUS jure habeatur ; Nos CANCELLARIUS, Magiftri et Scholares Univerfitatis Oxonienfis, quò talis viri merita pari honoris remuneratione exæquentur, et perpetuum fuæ fimul laudis, noftræque erga literas propenfiffimæ voluntatis extet monumentum, in folenni Convocatione Doctorum et Magiftrorum regentium et non regentium, prædictum SAMUELEM JOHNSON Doctorem in Jure Civili renunciavimus et conftituimus, eumque virtute præfentis Diplomatis fingulis juribus, privilegiis et bonoribus, ad iftum gradum quàquà pertinentibus, frui et gaudere juffimus. In cujus rei teftimonium commune Univerfitatis Oxonienfis figillum præfentibus apponi fecimus.

"Datum in Domo noftre Convocationis die tricefimo menfis Martii, Anno Domini Millefimo, feptingentefimo, feptuagefimo quinto"."

6 Extracted from the Convocation Regifter, Oxford.

7 The original is in my poffeffion.

« Viro

1775.

Ætat. 66.

« Viro reverendo THOME FOTHERGILL, S. T. P. Univerfitatis Oxonienfis Vice-Cancellario.

"S. P. D.

"SAM. JOHNSON.

"MULTIS non eft opus, ut teftimonium quo, te præfide, Oxonienfes nomen meum pofteris commendârunt, quali animo acceperim compertum faciam. Nemo fibi placens non lætatur; nemo fibi non placet, qui vobis, literarum arbitris, placere potuit. Hoc tamen habet incommodi tantum beneficium, quod mihi nunquam pofthàc fine veftræ fama detrimento vel labi liceat vel ceffare; femperque fit timendum, ne quod mihi tam eximie laudi eft, vobis aliquando fiat opprobrio. Vale."

"7. Id. Apr. 1775."

He revised some sheets of Lord Hailes's "Annals of Scotland," and wrote a few notes on the margin with red ink, which he bade me tell his Lordship did not fink into the paper, and might be wiped off with a wet fponge, so that he did not spoil his manuscript. I told him there were very few of his friends fo accurate as that I could venture to put down in writing what they told me as his fayings. JOHNSON. "Why fhould you write down my fayings?" BOSWELL. "I write them when they are good." JOHNSON. "Nay, you may as well write down the sayings of any one elfe that are good." But where, I might with great propriety have added, can I find such?

I vifited him by appointment in the evening, and we drank tea with Mrs. Williams. He told me that he had been in the company of a gentleman whofe extraordinary travels had been much the subject of conversation. But I found that he had not listened to him with that full confidence, without which there is little fatisfaction in the fociety of travellers. I was curious to hear what opinion fo able a judge as Johnson had formed of his abilities, and I afked if he was not a man of fenfe. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, he is not a diftinct relater; and I should say, he is neither abounding nor deficient in sense. I did not perceive any fuperiority of understanding." BOSWELL. "But will you not allow him a nobleness of refolution, in penetrating into distant regions?" The original is in the hands of Dr. Fothergill, then Vice-Chancellor, who made this tranfcript.

T.

WARTON."

JOHNSON.