please the chief magiftrate?" GOLDSMITH. "I do wish to please him. I remember a line in Dryden, And ev'ry poet is the Monarch's friend.' It ought to be reverfed." JOHNSON. "Nay, there are finer lines in Dryden. on this fubject: For colleges on bounteous Kings depend, And never rebel was to arts a friend." General Paoli obferved, that fuccessful rebels might. MARTINELLI. "Happy General Paoli, talking of Goldsmith's new play, faid, " Il a fait un compliment très gracieux à une certaine grande dame;" meaning a Duchefs of the first rank. I expreffed a doubt whether Goldsmith intended it, in order that I might hear the truth from himself. It, perhaps, was not quite fair to endeavour to bring him to a confeffion, as he might not wish to avow pofitively his taking part against the Court. He fimiled and hesitated. The General at once relieved him, by this beautiful image: "Monfieur Goldsmith eft comme la mer qui jette des perles et beaucoup d'autres belles chofes, fans s'en appercevoir." GOLDSMITH." Très bien dit, et très élégamment." A perfon was mentioned, who it was faid could take down in fhort hand the fpeeches in parliament with perfect exactnefs. JOHNSON. "Sir, it is impoffible. I remember one Angel, who came to me to write for him a Preface or Dedication to a book upon fhort hand, and he profeffed to write as fast as a man could speak. In order to try him, I took down a book, and read while he wrote; and I favoured him, for I read more deliberately than ufual. I had proceeded but a very little way, when he begged I would defift, for he could not follow me.” Hearing now for the first time of this Preface or Dedication, I faid, "What an expence, Sir, do you put us to in buying books, to which you have written Prefaces or Dedications." JOHNSON. Why I have dedicated to the Royal Family all round; that is to fay, to the last generation of the Royal Family." GOLDSMITH, "And perhaps, Sir, not one fentence of wit 1773. Etat. 64. in 1773. Etat. 64. in a whole Dedication." JOHNSON. "Perhaps not, Sir." BOSWELL. "What then is the reason for applying to a particular perfon to do that which any one may do as well?" JOHNSON. " Why, Sir, one man has greater readiness at doing it than another." I spoke of Mr. Harris, of Salisbury, as being a very learned man, and in particular an eminent Grecian. JOHNSON. "I am not fure of that. His friends give him out as fuch, but I know not who of his friends are able to judge of it." GOLDSMITH." He is what is much better: he is a worthy humane man." JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, that is not to the purpose of our argument: that will as much prove that he can play upon the fiddle as well as Giardini, as that he is an eminent Grecian." GOLDSMITH. "The greatest musical performers have but small emoluments. Giardini, I am told, does not get above seven hundred a year." JOHNSON. "That is, indeed, but little for a man to get, who does beft that which fo many endeavour to do. There is nothing, I think, in which the power of art is fhewn fo much as in playing on the fiddle. In all other things we can do something at first. Any man will forge a bar of iron, if you give him a hammer; not fo well as a smith, but tolerably. A man will faw a piece of wood, and make a box, though a clumfy one; but give him a fiddle and a fiddle-stick, and he can do nothing." On Monday, April 19, he called on me with Mrs. Williams, in Mr. Strahan's coach, and carried me out to dine with Mr. Elphinfton, at his academy at Kensington. A printer having acquired a fortune fufficient to keep his coach, was a good topick for the credit of literature. Mrs. Williams faid, that another printer, Mr. Hamilton, had not waited fo long as Mr. Strahan, but had kept his coach feveral years fooner. JOHNSON. "He was in the right. Life is fhort. The fooner that a man begins to enjoy his wealth the better." Mr. Elphinston talked of a new book that was much admired, and asked Dr. Johnson if he had read it. JOHNSON. "I have looked into it." "What (faid Elphinfton,) have you not read it through?" Johnson, offended at being thus preffed, and fo obliged to own his curfory mode of reading, anfwered tartly, "No, Sir; do you read books through?" He this day again defended duelling, and put his argument upon what I have ever thought the most folid bafis; that if publick war be allowed to be confiftent with morality, private war must be equally fo. Indeed we may obferve what strained arguments are used, to reconcile war with the Christian religion. But, in my opinion, it is exceedingly clear that duelling having better reafons for its barbarous violence, is more juftifiable than war, in which thousands go forth without any cause of perfonal quarrel, and maffacre 1773. each other. On Wednesday, April 21, I dined with him at Mr. Thrale's. A gentleman attacked Garrick for being vain. JOHNSON. "No wonder, Sir, that he is vain; a man who is perpetually flattered in every mode that can be conceived. So many bellows have blown the fire, that one wonders he is not by this time become a cinder." BOSWELL." And fuch bellows too. Lord Mansfield with his cheeks like to burft: Lord Chatham like an Æolus. I have read fuch notes from them to him as were enough to turn his head." JOHNSON. "True. When he whom every body elfe flatters, flatters me, I then am truly happy." MRS. THRALE. "The fentiment is in Congreve, I think." JOHNSON. "Yes, Madam, in The Way of the World :' If there's delight in love, 'tis when I fee ‹ That heart which others bleed for, bleed for me.' No, Sir, I fhould not be furprized though Garrick chained the ocean, and In Corum atque Eurum folitus fævire flagellis Ipfum compedibus qui vinxerat Eunofigæum." This does very well, when both the winds and the fea are personified, and mentioned by their mythological names, as in Juvenal; but when they are mentioned in plain language, the application of the epithets fuggested by me, is the most obvious; and accordingly my friend himself, in his imitation of the paffage which defcribes Xerxes, has "The waves he lashes, and enchains the wind." The modes of living in different countries, and the various views with which men travel in queft of new scenes, having been talked of, a learned gentleman who holds a confiderable office in the law, expatiated on the happiness of a favage life; and mentioned an inftance of an officer who had actually lived for some time in the wilds of America, of whom, when in that state, he quoted this reflection with an air of admiration, as if it had been deeply philofophical: "Here am I, free and unrestrained, amidst the rude magnificence of Nature, with this Indian woman by my fide, and this gun, with which I can Fff procure Etat. 64. 1773. Etat. 64. procure food when I want it: what more can be defired for human happinefs?" It did not require much fagacity to foresee that fuch a sentiment would not be permitted to pafs without due animadverfion. JOHNSON. "Do not allow yourself, Sir, to be impofed upon by fuch grofs abfurdity. It is fad stuff; it is brutish. If a bull could fpeak, he might as well exclaim,-Here am I with this cow and this grafs; what being can enjoy greater felicity?" We talked of the melancholy end of a gentleman who had destroyed himfelf. JOHNSON." It was owing to imaginary difficulties in his affairs, which, had he talked with any friend, would foon have vanished." BOSWELL." Do you think, Sir, that all who commit fuicide are mad?" JOHNSON. "Sir, they are often not univerfally difordered in their intellects, but one paffion preffes fo upon them that they yield to it, and commit fuicide, as a paffionate man will ftab another." He added, He added, "I have often, thought, that after a man has taken the refolution to kill himself, it is not courage in him to do any thing, however defperate, because he has nothing to fear." GOLDSMITH. "I don't fee that." JOHNSON. "Nay but, my dear Sir, why should not you fee what every one elfe fees?" GOLDSMITH. "It is for fear of fomething that he has refolved to kill himfelf; and will not that timid difpofition restrain him?" JOHNSON. "It does not fignify that the fear of fomething made him refolve; it is upon the ftate of his mind after the refolution is taken, that I argue. Suppofe a man, either from fear, or pride, or conscience, or whatever motive, has refolved to kill himself; when once the refolution is taken, he has nothing to fear. He may then go and take the King of Pruffia by the nose, at the head of his army. He cannot fear the rack, who is refolved to kill himself. When Euftace Budgel was walking down to the Thames determined to drown himfelf, he might, if he pleafed, without any apprehenfion of danger, have turned afide, and first set fire to St. James's palace." On Tuesday, April 27, Mr. Beauclerk and I called on him in the morning. As we walked up Johnson's-court, I faid, "I have a veneration for this court;" and was glad to find that Beauclerk had the fame reverential enthusiasm. We found him alone. We talked of Mr. Andrew Stuart's elegant and plaufible Letters to Lord Mansfield; a copy of which had been fent by the authour to Dr. Johnfon. JOHNSON. They have not anfwered the end. They have not been talked of: I have never heard of them. This is owing to their not being fold. People feldom read a book which is given to them; and few are given. The way to fpread a work is to fell it at a low price. No man will send to buy a thing that cofts even fix-pence, without an intention to read it." BOSWELL, " May it not be doubted, Sir, whether it be proper to I publish 1773. publish letters, arraigning the ultimate decifion of an important caufe by the supreme judicature of the nation?" JOHNSON. "No, Sir, I do not think it Etat. 64. was wrong to publish thefe letters. If they are thought to do harm, why not anfwer them? But they will do no harm. If Mr. Douglas be indeed the fon of Lady Jane, he cannot be hurt: if he be not her fon, and yet has the great eftate of the family of Douglas, he may well fubmit to have a pamphlet against him by Andrew Stuart. Sir, I think fuch a publication does good, as it does good to fhew us the poffibilities of human life. And, Sir, you will not say that the Douglas caufe was a cause of eafy decifion, when it divided your Court as much as it could do, to be determined at all. When your Judges were seven and feven, the cafting vote of the Prefident must be given. on one fide or other; no matter, for my argument, on which; one or the other must be taken; as when I am to move, there is no matter which leg I move first. And then, Sir, it was otherwife determined here. No, Sir, a more dubious determination of any question cannot be imagined".” He faid, "Goldsmith should not be for ever attempting to fhine in converfation: he has not temper for it, he is fo much mortified when he fails. Sir, a game of jokes is compofed partly of skill, partly of chance. A man may be beat at times by one who has not the tenth part of his wit. Now Goldfmith's putting himself against another, is like a man laying a hundred to one who cannot spare the hundred. It is not worth a man's while. A man should not lay a hundred to one, unless he can easily spare it, though he has a hundred chances for him: he can get but a guinea, and he may lose a hundred. Goldsmith is in this ftate. When he contends, if he gets the better, it is a very little addition to a man of his literary reputation: if he does not get the better, he is miferably vexed." Johnson's own fuperlative power of wit fet him above any risk of such uneafiness. Garrick had remarked to me of him, a few days before, “Rabelais and all other wits are nothing compared with him. You may be diverted by them; but Johnson gives you a forcible hug, and shakes laughter out of you, whether you will or no." 6 I regretted that Dr. Johnson never took the trouble to study a question which interested nations. He would not even read a pamphlet which I wrote upon it, entitled " The Effence of the Douglas Caufe," which, I have reafon to flatter myfelf, had confiderable effect in favour of Mr. Douglas; of whofe legitimate filiation I was then, and am ftill, firmly convinced. Let me add, that no fact can be more refpectably ascertained, than by a judgement of the moft auguft tribunal in the world; a judgement, in which Lord Mansfield and Lord Camden united in 1769, and from which only five of a numerous body entered a proteft. Fff 2 Goldfinith, |