marks, that this may sometimes proceed from a man's strong consciousness of his faults being observed. He knows that others would throw him down, and therefore he had better lie down softly of his own accord.

Johnson used also to say, that if a man talked of his misfortunes, we might depend upon it there was something in them not disagreeable to him— for where there was nothing but pure misery, there never was any recourse to the mention of it.

Talking of an acquaintance, whose narratives, which abounded in curious and interesting topics, were unhappily found to be very fabulous, Mr. B. mentioned Lord Mansfield's having said, "Suppose we believe one half of what he tells." "Aye," said Johnson, "but we don't know which half to believe. By his lying we lose not only our reverence for him, but all comfort in his conversation."

Speaking of conversation, he said, "There must, in the first place, be knowledge, and there must be materials; in the second place, there must be a command of words; in the third place, there must be imagination, to place things in such views as they are not commonly seen in; and, in the fourth place, there must be presence of mind, and a resolution that is not to be overcome by failures: this last is an essential requisite; for want of it many people do not excel in conversa

tion. Now I want it: I throw up the game upon losing a trick *.”

Of Charles Fox Johnson said, "Fox never talks in private company; not from any determination not to talk, but because he has not got the first motion. A man who is used to the applause of the House of Commons has no wish for that of a private company. A man accustomed to throw for a thousand pounds, if set down to throw for sixpence, would not be at the pains to count his dice. Burke's talk is the ebullition of his mind; he does not talk from a desire of distinction, but because his mind is full."

After musing for some time one day, Johnson said, "I wonder how I should have any enemies; for I do harm to nobody."-BOSWELL. "In the first place, Sir, you will be pleased to recollect, that you set out with attacking the Scotch; so you got a whole nation for your enemies.". JOHNSON. "Why, I own, that by my definition of oats I meant to vex them."-BOSWELL. "Pray, Sir, can you trace the cause of your antipathy to the Scotch?"-J. "I cannot, Sir.”—B. “ Old Mr.

* "I wondered (says Mr. B.) to hear him talk thus of himself, and said, I don't know, Sir, how this may be; but I am sure you beat other people's cards out of their hands.' I doubt whether he heard this remark. While he went on talking triumphantly, I was fixed in admiration, and said to Mrs. Thrale, O, for shorthand to take this down!'' You'll carry it all in your head (said she); a long head is as good as short-hand."

Sheridan says, it was because they sold Charles the First."-J. "Then, Sir, old Mr. Sheridan found out a very good reason."

He once took occasion to enlarge on the advantages of reading, and combated the idle superficial notion, that knowledge enough may be acquired in conversation. "The foundation (said he) must be laid by reading. General principles must be had from books, which, however, must be brought to the test of real life. In conversation you never get a system. What is said upon a subject is to be gathered from a hundred people. The parts of a truth which a man gets thus are at such a distance from each other, that he never attains to a full view."

His acute observation of human life made him remark," that there was nothing by which a man exasperated most people more, than by displaying a superior ability or brilliancy in conversation. They seem pleased at the time; but their makes them curse him in their hearts."

envy

Having once visited him on a Good Friday (says Mr. B.), and finding that we insensibly fell into a train of ridicule upon the foibles of one' of our friends, a very worthy man; I, by way of a check, quoted some good admonition from "The Government of the Tongue," that very pious book. book. It It happened also remarkably enough, that the subject of the sermon preached

to us by Dr. Burrows, the rector of St. Clement Danes, was, the certainty that at the last day we must give an account of " the deeds done in the body;" and amongst various acts of culpability, he mentioned evil-speaking. As we were moving slowly along in the crowd from church, Johnson jogged my elbow, and said, " Did you attend to the sermon?"-"Yes, Sir (said I), it was very applicable to us." He, however, stood upon the defensive." Why, Sir, the sense of ridicule is given us, and may be lawfully used. The author of The Government of the Tongue' would have us treat all men alike."

"To be contradicted (he observed) in order to force you to talk, is mighty unpleasing. shine, indeed; but it is by being ground."

You

Mr. Boswell one day unguardedly said to Dr. J. "I wish I could see you and Mrs. Macaulay together." He grew very angry: and, after a pause, while a cloud gathered on his brow, he burst out, "No, Sir; you would not see us quarrel to make you sport. Don't you know that it is very uncivil to pit two people against one another?" Then checking himself, and wishing to be more gentle, he added, "I do not say you should be hanged or drowned for this; but it is very uncivil." Dr. Taylor (who was present) thought him in the wrong, and spoke to him privately of it; " yet (says Mr. B.) I afterwards acknowledged to Johnson

that I was to blame; for I candidly owned, that I meant to express a desire to see a contest between Mrs. Macaulay and him; but then I knew how the contest would end; so that I was to see him triumph."-JOHNSON. "Sir, you cannot be sure how a contest will end; and no man has a right to engage two people in a dispute by which their passions may be inflamed, and they may part with bitter resentment against each other. I would sooner keep company with a man from whom I must guard my pockets, than with a man who contrives to bring me into a dispute with somebody that he may hear it. This is the great fault of (naming one of our friends) endeavouring to introduce a subject upon which he knows two people in the company differ."-B." But he told me, Sir, he does it for instruction." J." Whatever the motive be, Sir, the man who does so does very wrong. He has no more right to instruct himself at such risk, than he has to make two people fight a duel, that he may learn how to defend himself."

Mr. B. ventured to mention a ludicrous paragraph in the news-papers, that Dr. J. was learning to dance of Vestris. ing to excite him to talk, that he should be asked, "Shall I ask him?" said his Lordship. A great majority were for making the experiment. Upon

Lord Charlemont, wishproposed in a whisper, whether it was true.