fathers, than owe any obligations to those of opposite political principles.

Even this zealous friend of his admits "His introducing his own opinions, and even prejudices, under general definitions of words, while, at the same time, the original meaning of the words is not explained; as his Tory, Whig, Pension, Oats, Excise, and a few more, cannot be fully defended, and must be placed to the account of capricious and humorous indulgence. Talking to me upon this subject when we were at Ashbourne in 1777, he mentioned a still stronger instance of the predominance of his private feelings in the composition of this work, than any now to be found in it. You know, sir, lord Gower forsook the old Jacobite interest. When I came to the word Renegado, after telling that it meant 66 one who deserts to the enemy, a revolter," I added, "Sometimes we say a Gower." Thus it went to the press; but the printer had more wit than I, and struck it out.""

On another occasion, this gentleman observes, "The London Chronicle, which was the only newspaper he constantly took in, being brought, the office of reading it aloud was assigned to me. I was diverted by his impatience. He made me pass over so many parts, that my task was very easy. He would not suffer one of the petitions to the king about the Middlesex election to be read."

"To such a degree of unrestrained frankness," says Boswell, "had he now accustomed me, that, in the course of this evening, I talked of the numerous reflections which had been thrown out against him on account of his having a pension from his present majesty. Why, sir, said he, with a hearty laugh,

it is a mighty foolish noise that they make.* I have accepted of a pension as a reward, which has been thought due to my literary merit; and now that I have this pension, I am the same man in every respect that I have ever been; I retain the same principles. It is true, that I cannot now curse (smiling) the house of Hanover; nor would it be decent of me to drink king James's health in the wine that king George gives me money to pay for: but, sir, I think that the pleasure of cursing the house of Hanover, and drinking king James's health, are amply overbalanced by three hundred pounds a year.'

"There was here, most certainly, an affectation of more Jacobitism than he really bad; and indeed, an intention of admitting for the moment, in a much greater extent than it really existed, the charge of disaffection imputed to him by the world, merely for the purpose of showing how dexterously he could repel an attack, even though he were placed in the most disadvantageous position; for I have heard him declare, that if holding up his right hand would have secured victory at Culloden to prince Charles's army, he was not sure he would have held it up; so little confidence had he in the right claimed by the house of Stuart, and so fearful was he of the consequences of another revolution on the throne of Great Britain; and Mr. Topham Beauclerk assured me, he had heard him say this before he had his pension. At another time, he said to Mr. Langton,

"When I mentioned the same idle clamour to him several years afterwards, he said, with a smile, I wish my pension were twice as large, that they might make twice as much noise.'"

'Nothing has ever offered, that has made it worth my while to consider the question fully.' He, however, also said to the same gentleman, talking of king James the Second, It was become impossible for him to reign any longer in this country.' He, no doubt, had an early attachment to the house of Stuart; but his zeal had cooled as his reason strengthened. Indeed, I heard him once say, 'that after the death of a violent Whig, with whom he used to contend with great eagerness, he felt his Toryism much abated.' I suppose, he meant Mr. Walmsley.

"Yet, there is no doubt, that at earlier periods, he was wont often to exercise both his pleasantry and ingenuity in talking Jacobitism. My much respected friend, Dr. Douglas, now bishop of Salisbury, has favoured me with the following admirable instance, from his lordship's own recollection. One day, when dining at old Mr. Langton's, where Miss Roberts, his uiece, was one of the companyJohnson, with his usual complacent attention to the fair sex, took her by the hand, and said, My dear, I hope you are a Jacobite.' Old Mr. Langton, who, though a high and steady Tory, was attached to the present royal family, seemed offended, and asked Johnson, with great warmth, what he could mean by putting such a question to his niece? Why, sir,' said Johnson, I meant no offence to your niece; I meaut her a great compliment. A Jacobite, sir, believes in the divine right of kings. He that believes in the divine right of kings believes in a divinity. A Jacobite believes in the divine right of bishops. He that believes in the divine right of bishops, believes in the divine authority of the Christian religion; therefore, sir, a Jacobite is neither an

atheist nor a deist. That cannot be said of a Whig; for Whiggism is a negation of all principle.”

They talked of his two principal pamphlets, The False Alarm, and Thoughts concerning Falkland's Islands. JOHNSON. "Well, sir, which of them did you think the best?" BoSWELL. "I liked the second best." JOHNSON. "Why, sir, I liked the first best; and Beattie liked the first best. Sir, there is a subtlety of disquisition in the first that is worth all the fire of the second." BOSWELL. " Pray, sir, is it true that lord North paid you a visit, and that you got two hundred a year in addition to your pen- sion?" JOHNSON. "No, sir: except what I had from the bookseller, I did not get a farthing by them and, between you and me, I believe lord North is no friend to me." BOSWELL. "How so, sir?" JOHNSON. "Why, sir, you cannot account for the fancies of men."

That Taxation no Tyranny was written at the desire of those who were then in power, there can be no doubt; and, indeed, he owned to Boswell, that it had been revised and curtailed by some of them. He told him, that they had struck out one passage, which was to this effect: "That the colonists could with no solidity argue, from their not having been taxed while in their infancy, that they should not now be taxed. We do not put a calf into the plough; we wait till he is an ox." He said, "they struck it out either critically, as too ludicrous, or politically, as too exasperating; I care not which. It was their business. If an architect says, I will build five stories, and the man who employs him says, I will have only three-the employer is to decide." 66 Yes, sir," said Boswell, “ in ordinary cases: but

should it be so when the architect gives his skill and labour gratis?"

Of this pamphlet, he said, "I think I have not been attacked enough for it. Attack is the re-action: I never think I have hit hard unless it rebounds." BOSWELL. "I don't know sir what you would be at. Five or six shots of small arms in every newspaper, and repeated cannonading in pamphlets, might, I think, satisfy you. But, sir, you'll never make out this match, of which we have talked, with a certain political lady, since you are so severe against her principles." JOHNSON. " Nay, sir, I have the better chance for that. She is like the Amazons of old; she must be courted by the sword. But I have not been severe upon her." BosWELL. "Yes, sir, you have made her ridiculous." JOHNSON. That was already done, sir. To endeavour to make her ridiculous, is like blacking the chimney."

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He talked with a rough contempt of popular liberty. They make a rout about universal liberty, without considering, that all that is to be valued, or indeed can be enjoyed by individuals, is private liberty. Political liberty is good only so far as it produces private liberty. Now, sir, there is the liberty of the press, which you know is a constant topic. Suppose you and I, and two hundred more, were restrained from printing our thoughts: what then? What proportion would that restraint upon us bear to the private happiness of the nation."

This mode of representing the inconveniences of restraint as light and insignificant, was a kind of sophistry, in which he delighted to indulge himself, in opposition to the extreme laxity, for which it has been fashionable for too many to argue; when it is