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clergyman here, supped with us at our inn, and after they left us, we sat up late, as we used to do in London.

Here I shall record some fragments of my friend's conversation during this jaunt.

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Marriage, Sir, is much more necessary to a man than to a woman: for he is much less able to supply himself with domestic comforts. You will recollect my saying to some ladies the other day, that I had often wondered why young women should marry, as they have so much more freedom, and so much more attention paid to them, while unmarried, than when married. I indeed did not mention the strong reason for their marrying the mechanical reason." BOSWELL. "Why, that is a strong one. But does not imagination make it much more important than it is in reality? Is it not, to a certain degree, a delusion in us as well as in women?" JOHNSON. "Why yes, Sir; but it is a delusion that is always beginning again." BOSWELL. "I don't know but there is upon the whole more misery than happiness produced by that passion." JOHNSON. "I don't think so, Sir."

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"Never speak of a man in his own presence. It is always indelicate, and may be offensive." Questioning is not the mode of conversation among gentlemen. It is assuming a superiority, and it is particularly wrong to question a man concerning himself. There may be parts of his former life which he may not wish to be made known to other persons, or even brought to his own recollection.'

"A man should be careful never to tell tales of himself to his own disadvantage. People may be amused and laugh at the time; but they will be remembered, and brought out against him upon some subsequent occasion."

"Much may be done if a man puts his whole mind to a particular object. By doing so, Norton has made himself the great lawyer that he is allowed to be."

I mentioned an acquaintance of mine, a sectary, who was a very religious man, who not only attended regularly on public worship with those of his communion, but made a particular study of the Scriptures, and even wrote a commentary on some parts of them, yet was known to be very licentious in indulging himself with women; maintaining that men are to be saved by faith alone, and that the Christian religion had not prescribed any fixed rule for the intercourse between the sexes. JOHNson."Sir, there is no trusting to that crazy piety."

I observed that it was strange how well

reproof, which Dr. Johnson repeated to Mrs. Piozzi. Mr. Pearson having opposed Miss Porter in some argument, she was offended, and exclaimed, “Mr. Pearson, you are just like Dr. Johnson -- you contradict every word one speaks." - CROKER.

This very just observation gives the rationale of the etiquette by which the conversation of princes, and of those who ape princes, consists of so large a proportion of questions. The badauds of all nations used to wonder at Bonaparte's active curiosity and desire of knowledge from the

Scotchmen were known to one another in their own country, though born in very distant counties; for we do not find that the gentlemen of neighbouring counties in England are mutually known to each other. Johnson, with his usual acuteness, at once saw and explained the reason of this: "Why, Sir, you have Edinburgh, where the gentlemen from all your counties meet, and which is not so large but they are all known. There is no such common place of collection in England, except London, where, from its great size and diffusion, many of those who reside in contiguous counties of England may long remain unknown to each other."

On Tuesday, March 26., there came for us an equipage properly suited to a wealthy, wellbeneficed clergyman: Dr. Taylor's large roomy post-chaise, drawn by four stout plump horses, and driven by two steady jolly postilions, which conveyed us to Ashbourne; where I found my friend's schoolfellow living upon an establishment perfectly corresponding with his Substantial creditable equipage: his house, garden, pleasure-ground, table, in short every thing good, and no scantiness appearing. Every man should form such a plan of living as he can execute completely. Let him not draw an outline wider than he can fill up. I have seen many skeletons of show and magnificence, which excite at once ridicule and pity. Dr. Taylor had a good estate of his own, and good preferment in the church, being a prebendary of Westminster, and rector of Bosworth. He was a diligent justice of the peace, and presided over the town of Ashbourne, to the inhabitants of which I was told he was very liberal; and as a proof of this it was mentioned to me, he had the preceding winter distributed two hundred pounds among such of them as stood in need of his assistance. He had consequently considerable political interest in the county of Derby, which he employed to support the Devonshire family; for, though the schoolfellow and friend of Johnson, he was a Whig. I could not perceive in his character much congeniality of any sort with that of Johnson, who, however, said to me, "Sir, he has a very strong understanding." His size, and figure, and countenance, and manner, were that of a hearty English squire, with the parson superinduced: and I took particular notice of his upper-servant, Mr. Peters, a decent grave man, in purple clothes and a large white wig, like the butler or major-domo of a bishop.3

Dr. Johnson and Dr. Taylor met with great

multitude of his questions, while in fact he was only “playing at KING." CROKER.

2 Sir Fletcher Norton, afterwards speaker of the House of Commons, and in 1782 created Baron Grantly. - MALONE. But I do not see why Norton should be cited ad hoc more than any other eminent lawyer. - CROKER, 1847.

3 I cannot refrain from noticing, as a happy instance of Boswell's pictorial talent, the whole description of Dr. Taylor and his establishment. - CROKER, 1847.

cordiality; and Johnson soon gave him the same sad account of their schoolfellow, Congreve, that he had given to Mr. Hector; adding a remark of such moment to the rational conduct of a man in the decline of life, that it deserves to be imprinted upon every mind: "There is nothing against which an old man should be so much upon his guard as putting himself to nurse." Innumerable have been the melancholy instances of men once distinguished for firmness, resolution, and spirit, who in their latter days have been governed like children, by interested female artifice.

Dr. Taylor commended a physician who was known to him and Dr. Johnson, and said, "I fight many battles for him, as many people in the country dislike him." JOHNSON. "But you should consider, Sir, that by every one of your victories he is a loser; for every man of whom you get the better will be very angry, and resolve not to employ him; whereas if people get the better of you in argument about him, they'll think, 'We'll send for Dr. [Butter] nevertheless.' This was an observation deep and sure in human nature.

Next day we talked of a book 2 in which an eminent judge was arraigned before the bar of the public, as having pronounced an unjust decision in a great cause. Dr. Johnson maintained that this publication would not give any uneasiness to the judge. "For," said he, "either he acted honestly, or he meant to do injustice. If he acted honestly, his own consciousness will protect him; if he meant to do injustice, he will be glad to see the man who

attacks him so much vexed."

Next day [Wednesday, March 27.], as Dr. Johnson had acquainted Dr. Taylor of the reason for his returning speedily to London, it was resolved that we should set out after dinner. A few of Dr. Taylor's neighbours were his guests that day.

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Dr. Johnson talked with approbation of one who had attained to the state of the philosophical wise man, that is, to have no want of any thing, "Then, Sir," said I, "the savage is a wise man." "Sir," said he, "I do not mean simply being without, but not having a want." I maintained, against this proposition, that it was better to have fine clothes, for instance, than not to feel the want of them. JOHNSON. "No, Sir; fine clothes are good only as they supply the want of other means of procuring respect. Was Charles the Twelfth, think you, less respected for his coarse blue coat and black stock? And you find the King of Prussia dresses plain, because the

dignity of his character is sufficient." I here brought myself into a scrape, for I heedlessly said, "Would not you, Sir, be the better for velvet embroidery?" JOHNSON. "Sir, you put an end to all argument when you introduce your opponent himself. Have you no better manners? There is your want."3 I apologised by saying, I had mentioned him as an instance of one who wanted as little as any man in the world, and yet, perhaps, might receive some additional lustre from dress.

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Having left Ashbourne in the evening, we stopped to change horses at Derby, and availed ourselves of a moment to enjoy the conversation of my countryman, Dr. Butter, then physician there. He was in great indignation because Lord Mountstuart's bill for a Scotch militia had been lost. Dr. Johnson was as violent against it. "I am glad," said he, "that parliament has had the spirit to throw it out. wanted to take advantage of the timidity of our scoundrels" (meaning, I suppose, the ministry). It may be observed, that he used the epithet scoundrel, very commonly, not quite in the sense in which it is generally understood, but as a strong term of disapprobation; as when he abruptly answered Mrs. Thrale, who had asked him how he did, "Ready to become a scoundrel, Madam; with a little more spoiling you will, I think, make me a complete rascal; he meant, easy to become a capricious and self-indulgent valetudinarian; a character for which I have heard him express great disgust.*

Johnson had with him upon this jaunt, "n Palmerino d' Inghilterra," a romance praised by Cervantes; but did not like it much. He said, he read it for the language, by way of preparation for his Italian expedition. We lay this night at Loughborough.

On Thursday, March 28., we pursued our journey. I mentioned that old Mr. Sheridan complained of the ingratitude of Mr.Wedderburne and General Fraser, who had been much obliged to him when they were young Scotchmen entering upon life in England. JOHNSON.

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Why, Sir, a man is very apt to complain of the ingratitude of those who have risen far above him. A man, when he gets into a higher sphere, into other habits of life, cannot keep up all his former connexions. Then, Sir, those who knew him formerly upon a level with themselves, may think that they ought still to be treated as on a level, which cannot be and an acquaintance in a former situation may bring out things which it would be very disagreeable to have mentioned before higher company, though, perhaps, every body knows

1 Dr. Butter, who afterwards came to practise in London, and attended Johnson in his last illness. He died in March 1805, æt. 79. - CROKER.

2 Andrew Stuart's "Letters to Lord Mansfield on the Douglas cause."- CROKER.

3 The want seems, on this occasion, to have been common to both.CROKER.

4 Scoundrel seems to have been a favourite word of his. "It is so very difficult," he said to Mrs. Piozzi, “for a sick

man not to be a scoundrel." And Hawkins tells us that he used to say, that “ a man was a scoundrel who was afraid of any thing; and it may be observed, that in his Dictionary he defined knave, a scoundrel; loon, a scoundrel; lout, a scoundrel; poltroon, a scoundrel; sneakup, a scoundrel; rascal, a scoundrel; and scoundrel itself he defines a meani rascal; a low petty villain, and we have seen (antè, p. 298.) that he coined the word scoundrelism.—CROKER.

of them." He placed this subject in a new light to me, and showed, that a man who has risen in the world must not be condemned too harshly for being distant to former acquaintance, even though he may have been much obliged to them. It is, no doubt, to be wished, that a proper degree of attention should be shown by great men to their early friends. But if, either from obtuse insensibility to difference of situation, or presumptuous forwardness, which will not submit even to an exterior observance of it, the dignity of high place cannot be preserved, when they are admitted into the company of those raised above the state in which they once were, encroachment must be repelled, and the kinder feelings sacrificed. To one of the very fortunate persons whom I have mentioned, namely, Mr. Wedderburne, now Lord Loughborough, I must do the justice to relate, that I have been assured by another early acquaintance of his, old Mr. Macklin, who assisted in improving his pronunciation, that he found him very grateful. Macklin, I suppose, had not pressed upon his elevation with so much eagerness as the gentleman who complained of him. Dr. Johnson's remark as to the jealousy entertained of our friends who rise far above us is certainly very just. By this was withered the early friendship between Charles Townshend and Akenside'; and many similar instances might be adduced.

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the fret. is so common when superficial minds are on speak favourably of his own age; and, indeed, On the contrary, he was willing to maintained its superiority in every respect, except in its reverence for government; the relaxation of which he imputed, as its grand cause, to the shock which our monarchy received at the Revolution, though necessary; and, secondly, to the timid concessions made to faction by successive administrations in the reign of his present majesty. I am happy to think, that he lived to see the crown at last recover its just influence. 2

Dr. James was dead. I thought that the death At Leicester we read in the newspaper that of an old schoolfellow, and one with whom he had lived a good deal in London, would have affected my fellow-traveller much; but he only said, "Ah! poor Jamy!"3 Afterwards, however, when we were in the chaise, he said, with more tenderness, "Since I set out on this jaunt, I have lost an old friend and a young one ;Mr. Thrale's son). - Dr. James and poor Harry" (meaning

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March 28., we breakfasted the next morning Having lain at St. Alban's on Thursday, mind which I could not help; an uneasy apat Barnet. I expressed to him a weakness of prehension that my wife and children, who were at a great distance from me, might, perhaps, be ill. Sir," said he, "consider how foolish you you are ill." This sudden turn relieved me for would think it in them to be apprehensive that the moment; but I afterwards perceived it to be an ingenious fallacy. I might, to be sure, be satisfied that they had no reason to be apprehensive about me, because I knew that I myself was well: but we might have a mutual anxiety, without the charge of folly; because each was, in some degree, uncertain as to the condition of the other.

He said, "It is commonly a weak man who marries for love." We then talked of marrying women of fortune; and I mentioned a common remark, that a man may be, upon the whole, richer by marrying a woman with a very small portion, because a woman of fortune will be proportionably expensive; whereas a woman who brings none will be very moderate in expenses. JOHNSON. Sir, this is not true. Depend upon it, A woman of fortune, being used to the handling of money, spends it London, that metropolis which we both loved so I enjoyed the luxury of our approach to judiciously; but a woman who gets the com- much, for the high and varied intellectual pleamand of money for the first time upon her sure which it furnishes. marriage, has such a gust in spending it, that diate happiness while whirled along with such I experienced immeshe throws it away with great profusion." He praised the ladies of the present age, served one day at General Oglethorpe's that a a companion, and said to him, "Sir, you obinsisting that they were more faithful to their husbands, and more virtuous in every respect, he is drunk. Will you not add man is never happy for the present, but when than in former times, because their understand- driving rapidly in a post-chaise ?" JOHNSON. ings were better cultivated. It was an un-"No, Sir, you are driving rapidly from some-or when doubted proof of his good sense and good thing, or to something." disposition, that he was never querulous, never prone to inveigh against the present times, as

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1 This is no appropriate instance. Charles Townshend -the grand-nephew of the Duke of Newcastle and of Mr. Pelham, both prime ministers, and grandson of a peer, who was secretary of state, and leader of the House of Lords-was as much above Akenside in their earliest days as at any subsequent period: nor was Akenside in rank inferior to Dr. Brocklesby, with whom Charles Townshend continued in intimate friendship to the end of his life.- CROKER.

2 This alludes to the triumph of the King and Mr. Pitt over the Coalition Ministry in 1784.- CROKER, 1847.

3 Dr. James died 23d March, 1776, the same day as young Thrale. We have seen (antè, p. 101.) that so early as 1756 Johnson showed no great regard for James,-CROKER, 1847.

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and very thinking men too, have not those
Talking of melancholy, he said, "Some men,

4 Surely it is no fallacy, but a sound and rational argument. He who is perfectly well, and apprehensive concerning the state of another at a distance from him, knows to a certainty that the fears of that person concerning his health are imaginary and delusive; and hence has a rational ground for supposing that his own apprehensions, concerning his absent wife or friend, are equally unfounded. MALONE.

5 Yet it was but a week before that he had said that "life had few things better than driving rapidly in a post-chaise.' This is an instance of the justice of Mrs. Piozzi's observation, that "it was unlucky for those who delighted to echo Johnson's sentiments, that he would not endure from them to-day what he himself had said yesterday.”- CROKER.

vexing thoughts. Sir Joshua Reynolds is the seme all the year round. Beauclerk, except when ill and in pain, is the same. But I believe most men have them in the degree in which they are capable of having them. If I were in the country, and were distressed by that malady, I would force myself to take a book; and every time I did it I should find it the easier. Melancholy, indeed, should be diverted by every means but drinking.”

We stopped at Messieurs Dillys, booksellers in the Poultry; from whence he hurried away, in a hackney coach, to Mr. Thrale's in the Borough. I called at his house in the evening, having promised to acquaint Mrs. Williams of his safe return; when, to my surprise, I found him sitting with her at tea, and, as I thought, not in a very good humour: for, it seems, when he had got to Mr. Thrale's, he found the coach was at the door waiting to carry Mrs. and Miss Thrale, and Signor Baretti, their Italian master, to Bath. This was not showing the attention? which might have been expected to the "guide, philosopher, and friend;" the Imlac who had hastened from the country to console a distressed mother, who he understood was very anxious for his return. They had, I found, without ceremony, proceeded on their journey. I was glad to understand from him that it was still resolved that his tour to Italy with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale should take place, of which he had entertained some doubt, on account of the loss which they had suffered; and his doubts afterwards appeared to be well founded. He observed, indeed, very justly, that "their loss was an additional reason for their going abroad; and if it had not been fixed that he should have been one of the party, he would force them out; but he would not advise them unless his advice was asked, lest they might suspect that he recommended what he wished on his own account." I was not pleased that his intimacy with Mr. Thrale's family, though it no doubt contributed much to his comfort and enjoyment, was not without some degree of restraint: not, as has been grossly suggested, that it was required of him as a task to talk for the entertainment of them and their company; but that he was not quite at his ease: which, however, might partly be owing to his own honest pride that dignity of mind which is always jealous of appearing too compliant.

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On Sunday, March 31., I called on him and showed him, as a curiosity which I had discovered, his Translation of Lobo's Account of Abyssinia," which Sir John Pringle had lent me, it being then little known as one of his works. He said, "Take no notice of it," or "Don't talk of it." He seemed to think it beneath him, though done at six-and-twenty. I said to him, "Your style, Sir, is much improved since you translated this." He answered, with a sort of triumphant smile, "Sir, I hope it is."

On Wednesday, April 3., in the morning, I found him very busy putting his books in order, and, as they were generally very old ones, clouds of dust were flying around him. He had on a pair of large gloves, such as hedgers use. His present appearance put me in mind of my uncle Dr. Boswell's description of him, "A robust genius, born to grapple with whole libraries."

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I gave him an account of a conversation which had passed between me and Captain Cook, the day before, at dinner at Sir John Pringle's; and he was much pleased with the conscientious accuracy of that celebrated circumnavigator, who set me right as to many of the exaggerated accounts given by Dr. Hawkesworth of his voyages. I told him that while I was with the captain I catched the enthusiasm of curiosity and adventure, and felt a strong inclination to go with him on his next voyage. JOHNSON. Why, Sir, a man does feel so, till he considers how very little he can learn from such voyages." BOSWELL. "But one is carried away with the general, grand, and indistinct notion of A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD." JOHNSON. Yes, Sir, but a man is to guard himself against taking a thing in general." I said I was certain that a great part of what we are told by the travellers to the South Sea must be conjecture, because they had not enough of the language of those countries to understand so much as they have related. Objects falling under the observation of the senses might be clearly known; but every thing intellectual, every thing abstract, - politics, morals, and religion,-must be darkly guessed. Dr.Johnson was of the same opinion. He upon another occasion, when a friend mentioned to him several extraordinary facts, as communicated to him by the circumnavigators, slyly observed,

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1 The phrase "vexing thoughts," is, I think, very expressive. It has been familiar to me from my childhood; for it is to be found in the "Psalms in Metre," used in the churches (I believe I should say kirks) of Scotland, Psal. xliii. v. 5.

"Why art thou then cast down, my soul?
What should discourage thee?
And why with vering thoughts art thou
Disquieted in me?"

Some allowance must no doubt be made for early prepossession. But at a maturer period of life, after looking at various metrical versions of the Psalms, I am well satisfied that the version used in Scotland is, upon the whole, the host and that it is vain to think of having a better. It has

in general a simplicity and unction of sacred poesy; and in many parts its transfusion is admirable. - BOSWELL.

2 How so? Johnson had not been very quick in coming, nor had the Thrales had any notice of his movements. Their journey must have been settled for some days, and, under the melancholy circumstances in which it was arranged, it would surely have been strange if Dr. Johnson's sudden appearance had interrupted it.-CROKER.

3 Sir John Pringle was at this time President of the Royal Society. -CROKER, 1847.

4 Meaning Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander. I believe the friend was Boswell himself, who may, by his statement of the facts, have extracted some such observation from Johnson; but I knew Sir Joseph Banks, and the society in which he lived, very well, and I never heard any doubt expressed of his scrupulous veracity. CROKER, 1847.

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Sir, I never before knew how much I was respected by these gentlemen; they told me none of these things."

He had been in company with Omai, a native of one of the South Sea Islands, after he had been some time in this country. He was struck with the elegance of his behaviour, and accounted for it thus: "Sir, he had passed his time, while in England, only in the best company; so that all that he had acquired of our manners was genteel. As a proof of this, Sir, Lord Mulgrave and he dined one day at Streatham; they sat with their backs to the light fronting me, so that I could not see distinctly; and there was so little of the savage in Omai, that I was afraid to speak to either, lest I should mistake one for the other."1

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We agreed to dine to-day at the Mitre tavern, after the rising of the House of Lords, where a branch of the litigation concerning the Douglas estate, in which I was one of the counsel, was to come on. I brought with me Mr. Murray, solicitor-general of Scotland, now one of the judges of the court of session, with the title of Lord Henderland. I mentioned Mr. Solicitor's relation, Lord Charles Hay, with whom I knew Dr. Johnson had been acquainted. JOHNSON. "I wrote something for Lord Charles, and I thought he had nothing to fear from a court-martial. I suffered a great loss when he died; he was a mighty pleasing man in conversation, and a reading man. The character of a soldier is high. They who stand forth the foremost in danger, for the community, have the respect of mankind. An officer is much more respected than any other man who has little money. In a commercial country, money will always purchase respect. But you find, an officer, who has, properly speaking, no money, is every where well received and treated with attention. The character of a soldier always stands him in stead." BOSWELL. "6 Yet, Sir, I think that common soldiers are worse thought of than other men in the same rank of life; such as labourers." JOHNSON. " Why, Sir, a common soldier is usually a very gross man, and any quality which procures respect may be overwhelmed by grossness. A man of learning may be so vicious or so ridiculous that you cannot respect him. A common soldier, too, generally eats more than he can pay for. But when a common soldier is civil in his quarters,

1 This might perhaps have been more justly attributed to the defect of his sight than to any resemblance between Omai and Lord Mulgrave. — CROKER.

2 Third son of the third Marquis of Tweedale. He distinguished himself at the battle of Fontenoy; where he is said to have been the officer who invited the French guards to fire. He was afterwards third in command under Lord Loudon and General Hopson. in an expedition against Canada; but expressing himself with some violence against the tardiness of his superiors, he was, on the 31st July, 1757, put under arrest and sent to England, to be tried by a court martial, which, however, did not assemble till Feb. 1760; and Lord Charies died on the 1st of May following, before the sentence was promulgated. I find in a letter (8th Sept. 1757) of Mr. Calcraft's, a personal friend of Lord

his red coat procures him a degree of respect." The peculiar respect paid to the military character in France was mentioned. BosWELL. "I should think that where military men are so numerous, they would be less valuable, as not being rare." JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, wherever a particular character or profession is high in the estimation of a people, those who are of it will be valued above other men. We value an Englishman high in this country, and yet Englishmen are not rare in it."

Mr. Murray praised the ancient philosophers for the candour and good humour with which those of different sects disputed with each other. JOHNSON. "Sir, they disputed with good humour, because they were not in earnest as to religion. Had the ancients been serious in their belief, we should not have had their gods exhibited in the manner we find them represented in the poets. The people would not have suffered it. They disputed with good humour upon their fanciful theories, because they were not interested in the truth of them : when a man has nothing to lose, he may be in good humour with his opponent. Accordingly you see, in Lucian, the Epicurean, who argues only negatively, keeps his temper; the Stoic, who has something positive to preserve, grows angry. Being angry with one who controverts an opinion which you value, is a necessary consequence of the uneasiness which you feel. Every man who attacks my belief, diminishes in some degree my confidence in it, and therefore makes me uneasy; and I am angry with him who makes me uneasy. Those only who believed in revelation have been angry at having their faith called in question; because they only had something upon which they could rest as matter of fact." MURRAY. "It seems to me that we are not angry at a man for controverting an opinion which we believe and value; we rather pity him." JOHNSON.

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Why, Sir, to be sure, when you wish a man to have that belief which you think is of infinite advantage, you wish well to him; but your primary consideration is your own quiet. If a madman were to come into this room with a stick in his hand, no doubt we should pity the state of his mind; but our primary consideration would be to take care of ourselves. We should knock him down first, and pity him afterwards. No, Sir, every man will dispute with great good humour upon a subject

Charles, the real state of this case. Lord Charles had gone mad, and was in that state sent home. He had once before been confined for a similar attack, which required a strait waistcoat, but his family were anxious to "disavow the disorder." CROKER, 1846.

3 I have looked over the original minutes of this courtmartial, and can find nothing that can be supposed to have been written by Johnson. He meant, perhaps, some defence in the press. — CROKER.

4 This alludes to the pleadings of a Stoic and an Epicurean for and against the existence of the Divinity in Lucian's Jupiter the Tragic, at the close of which the defender of the gods gets very angry, and calls names, while the Epicurcan only laughs at him. - CROKER.

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