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whole, that individuals should be punished. As to an individual, therefore, he is not infinitely good; and as I cannot be sure that I have fulfilled the conditions on which salvation is granted, I am afraid I may be one of those who shall be damned." (Looking dismally.) Dr. ADAMS. "What do you mean by damned?" JOHNSON (passionately and loudly). "Sent to hell, Sir, and punished everlastingly. Dr. ADAMS. "I don't believe that doctrine." JOHNSON. Hold, Sir: do you believe that some will be punished at all?" Dr. ADAMS. "Being excluded from heaven will be a punishment; yet there may be no great positive suffering." JOHNSON. "Well, Sir, but if you admit any degree of punishment, there is an end of your argument for infinite goodness simply considered; for infinite goodness would inflict no punishment whatever. There is not infinite goodness physically considered: morally there is." BOSWELL. "But may not a man attain to such a degree of hope as not to be uneasy from the fear of death?" JOHNSON. "A man may

have such a degree of hope as to keep him quiet. You see I am not quiet, from the ve hemence with which I talk; but I do not despair." Mrs. ADAMS. "You seem, Sir, to forget the merits of our Redeemer." JOHNSON. "Madam, I do not forget the merits of my Redeemer; but my Redeemer has said that he will set some on his right hand and some on his left."-He was in gloomy agitation, and said "I'll have no more on't." If what has now been stated should be urged by the enemies of Christianity, as if its influence on the mind were not benignant, let it be remembered, that Johnson's temperament was melancholy, of which such direful apprehensions of futurity are often a common effect. We shall presently see, that when he approached nearer to his awful change, his mind became tranquil, and he exhibited as much fortitude as becomes a thinking man in that situation.

From the subject of death we passed to discourse of life, whether it was upon the whole more happy or miserable. Johnson was decidedly for the balance of misery: in confirmation of which I maintained that no man would choose to lead over again the life which he had experienced. Johnson acceded to that opinion in the strongest terms. This is an inquiry often made and its being a subject of disquisition is a proof that much misery presses

1 Aurengzebe, act iv. sc. 1. BOSWELL. Antè, p. 218.- C. 2 Yet there is no doubt that a man may appear very gay in company, who is sad at heart. His merriment is like the sound of drums and trumpets in a battle, to drown the groans of the wounded and dying.— BOSWELL.

3 Fulke Greville, Esq., of Welbury, in Wilts, the husband of the authoress of the "Ode to Indifference."- MARKLAND.

upon human feelings; for those who are c scious of a felicity of existence would never hesitate to accept of a repetition of it. I have met with very few who would. I have hear Mr. Burke make use of a very ingenious a plausible argument on this subject: "Every man," said he, "would lead his life over aga for every man is willing to go on and take addition to his life, which, as he grows olde he has no reason to think will be better, even so good as what has preceded." imagine, however, the truth is, that there deceitful hope that the next part of life will free from the pains, and anxieties, and sorrows which we have already felt. We are for s purposes "condemned to Hope's delus mine," as Johnson finely says; and I may as quote the celebrated lines of Dryden, equái” philosophical and poetical:

"When I consider life, 't is all a cheat,
Yet, fool'd with hope, men favour the deceit-
Trust on, and think to-morrow will repay:
To-morrow's falser than the former day;
Lies worse; and, while it says we shall be bi
With some new joys, cuts off what we posset
Strange cozenage! none would live past yea
again;

Yet all hope pleasure in what yet remain;
And from the dregs of life think to receive
What the first sprightly running could not giv

It was observed to Dr. Johnson, that seemed strange that he, who has so delighted his company by his lively and br liant conversation, should say he was miserabe JOHNSON. "Alas! it is all outside; I may cracking my joke, and cursing the sun. S how I hate thy beams!" I knew not well wh to think of this declaration; whether to be it as a genuine picture of his mind, or a effect of his persuading himself, contrary fact, that the position which he had assura as to human unhappiness was true. We apply to him a sentence in Mr. Gre

66

Maxims, Characters, and Reflections;" book which is entitled to much more pr than it has received: "Aristarchus is char ing; how full of knowledge, of sense, of timent. You get him with difficulty to y supper; and after having delighted every and himself for a few hours, he is obliged return home; he is finishing his treatis prove that unhappiness is the portion of mi

to deny it, as being under a previous promise, express or implied, to conceal it. Now what I ought to do for the author, may I not do for myself? But I deny the lawfulness of telling a lie to a sick man, for fear of alarming him. You have no business with consequences; you are to tell the truth. Besides, you are not sure what effect your telling him that he is in danger may have. It may bring his distemper to a crisis, and that may cure him. Of all lying, I have the greatest abhorrence of this, because I believe it has been frequently practised on

Mrs. Piozzi's "Anecdotes."

ON Sunday, 13th June, our philosopher was calm at breakfast. There was something exceedingly pleasing in our leading a college life, without restraint and with superior elegance, in consequence of our living in the master's house, and having the company of ladies. Mrs. Kennicott related, in his presence, a lively saying of Dr. Johnson to Miss Hannah More, who had expressed a wonder that the poet who had written "Paradise Lost," should write such poor sonnets: "Milton, Madam, was a genius that could cut a Colossus from a rock, but could not carve heads upon cherry-stones." We talked of the casuistical question, "Whether it was allowable at any time to depart from truth?" JOHNSON. "The general rule s, that truth should never be violated, because It is of the utmost importance to the comfort of life that we should have a full security by nutual faith; and occasional inconveniences hould be willingly suffered, that we may preerve it. There must, however, be some exeptions. If, for instance, a murderer should sk you which way a man is gone, you may ell him what is not true, because you are nder a previous obligation not to betray a an to a murderer." BOSWELL. " "Supposing he person who wrote Junius were asked wheher he was the author, might he deny it?" OHNSON. "I don't know what to say to this. f you were sure that he wrote Junius, would ou, if he denied it, think as well of him afterards? Yet it may be urged that what a man as no right to ask, you may refuse to commuicate; and there is no other effectual mode preserving a secret, and an important secret, te discovery of which may be very hurtful to ou, but a flat denial; for if you are silent, or esitate, or evade, it will be held equivalent to confession. But stay, Sir, here is another se. Supposing the author had told me confientially that he had written Junius, and I were ked if he had, I should hold myself at liberty

See on this point, Sir Henry Halford's Essays, p. 79., and chbishop Secker's Sermons, vol. v. 153. MARKLAND. The annotator calls them " amiable verses."- BoSWELL. e annotator was Pope himself. CROKER.

Lewis's verses addressed to Pope (as Mr. Bindley sugts to me) were first published in a collection of Pieces in se and prose on occasion of "The Dunciad," 8vo. 1729. ey are there called an Epigram. In that miscellany the beau

I cannot help thinking that there is much weight in the opinion of those who have held that truth, as an eternal and immutable principle, ought upon no account whatever to be violated, from supposed previous or superior obligations, of which every man being to judge for himself, there is great danger that we too often, from partial motives, persuade ourselves that they exist; and probably, whatever extraordinary instances may sometimes occur, where some evil may be prevented by violating this noble principle, it would be found that human happiness would, upon the whole, be more perfect were truth universally pre

served.

In the notes to the "Dunciad," we find the following verses addressed to Pope2:

"While malice, Pope, denies thy page

Its own celestial fire;

While critics, and while bards in rage,
Admiring, won't admire :

"While wayward pens thy worth assail,
And envious tongues decry;

These times, though many a friend bewail,
These times bewail not I.

"But when the world's loud praise is thine,
And spleen no more shall blame;
When with thy Homer thou shalt shine
In one establish'd fame-
"When none shall rail, and every lay
Devote a wreath to thee;
That day (for come it will) that day

Shall I lament to see."

It is surely not a little remarkable that they should appear without a name. Miss Seward, knowing Dr. Johnson's almost universal and minute literary information, signified a desire that I should ask him who was the author. He was prompt with his answer:-"Why, Sir, they were written by one Lewis, who was either under-master or an usher of Westminster-school and published a Miscellany, in which ' Grongar Hill' first came out."3 John

tiful poem "Away, let nought to love displeasing," (reprinted in Percy's Reliques, i. iii. 14.) first appeared; and is there said to be a translation from the Ancient British. Lewis was author of "Philip of Macedon," a tragedy, published in 1727. and dedicated to Pope: and in 1730 he published a second volume of miscellaneous poems. As Dr. Johnson settled in London not long after the verses addressed to Pope first appeared, he probably then obtained some information concern

son praised them highly, and repeated them with a noble animation. In the twelfth line, instead of "one established fame," he repeated "one unclouded flame," which he thought was the reading in former editions; but I believe was a flash of his own genius. It is much more poetical than the other.

On Monday, 14th June, and Tuesday, 15th, Dr. Johnson and I dined, on one of them, I forget which, with Mr. Mickle, translator of the "Lusiad," at Wheatley, a very pretty country place a few miles from Oxford; and on the other with Dr. Wetherell, Master of University College. From Dr. Wetherell's he went to visit Mr. Sackville Parker, the bookseller; and when he returned to us gave the following account of his visit, saying, "I have been to see my old friend, Sack. Parker; I find he has married his maid; he has done right. She had lived with him many years in great confidence, and they had mingled minds; I do not think he could have found any wife that would have made him so happy. The woman was very attentive and civil to me; she pressed me to fix a day for dining with them, and to say what I liked, and she would be sure to get it for me. Poor Sack! he is very ill indeed.' We parted as never to meet again. It has quite broken me down." This pathetic narrative was strangely diversified with the grave and earnest defence of a man's having married his maid. I could not but feel it as in some degree ludicrous.

In the morning of Tuesday, 15th of June, while we sat at Dr. Adams's, we talked of a printed letter from the Reverend Herbert Croft, to a young gentleman who had been his pupil, in which he advised him to read to the end of whatever books he should begin to read. JOHNSON. "This is surely a strange advice; you may as well resolve that whatever men you happen to get acquainted with, you are to keep to them for life. A book may be good for nothing; or there may be only one thing in it worth knowing; are we to read it all through? These Voyages, (pointing to the three large volumes of Voyages to the South Sea' which were just come out) who will read them through? A man had better work his way before the mast than read them through; they will be eaten by rats and mice, before they are read through. There can be little entertainment in such books; one set of savages is like another." BosWELL. "I do not think the people of Otaheite can be reckoned savages."

ing their author, David Lewis, whom he has described as an usher of Westminster-school; yet the Dean of Westminster, who has been pleased to make some inquiry on this subject, has not found any vestige of his having ever been employed in this situation. A late writer (“Environs of London," iv. 171.) supposed that the following inscription in the churchyard of the church of Low Leyton, in Essex, was intended to commemorate this poet: "Sacred to the memory of David Lewis, Esq., who died the 8th day of April, 1760, aged 77 years; a great favourite of the Muses, as his many excellent pieces in poetry sufficiently testify.

Inspired verse may on this marble live,
But can no honour to thy ashes give.'"-

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JOHNSON. "Don't cant in defence of savage BOSWELL. "They have the art of navigati JOHNSON. “A dog or cat can swim." Bo WELL. "They carve very ingeniously." J. sON. "A cat can scratch, and a child w nail can scratch." I perceived this was t of the mollia tempora fandi; so desisted.

Upon his mentioning that, when he can college he wrote his first exercise twice but never did so afterwards:-Miss ADA "I suppose, Sir, you could not make better?" JOHNSON. "Yes, Madam, to be s I could make them better. Thought is te than no thought." Miss ADAMS. "Doy think, Sir, you could make Ram your JOHNSON. better?" Certainly I co BOSWELL. "I'll lay a bet, Sir, you can JOHNSON. "But I will, Sir, if I choose shall make the best of them you shall pr out, better." BOSWELL. "But you may to them. I will not allow of that." Jor soN. "Nay, Sir, there are three w making them better; putting out, adding correcting."

1

During our visit at Oxford, the foll ̧TM conversation passed between him and me the subject of my trying my forture English bar. Having asked whether extensive acquaintance in London, which v very valuable, and of great advantage man at large, might not be prejudicat lawyer, by preventing him from giving ficient attention to his business? Josi "Sir, you will attend to business as bus lays hold of you. When not actually exp you may see your friends as much as yo now. You may dine at a club every day, sup with one of the members every night you may be as much at public places who has seen them all would wish to be you must take care to attend constan Westminster Hall; both to mind your ness, as it is almost all learnt there (for reads now), and to show that you want business. And you must not be too ofte at public places, that competitors may r it to say, He is always at the playhouse Ranelagh, and never to be found at his c bers.' And, Sir, there must be a solemnity in the manner of a professiona I have nothing particular to say to you subject. All this I should say to any should have said it to Lord Thurlow years ago."

6

The profession may probably think

But it appears to me improbable that this mor erected for the author of the verses to Pope, and ofthe already mentioned: the language both of the dedu fixed to that piece, and of the dedication address Earl of Shaftesbury, and prefixed to the Miscel denoting a person who moved in a lower sphere Essex squire seems to have done. MALONE. T of Esquire in this inscription is surely no evidence was what is called a country Squire.—CROKER, IN 1 Parker, however, survived Johnson twelve yea Oxford in his eighty-ninth year, Dec. 10, 1796.-M 2 Cook's Voyages.- CROKER.

presentation of what is required in a barrister who would hope for success, to be much too indulgent; but certain it is, that as

"The wits of Charles found easier ways to fame," some of the lawyers of this age who have risen high have by no means thought it absolutely necessary to submit to that long and painful course of study which a Plowden, a Coke, and a Hale considered as requisite. My respected friend, Mr. Langton, has shown me, in the handwriting of his grandfather, a curious account of a conversation which he had with Lord Chief Justice Hale', in which that great man tells him, "That for two years after he came to the inn of court, he studied sixteen hours a day; however, his lordship added, that by this intense application he almost brought himself to his grave, though he were of a very strong constitution, and after reduced himself to eight hours; but that he would not advise any body to so much; that he thought six hours a day, with attention and constancy, was sufficient; that a man must use his body as he would his horse, and his stomach; not tire him at once, but rise with an appetite."

On Wednesday, June 16., Dr. Johnson and I returned to London: he was not well to-day, and said very little, employing himself chiefly in reading Euripides. He expressed some displeasure at me for not observing sufficiently the various objects upon the road. "If I had your eyes, Sir," said he, "I should count the passengers." It was wonderful how accurate this observation of visual objects was, notwithstanding his imperfect eyesight, owing to a habit of attention. That he was much satisfied with the respect paid to him at Dr. Adams's is thus attested by himself: "I returned last night from Oxford, after a fortnight's abode with Dr. Adams, who treated me as well as I could expect or wish; and he that contents a sick man, a man whom it is impossible to please, has surely done his part well." 2

After his return to London from this excursion, I saw him frequently, but have few memorandums; I shall therefore here insert some particulars which I collected at various times.

Vertot's History of Knights of Malta-Vertot's
Revolution of Portugal-Vertot's Revolution of
Sweden-Carte's History of England-Present
State of England-Geographical Grammar-Pri-
deaux's Connexion-Nelson's Feasts and Fasts-
Duty of Man-Gentleman's Religion-Clarendon's
Watts's Logic - Nature Displayed
History Watts's Improvement of the Mind
Lowth's
English Grammar-Blackwall on the Classics
Sherlock's Sermons. Burnet's Life of Hale-
Dupin's History of the Church-Shuckford's Con-
nexions-Law's Serious Call-Walton's Complete
Angler-Sandys's Travels-Sprat's History of the
Royal Society-England's Gazetteer-Goldsmith's
Roman History-Some Commentaries on the
Bible."

It having been mentioned to Dr. Johnson that a gentleman who had a son whom he imagined to have an extreme degree of timidity, resolved to send him to a public school, that he might acquire confidence: "Sir," said Johnson, "this is a preposterous expedient for removing his infirmity; such a disposition should be cultivated in the shade. Placing him at a public school is forcing an owl upon day."

Speaking of a gentleman whose house was "Rags, much frequented by low company: Sir," said he, "will always make their appearance where they have a right to do it."

Of the same gentleman's mode of living, he said, "Sir, the servants, instead of doing what they are bid, stand round the table in idle clusters, gaping upon the guests; and seem as unfit to attend a company, as to steer a man

of war."

A dull country magistrate gave Johnson a long, tedious account of his exercising his criminal jurisdiction, the result of which was his having sentenced four convicts to transportation. Johnson, in an agony of impatience to get rid of such a companion, exclaimed, "I heartily wish, Sir, that I were a

fifth."

Johnson was present when a tragedy was read, in which there occurred this line:

"Who rules o'er freemen should himself be free."

The company having admired it much, “I cannot agree with you," said Johnson: "it might as well be said,

"Who drives fat oxen should himself be fat."

He was pleased with the kindness of Mr. Cator, who was joined with him in Mr. Thrale's important trust, and thus describes him: "There is much good in his character, and much usefulness in his knowledge." He found a cordial solace at that gentleman's seat at Beckenham, in Kent, which is indeed one of the finest places at which I ever was a guest; and

2 He adds, "I went in the common vehicle, with very little fatigue, and came back, I think, with less."- CROKER.