This brought on a question whether one man is lessened by another's acquiring an equal degree of knowledge with him. Johnson asserted the affirmative. I maintained that the position might be true in those kinds of knowledge which produce wisdom, power, and force, so as to enable one man to have the government of others; but that a man is not in any degree lessened by others knowing as well as he what ends in mere pleasure-eating fine fruit, drinking delicious wines, reading exquisite poetry.

The General observed that Martinelli was a Whig. JOHNSON: 'I am sorry for it It shows the spirit of the times: he is obliged to temporize.' BOSWELL: 'I rather think, sir, that Toryism prevails in this reign.' JOHNSON: 'I know not why you should think so, sir. You see your friend Lord Lyttelton, a nobleman, is obliged in his History to write the most vulgar Whiggism.'

It having been observed that there was little hospitality in London; JOHNSON: 'Nay, sir, any man who has a name, or who has the power of pleasing, will be very generally invited in London. The man Sterne, I have been told, has had engagements for three months.' GOLDSMITH: And a very dull fellow.' JOHNSON: Why, no, sir.'

Martinelli told us that for several years he lived much with Charles Townshend, and that he ventured to tell him he was a bad joker. JOHNSON: Why, sir, thus much I can say upon the subject. One day he and a few more agreed to go and dine in the country, and each of them was to bring a friend in his carriage with him. Charles Townshend asked Fitzherbert to go with him, but told him, "You must find somebody to bring you back: I can only carry you there." Fitzherbert did not much like this arrangement. He, however, consented, observing sarcastically, "It will do very well; for then the same jokes will serve you in returning as in going."

An eminent public character being mentioned -JOHNSON: 'I remember being present when he showed himself to be so corrupted, or at least something so different from what I think right, as to maintain that a member of Parliament

It is

should go along with his party right or wrong. Now, sir, this is so remote from native virtue, from scholastic virtue, that a good man must have undergone a great change before he can reconcile himself to such a doctrine. maintaining that you may lie to the public; for you lie when you call that right which you think wrong, or the reverse. A friend of ours who is too much an echo of that gentleman, observed, "that a man who does not stick uniformly to a party is only waiting to be bought." Why, then, said I, he is only waiting to be what that gentleman is already.'

An animated debate took place whether Martinelli should continue his History of England to the present day. GOLDSMITH: To be sure he should.' JOHNSON: 'No, sir; he would give great offence. He would have to tell of almost all the living great what they do not wish told.' GOLDSMITH: 'It may, perhaps, be necessary for a native to be more cautious; but a foreigner who comes among us without prejudice, may be considered as holding the place of a judge, and may speak his mind freely.' JOHNSON: 'Sir, a foreigner, when he sends a work from the press, ought to be on his guard against catching the error and mistaken enthusiasm of the people among whom he happens to be.' GOLDSMITH: 'Sir, he wants only to sell his history, and to tell truth; one an honest, the other a laudable motive.' JOHNSON: 'Sir, they are both laudable motives. It is laudable in a man to wish to live by his labours; but he should write so as he may live by them, not so as he may be knocked on the head. I would advise him to be at Calais before he publishes his history of the present age. A foreigner who attaches himself to a political party in this country, is in the worst state that can be imagined: he is looked upon as a mere intermeddler. A native may do it from interest.'affectation will not pass: it is mighty idle. In BOSWELL: 'Or principle.' GOLDSMITH: "There are people who tell a hundred political lies every day, and are not hurt by it. Surely, then, one may tell truth with safety.' JOHNSON: 'Why, sir, in the first place, he who tells a hundred lies has disarmed the force of his lies. But besides, a man had rather have a hundred lies told of him, than one truth which he does not wish should be told.' GOLDSMITH: 'For my part, I'd tell truth, and shame the devil.' JOHNSON: 'Yes, sir; but the devil will be angry. I wish to shame the devil as much as you do, but I should choose to be out of the reach of his claws.' GOLDSMITH: His claws can do you no harm, when you have the shield of truth.'

We talked of the King's coming to see Goldsmith's new play. I wish he would,' said Goldsmith; adding, however, with an affected indifference, 'Not that it would do me the least good.' JOHNSON: 'Well, then, sir, let us say it would do him good (laughing). No, sir, this

such a state as ours, who would not wish to please the chief magistrate?' GOLDSMITH: 'I do wish to please him. I remember a line in Dryden,

"And every poet is the monarch's friend." It ought to be reversed.' JOHNSON: 'Nay, there are finer lines in Dryden on the subject:

"For colleges on bounteous kings depend, And never rebel was to arts a friend."' General Paoli observed that successful rebels might. MARTINELLI : Happy rebellions.' GOLDSMITH: 'We have no such phrase.' GENERAL PAOLI: 'But have you not the thing?' GOLDSMITH: 'Yes, all our happy

or pride, or conscience, or whatever motive, has resolved to kill himself; when once the resolution is taken, he has nothing to fear. He may then go and take the King of Prussia by the nose, at the head of his army. He cannot fear the rack, who is resolved to kill himself. When Eustace Budgel was walking down to the Thames, determined to drown himself, he might, if he pleased, without any apprehension of danger, have turned aside, and first set fire to St. James's Palace.'

'The waves he lashes, and enchains the wind.'1 On Tuesday, April 27, Mr. Beauclerk and I The modes of living in different countries, called on him in the morning. As we walked and the various views with which men travel in up Johnson's Court, I said, 'I have a veneration quest of new scenes, having been talked of, a for this court;' and was glad to find that Beaulearned gentleman who holds a considerable clerk had the same reverential enthusiasm. We office in the law expatiated on the happiness of found him alone. We talked of Sir Andrew a savage life, and mentioned an instance of an Stuart's elegant and plausible letters to Lord officer who had actually lived for some time in Mansfield; a copy of which had been sent by the wilds of America, of whom, when in that the author to Dr. Johnson. JOHNSON: 'They state, he quoted this reflection with an air of have not answered the end. They have not admiration, as if it had been deeply philoso- | been talked of: I have never heard of them. phical: 'Here am I, free and unrestrained, This is owing to their not being sold. People amidst the rude magnificence of Nature, with seldom read a book which is given to them; and this Indian woman by my side, and this gun, few are given! The way to spread a work is to with which I can procure food when I want it: sell it at a low price. No man will send to buy what more can be desired for human happiness?' a thing that costs even sixpence without an It did not require much sagacity to foresee that intention to read it.' BOSWELL: 'May it not such a sentiment would not be permitted to be doubted, sir, whether it be proper to publish pass without due animadversion, JOHNSON: letters, arraigning the ultimate decision of an 'Do not allow yourself, sir, to be imposed upon important cause by the supreme judicature of by such gross absurdity. It is sad stuff; it is the nation?' JOHNSON: No, sir, I do not brutish. If a bull could speak, he might as well think it was wrong to publish these letters. If exclaim,-Here am I with this cow and this they are thought to do harm, why not answer grass; what being can enjoy greater felicity?' them? But they will do no harm. If Mr. Douglas be indeed the son of Lady Jane, he cannot be hurt if he be not her son, and yet has the great estate of the family of Douglas, he may well submit to have a pamphlet against him by Andrew Stuart. Sir, I think such a publication does good, as it does good to show us the possibilities of human life. And, sir, you will not say that the Douglas cause was a cause of easy decision, when it divided your court as much as it could do, to be determined at all. When your judges are seven and seven, the casting vote of the president must be given on one side 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 otherwise determined here. No, sir, a more dubious determination of any question cannot be imagined.'

We talked of the melancholy end of a gentleman who had destroyed himself. JOHNSON: 'It was owing to imaginary difficulties in his affairs, which, had he talked of with any friend, would soon have vanished.' BOSWELL: 'Do you think, sir, that all who commit suicide are mad?' JOHNSON: Sir, they are often not universally disordered in their intellects, but one passion presses so upon them, that they yield to it, and commit suicide, as a passionate man will stab another.' He added, 'I have often thought that after a man has taken the resolution to kill himself, it is not courage in him to do anything, however desperate, because he has nothing to fear.' GOLDSMITH: 'I don't see that.' JOHNSON: 'Nay, but my dear sir, why should not you see what every one else sees?' GOLDSMITH: 'It is for fear of something that he has resolved to kill himself: and will not that timid disposition restrain him?' JOHNSON: 'It does not signify that the fear of something made him resolve; it is upon the state of his mind after the resolution is taken that I argue. Suppose a man, either from fear,

He said, 'Goldsmith should not be for ever attempting to shine in conversation: he has not temper for it, he is so much mortified when he fails. Sir, a game of jokes is composed 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 Goldsmith'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 state. 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 miserably vexed.'

Johnson's own superlative powers of wit set him above any risk of such uneasiness. 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.' Goldsmith, however, was often very fortunate in his witty contests, even when he entered the lists with Johnson himself. Sir Joshua Reynolds was in company with them one day, when Goldsmith said, that he thought he could write a good fable, mentioned the simplicity which that kind of composition requires, and observed, that in most fables the animals introduced seldom talk in character. For instance,' said he, 'the fable of the little fishes, who saw birds fly over their heads, and, envying them, petitioned Jupiter to be changed into birds. The skill,' continued he, consists in making them talk like little fishes.' While he indulged himself in this fanciful reverie, he observed Johnson shaking his sides and laughing. Upon which he smartly proceeded, "Why, Dr. Johnson, this is not so easy as you seem to think; for if you were to make little fishes talk, they would talk like WHALES.'

Johnson, though remarkable for his great variety of composition, never exercised his talents in fable, except we allow his beautiful tale published in Mrs. Williams's Miscellanies to be of that species. I have, however, found among his manuscript collections the following sketch of one :

"Glow-worm lying in the garden saw a candle in a neighbouring palace, and complained of the littleness of his own light, Another observed, Wait a little-soon dark-have outlasted odd [many] of these glaring lights which are only brighter as they haste to nothing,'

On Thursday, April 29, I dined with him at General Oglethorpe's, where were Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Langton, Dr. Goldsmith, and Mr. Thrale. I was very desirous to get Dr. Johnson absolutely fixed in his resolution to go with me to the Hebrides this year; and I told him that I had received a letter from Dr. Robertson, the historian, upon the subject, with which he was much pleased, and now talked in such a manner of his long intended tour, that I wa satisfied he meant to fulfil his engagement.

'It has already been observed, that one of his first Emys was a Latin poem on a glow-worm; but Whether it be anywhere extant has not been ascer ted-MALONE

The custom of eating dogs at Otaheite being mentioned, Goldsmith observed, that this was. also a custom in China: that a dog butcher is as common there as any other butcher; and that when he walks abroad, all the dogs fall on him. JOHNSON: That is not owing to his killing dogs, sir. I remember a butcher at Lichfield, whom a dog that was in the house where I lived always attacked. It is the smell of carnage which provokes this, let the animals he has killed be what they may.' GOLDSMITH: 'Yes, there is a general abhorrence in animals at the signs of massacre. If you put a tub full of blood into a stable, the horses are like to go mad.' JOHNSON: 'I doubt that.' GOLDSMITH: Nay, sir, it is a fact well authenticated.' THRALE: "You had better prove it before you put it into your book on natural history. You may do it in my stable if you will.' JOHNSON: 'Nay, sir, I would not have him prove it. If he is content to take his information from others, he may get through his book with little trouble, and without much endangering his reputation. But if he makes experiments for so comprehensive a book as his, there would be no end to them; his erroneous assertions would then fall upon himself; and he might be blamed for not having made experiments as to every particular.'

The character of Mallet having been introduced, and spoken of slightingly by Goldsmith; JOHNSON: "Why, sir, Mallet had talents enough to keep his literary reputation alive as long as he himself lived; and that, let me tell you, is a good deal.' GOLDSMITH: 'But I cannot agree that it was. so. His literary reputation was dead long before his natural death. I consider an author's literary reputation to be alive only while his name will ensure a good price for his copy from the booksellers. I will get you (to Johnson) a hundred guineas for anything whatever that you shall write, if you put your name to it.'

Dr. Goldsmith's new play, She Stoops to Conquer, being mentioned-JOHNSON: 'I know of no comedy for many years that has so much exhilarated an audience, that has answered so much the great end of comedy-making an audience merry.'

Goldsmith having said that Garrick's compliments to the Queen, which he introduced into the play of The Chances, which he had altered and revised this year, was mean and gross flattery;-JOHNSON: Why, sir, I would not write, I would not give solemnly under my hand, a character beyond what I thought really true; but a speech on the stage, let it flatter ever so extravagantly, is formular. It has always been formular to flatter kings and queens: so much so, that even in our church-service we have "our most religious King" used indiscriminately, whoever is king. Nay, they even flatter them. selves-" we have been graciously pleased to grant." No modern flattery, however, is so gross as that of the Augustan age, where the Emperor