always applied to good-breeding what Addison in his Cato says of honour:

"Honour's a sacred tie, the law of Kings,

The noble mind's distinguishing perfection,

That aids and strengthens Virtue where it meets her, And imitates her actions where she is not."

PROSTITUTION.

On the subject of making women do penance in the church for fornication, he observed, "It is right, sir, infamy is attached to the crime by universal opinion as soon as it is known. I would not be the man who would discover it, if I alone knew it, for a woman may reform. Nor would I commend a person who divulges a woman's first offence; but being once divulged it ought to be infamous. Consider of what importance to society the chastity of women is; upon that all the property in the world depends. We hang a thief for stealing a sheep, but the unchastity of a woman takes sheep and farm and all from the right owner.

"I have much more reverence for a common prostitute, than for a woman who conceals her guilt: the prostitute is known, she cannot deceive, she cannot bring herself into the arms of an honest man without his knowledge."

PULTNEY (OF Bath.)

Pultney was as paltry a fellow as could be; he was a Whig who pretended to be honest, and you know it is ridiculous for a Whig to pretend to be honest, he cannot hold it out.

QUIN.

Q." You have heard Quin read Milton, Doctor?" A. "Sir, I have heard Quin attempt to read Milton."

Q. "What! then, you do not like him?"

A. "Why no, sir, he read it too much like a player; by imitating the several characters of the poem; whereas his business was that of a narrator, not an imitator."

SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

Speaking of this great artist, he gave the following eulogium on him as a man:

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Reynolds, sir, is the most invulnerable man I know; the man with whom, if you should quarrel, you would find the most difficulty how to abuse."

SUICIDE.

"There is no situation a man can possibly be in, that he has a right to put himself to death." Suppose, says Mr. Boswell, that a man is absolutely sure, that if he lives a few days longer, he shall be detected in a fraud, the consequence of which will be utter disgrace and expulsion from society. What is he to do then? Then, sir," says Johnson, “let him go to some place where he is not known; but don't let him go to the devil, where he is known."

SAILOR.

Mr. Boswell expressing his wonder, “That a man who had been pressed on board a man of war did not choose to continue longer than nine months." Sir, I should rather wonder he staid so long, if he could

help it; no man will be a sailor who has contrivance enough to get into a jail, for being in a ship, is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned."

SIR ROBERT WALPOLE.

Sir Robert Walpole, on the whole, was a fine fellow, and even his enemies thought him so before his death. Lord Bath told me, "He was very sure Sir Robert was of that social pleasant temper, that he never felt any thing said against him for half an hour in his life. He then repeated Pope's character of him:

"Seen him I have, but in his happier hour
Of social pleasure, ill exchang'd for power;
Seen him uncumber'd with the venal tribe,
Smile without art, and win without a bribe."

JOHN WILKES.

"It is wonderful to think that all the force of government was required to prevent Wilkes from being chosen chief magistrate of London, without success, though the liverymen knew, at the same time, he would rob their shops, and debauch their daughters."

PAUL WHITEHEAD.

Q." Pray, Doctor, was not Whitehead prosecuted for his poem called Manners?"

A. " No, sir; but Dodsley, his publisher was. Whitehead was a man who hung loose upon society; but Dodsley being a man who kept a shop, and being more readily found, was called before the House of Lords; and after all, I think the poem but a poor performance."

EXTRACTS

FROM VARIOUS AUTHORITIES.

UPON the publication of Lord Bolingbroke's philosophical works, by David Mallet, Dr. Johnson was asked his opinion of the author. "Sir," says he, "I look upon him to be both a scoundrel and a coward; a scoundrel for loading his blunderbuss up to the muzzle, against the peace and happiness of society, and a coward for leaving David Mallet to draw the trigger."

A gentleman observing to Dr. Johnson that there were less vagrant poor in Scotland than in England, and as a proof of it, said there was no instance of a beggar dying in the street there; "I believe you are very right, sir," says Johnson, "but that does not arise from the want of vagrants, but the impossibility of starving a Scotchman."

Pray Dr. Johnson," says a female smatterer in poetry, "which was the greatest poet, Boyce or Derrick?" "Oh, Madam," says the Doctor, "there

can be no great difference between a louse and a flea."

Dr. Johnson being at dinner at Mrs. Macauley's, the conversation turned on the equality of mankind, which the lady of the house contended for with all the energy of a republican. Johnson made a few short answers, in hopes to change the subject, but finding she would go on, he finished his dinner with as much haste as possible, then giving his plate to the footman, begged he would take his place: "Good God! what are you about, Doctor?" said the lady : "Oh! nothing Madam, but to preserve the equality of mankind."

The emigration of the Scotch to London, being a conversation between the Doctor and Foote, the latter said he believed the number of Scotch in London were as great in the former as the present reign. No, sir, you are certainly wrong in your belief; but I see how you're deceived, you can't distinguish them now as formerly, for the fellows all come here breeched of late years."

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Pray," says Garrick's mother to Johnson, "what's your opinion of my son David ?"—" Why, Madam," replied the Doctor, " David will either be hanged, or become a great man."

Upon the publication of the Poems of Ossian, being asked by the commentator on that work, whether he thought any one man living could write such an epic poem? Johnson replied very gravely"O yes, sir! many men, many women, and many children!"

"You knew Mr. Capel, the editor of Shakspeare, Dr. Johnson?" " Yes, sir, I have seen him at Garrick's!"—" And what think you of his abilities?" "Great application, sir! Were he and I to count the grains in a bushel of wheat for a wager he would certainly prove the winner."

On Dr. Johnson's return from Scotland, a particular friend of his was saying, that now he had a view of the country, he was in hopes it would cure him of many prejudices against that nation, particularly in respect to the fruits. "Why yes, Sir, I have found out that gooseberries will grow there against a south wall, but the skins are so tough, that it is death to the man who swallows one of them." "I remember," says the Doctor, " to have given a