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1767.

Etat. 58.

most scholaftick learning; Lowth is the more correct fcholar. I do not know which of them calls names beft." The King was pleased to say he was of the fame opinion; adding, "You do not think then, Dr. Johnson, that there was much argument in the cafe." Johnfon faid, he did not think there was. "Why truly, (faid the King,) when once it comes to calling names, argument is pretty well at an end."

His Majefty then asked him what he thought of Lord Lyttelton's history, which was then juft published. Johnfon faid, he thought his ftyle pretty good, but that he had blamed Henry the Second rather too much. "Why, (faid the King,) they seldom do these things by halves." "No, Sir, (answered Johnson,) not to Kings." But fearing to be mifunderstood, he proceeded to explain himself; and immediately fubjoined, "That for those who spoke worfe of Kings than they deserved, he could find no excufe, but that he could more easily conceive how fome might speak better of them than they deserved, without any ill intention; for, as Kings had much in their power to give, those who were favoured by them would frequently, from gratitude, exaggerate their praises; and as this proceeded from a good motive, it was certainly excufeable, as far as errour could be excufeable."

The King then asked him what he thought of Dr. Hill. Johnfon answered, that he was an ingenious man, but had no veracity; and immediately mentioned, as an inftance of it, an affertion of that writer, that he had feen objects magnified to a much greater degree by using three or four microfcopes at a time, than by ufing one. "Now, (added Johnfon,) every one acquainted with microscopes knows, that the more of them he looks through, the lefs the object will appear." "Why, (replied the King,) this is not only telling an untruth, but telling it clumfily; for, if that be the case, every one who can look through a microscope will be able to detect him."

"I now, (faid Johnson to his friends, when relating what had paffed,) began to confider that I was depreciating this man in the estimation of his fovereign, and thought it was time for me to fay fomething that might be more favourable." He added, therefore, that Dr. Hill was, notwithstanding, a very curious observer; and if he would have been contented to tell the world no more than he knew, he might have been a very confiderable man, and needed not to have recourfe to fuch mean expedients to raise his reputation.

The King then talked of literary journals, mentioned particularly the Journal des Savans, and asked Johnfon if it was well done. Johnson said, it was formerly very well done, and gave fome account of the perfons who began

began it, and carried it on for fome years; enlarging at the fame time, on the 1767. nature and use of such works. The King asked him if it was well done now. Atat. 58. Johnson answered, he had no reason to think that it was. The King then asked him if there were any other literary journals published in this kingdom, except the Monthly and Critical Reviews; and on being anfwered there were no other, his Majesty asked which of them was the best: Johnson answered, that the Monthly Review was done with most care, the Critical upon the best principles; adding, that the authours of the Monthly Review were enemies to the Church. This the King faid he was forry to hear.

The converfation next turned on the Philofophical Tranfactions, when Johnson obferved, that they had now a better method of arranging their materials than formerly. "Aye, (faid the King,) they are obliged to Dr. Johnson for that;" for his Majefty had heard and remembered the circumstance, which Johnson himself had forgot.

His Majefty expreffed a defire to have the literary biography of this country ably executed, and propofed to Dr. Johnfon to undertake it. Johnson fignified his readiness to comply with his Majesty's wishes.

During the whole of this interview, Johnson talked to his Majesty with profound respect, but ftill in his firm manly manner, with a fonorous voice, and never in that fubdued tone which is commonly used at the levee and in the drawing-room. After the King withdrew, Johnson fhewed himself highly pleased with his Majesty's converfation and gracious behaviour. He faid to Mr. Barnard, "Sir, they may talk of the King as they will; but he is the finest gentleman I have ever feen." And he afterwards obferved to Mr. Langton, "Sir, his manners are thofe of as fine a gentleman as we may fuppofe Lewis the Fourteenth or Charles the Second."

At Sir Joshua Reynolds's, where a circle of Johnson's friends was collected round him to hear his account of this memorable converfation, Dr. Jofeph Warton, in his frank and lively manner, was very active in preffing him to mention the particulars. "Come now, Sir, this is an interesting matter; do favour us with it." Johnson, with great good humour, complied.

He told them, "I found his Majefty wished I fhould talk, and I made it my businets to talk. I find it does a man good to be talked to by his fovereign. In the first place, a man cannot be in a paffion-" Here fome question interrupted him, which is to be regretted, as he certainly would have pointed out and illuftrated many circumstances of advantage, from being in a fituation, where the powers of the mind are at once excited to vigorous exertion, and tempered by reverential awe.

1767.

Etat. 58.

During all the time in which Dr. Johnson was employed in relating to the circle at Sir Joshua Reynolds's the particulars of what paffed between the King and him, Dr. Goldsmith remained unmoved upon a fopha at some diftance, affecting not to join in the leaft in the eager curiofity of the company. He affigned as a reafon for his gloom and feeming inattention, that he apprehended Johnfon had relinquifhed his purpofe of furnishing him with a Prologue to his play, with the hopes of which he had been flattered; but it was ftrongly fufpected that he was fretting with chagrin and envy at the fingular honour Dr. Johnfon had lately enjoyed. At length, the frankness

and fimplicity of his natural character prevailed. He fprung from the fopha, advanced to Johnson, and in a kind of flutter, from imagining himself in the fituation which he had juft been hearing defcribed, exclaimed, “Well, you acquitted yourfelf in this converfation better than I fhould have done; for I fhould have bowed and ftammered through the whole of it."

I received no letter from Johnfon this year; nor have I discovered any of the correfpondence he had, except the two letters to Mr. Drummond, which have been inferted, for the fake of connection with that to the fame gentleman in 1766. His diary affords no light as to his employment at this time. He paffed three months at Lichfield; and I cannot omit an affecting and folemn fcene there, as related by himself :

"Sunday, Oct. 18, 1767. Yesterday, Oct. 17, at about ten in the morning, I took my leave for ever of my dear old friend, Catherine Chambers, who came to live with my mother about 1724, and has been but little parted from us fince. She buried my father, my brother, and my mother. She is now fifty-eight years old.

"I defired all to withdraw, then told her that we were to part for ever; that as Chriftians, we fhould part with prayer; and that I would, if fhe was willing, fay a fhort prayer befide her. She expreffed great defire to hear me ; and held up her poor hands, as fhe lay in bed, with great fervour, while I prayed, kneeling by her, nearly in the following words:

"Almighty and moft merciful Father, whofe loving-kindness is over all thy works, behold, vifit, and relieve this thy fervant, who is grieved with sickness. Grant that the fenfe of her weakness may add ftrength to her faith, and serioufnefs to her repentance. And grant that by the help of thy Holy Spirit, after the pains and labours of this fhort life, we may all obtain everlasting happiness,

It is proper here to mention, that when I fpeak of his correfpondence, I confider it indepen dent of the voluminous collection of letters which, in the courfe of many years, he wrote to Mrs. Thrale, which forms a feparate part of his works; and as a proof of the high estimation fet on any thing which came from his pen, was fold by that lady for the fum of five hundred pounds.

through

through JESUS CHRIST our Lord; for whose fake hear our prayers. Amen. Our Father, &c.

"I then kiffed her. She told me, that to part was the greatest pain that she had ever felt, and that she hoped we should meet again in a better place. I expreffed, with fwelled eyes, and great emotion of tenderness, the fame hopes. We kiffed, and parted. I humbly hope to meet again, and to part no more?."

By those who have been taught to look upon Johnson as a man of a harsh and ftern character, let this tender and affectionate scene be candidly read; and let them then judge whether more warmth of heart, and grateful kindnefs, is often found in human nature.

We have the following notice in his devotional record:

"August 2, 1767. I have been disturbed and unfettled for a long time, and have been without refolution to apply to ftudy or to bufinefs, being hindered by fudden fnatches '."

He, however, furnished Mr. Adams with a Dedication to the King of that ingenious gentleman's "Treatife on the Globes," conceived and expreffed in fuch a manner as could not fail to be very grateful to a monarch, distinguifhed for his love of the fciences.

This year was published a ridicule of his ftyle, under the title of " Lexiphanes." Sir John Hawkins afcribes it to Dr. Kenrick, but its authour was one Campbell, a Scotch purfer in the navy. The ridicule consisted in applying Johnson's "words of large meaning," to infignificant matters, as if one fhould put the armour of Goliath upon a dwarf. The contraft might be laughable; but the dignity of the armour must remain the fame in all confiderate minds. This malicious drollery, therefore, it may easily be fuppofed, could do no harm to its illustrious object.

It appears from his notes of the state of his mind, that he suffered great perturbation and distraction in 1768. Nothing of his writing was given to the publick this year, except the Prologue* to his friend Goldfinith's comedy of "The Good-natured Man." The first lines of this Prologue are strongly characteristical of the difinal gloom of his mind; which in his cafe, as in the cafe of all who are diftreffed with the fame malady of imagination, transfers to others its own feelings. Who could fuppofe that it was to introduce a comedy, when Mr. Benfley folemnly began,

"Prefs'd with the load of life, the weary mind

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Surveys the general toil of human kind.”

but this dark ground might make Goldfmith's humour shine the more.

1767.

Ætat. 58.

1768.

Prayers and Meditations, p. 77 and 78.

• Ibid. p. 73.

2 Ibid. p. 81.

1768.

Etat. 59.

In the fpring of this year, having published my "Account of Corfica, with the Journal of a Tour to that Island," I returned to London, very defirous to fee Dr. Johnson, and hear him upon the fubject. I found he was at Oxford, with his friend Mr. Chambers, who was now Vinerian Profeffor, and lived in New Inn Hall. Having had no letter from him fince that in which he criticifed the Latinity of my Thefis, and having been told by fomebody that he was offended at my having put into my book an extract of his letter to me at Paris, I was impatient to be with him, and therefore followed him to Oxford, where I was entertained by Mr. Chambers, with a civility which I fhall ever gratefully remember. I found that Dr. Johnson had fent a letter to me to Scotland, and that I had nothing to complain of but his being more indifferent to my anxiety than I wished him to be. Inftead of giving, with the circumstances of time and place, fuch fragments of his converfation as I preferved during this vifit to Oxford, I fhall throw them together in continuation.

I asked him whether, as a moralift, he did not think that the practice of the law, in fome degree, hurt the nice feeling of honesty. JOHNSON. "Why no, Sir, if you act properly. You are not to deceive your clients with falfe representations of your opinion: you are not to tell lies to a judge." BOSWELL. "But what do you think of fupporting a cause which you know to be bad?” JOHNSON. "Sir, you do not know it to be good or bad till the Judge determines it. I have faid that you are to ftate facts fairly; fo that your thinking, or what you call knowing a caufe to be bad, must be from reasoning, must be from your supposing your arguments to be weak and inconclufive. But, Sir, that is not enough. An argument which does not convince yourself, may convince the Judge to whom you urge it: and if it does convince him, why then, Sir, you are wrong, and he is right. It is his business to judge; and you are not to be confident in your own opinion that a cause is bad, but to say all you can for your client, and then hear the Judge's opinion." BOSWELL. "But, Sir, does not affecting a warmth when you have no warmth, and appearing to be clearly of one opinion when you are in reality of another opinion, does not fuch diffimulation impair one's honefty? Is there not fome danger that a lawyer may put on the fame mask in common life, in the intercourse with his friends?" JOHNSON. "Why no, Sir. Every body knows you are paid for affecting warmth for your client; and it is, therefore, properly no diffimulation: the moment you come from the bar you refume your ufual behaviour. Sir, a man will no more carry the artifice of the bar into the common intercourfe of fociety, than a man who is paid for tumbling upon his hands will continue to tumble upon his hands when he should walk on his feet.”

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Talking

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