dlesex patriot an admirable retort upon his | sire of augmenting them grows stronger in own ground. "Sure, sir, you don't think a resolution of the house of commons equal to the law of the land." WILKES (at once perceiving the application). "God forbid, sir.”—To hear what had been treated with such violence in “The False Alarm" now turned into pleasant repartee, was extremely agreeable. Johnson went on:-" Locke observes well, that a prohibition to export the current coin is impolitick; for when the balance of trade happens to be against a state, the current coin must be exported."

ingly done; and Mr. Wilkes paid Dr. Johnson a visit, was courteously received, and sat with him a long time.

the house of her mother, Lady Galway. Her vivacity enchanted the sage, and they used to talk together with all imaginable ease. A singular instance happened one evening, when she insisted that some of Sterne's writings were very pathetick. Johnson bluntly denied it. "I am sure," said she, they have affected me." "Why," said Johnson, smiling, and rolling himself about,

When she some time afterwards mentioned this to him, he said, with equal truth and politeness, "Madam, if I had thought so, I certainly should not have said it.”

The company gradually dropped away. Mr. Dilly himself was called down stairs upon business; I left the room for some time; when I returned, I was struck with observing Dr. Samuel Johnson and John Wilkes, Esq. literally tête-à-tête; for they were reclined upon their chairs, with their" that is because, dearest, you're a dunce." heads leaning almost close to each other, and talking earnestly, in a kind of confidential whisper, of the personal quarrel between George the Second and the King of Prussia. Such a scene of perfectly easy sociality between two such opponents in the war of political controversy, as that which I now beheld, would have been an excellent subject for a picture. It presented to my mind the happy days which are foretold in the Scripture, when the lion shall lie down with the kid 1.

After this day there was another pretty long interval, during which Dr. Johnson and I did not meet. When I mentioned it to him with regret, he was pleased to say, "Then, sir, let us live double."

About this time it was much the fashion for several ladies to have evening assemblies, where the fair sex might participate in conversation with literary and ingenious men, animated by a desire to please. These societies were denominated Blue-stocking Clubs; the origin of which title being little known, it may be worth while to relate it. One of the most eminent members of those societies, when they first commenced, was Mr. Stillingfleet 2, whose dress was remarkably grave, and in particular it was observed that he wore blue stockings. Such was the excellence of his conversation, that his absence was felt as so great a loss, that it used to be said, "We can do nothing without the blue stockings;" and thus by degrees the title was established. Miss Hannah More has admirably described a Blue-stocking Club in her " Bas Bleu," a poem in which many of the persons who were most conspicuous there are mentioned.

Johnson was prevailed with to come sometimes into these circles, and did not think himself too grave even for the lively Miss Monckton 3 (now Countess of Corke), who used to have the finest bit of blue at

1 When I mentioned this to the Bishop of Killaloe, [Dr. Barnard,]" With the goat,' "said his lordship. Such, however, was the engaging politeness and pleasantry of Mr. Wilkes, and such the social good humour of the bishop, that when they dined together at Mr. Dilly's, where I also was, they were mutually agreeable.-BOSWELL. Mr. Benjamin Stillingfleet, authour of tracts relating to natural history, &c.-BOSWELL. ? [See ante, p. 231, n.-ED.] 88

VOL. II.

Another evening Johnson's kind indulgence towards me had a pretty difficult trial. I had dined at the Duke of Montrose's with a very agreeable party; and his grace, according to his usual custom, had circulated the bottle very freely. Lord Graham and I went together to Miss Monckton's, where I certainly was in extraordinary spirits, and above all fear or awe. In the midst of a great number of persons of the first rank, amongst whom I recollect, with confusion, a noble lady of the most stately decorum, I placed myself next to Johnson, and thinking myself now fully his match, talked to him in a loud and boisterous manner, desirous to let the company know how I could contend with Ajax. I particularly remember pressing him upon the value of the pleasures of the imagination, and, as an illustration of my argument, asking him, "What, sir, supposing I were to fancy that the(naming the most charming duchess in his majesty's dominions) were in love with me, should I not be very happy?" My friend with much address evaded my interrogatories, and kept me as quiet as possible; but it may easily be conceived how he must have felt 4. However, when

happened the most ingenious turn I could by the
4 Next day I endeavoured to give what had
following verses:

TO THE HONOURABLE MISS MONCKTON.
Not that with th' excellent Montrose
I had the happiness to dine;
Not that I late from table rose,
From Graham's wit, from generous wine.
It was not these alone which led

On sacred manners to encroach;
And made me feel what most I dread,
Johnson's just frown, and self-reproach,
But when I enter'd, not abash'd,
From your bright eyes were shot such rays,
At once intoxication flash'd,

And all my frame was in a blaze!
But not a brilliant blaze I own,

Of the dull smoke I'm yet ashamed;

I was a dreary ruin grown,

And not enlighten'd, though inflamed.
Victim at once to wine and love,
I hope, Maria, you'll forgive;
While I invoke the powers above,
That henceforth I may wiser live.

The lady was generously forgiving, returned me an obliging answer, and I thus obtained an act of oblivion, and took care never to offend again. Bos WELL.

a few days afterwards I waited upon him and made an apology, he behaved with the most friendly gentleness.

While I remained in London this year, Johnson and I dined together at several places. I recollect a placid day at Dr. Butter's, who had now removed from Derby to Lower Grosvenor-street, London; but of his conversation on that and other occasions during this period I neglected to keep any regular record, and shall therefore insert here some miscellaneous articles which I find in my Johnsonian notes.

6

His disorderly habits, when "making provision for the day that was passing over him," appear from the following anecdote, communicated to me by Mr. John Nichols: "In the year 1763 a young bookseller, who was an apprentice to Mr. Whiston, waited on him with a subscription to his Shakspeare;' and observing that the Doctor made no entry in any book of the subscriber's name, ventured diffidently to ask whether he would please to have the gentleman's address, that it might be properly inserted in the printed list of subscribers. I shall print no list of subscribers,' said Johnson, with great abruptness: but almost immediately recollecting himself, added, very complacently, Sir, I have two very cogent reasons for not printing any list of subscribers: one, that I have lost all the names; the other, that I have spent all the moncy.""

Johnson could not brook appearing to be worsted in argument, even when he had taken the wrong side, to show the force and dexterity of his talents. When, therefore, he perceived that his opponent gained ground, he had recourse to some sudden mode of robust sophistry. Once when I was pressing upon him with visible advantage, he stopped me thus: "My dear Boswell, let's have no more of this; you'll make nothing of it. I'd rather have you whistle a Scotch tune."

Care, however, must be taken to distinguish between Johnson when he "talked for victory," and Johnson when he had no desire but to inform and illustrate. "One of Johnson's principal talents," says an eminent friend of his 2, " was shown in maintaining the wrong side of an argument, and in a splendid perversion of the truth. If you could contrive to have his fair opinion on a subject, and without any bias from personal prejudice, or from a wish to be victorious in argument, it was wisdom itself, not only convincing, but overpowering."

He had, however, all his life habituated himself to consider conversation as a trial

[See ante, p. 117.-ED.]

of intellectual vigour and skill: and to this,
I think, we may venture to ascribe that un-
exampled richness and brilliancy which ap-
peared in his own. As a proof at once of
his eagerness for colloquial distinction, and
his high notion of this eminent friend, he
once addressed him thus: "
have been several hours together, and you
have said but one thing for which I envied
you 3."

-, we now

He disliked much all speculative desponding considerations, which tended to discourage men from diligence and exertion. He was in this like Dr. Shaw, the great traveller, who, Mr. Daines Barrington told me, used to say, "I hate a cui bono man." Upon being asked by a friend what he should think of a man who was apt to say non est tanti; "That he's a stupid fellow, sir," answered Johnson. "What would these tanti men be doing the while?" When I, in a low-spirited fit, was talking to him with indifference of the pursuits which generally engage us in a course of action, and inquiring a reason for taking so much trouble; "Sir," said he, in an animated tone, "it is driving on the system of life."

He told me that he was glad that I had, by General Oglethorp's means, become acquainted with Dr. Shebbeare. Indeed that gentleman, whatever objections were made to him, had knowledge and abilities much above the class of ordinary writers, and deserves to be remembered as a respectable name in literature, were it only for his admirable "Letters on the English Nation," under the name of “ Battista Angeloni, a Jesuit."

Johnson and Shebbeare 4 were frequently named together, as having in former reigns had no predilection for the family of Hanover. The authour 5 of the celebrated "Heroick Epistle to Sir William Chambers" introduces them in one line 6, in a list of those "who tasted the sweets of his present majesty's reign." Such was Johnson's candid relish of the merit of that satire, that he allowed Dr. Goldsmith, as he told me, to read it to him from beginning to end, and did not refuse his praise to its execution.

Goldsmith could sometimes take adventurous liberties with him, and escape unpun

notion of a man's powers in conversation to say, 3 [It seems a strange way of expressing a high that " in several hours he had said but one good thing."-ED.]

I recollect a ludicrous paragraph in the newspapers, that the king had pensioned both a Hebear and a She-bear.--BOSWELL. [See ante, vol. i. p. 252.---ED.]

5 [There can be no doubt that it was the joint production of Mason and Walpole; Mason sup2 The late Right Hon. William Gerrard Ham- plying the poetry, and Walpole the points.--Ed.]

ilton.-MALONE.

6 [See ante, p. 178, n.--ED.]

ished. Beauclerk told me, that when Gold- I think he was more liberal than Mr. William smith talked of a project for having a third Whitehead, in his "Elegy to Lord Villiers," theatre in London solely for the exhibition in which, under the pretext of " 'superiour of new plays, in order to deliver authours toils, demanding all their care," he discovfrom the supposed tyranny of managers, ers a jealousy of the great paying their court Johnson treated it slightingly, upon which to the Muses: Goldsmith said, "Ay, ay, this may be nothing to you, who can now shelter yourself behind the corner of a pension;" and Johnson bore this with good-humour.

to the chosen few

Who dare excel, thy fost'ring aid afford;
Their arts, their magick powers, with honours due
Exalt; but be thyself what they record."

Johnson had called twice on [Dr. Barnard] the Bishop of Killaloe before his lordship set out for Ireland, having missed him the first time. He said, "It would have

Johnson praised the Earl of Carlisle's poems, which his lordship had published with his name, as not disdaining to be a candidate for literary fame. My friend was of opinion that when a man of rank appear-hung heavy on my heart if I had not seen ed in that character, he deserved to have his merit handsomely allowed 2. In this I

1 [Frederic, fifth Earl of Carlisle, born in 1748; died in 1825.-ED.]

2 Men of rank and fortune, however, should be pretty well assured of having a real claim to the approbation of the publick, as writers, before they venture to stand forth. Dryden, in his preface to "All for Love," thus expresses himself: Men of pleasant conversation (at least esteemed so) and endued with a trifling kind of fancy, perhaps helped out by a smattering of Latin, are ambitious to distinguish themselves from the herd of gentlemen by their poetry:

'Rarus enim fermè sensus communis in illa
Fortuna.'-

And is not this a wretched affectation, not to be
contented with what fortune has done for them,
and sit down quietly with their estates, but they
must call their wits in question, and needlessly
expose their nakedness to publick view? Not
considering that they are not to expect the same
approbation from sober men which they have

found from their flatterers after the third bottle: if

a little glittering in discourse has passed them on us for witty men, where was the necessity of undeceiving the world? Would a man who has an ill title to an estate, but yet is in possession of itwould he bring it out of his own accord to be tried at Westminster? We who write, if we want the talents, yet have the excuse that we do it for a poor subsistence; but what can be urged in their defence, who, not having the vocation of poverty to scribble, out of mere wantonness take pains to make themselves ridiculous? Horace was certainly in the right where he said, That no man is satisfied with his own condition.' A poet is not pleased because he is not rich; and the rich are discontented because the poets will not admit them of their number."-BOSWELL. [Mr. Boswell seems to insinuate that Lord Carlisle had no claim to the approbation of the public as a writer, and that he exposed himself to ridicule by this publication; and Lord Byron, in one of those wayward fits which too often distorted the views of that extraordinary person, recorded the same opinion with the bitterness and exaggeration of a professed satirist. In these judgments the Editor cannot concur. Lord Carlisle was not, indeed, a great poet, but he was superior to many whom Mr. Boswell was ready enough to admit into the "sacred choir." His verses have

him. No man ever paid more attention to another than he has done to me; and I have otherwise occupied. Always, sir, set a high neglected him, not wilfully, but from being inclination prompts him to cultivate your value on spontaneous kindness. He whose friendship of his own accord, will love you more than one whom you have been at pains to attach to you."

This gave me very great pleasure, for there had been once a pretty smart altercation 3 between Dr. Barnard and him, upon a question, whether a man could improve himself after the age of forty-five; when Johnson in a hasty humour expressed himself in a manner not quite civil. Dr. Barnard made it the subject of a copy of pleasant verses, in which he supposed himself to learn different perfections from different men. The concluding stanza is a delicate irony 4 on Dr. Johnson.

I know not whether Johnson ever saw the poem, but I had occasion to find that, as Dr. Barnard and he knew each other better, their mutual regard increased 5.

ED

[This, as Miss Reynolds remarks, was one of the few occasions in which Johnson appeared anxious to make atonement for conversational rudeness, and she adds the following account of it:

"I shall never forget with what regret he spoke of the rude reply he Reyn made to Dr. Barnard, on his saying

Recol.

good sense, sweetness, and elegance. It should be added, in justice both to Lord Carlisle and Lord Byron, that the latter very much regretted the flippant and unjust sarcasms he had uttered against his noble friend and relation.-ED.]

3 [This incident took place about 1776.-ED.] 4 [The Editor does not think the last stanza very happy, as it seems to mix up awkwardly enough truth and irony.-ED.]

5 [This account of Dr. Johnson's rudeness to Dr. Barnard, Mr. Boswell had thrown into a note, and had quoted only the last stanza of the dean's poetical retaliation; but as an interesting incident in the history of Johnson's social life, the Editor has removed it to the text, and has added the whole anecdote from Miss Reynolds's Recollec tions.-ED.]