Johnsonadvisedmeto-nightnottoREFINEintheeducationofmychildren。’Lifesaidhe，willnotbearrefinement：youmustdoasotherpeopledo。’
AswedrovebacktoAshbourne，Dr。Johnsonrecommendedtome，ashehadoftendone，todrinkwateronly：’Forsaidhe，youarethensurenottogetdrunk；whereasifyoudrinkwineyouareneversure。’Isaid，drinkingwinewasapleasurewhichIwasunwillingtogiveup，’Why，Sir，saidhe，thereisnodoubtthatnottodrinkwineisagreatdeductionfromlife；butitmaybenecessary。’Hehoweverowned，thatinhisopinionafreeuseofwinedidnotshortenlife；andsaid，hewouldnotgivelessforthelifeofacertainScotchLordwhomhenamedcelebratedforharddrinking，thanforthatofasoberman。’Butstay，saidhe，withhisusualintelligence，andaccuracyofenquiry，doesittakemuchwinetomakehimdrunk？’Ianswered，’agreatdealeitherofwineorstrongpunch。’——’Thensaidhe，thatistheworse。’Ipresumetoillustratemyfriend’sobservationthus：’Afortresswhichsoonsurrendershasitswallslessshatteredthanwhenalongandobstinateresistanceismade。’
IventuredtomentionapersonwhowasasviolentaScotsmanashewasanEnglishman；andliterallyhadthesamecontemptforanEnglishmancomparedwithaScotsman，thathehadforaScotsmancomparedwithanEnglishman；andthathewouldsayofDr。Johnson，’Damnedrascal!totalkashedoesoftheScotch。’Thisseemed，foramoment，’togivehimpause。’It，perhaps，presentedhisextremeprejudiceagainsttheScotchinapointofviewsomewhatnewtohim，bytheeffectofCONTRAST。
BythetimewhenwereturnedtoAshbourne，Dr。Taylorwasgonetobed。JohnsonandIsatupalongtimebyourselves。
OnSaturday，September20，afterbreakfast，whenTaylorwasgoneouttohisfarm，Dr。JohnsonandIhadaseriousconversationbyourselvesonmelancholyandmadness。