Istaidallthisday*withhimatStreatham。Hetalkedagreatdeal，inverygoodhumour。
*Wednesday，May13——ED。
LookingatMessrs。Dilly’ssplendideditionofLordChesterfield’smiscellaneousworks，helaughed，andsaid，’Herenowaretwospeechesascribedtohim，bothofwhichwerewrittenbyme：andthebestofitis，theyhavefoundoutthatoneislikeDemosthenes，andtheotherlikeCicero。’
BOSWELL。’Isnotmodestynatural？’JOHNSON。’Icannotsay，Sir，aswefindnopeoplequiteinastateofnature；butIthinkthemoretheyaretaught，themoremodesttheyare。TheFrenchareagross，ill-bred，untaughtpeople；aladytherewillspitonthefloorandrubitwithherfoot。WhatIgainedbybeinginFrancewas，learningtobebettersatisfiedwithmyowncountry。Timemaybeemployedtomoreadvantagefromnineteentotwenty-fouralmostinanywaythanintravelling；whenyousettravellingagainstmerenegation，againstdoingnothing，itisbettertobesure；buthowmuchmorewouldayoungmanimprovewerehetostudyduringthoseyears。Indeed，ifayoungmaniswild，andmustrunafterwomenandbadcompany，itisbetterthisshouldbedoneabroad，as，onhisreturn，hecanbreakoffsuchconnections，andbeginathomeanewman，withacharactertoform，andacquaintancestomake。Howlittledoestravellingsupplytotheconversationofanymanwhohastravelled；howlittletoBeauclerk!’BOSWELL。’WhatsayyoutoLord——？’JOHNSON。’Ineverbutonceheardhimtalkofwhathehadseen，andthatwasofalargeserpentinoneofthePyramidsofEgypt。’BOSWELL。’Well，Ihappenedtohearhimtellthesamething，whichmademementionhim。’
Italkedofacountrylife。JOHNSON。’WereItoliveinthecountry，Iwouldnotdevotemyselftotheacquisitionofpopularity；Iwouldliveinamuchbetterway，muchmorehappily；I