AthisreturnIaskedhowtheaffairended。\"Why，\"saidhe，\"Iwasafiercefellow，andpretendedtobeveryangry;andThomaswasagood—naturedfellow，andpretendedtobeverysorry;soTHEREthematterended。Ibelievethedoglovesmedearly。Mr。Thrale，\"turningtomyhusband，\"whatshallyouandIdothatisgoodforTomDavies？Wewilldosomethingforhim，tobesure。\"
OfPopeasawriterhehadthehighestopinion，andoncewhenaladyatourhousetalkedofhisprefacetoShakespeareassuperiortoPope’s，\"Ifearnot，madam，\"saidhe，\"thelittlefellowhasdonewonders。\"HissuperiorreverenceofDryden，notwithstanding，stillappearedinhistalkasinhiswritings;andwhensomeonementionedtheridiculethrownonhiminthe’Rehearsal，’ashavinghurthisgeneralcharacterasanauthor，\"Onthecontrary，\"saysMr。Johnson，\"thegreatnessofDryden’sreputationisnowtheonlyprincipleofvitalitywhichkeepstheDukeofBuckingham’splayfromputrefaction。\"
Itwasnotveryeasy，however，forpeoplenotquiteintimatewithDr。
Johnsontogetexactlyhisopinionofawriter’smerit，ashewouldnowandthendiverthimselfbyconfoundingthosewhothoughtthemselvesobligedtosayto—morrowwhathehadsaidyesterday;andevenGarrick，whooughttohavebeenbetteracquaintedwithhistricks，professedhimselfmortifiedthatonetimewhenhewasextollingDrydeninarapturethatIsupposedisgustedhisfriend，Mr。Johnsonsuddenlychallengedhimtoproducetwentylinesinaseriesthatwouldnotdisgracethepoetandhisadmirer。
GarrickproducedapassagethathehadonceheardtheDoctorcommend，inwhichheNOWfound，ifIrememberrightly，sixteenfaults，andmadeGarricklooksillyathisowntable。WhenItoldMr。Johnsonthestory，\"Why，whatamonkeywasDavidnow，\"sayshe，\"totellofhisowndisgrace！\"Andinthecourseofthathour’schathetoldmehowheusedtoteaseGarrickbycommendationsofthetomb—sceneinCongreve’s’MourningBride，’