havenopassionforit。’——Johnsoncontinued。’Mankindhaveagreataversiontointellectuallabour；butevensupposingknowledgetobeeasilyattainable，morepeoplewouldbecontenttobeignorantthanwouldtakeevenalittletroubletoacquireit。’
TalkingofGarrick，hesaid，’Heisthefirstmanintheworldforsprightlyconversation。’
WhenIroseasecondtimeheagainpressedmetostay，whichIdid。
Hetoldme，thathegenerallywentabroadatfourintheafternoon，andseldomcamehometilltwointhemorning。Itookthelibertytoaskifhedidnotthinkitwrongtolivethus，andnotmakemoreuseofhisgreattalents。Heowneditwasabadhabit。Onreviewing，atthedistanceofmanyyears，myjournalofthisperiod，Iwonderhow，atmyfirstvisit，Iventuredtotalktohimsofreely，andthatheboreitwithsomuchindulgence。
Beforeweparted，hewassogoodastopromisetofavourmewithhiscompanyoneeveningatmylodgings；and，asItookmyleave，shookmecordiallybythehand。Itisalmostneedlesstoadd，thatIfeltnolittleelationathavingnowsohappilyestablishedanacquaintanceofwhichIhadbeensolongambitious。
IdidnotvisithimagaintillMonday，June13，atwhichtimeI
recollectnopartofhisconversation，exceptthatwhenItoldhimIhadbeentoseeJohnsonrideuponthreehorses，hesaid，’Suchaman，Sir，shouldbeencouraged；forhisperformancesshewtheextentofthehumanpowersinoneinstance，andthustendtoraiseouropinionofthefacultiesofman。Heshewswhatmaybeattainedbyperseveringapplication；sothateverymanmayhope，thatbygivingasmuchapplication，althoughperhapshemayneverridethreehorsesatatime，ordanceuponawire，yethemaybeequallyexpertinwhateverprofessionhehaschosentopursue。’
Heagainshookmebythehandatparting，andaskedmewhyIdidnotcomeoftenertohim。TrustingthatIwasnowinhisgoodgraces，Ianswered，thathehadnotgivenmemuchencouragement，andremindedhimofthecheckIhadreceivedfromhimatourfirstinterview。’Poh，poh!saidhe，withacomplacentsmile，nevermindthesethings。Cometomeasoftenasyoucan。Ishallbegladtoseeyou。’
IhadlearntthathisplaceoffrequentresortwastheMitretaverninFleet-street，wherehelovedtosituplate，andIbeggedI
mightbeallowedtopassaneveningwithhimtheresoon，whichhepromisedIshould。AfewdaysafterwardsImethimnearTemple-
bar，aboutoneo’clockinthemorning，andaskedifhewouldthengototheMitre。’Sir，saidheitistoolate；theywon’tletusin。ButI’llgowithyouanothernightwithallmyheart。’
Arevolutionofsomeimportanceinmyplanoflifehadjusttakenplace；forinsteadofprocuringacommissioninthefoot-guards，whichwasmyowninclination，Ihad，incompliancewithmyfather’swishes，agreedtostudythelaw，andwassoontosetoutforUtrecht，tohearthelecturesofanexcellentCivilianinthatUniversity，andthentoproceedonmytravels。ThoughverydesirousofobtainingDr。Johnson’sadviceandinstructionsonthemodeofpursuingmystudies，Iwasatthistimesooccupied，shallIcallit？orsodissipated，bytheamusementsofLondon，thatournextmeetingwasnottillSaturday，June25，whenhappeningtodineatClifton’seating-house，inButcher-rowIwassurprizedtoperceiveJohnsoncomeinandtakehisseatatanothertable。Themodeofdining，orratherbeingfed，atsuchhousesinLondon，iswellknowntomanytobeparticularlyunsocial，asthereisnoOrdinary，orunitedcompany，buteachpersonhashisownmess，andisundernoobligationtoholdanyintercoursewithanyone。A
liberalandfull-mindedman，however，wholovestotalk，willbreakthroughthischurlishandunsocialrestraint。JohnsonandanIrishgentlemangotintoadisputeconcerningthecauseofsomepartofmankindbeingblack。’Why，Sir，saidJohnson，ithasbeenaccountedforinthreeways：eitherbysupposingthattheyaretheposterityofHam，whowascursed；orthatGODatfirstcreatedtwokindsofmen，oneblackandanotherwhite；orthatbytheheatofthesuntheskinisscorched，andsoacquiresasootyhue。Thismatterhasbeenmuchcanvassedamongnaturalists，buthasneverbeenbroughttoanycertainissue。’WhattheIrishmansaidistotallyobliteratedfrommymind；butIrememberthathebecameverywarmandintemperateinhisexpressions；uponwhichJohnsonrose，andquietlywalkedaway。Whenhehadretired，hisantagonisttookhisrevenge，ashethought，bysaying，’Hehasamostungainlyfigure，andanaffectationofpomposity，unworthyofamanofgenius。’
JohnsonhadnotobservedthatIwasintheroom。Ifollowedhim，however，andheagreedtomeetmeintheeveningattheMitre。I
calledonhim，andwewentthitheratnine。Wehadagoodsupper，andportwine，ofwhichhethensometimesdrankabottle。Theorthodoxhigh-churchsoundoftheMitre，——thefigureandmannerofthecelebratedSAMUELJOHNSON，——theextraordinarypowerandprecisionofhisconversation，andthepridearisingfromfindingmyselfadmittedashiscompanion，producedavarietyofsensations，andapleasingelevationofmindbeyondwhatIhadeverbeforeexperienced。Ifindinmyjournalthefollowingminuteofourconversation，which，thoughitwillgivebutaveryfaintnotionofwhatpassed，isinsomedegreeavaluablerecord；anditwillbecuriousinthisview，asshewinghowhabitualtohismindweresomeopinionswhichappearinhisworks。
’ColleyCibber，Sir，wasbynomeansablockhead；butbyarrogatingtohimselftoomuch，hewasindangeroflosingthatdegreeofestimationtowhichhewasentitled。HisfriendsgaveoutthatheINTENDEDhisbirth-dayOdesshouldbebad：butthatwasnotthecase，Sir；forhekeptthemmanymonthsbyhim，andafewyearsbeforehediedheshewedmeoneofthem，withgreatsolicitudetorenderitasperfectasmightbe，andImadesomecorrections，towhichhewasnotverywillingtosubmit。IrememberthefollowingcoupletinallusiontotheKingandhimself：
“Perch’dontheeagle’ssoaringwing，Thelowlylinnetlovestosing。“
Sir，hehadheardsomethingofthefabuloustaleofthewrensittingupontheeagle’swing，andhehadappliedittoalinnet。
Cibber’sfamiliarstyle，however，wasbetterthanthatwhichWhiteheadhasassumed。GRANDnonsenseisinsupportable。Whiteheadisbutalittlemantoinscribeversestoplayers。
’Sir，IdonotthinkGrayafirst-ratepoet。Hehasnotaboldimagination，normuchcommandofwords。Theobscurityinwhichhehasinvolvedhimselfwillnotpersuadeusthatheissublime。HisElegyinaChurch-yardhasahappyselectionofimages，butIdon’tlikewhatarecalledhisgreatthings。HisOdewhichbegins“Ruinseizethee，ruthlessKing，Confusiononthybannerswait!“
hasbeencelebratedforitsabruptness，andplungingintothesubjectallatonce。Butsuchartsasthesehavenomerit，unlesswhentheyareoriginal。Weadmirethemonlyonce；andthisabruptnesshasnothingnewinit。Wehavehaditoftenbefore。
Nay，wehaveitintheoldsongofJohnnyArmstrong：
“IsthereeveramaninallScotlandFromthehighestestatetothelowestdegree，“&e。
Andthen，Sir，“Yes，thereisamaninWestmoreland，AndJohnnyArmstrongtheydohimcall。“
There，now，youplungeatonceintothesubject。Youhavenopreviousnarrationtoleadyoutoit。ThetwonextlinesinthatOdeare，Ithink，verygood：
“Thoughfann’dbyconquest’scrimsonwing，Theymocktheairwithidlestate。“’
Findinghiminaplacidhumour，andwishingtoavailmyselfoftheopportunitywhichIfortunatelyhadofconsultingasage，tohearwhosewisdom，Iconceivedintheardourofyouthfulimagination，thatmenfilledwithanobleenthusiasmforintellectualimprovementwouldgladlyhaveresortedfromdistantlands；——I
openedmymindtohimingenuously，andgavehimalittlesketchofmylife，towhichhewaspleasedtolistenwithgreatattention。
Iacknowledged，thatthougheducatedverystrictlyintheprinciplesofreligion，Ihadforsometimebeenmisledintoacertaindegreeofinfidelity；butthatIwascomenowtoabetterwayofthinking，andwasfullysatisfiedofthetruthoftheChristianrevelation，thoughIwasnotclearastoeverypointconsideredtobeorthodox。Beingatalltimesacuriousexaminerofthehumanmind，andpleasedwithanundisguiseddisplayofwhathadpassedinit，hecalledtomewithwarmth，’Givemeyourhand；
Ihavetakenalikingtoyou。’Hethenbegantodescantupontheforceoftestimony，andthelittlewecouldknowoffinalcauses；
sothattheobjectionsof，whywasitso？orwhywasitnotso？
oughtnottodisturbus：adding，thathehimselfhadatoneperiodbeenguiltyofatemporaryneglectofreligion，butthatitwasnottheresultofargument，butmereabsenceofthought。
Afterhavinggivencredittoreportsofhisbigotry，Iwasagreeablysurprizedwhenheexpressedthefollowingveryliberalsentiment，whichhastheadditionalvalueofobviatinganobjectiontoourholyreligion，foundeduponthediscordanttenetsofChristiansthemselves：’Formypart，Sir，IthinkallChristians，whetherPapistsorProtestants，agreeintheessentialarticles，andthattheirdifferencesaretrivial，andratherpoliticalthanreligious。’
Wetalkedofbeliefinghosts。Hesaid，’Sir，Imakeadistinctionbetweenwhatamanmayexperiencebythemerestrengthofhisimagination，andwhatimaginationcannotpossiblyproduce。Thus，supposeIshouldthinkthatIsawaform，andheardavoicecry“Johnson，youareaverywickedfellow，andunlessyourepentyouwillcertainlybepunished；“myownunworthinessissodeeplyimpresseduponmymind，thatImightIMAGINEIthussawandheard，andthereforeIshouldnotbelievethatanexternalcommunicationhadbeenmadetome。Butifaformshouldappear，andavoiceshouldtellmethataparticularmanhaddiedataparticularplace，andaparticularhour，afactwhichIhadnoapprehensionof，noranymeansofknowing，andthisfact，withallitscircumstances，shouldafterwardsbeunquestionablyproved，I
should，inthatcase，bepersuadedthatIhadsupernaturalintelligenceimpartedtome。’
Hereitisproper，onceforall，togiveatrueandfairstatementofJohnson’swayofthinkinguponthequestion，whetherdepartedspiritsareeverpermittedtoappearinthisworld，orinanywaytooperateuponhumanlife。Hehasbeenignorantlymisrepresentedasweaklycredulousuponthatsubject；and，therefore，thoughI