feelaninclinationtodisdainandtreatwithsilentcontemptsofoolishanotionconcerningmyillustriousfriend，yetasIfindithasgainedground，itisnecessarytorefuteit。Therealfactthenis，thatJohnsonhadaveryphilosophicalmind，andsucharationalrespectfortestimony，astomakehimsubmithisunderstandingtowhatwasauthenticallyproved，thoughhecouldnotcomprehendwhyitwasso。Beingthusdisposed，hewaswillingtoinquireintothetruthofanyrelationofsupernaturalagency，ageneralbeliefofwhichhasprevailedinallnationsandages。Butsofarwashefrombeingthedupeofimplicitfaith，thatheexaminedthematterwithajealousattention，andnomanwasmorereadytorefuteitsfalsehoodwhenhehaddiscoveredit。
Churchill，inhispoementitledTheGhost，availedhimselfoftheabsurdcredulityimputedtoJohnson，anddrewacaricatureofhimunderthenameof’POMPOSO，’representinghimasoneofthebelieversofthestoryofaGhostinCock-lane，which，intheyear1762，hadgainedverygeneralcreditinLondon。Manyofmyreaders，Iamconvinced，aretothishourunderanimpressionthatJohnsonwasthusfoolishlydeceived。Itwillthereforesurprizethemagooddealwhentheyareinformeduponundoubtedauthority，thatJohnsonwasoneofthosebywhomtheimposturewasdetected。
Thestoryhadbecomesopopular，thathethoughtitshouldbeinvestigated；andinthisresearchhewasassistedbytheReverendDr。Douglas，nowBishopofSalisbury，thegreatdetectorofimpostures；whoinformsme，thatafterthegentlemenwhowentandexaminedintotheevidenceweresatisfiedofitsfalsity，Johnsonwroteintheirpresenceanaccountofit，whichwaspublishedinthenewspapersandGentleman’sMagazine，andundeceivedtheworld。
Ourconversationproceeded。’Sir，saidheIamafriendtosubordination，asmostconducivetothehappinessofsociety。
Thereisareciprocalpleasureingoverningandbeinggoverned。’
’Dr。Goldsmithisoneofthefirstmenwenowhaveasanauthour，andheisaveryworthymantoo。Hehasbeenlooseinhisprinciples，butheiscomingright。’
IcomplainedtohimthatIhadnotyetacquiredmuchknowledge，andaskedhisadviceastomystudies。Hesaid，’Don’ttalkofstudynow。Iwillgiveyouaplan；butitwillrequiresometimetoconsiderofit。’’ItisverygoodinyouIreplied，toallowmetobewithyouthus。HaditbeenforetoldtomesomeyearsagothatIshouldpassaneveningwiththeauthourofTheRambler，howshouldIhaveexulted!’WhatIthenexpressed，wassincerelyfromtheheart。Hewassatisfiedthatitwas，andcordiallyanswered，’Sir，Iamgladwehavemet。Ihopeweshallpassmanyeveningsandmorningstoo，together。’Wefinishedacoupleofbottlesofport，andsattillbetweenoneandtwointhemorning。
AsDr。OliverGoldsmithwillfrequentlyappearinthisnarrative，I
shallendeavourtomakemyreadersinsomedegreeacquaintedwithhissingularcharacter。HewasanativeofIreland，andacontemporarywithMr。BurkeatTrinityCollege，Dublin，butdidnotthengivemuchpromiseoffuturecelebrity。He，however，observedtoMr。Malone，that’thoughhemadenogreatfigureinmathematicks，whichwasastudyinmuchreputethere，hecouldturnanOdeofHoraceintoEnglishbetterthananyofthem。’HeafterwardsstudiedphysickatEdinburgh，andupontheContinent；
andIhavebeeninformed，wasenabledtopursuehistravelsonfoot，partlybydemandingatUniversitiestoenterthelistsasadisputant，bywhich，accordingtothecustomofmanyofthem，hewasentitledtothepremiumofacrown，whenluckilyforhimhischallengewasnotaccepted；sothat，asIonceobservedtoDr。
Johnson，heDISPUTEDhispassagethroughEurope。HethencametoEngland，andwasemployedsuccessivelyinthecapacitiesofanushertoanacademy，acorrectorofthepress，areviewer，andawriterforanews-paper。HehadsagacityenoughtocultivateassiduouslytheacquaintanceofJohnson，andhisfacultiesweregraduallyenlargedbythecontemplationofsuchamodel。TomeandmanyothersitappearedthathestudiouslycopiedthemannerofJohnson，though，indeed，uponasmallerscale。
AtthistimeIthinkhehadpublishednothingwithhisname，thoughitwasprettygenerallyknownthatoneDr。GoldsmithwastheauthourofAnEnquiryintothepresentStateofpoliteLearninginEurope，andofTheCitizenoftheWorld，aseriesofletterssupposedtobewrittenfromLondonbyaChinese。Nomanhadtheartofdisplayingwithmoreadvantageasawriter，whateverliteraryacquisitionshemade。’Nihilquodtetigitnonornavit。’
Hismindresembledafertile，butthinsoil。Therewasaquick，butnotastrongvegetation，ofwhateverchancedtobethrownuponit。Nodeeprootcouldbestruck。Theoakoftheforestdidnotgrowthere；buttheelegantshrubberyandthefragrantparterreappearedingaysuccession。Ithasbeengenerallycirculatedandbelievedthathewasamerefoolinconversation；but，intruth，thishasbeengreatlyexaggerated。Hehad，nodoubt，amorethancommonshareofthathurryofideaswhichweoftenfindinhiscountrymen，andwhichsometimesproducesalaughableconfusioninexpressingthem。HewasverymuchwhattheFrenchcallunetourdi，andfromvanityandaneagerdesireofbeingconspicuouswhereverhewas，hefrequentlytalkedcarelesslywithoutknowledgeofthesubject，orevenwithoutthought。Hispersonwasshort，hiscountenancecoarseandvulgar，hisdeportmentthatofascholaraukwardlyaffectingtheeasygentleman。Thosewhowereinanywaydistinguished，excitedenvyinhimtosoridiculousanexcess，thattheinstancesofitarehardlycredible。Whenaccompanyingtwobeautifulyoungladies*withtheirmotheronatourinFrance，hewasseriouslyangrythatmoreattentionwaspaidtothemthantohim；andonceattheexhibitionoftheFantocciniinLondon，whenthosewhosatnexthimobservedwithwhatdexterityapuppetwasmadetotossapike，hecouldnotbearthatitshouldhavesuchpraise，andexclaimedwithsomewarmth，’Pshaw!Icandoitbettermyself。’
*TheseweretheMissesHorneck，knownotherwiseas’LittleComedy’
and’TheJessamyBride。’——ED。
Heboastedtomeatthistimeofthepowerofhispenincommandingmoney，whichIbelievewastrueinacertaindegree，thoughintheinstancehegavehewasbynomeanscorrect。Hetoldmethathehadsoldanovelforfourhundredpounds。ThiswashisVicarofWakefield。ButJohnsoninformedme，thathehadmadethebargainforGoldsmith，andthepricewassixtypounds。’And，Sir，saidhe，asufficientpricetoo，whenitwassold；forthenthefameofGoldsmithhadnotbeenelevated，asitafterwardswas，byhisTraveller；andthebooksellerhadsuchfainthopesofprofitbyhisbargain，thathekeptthemanuscriptbyhimalongtime，anddidnotpublishittillafterTheTravellerhadappeared。Then，tobesure，itwasaccidentallyworthmoremoney。
Mrs。PiozziandSirJohnHawkinshavestrangelymisstatedthehistoryofGoldsmith’ssituationandJohnson’sfriendlyinterference，whenthisnovelwassold。IshallgiveitauthenticallyfromJohnson’sownexactnarration：——’IreceivedonemorningamessagefrompoorGoldsmiththathewasingreatdistress，andasitwasnotinhispowertocometome，beggingthatIwouldcometohimassoonaspossible。Isenthimaguinea，andpromisedtocometohimdirectly。IaccordinglywentassoonasIwasdrest，andfoundthathislandladyhadarrestedhimforhisrent，atwhichhewasinaviolentpassion。Iperceivedthathehadalreadychangedmyguinea，andhadgotabottleofMadeiraandaglassbeforehim。Iputthecorkintothebottle，desiredhewouldbecalm，andbegantotalktohimofthemeansbywhichhemightbeextricated。Hethentoldmethathehadanovelreadyforthepress，whichheproducedtome。Ilookedintoit，andsawitsmerit；toldthelandladyIshouldsoonreturn，andhavinggonetoabookseller，solditforsixtypounds。IbroughtGoldsmiththemoney，andhedischargedhisrent，notwithoutratinghislandladyinahightoneforhavingusedhimsoill。’
MynextmeetingwithJohnsonwasonFridaythe1stofJuly，whenheandIandDr。GoldsmithsuppedtogetherattheMitre。IwasbeforethistimeprettywellacquaintedwithGoldsmith，whowasoneofthebrightestornamentsoftheJohnsonianschool。Goldsmith’srespectfulattachmenttoJohnsonwasthenatitsheight；forhisownliteraryreputationhadnotyetdistinguishedhimsomuchastoexciteavaindesireofcompetitionwithhisgreatMaster。HehadincreasedmyadmirationofthegoodnessofJohnson’sheart，byincidentalremarksinthecourseofconversation，suchas，whenI
mentionedMr。Levet，whomheentertainedunderhisroof，’Heispoorandhonest，whichisrecommendationenoughtoJohnson；’andwhenIwonderedthathewasverykindtoamanofwhomIhadheardaverybadcharacter，’Heisnowbecomemiserable；andthatinsurestheprotectionofJohnson。’
HetalkedverycontemptuouslyofChurchill’spoetry，observing，that’ithadatemporarycurrency，onlyfromitsaudacityofabuse，andbeingfilledwithlivingnames，andthatitwouldsinkintooblivion。’Iventuredtohintthathewasnotquiteafairjudge，asChurchillhadattackedhimviolently。JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，Iamaveryfairjudge。HedidnotattackmeviolentlytillhefoundI
didnotlikehispoetry；andhisattackonmeshallnotpreventmefromcontinuingtosaywhatIthinkofhim，fromanapprehensionthatitmaybeascribedtoresentment。No，Sir，Icalledthefellowablockheadatfirst，andIwillcallhimablockheadstill。
However，IwillacknowledgethatIhaveabetteropinionofhimnow，thanIoncehad；forhehasshewnmorefertilitythanI
expected。Tobesure，heisatreethatcannotproducegoodfruit：
heonlybearscrabs。But，Sir，atreethatproducesagreatmanycrabsisbetterthanatreewhichproducesonlyafew。’
LetmehereapologizefortheimperfectmannerinwhichIamobligedtoexhibitJohnson’sconversationatthisperiod。Intheearlypartofmyacquaintancewithhim，Iwassowraptinadmirationofhisextraordinarycolloquialtalents，andsolittleaccustomedtohispeculiarmodeofexpression，thatIfounditextremelydifficulttorecollectandrecordhisconversationwithitsgenuinevigourandvivacity。Inprogressoftime，whenmymindwas，asitwere，stronglyimpregnatedwiththeJohnsonianoether，I
could，withmuchmorefacilityandexactness，carryinmymemoryandcommittopapertheexuberantvarietyofhiswisdomandwit。
AtthistimeMISSWilliams，asshewasthencalled，thoughshedidnotresidewithhimintheTempleunderhisroof，buthadlodgingsinBolt-court，Fleet-street，hadsomuchofhisattention，thatheeverynightdrankteawithherbeforehewenthome，howeverlateitmightbe，andshealwayssatupforhim。This，itmaybefairlyconjectured，wasnotaloneaproofofhisregardforHER，butofhisownunwillingnesstogointosolitude，beforethatunseasonablehouratwhichhehadhabituatedhimselftoexpecttheoblivionofrepose。Dr。Goldsmith，beingaprivilegedman，wentwithhimthisnight，struttingaway，andcallingtomewithanairofsuperiority，likethatofanesoterickoveranexoterickdiscipleofasageofantiquity，’IgotoMissWilliams。’Iconfess，Ithenenviedhimthismightyprivilege，ofwhichheseemedsoproud；butitwasnotlongbeforeIobtainedthesamemarkofdistinction。
OnTuesdaythe5thofJuly，IagainvisitedJohnson。
TalkingofLondon，heobserved，’Sir，ifyouwishtohaveajustnotionofthemagnitudeofthiscity，youmustnotbesatisfiedwithseeingitsgreatstreetsandsquares，butmustsurveytheinnumerablelittlelanesandcourts。Itisnotintheshowyevolutionsofbuildings，butinthemultiplicityofhumanhabitationswhicharecroudedtogether，thatthewonderfulimmensityofLondonconsists。’