Dr。Johnsonwasverykindthisevening，andsaidtome’Youhavenowlivedfive-and-twentyyears，andyouhaveemployedthemwell。’
’Alas，Sir，saidI，Ifearnot。DoIknowhistory？DoIknowmathematicks？DoIknowlaw？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，thoughyoumayknownosciencesowellastobeabletoteachit，andnoprofessionsowellastobeabletofollowit，yourgeneralmassofknowledgeofbooksandmenrendersyouverycapabletomakeyourselfmasterofanyscience，orfityourselfforanyprofession。’Imentionedthatagayfriendhadadvisedmeagainstbeingalawyer，becauseIshouldbeexcelledbyploddingblock-
heads。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，intheformularyandstatutorypartoflaw，aploddingblock-headmayexcel；butintheingeniousandrationalpartofitaploddingblock-headcanneverexcel。’
Italkedofthemodeadoptedbysometoriseintheworld，bycourtinggreatmen，andaskedhimwhetherhehadeversubmittedtoit。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，Ineverwasnearenoughtogreatmen，tocourtthem。Youmaybeprudentlyattachedtogreatmenandyetindependent。Youarenottodowhatyouthinkwrong；and，Sir，youaretocalculate，andnotpaytoodearforwhatyouget。Youmustnotgiveashilling’sworthofcourtforsix-penceworthofgood。
Butifyoucangetashilling’sworthofgoodforsix-penceworthofcourt，youareafoolifyoudonotpaycourt。’
ItalkedtohimagreatdealofwhatIhadseeninCorsica，andofmyintentiontopublishanaccountofit。Heencouragedmebysaying，’Youcannotgotothebottomofthesubject；butallthatyoutelluswillbenewtous。Giveusasmanyanecdotesasyoucan。’
OurnextmeetingattheMitrewasonSaturdaythe15thofFebruary，whenIpresentedtohimmyoldandmostintimatefriend，theReverendMr。Temple，thenofCambridge。IhavingmentionedthatI
hadpassedsometimewithRousseauinhiswildretreat，andhavingquotedsomeremarkmadebyMr。Wilkes，withwhomIhadspentmanypleasanthoursinItaly，Johnsonsaidsarcastically，’Itseems，Sir，youhavekeptverygoodcompanyabroad，RousseauandWilkes!’
Thinkingitenoughtodefendoneatatime，Isaidnothingastomygayfriend，butansweredwithasmile，’MydearSir，youdon’tcallRousseaubadcompany。DoyoureallythinkHIMabadman？’
JOHNSON。’Sir，ifyouaretalkingjestinglyofthis，Idon’ttalkwithyou。Ifyoumeantobeserious，Ithinkhimoneoftheworstofmen；arascalwhooughttobehuntedoutofsociety，ashehasbeen。Threeorfournationshaveexpelledhim；anditisashamethatheisprotectedinthiscountry。’BOSWELL。’Idon’tdeny，Sir，butthathisnovelmay，perhaps，doharm；butIcannotthinkhisintentionwasbad。’JOHNSON。’Sir，thatwillnotdo。Wecannotproveanyman’sintentiontobebad。Youmayshootamanthroughthehead，andsayyouintendedtomisshim；buttheJudgewillorderyoutobehanged。Anallegedwantofintention，wheneviliscommitted，willnotbeallowedinacourtofjustice。
Rousseau，Sir，isaverybadman。Iwouldsoonersignasentenceforhistransportation，thanthatofanyfelonwhohasgonefromtheOldBaileythesemanyyears。Yes，Ishouldliketohavehimworkintheplantations。’BOSWELL。’Sir，doyouthinkhimasbadamanasVoltaire？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，itisdifficulttosettletheproportionofiniquitybetweenthem。’
Onhisfavouritesubjectofsubordination，Johnsonsaid，’Sofarisitfrombeingtruethatmenarenaturallyequal，thatnotwopeoplecanbehalfanhourtogether，butoneshallacquireanevidentsuperiorityovertheother。’
Imentionedtheadvicegivenusbyphilosophers，toconsoleourselves，whendistressedorembarrassed，bythinkingofthosewhoareinaworsesituationthanourselves。This，Iobserved，couldnotapplytoall，fortheremustbesomewhohavenobodyworsethantheyare。JOHNSON。’Why，tobesure，Sir，thereare；buttheydon’tknowit。Thereisnobeingsopoorandsocontemptible，whodoesnotthinkthereissomebodystillpoorer，andstillmorecontemptible。’
AsmystayinLondonatthistimewasveryshort，IhadnotmanyopportunitiesofbeingwithDr。Johnson；butIfeltmyvenerationforhiminnodegreelessened，bymyhavingseenmultoramhominummoreseturbes。Onthecontrary，byhavingitinmypowertocomparehimwithmanyofthemostcelebratedpersonsofothercountries，myadmirationofhisextraordinarymindwasincreasedandconfirmed。
Theroughness，indeed，whichsometimesappearedinhismanners，wasmorestrikingtomenow，frommyhavingbeenaccustomedtothestudiedsmoothcomplyinghabitsoftheContinent；andIclearlyrecognisedinhim，notwithoutrespectforhishonestconscientiouszeal，thesameindignantandsarcasticalmodeoftreatingeveryattempttounhingeorweakengoodprinciples。
Oneeveningwhenayounggentlemanteizedhimwithanaccountoftheinfidelityofhisservant，who，hesaid，wouldnotbelievethescriptures，becausehecouldnotreadthemintheoriginaltongues，andbesurethattheywerenotinvented，’Why，foolishfellow，saidJohnson，hasheanybetterauthorityforalmosteverythingthathebelieves？’BOSWELL。’Thenthevulgar，Sir，nevercanknowtheyareright，butmustsubmitthemselvestothelearned。’
JOHNSON。’Tobesure，Sir。ThevulgararethechildrenoftheState，andmustbetaughtlikechildren。’BOSWELL。’Then，Sir，apoorTurkmustbeaMahometan，justasapoorEnglishmanmustbeaChristian？’JOHNSON。’Why，yes，Sir；andwhatthen？ThisnowissuchstuffasIusedtotalktomymother，whenIfirstbegantothinkmyselfacleverfellow；andsheoughttohavewhiptmeforit。’
AnothereveningDr。GoldsmithandIcalledonhim，withthehopeofprevailingonhimtosupwithusattheMitre。Wefoundhimindisposed，andresolvednottogoabroad。’Comethen，saidGoldsmith，wewillnotgototheMitreto-night，sincewecannothavethebigmanwithus。’Johnsonthencalledforabottleofport，ofwhichGoldsmithandIpartook，whileourfriend，nowawater-drinker，satbyus。GOLDSMITH。’Ithink，Mr。Johnson，youdon’tgonearthetheatresnow。Yougiveyourselfnomoreconcernaboutanewplay，thanifyouhadneverhadanythingtodowiththestage。’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，ourtastesgreatlyalter。Theladdoesnotcareforthechild’srattle，andtheoldmandoesnotcarefortheyoungman’swhore。’GOLDSMITH。’Nay，Sir，butyourMusewasnotawhore。’JOHNSON。’Sir，Idonotthinkshewas。
Butasweadvanceinthejourneyoflife，wedropsomeofthethingswhichhavepleasedus；whetheritbethatwearefatiguedanddon’tchoosetocarrysomanythingsanyfarther，orthatwefindotherthingswhichwelikebetter。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，whydon’tyougiveussomethinginsomeotherway？’GOLDSMITH。’Ay，Sir，wehaveaclaimuponyou。’JOHNSON。No，Sir，Iamnotobligedtodoanymore。Nomanisobligedtodoasmuchashecando。Amanistohavepartofhislifetohimself。Ifasoldierhasfoughtagoodmanycampaigns，heisnottobeblamedifheretirestoeaseandtranquillity。Aphysician，whohaspractisedlonginagreatcity，maybeexcusedifheretirestoasmalltown，andtakeslesspractice。Now，Sir，thegoodIcandobymyconversationbearsthesameproportiontothegoodIcandobymywritings，thatthepracticeofaphysician，retiredtoasmalltown，doestohispracticeinagreatcity。’BOSWELL。’ButI
wonder，Sir，youhavenotmorepleasureinwritingthaninnotwriting。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youMAYwonder。’
Hetalkedofmakingverses，andobserved，’Thegreatdifficultyistoknowwhenyouhavemadegoodones。Whencomposing，Ihavegenerallyhadtheminmymind，perhapsfiftyatatime，walkingupanddowninmyroom；andthenIhavewrittenthemdown，andoften，fromlaziness，havewrittenonlyhalflines。Ihavewrittenahundredlinesinaday。IrememberIwroteahundredlinesofTheVanityofHumanWishesinaday。Doctor，turningtoGoldsmith，I
amnotquiteidle；Imadeonelinet’otherday；butImadenomore。’GOLDSMITH。’Letushearit；we’llputabadonetoit。’
JOHNSON。’No，Sir，Ihaveforgotit。’
’TOBENNETLANGTON，ESQ。，ATLANGTON，NEARSPILSBY，LINCOLNSHIRE
’DEARSIR，——Whatyourfriendshavedone，thatfromyourdeparturetillnownothinghasbeenheardofyou，noneofusareabletoinformtherest；butasweareallneglectedalike，noonethinkshimselfentitledtotheprivilegeofcomplaint。
’IshouldhaveknownnothingofyouorofLangton，fromthetimethatdearMissLangtonleftus，hadnotImetMr。Simpson，ofLincoln，onedayinthestreet，bywhomIwasinformedthatMr。
Langton，yourMamma，andyourself，hadbeenallill，butthatyouwereallrecovered。
’Thatsicknessshouldsuspendyourcorrespondence，Ididnotwonder；buthopedthatitwouldberenewedatyourrecovery。
’Sinceyouwillnotinformuswhereyouare，orhowyoulive，I
knownotwhetheryoudesiretoknowanythingofus。However，I
willtellyouthatTHECLUBsubsists；butwehavethelossofBurke’scompanysincehehasbeenengagedinpublickbusiness，inwhichhehasgainedmorereputationthanperhapsanymanathis[first]appearanceevergainedbefore。HemadetwospeechesintheHouseforrepealingtheStamp-act，whichwerepublicklycommendedbyMr。Pitt，andhavefilledthetownwithwonder。
’Burkeisagreatmanbynature，andisexpectedsoontoattaincivilgreatness。Iamgrowngreatertoo，forIhavemaintainedthenews-papersthesemanyweeks；andwhatisgreaterstill，IhaveriseneverymorningsinceNew-year’sday，atabouteight；whenI
wasup，Ihaveindeeddonebutlittle；yetitisnoslightadvancementtoobtainforsomanyhoursmore，theconsciousnessofbeing。
’Iwishyouwereinmynewstudy；Iamnowwritingthefirstletterinit。Ithinkitlooksveryprettyaboutme。
’DyerisconstantatTHECLUB；Hawkinsisremiss；Iamnotoverdiligent。Dr。Nugent，Dr。Goldsmith，andMr。Reynolds，areveryconstant。Mr。LyeisprintinghisSaxonandGothickDictionary；
allTHECLUBsubscribes。
’YouwillpaymyrespectstoallmyLincolnshirefriends。Iam，dearSir，mostaffectionatelyyour’s，’March9，1766。
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
Johnson’s-court，Fleet-street。’