’SpeakingofBurke，hesaid，“Itwascommonlyobserved，hespoketooofteninparliament；butnobodycouldsayhedidnotspeakwell，thoughtoofrequentlyandtoofamiliarly。“
’WedinedteteateteattheMitre，asIwaspreparingtoreturntoIreland，afteranabsenceofmanyyears。IregrettedmuchleavingLondon，whereIhadformedmanyagreeableconnexions：“Sir，saidhe，Idon’twonderatit；noman，fondofletters，leavesLondonwithoutregret。Butremember，Sir，youhaveseenandenjoyedagreatdeal；——youhaveseenlifeinitshighestdecorations，andtheworldhasnothingnewtoexhibit。Nomanissowellqualifyedtoleavepublicklifeashewhohaslongtrieditandknownitwell。Wearealwayshankeringafteruntriedsituationsandimagininggreaterfelicityfromthemthantheycanafford。No，Sir，knowledgeandvirtuemaybeacquiredinallcountries，andyourlocalconsequencewillmakeyousomeamendsfortheintellectualgratificationsyourelinquish。“
’Hethentookamostaffectingleaveofme；said，heknew，itwasapointofDUTYthatcalledmeaway。“Weshallallbesorrytoloseyou，“saidhe：“laudotamen。“’
’ToSIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS，INLEICESTER-FIELDS。
’DEARSIR，——WhenIcametoLichfield，Ifoundthatmyportraithadbeenmuchvisited，andmuchadmired。Everymanhasalurkingwishtoappearconsiderableinhisnativeplace；andIwaspleasedwiththedignityconferredbysuchatestimonyofyourregard。
’Bepleased，therefore，toacceptthethanksof，Sir，yourmostobligedandmosthumbleservant，’AshbourninDerbyshire，’SAM。JOHNSON。
July17，1771。’
’ComplimentstoMissReynolds。’
Inhisreligiousrecordofthisyear，weobservethathewasbetterthanusual，bothinbodyandmind，andbettersatisfiedwiththeregularityofhisconduct。Butheisstill’tryinghisways’toorigorously。Hechargeshimselfwithnotrisingearlyenough；yethementionswhatwassurelyasufficientexcuseforthis，supposingittobeadutyseriouslyrequired，asheallhislifeappearstohavethoughtit。’Onegreathindranceiswantofrest；mynocturnalcomplaintsgrowlesstroublesometowardsmorning；andI
amtemptedtorepairthedeficienciesofthenight。’Alas!howhardwoulditbeifthisindulgenceweretobeimputedtoasickmanasacrime。InhisretrospectonthefollowingEaster-Eve，hesays，’WhenIreviewthelastyear，Iamabletorecollectsolittledone，thatshameandsorrow，thoughperhapstooweakly，comeuponme。’
In1772hewasaltogetherquiescentasanauthour；butitwillbefoundfromthevariousevidenceswhichIshallbringtogetherthathismindwasacute，lively，andvigorous。
’TOJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，——ThatyouarecomingsosoontotownIamveryglad；andstillmoregladthatyouarecomingasanadvocate。Ithinknothingmorelikelytomakeyourlifepasshappilyaway，thanthatconsciousnessofyourownvalue，whicheminenceinyourprofessionwillcertainlyconfer。IfIcangiveyouanycollateralhelp，I
hopeyoudonotsuspectthatitwillbewanting。Mykindnessforyouhasneitherthemeritofsingularvirtue，northereproachofsingularprejudice。Whethertoloveyouberightorwrong，Ihavemanyonmyside：Mrs。Thralelovesyou，andMrs。Williamslovesyou，andwhatwouldhaveinclinedmetoloveyou，ifIhadbeenneutralbefore，youareagreatfavouriteofDr。Beattie。*
’OfDr。BeattieIshouldhavethoughtmuch，butthathisladyputshimoutofmyhead；sheisaverylovelywoman。
’Theejectionwhichyoucomehithertooppose，appearsverycruel，unreasonable，andoppressive。Ishouldthinktherecouldnotbemuchdoubtofyoursuccess。
’Myhealthgrowsbetter，yetIamnotfullyrecovered。Ibelieveitisheld，thatmendonotrecoververyfastafterthreescore。I
hopeyettoseeBeattie’sCollege：andhavenotgivenupthewesternvoyage。Buthoweverallthismaybeornot，letustrytomakeeachotherhappywhenwemeet，andnotreferourpleasuretodistanttimesordistantplaces。
’Howcomesitthatyoutellmenothingofyourlady？Ihopetoseehersometime，andtillthenshallbegladtohearofher。Iam，dearSir，&c。
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
*BoswellhadgivenBeattiealetterofintroductiontoJohnsontheprecedingsummer——ED。
Onthe21stofMarch，Iwashappytofindmyselfagaininmyfriend’sstudy，andwasgladtoseemyoldacquaintance，Mr。
FrancisBarber，whowasnowreturnedhome。Dr。Johnsonreceivedmewithaheartywelcome；saying，’Iamgladyouarecome。’
IthankedhimforshowingcivilitiestoBeattie。’Sir，saidhe，
IshouldthankYOU。WeallloveBeattie。Mrs。Thralesays，ifevershehasanotherhusband，she’llhaveBeattie。Hesunkuponusthathewasmarried；elseweshouldhaveshewnhisladymorecivilities。Sheisaveryfinewoman。Buthowcanyoushewcivilitiestoanonentity？Ididnotthinkhehadbeenmarried。
Nay，Ididnotthinkaboutitonewayorother；buthedidnottellusofhisladytilllate。’
HethenspokeofSt。Kilda，themostremoteoftheHebrides。I
toldhim，Ithoughtofbuyingit。JOHNSON。’Praydo，Sir。Wewillgoandpassawinteramidtheblaststhere。Weshallhavefinefish，andwewilltakesomedriedtongueswithus，andsomebooks。Wewillhaveastrongbuiltvessel，andsomeOrkneymentonavigateher。Wemustbuildatolerablehouse：butwemaycarrywithusawoodenhousereadymade，andrequiringnothingbuttobeputup。Consider，Sir，bybuyingSt。Kilda，youmaykeepthepeoplefromfallingintoworsehands。Wemustgivethemaclergyman，andheshallbeoneofBeattie’schoosing。HeshallbeeducatedatMarischalCollege。I’llbeyourLordChancellor，orwhatyouplease。’BOSWELL。’Areyouserious，Sir，inadvisingmetobuySt。Kilda？forifyoushouldadvisemetogotoJapan，I
believeIshoulddoit。’JOHNSON。’Whyyes，Sir，Iamserious。’
BOSWELL。’Whythen，I’llseewhatcanbedone。’
Hewasengagedtodineabroad，andaskedmetoreturntohimintheeveningatnine，whichIaccordinglydid。
WedrankteawithMrs。Williams，whotoldusastoryofsecondsight，whichhappenedinWaleswhereshewasborn。Helistenedtoitveryattentively，andsaidheshouldbegladtohavesomeinstancesofthatfacultywellauthenticated。Hiselevatedwishformoreandmoreevidenceforspirit，inoppositiontothegrovelingbeliefofmaterialism，ledhimtoaloveofsuchmysteriousdisquisitions。Heagainjustlyobserved，thatwecouldhavenocertaintyofthetruthofsupernaturalappearances，unlesssomethingwastolduswhichwecouldnotknowbyordinarymeans，orsomethingdonewhichcouldnotbedonebutbysupernaturalpower；
thatPharaohinreasonandjusticerequiredsuchevidencefromMoses；nay，thatourSavioursaid，’IfIhadnotdoneamongthemtheworkswhichnoneothermandid，theyhadnothadsin。’
WetalkedoftheRomanCatholickreligion，andhowlittledifferencetherewasinessentialmattersbetweenoursandit。
JOHNSON。’True，Sir；alldenominationsofChristianshavereallylittledifferenceinpointofdoctrine，thoughtheymaydifferwidelyinexternalforms。ThereisaprodigiousdifferencebetweentheexternalformofoneofyourPresbyterianchurchesinScotland，andachurchinItaly；yetthedoctrinetaughtisessentiallythesame。
Inthemorningwehadtalkedofoldfamilies，andtherespectduetothem。JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavearighttothatkindofrespect，andarearguingforyourself。Iamforsupportingtheprinciple，andamdisinterestedindoingit，asIhavenosuchright。’
BOSWELL。’Why，Sir，itisonemoreincitementtoamantodowell。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，anditisamatterofopinion，verynecessarytokeepsocietytogether。Whatisitbutopinion，bywhichwehavearespectforauthority，thatpreventsus，whoaretherabble，fromrisingupandpullingdownyouwhoaregentlemenfromyourplaces，andsaying，“Wewillbegentlemeninourturn？“
Now，Sir，thatrespectforauthorityismuchmoreeasilygrantedtoamanwhosefatherhashadit，thantoanupstart，andsoSocietyismoreeasilysupported。’BOSWELL。’Atpresent，Sir，Ithinkrichesseemtogainmostrespect。’JOHNSON。’No，Sir，richesdonotgainheartyrespect；theyonlyprocureexternalattention。A
veryrichman，fromlowbeginnings，maybuyhiselectioninaborough；but，coeterisparibus，amanoffamilywillbepreferred。
Peoplewillpreferamanforwhosefathertheirfathershavevoted，thoughtheyshouldgetnomoremoney，orevenless。Thatshowsthattherespectforfamilyisnotmerelyfanciful，buthasanactualoperation。Ifgentlemenoffamilywouldallowtherichupstartstospendtheirmoneyprofusely，whichtheyarereadyenoughtodo，andnotviewiththeminexpence，theupstartswouldsoonbeatanend，andthegentlemenwouldremain：butifthegentlemenwillvieinexpencewiththeupstarts，whichisveryfoolish，theymustberuined。’
OnMonday，March23，Ifoundhimbusy，preparingafourtheditionofhisfolioDictionary。Mr。Peyton，oneofhisoriginalamanuenses，waswritingforhim。
Heseemedalsotobeintentonsomesortofchymicaloperation。I
wasentertainedbyobservinghowhecontrivedtosendMr。Peytononanerrand，withoutseemingtodegradehim。’Mr。Peyton，——Mr。
Peyton，willyoubesogoodastotakeawalktoTemple-Bar？Youwillthereseeachymist’sshop；atwhichyouwillbepleasedtobuyformeanounceofoilofvitriol；notspiritofvitriol，butoilofvitriol。Itwillcostthreehalf-pence。’Peytonimmediatelywent，andreturnedwithit，andtoldhimitcostbutapenny。
OnSaturday，March27，IintroducedtohimSirAlexanderMacdonald，withwhomhehadexpressedawishtobeacquainted。Hereceivedhimverycourteously。
SIRA。’Ithink，Sir，almostallgreatlawyers，suchatleastashavewrittenuponlaw，haveknownonlylaw，andnothingelse。’
JOHNSON。’Whyno，Sir；JudgeHalewasagreatlawyer，andwroteuponlaw；andyetheknewagreatmanyotherthings；andhaswrittenuponotherthings。Seldentoo。’SIRA。’Verytrue，Sir；
andLordBacon。ButwasnotLordCokeamerelawyer？’JOHNSON。
’Why，Iamafraidhewas；buthewouldhavetakenitveryillifyouhadtoldhimso。Hewouldhaveprosecutedyouforscandal。’