asked，isitthoughtdisgracefulforamannottofight，andnotdisgracefulnottospeakinpublick？’JOHNSON。’Becausetheremaybeotherreasonsforaman’snotspeakinginpublickthanwantofresolution：hemayhavenothingtosay，laughing。Whereas，Sir，youknowcourageisreckonedthegreatestofallvirtues；because，unlessamanhasthatvirtue，hehasnosecurityforpreservinganyother。’
OnThursday，April6，IdinedwithhimatMr。ThomasDavies’s，withMr。Hicky，thepainter，andmyoldacquaintanceMr。Moody，theplayer。
Dr。Johnson，asusual，spokecontemptuouslyofColleyCibber。’Itiswonderfulthataman，whoforfortyyearshadlivedwiththegreatandthewitty，shouldhaveacquiredsoillthetalentsofconversation：andhehadbuthalftofurnish；foronehalfofwhathesaidwasoaths。’He，however，allowedconsiderablemerittosomeofhiscomedies，andsaidtherewasnoreasontobelievethattheCarelessHusbandwasnotwrittenbyhimself。Daviessaid，hewasthefirstdramatickwriterwhointroducedgenteelladiesuponthestage。Johnsonrefutedthisobservationbyinstancingseveralsuchcharactersincomediesbeforehistime。DAVIES。tryingtodefendhimselffromachargeofignorance，’Imeangenteelmoralcharacters。’’IthinksaidHicky，gentilityandmoralityareinseparable。’BOSWELL。’Bynomeans，Sir。Thegenteelestcharactersareoftenthemostimmoral。DoesnotLordChesterfieldgivepreceptsforunitingwickednessandthegraces？Aman，indeed，isnotgenteelwhenhegetsdrunk；butmostvicesmaybecommittedverygenteelly：amanmaydebauchhisfriend’swifegenteelly：hemaycheatatcardsgenteelly。’HICKY。’IdonotthinkTHATisgenteel。’BOSWELL。’Sir，itmaynotbelikeagentleman，butitmaybegenteel。’JOHNSON。’Youaremeaningtwodifferentthings。Onemeansexteriourgrace；theotherhonour。Itiscertainthatamanmaybeveryimmoralwithexteriourgrace。
Lovelace，inClarissa，isaverygenteelandaverywickedcharacter。TomHervey，whodiedt’otherday，thoughaviciousman，wasoneofthegenteelestmenthateverlived。’TomDaviesinstancedCharlestheSecond。JOHNSON。takingfireatanyattackuponthatPrince，forwhomhehadanextraordinarypartiality，
’CharlestheSecondwaslicentiousinhispractice；buthealwayshadareverenceforwhatwasgood。CharlestheSecondknewhispeople，andrewardedmerit。TheChurchwasatnotimebetterfilledthaninhisreign。HewasthebestKingwehavehadfromhistimetillthereignofhispresentMajesty，exceptJamestheSecond，whowasaverygoodKing，butunhappilybelievedthatitwasnecessaryforthesalvationofhissubjectsthattheyshouldbeRomanCatholicks。HEhadthemeritofendeavouringtodowhathethoughtwasforthesalvationofthesoulsofhissubjects，tillhelostagreatEmpire。WE，whothoughtthatweshouldNOTbesavedifwewereRomanCatholicks，hadthemeritofmaintainingourreligion，attheexpenceofsubmittingourselvestothegovernmentofKingWilliam，foritcouldnotbedoneotherwise，——tothegovernmentofoneofthemostworthlessscoundrelsthateverexisted。No；CharlestheSecondwasnotsuchamanas——，naminganotherKing。Hedidnotdestroyhisfather’swill。Hetookmoney，indeed，fromFrance：buthedidnotbetraythoseoverwhomheruled：hedidnotlettheFrenchfleetpassours。GeorgetheFirstknewnothing，anddesiredtoknownothing；didnothing，anddesiredtodonothing：andtheonlygoodthingthatistoldofhimis，thathewishedtorestorethecrowntoitshereditarysuccessor。’HeroaredwithprodigiousviolenceagainstGeorgetheSecond。Whenheceased，Moodyinterjected，inanIrishtone，andwithacomicklook，’Ah!poorGeorgetheSecond。’
ImentionedthatDr。ThomasCampbellhadcomefromIrelandtoLondon，principallytoseeDr。Johnson。Heseemedangryatthisobservation。DAVIES。’Why，youknow，Sir，therecameamanfromSpaintoseeLivy；andCorellicametoEnglandtoseePurcell，andwhenheheardhewasdead，wentdirectlybackagaintoItaly。’
JOHNSON。’IshouldnothavewishedtobedeadtodisappointCampbell，hadhebeensofoolishasyourepresenthim；butIshouldhavewishedtohavebeenahundredmilesoff。’Thiswasapparentlyperverse；andIdobelieveitwasnothisrealwayofthinking：hecouldnotbutlikeamanwhocamesofartoseehim。Helaughedwithsomecomplacency，whenItoldhimCampbell’soddexpressiontomeconcerninghim：’Thathavingseensuchaman，wasathingtotalkofacenturyhence，’——asifhecouldlivesolong。
WegotintoanargumentwhethertheJudgeswhowenttoIndiamightwithproprietyengageintrade。Johnsonwarmlymaintainedthattheymight。’Forwhyheurged，shouldnotJudgesgetriches，aswellasthosewhodeservethemless？’Isaid，theyshouldhavesufficientsalaries，andhavenothingtotakeofftheirattentionfromtheaffairsofthepublick。JOHNSON。’NoJudge，Sir，cangivehiswholeattentiontohisoffice；anditisveryproperthatheshouldemploywhattimehehastohimself，tohisownadvantage，inthemostprofitablemanner。’’Then，Sir，saidDavies，whoenlivenedthedisputebymakingitsomewhatdramatick，hemaybecomeaninsurer；andwhenheisgoingtothebench，hemaybestopped，——“YourLordshipcannotgoyet：hereisabunchofinvoices：severalshipsareabouttosail。“’JOHNSON。Sir，youmayaswellsayaJudgeshouldnothaveahouse；fortheymaycomeandtellhim，“YourLordship’shouseisonfire；“andso，insteadofmindingthebusinessofhisCourt，heistobeoccupiedingettingtheenginewiththegreatestspeed。Thereisnoendofthis。EveryJudgewhohasland，tradestoacertainextentincornorincattle；andinthelanditself，undoubtedly。Hisstewardactsforhim，andsodoclerksforagreatmerchant。AJudgemaybeafarmer；butheisnottogeldhisownpigs。AJudgemayplayalittleatcardsforhisamusement；butheisnottoplayatmarbles，oratchuck-farthinginthePiazza。No，Sir；thereisnoprofessiontowhichamangivesaverygreatproportionofhistime。Itiswonderful，whenacalculationismade，howlittlethemindisactuallyemployedinthedischargeofanyprofession。NomanwouldbeaJudge，upontheconditionofbeingtotallyaJudge。
Thebestemployedlawyerhashismindatworkbutforasmallproportionofhistime；agreatdealofhisoccupationismerelymechanical。Ioncewroteforamagazine：Imadeacalculation，thatifIshouldwritebutapageaday，atthesamerate，I
should，intenyears，writeninevolumesinfolio，ofanordinarysizeandprint。’BOSWELL。’SuchasCarte’sHistory？’JOHNSON。
’Yes，Sir。Whenamanwritesfromhisownmind，hewritesveryrapidly。Thegreatestpartofawriter’stimeisspentinreading，inordertowrite：amanwillturnoverhalfalibrarytomakeonebook。’
WespokeofRolt，towhoseDictionaryofCommerceDr。JohnsonwrotethePreface。JOHNSON。’OldGardnerthebookselleremployedRoltandSmarttowriteamonthlymiscellany，calledTheUniversalVisitor。Therewasaformalwrittencontract，whichAllentheprintersaw。GardnerthoughtasyoudooftheJudge。Theywereboundtowritenothingelse；theyweretohave，Ithink，athirdoftheprofitsofthissixpennypamphlet；andthecontractwasforninety-nineyears。IwishIhadthoughtofgivingthistoThurlow，inthecauseaboutLiteraryProperty。Whatanexcellentinstancewouldithavebeenoftheoppressionofbooksellerstowardspoorauthours!’smiling。Davies，zealousforthehonourofTHETRADE，said，Gardnerwasnotproperlyabookseller。JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir；
hecertainlywasabookseller。Hehadservedhistimeregularly，wasamemberoftheStationers’company，keptashopinthefaceofmankind，purchasedcopyright，andwasabibliopole，Sir，ineverysense。IwroteforsomemonthsinTheUniversalVisitor，forpoorSmart，whilehewasmad，notthenknowingthetermsonwhichhewasengagedtowrite，andthinkingIwasdoinghimgood。Ihopedhiswitswouldsoonreturntohim。Minereturnedtome，andIwroteinTheUniversalVisitornolonger。
Friday，April7，IdinedwithhimataTavern，withanumerouscompany。
OneofthecompanysuggestedaninternalobjectiontotheantiquityofthepoetrysaidtobeOssian’s，thatwedonotfindthewolfinit，whichmusthavebeenthecasehaditbeenofthatage。
ThementionofthewolfhadledJohnsontothinkofotherwildbeasts；andwhileSirJoshuaReynoldsandMr。Langtonwerecarryingonadialogueaboutsomethingwhichengagedthemearnestly，he，inthemidstofit，brokeout，’PennanttellsofBears——’[whatheadded，Ihaveforgotten。]Theywenton，whichhebeingdullofhearing，didnotperceive，or，ifhedid，wasnotwillingtobreakoffhistalk；sohecontinuedtovociferatehisremarks，andBEAR
’likeawordinacatch’asBeauclerksaid，wasrepeatedlyheardatintervals，whichcomingfromhimwho，bythosewhodidnotknowhim，hadbeensooftenassimilatedtothatferociousanimal，whilewewhoweresittingaroundcouldhardlystiflelaughter，producedaveryludicrouseffect。Silencehavingensued，heproceeded：’Wearetold，thattheblackbearisinnocent；butIshouldnotliketotrustmyselfwithhim。’Mr。Gibbonmuttered，inalowtoneofvoice，’IshouldnotliketotrustmyselfwithYOU。’Thispieceofsarcastickpleasantrywasaprudentresolution，ifappliedtoacompetitionofabilities。
Patriotismhavingbecomeoneofourtopicks，Johnsonsuddenlyuttered，inastrongdeterminedtone，anapophthegm，atwhichmanywillstart：’Patriotismisthelastrefugeofascoundrel。’Butletitbeconsidered，thathedidnotmeanarealandgenerousloveofourcountry，butthatpretendedpatriotismwhichsomany，inallagesandcountries，havemadeacloakforself-interest。
Mrs。Prichardbeingmentioned，hesaid，’Herplayingwasquitemechanical。Itiswonderfulhowlittlemindshehad。Sir，shehadneverreadthetragedyofMacbethallthrough。Shenomorethoughtoftheplayoutofwhichherpartwastaken，thanashoemakerthinksoftheskin，outofwhichthepieceofleather，ofwhichheismakingapairofshoes，iscut。’
OnSaturday，April8，IdinedwithhimatMr。Thrale’s，wherewemettheIrishDr。Campbell。JohnsonhadsuppedthenightbeforeatMrs。Abington’s，withsomefashionablepeoplewhomhenamed；andheseemedmuchpleasedwithhavingmadeoneinsoelegantacircle。
NordidheomittopiquehisMISTRESSalittlewithjealousyofherhousewifery；forhesaid，withasmile，’Mrs。Abington’sjelly，mydearlady，wasbetterthanyours。’
Mrs。Thrale，whofrequentlypractisedacoarsemodeofflattery，byrepeatinghisbon-motsinhishearing，toldusthathehadsaid，acertaincelebratedactorwasjustfittostandatthedoorofanauction-roomwithalongpole，andcry’Praygentlemen，walkin；’
andthatacertainauthour，uponhearingthis，hadsaid，thatanotherstillmorecelebratedactorwasfitfornothingbetterthanthat，andwouldpickyourpocketafteryoucameout。JOHNSON。
’Nay，mydearlady，thereisnowitinwhatourfriendadded；thereisonlyabuse。Youmayaswellsayofanymanthathewillpickapocket。Besides，themanwhoisstationedatthedoordoesnotpickpeople’spockets；thatisdonewithin，bytheauctioneer。’
OnMonday，April10，IdinedwithhimatGeneralOglethorpe’s，withMr。LangtonandtheIrishDr。Campbell，whomtheGeneralhadobliginglygivenmeleavetobringwithme。Thislearnedgentlemanwasthusgratifiedwithaveryhighintellectualfeast，bynotonlybeingincompanywithDr。Johnson，butwithGeneralOglethorpe，whohadbeensolongacelebratednamebothathomeandabroad。