’Afterhavingtalkedslightinglyofmusick，hewasobservedtolistenveryattentivelywhileMissThraleplayedontheharpsichord，andwitheagernesshecalledtoher，“Whydon’tyoudashawaylikeBurney？“Dr。Burneyuponthissaidtohim，“I
believe，Sir，weshallmakeamusicianofyouatlast。“Johnsonwithcandidcomplacencyreplied，“Sir，Ishallbegladtohaveanewsensegiventome。“’
’Hehadcomedownonemorningtothebreakfast-room，andbeenaconsiderabletimebyhimselfbeforeanybodyappeared。When，onasubsequentday，hewastwittedbyMrs。Thraleforbeingverylate，whichhegenerallywas，hedefendedhimselfbyalludingtotheextraordinarymorning，whenhehadbeentooearly。“Madame，IdonotliketocomedowntoVACUITY。“’
’Dr。BurneyhavingremarkedthatMr。Garrickwasbeginningtolookold，hesaid，“Why，Sir，youarenottowonderatthat；noman’sfacehashadmorewearandtear。“’
1776：AETAT。67。]——HavingarrivedinLondonlateonFriday，the15thofMarch，IhastenednextmorningtowaitonDr。Johnson，athishouse；butfoundhewasremovedfromJohnson’s-court，No。7，toBolt-court，No。8，stillkeepingtohisfavouriteFleet-street。MyreflectionatthetimeuponthischangeasmarkedinmyJournal，isasfollows：’Ifeltafoolishregretthathehadleftacourtwhichborehisname；*butitwasnotfoolishtobeaffectedwithsometendernessofregardforaplaceinwhichIhadseenhimagreatdeal，fromwhenceIhadoftenissuedabetterandahappiermanthanwhenIwentin，andwhichhadoftenappearedtomyimaginationwhileItroditspavements，inthesolemndarknessofthenight，tobesacredtowisdomandpiety。’BeinginformedthathewasatMr。
Thrale’s，intheBorough，Ihastenedthither，andfoundMrs。Thraleandhimatbreakfast。Iwaskindlywelcomed。Inamomenthewasinafullglowofconversation，andIfeltmyselfelevatedasifbroughtintoanotherstateofbeing。Mrs。ThraleandIlookedtoeachotherwhilehetalked，andourlooksexpressedourcongenialadmirationandaffectionforhim。Ishalleverrecollectthisscenewithgreatpleasure，Iexclaimedtoher，’Iamnow，intellectually，Hermippusredivivus，Iamquiterestoredbyhim，bytransfusionofmind。’’TherearemanysherepliedwhoadmireandrespectMr。Johnson；butyouandILOVEhim。’
*Hesaid，wheninScotland，thathewasJohnsonofthatIlk——
BOSWELL。
HeseemedveryhappyinthenearprospectofgoingtoItalywithMr。andMrs。Thrale。’But，saidhe，beforeleavingEnglandIamtotakeajaunttoOxford，Birmingham，mynativecityLichfield，andmyoldfriend，Dr。Taylor’s，atAshbourn，inDerbyshire。I
shallgoinafewdays，andyou，Boswell，shallgowithme。’Iwasreadytoaccompanyhim；beingwillingeventoleaveLondontohavethepleasureofhisconversation。
WegotintoaboattocrossovertoBlack-friars；andaswemovedalongtheThames，Italkedtohimofalittlevolume，which，altogetherunknowntohim，wasadvertisedtobepublishedinafewdays，underthetitleofJohnsoniana，orBon-MotsofDr。Johnson。
JOHNSON。’Sir，itisamightyimpudentthing。’BOSWELL。’Pray，Sir，couldyouhavenoredressifyouweretoprosecuteapublisherforbringingout，underyourname，whatyouneversaid，andascribingtoyoudullstupidnonsense，ormakingyouswearprofanely，asmanyignorantrelatersofyourbon-motsdo？’
JOHNSON。’No，Sir；therewillalwaysbesometruthmixedwiththefalsehood，andhowcanitbeascertainedhowmuchistrueandhowmuchisfalse？Besides，Sir，whatdamageswouldajurygivemeforhavingbeenrepresentedasswearing？’BOSWELL。’Ithink，Sir，youshouldatleastdisavowsuchapublication，becausetheworldandposteritymightwithmuchplausiblefoundationsay，“HereisavolumewhichwaspublicklyadvertisedandcameoutinDr。Johnson’sowntime，and，byhissilence，wasadmittedbyhimtobegenuine。“’
JOHNSON。’Ishallgivemyselfnotroubleaboutthematter。’
Hewas，perhaps，abovesufferingfromsuchspuriouspublications；
butIcouldnothelpthinking，thatmanymenwouldbemuchinjuredintheirreputation，byhavingabsurdandvicioussayingsimputedtothem；andthatredressoughtinsuchcasestobegiven。
Hesaid，’Thevalueofeverystorydependsonitsbeingtrue。A
storyisapictureeitherofanindividualorofhumannatureingeneral：ifitbefalse，itisapictureofnothing。Forinstance：
supposeamanshouldtellthatJohnson，beforesettingoutforItaly，ashehadtocrosstheAlps，satdowntomakehimselfwings。
Thismanypeoplewouldbelieve；butitwouldbeapictureofnothing。*******namingaworthyfriendofours，usedtothinkastory，astory，tillIshewedhimthattruthwasessentialtoit。’
Iobserved，thatFooteentertaineduswithstorieswhichwerenottrue；butthat，indeed，itwasproperlynotasnarrativesthatFoote’sstoriespleasedus，butascollectionsofludicrousimages。
JOHNSON。’Footeisquiteimpartial，forhetellsliesofeverybody。’
Theimportanceofstrictandscrupulousveracitycannotbetooofteninculcated。Johnsonwasknowntobesorigidlyattentivetoit，thateveninhiscommonconversationtheslightestcircumstancewasmentionedwithexactprecision。Theknowledgeofhishavingsuchaprincipleandhabitmadehisfriendshaveaperfectrelianceonthetruthofeverythingthathetold，howeveritmighthavebeendoubtediftoldbymanyothers。Asaninstanceofthis，ImaymentionanoddincidentwhichherelatedashavinghappenedtohimonenightinFleet-street。’AgentlewomansaidhebeggedIwouldgivehermyarmtoassistherincrossingthestreet，whichI
accordinglydid；uponwhichsheofferedmeashilling，supposingmetobethewatchman。Iperceivedthatshewassomewhatinliquor。’
This，iftoldbymostpeople，wouldhavebeenthoughtaninvention；
whentoldbyJohnson，itwasbelievedbyhisfriendsasmuchasiftheyhadseenwhatpassed。
WelandedattheTemple-stairs，whereweparted。
IfoundhimintheeveninginMrs。Williams’sroom。Findinghimstillperseveringinhisabstinencefromwine，Iventuredtospeaktohimofit——JOHNSON。’Sir，Ihavenoobjectiontoaman’sdrinkingwine，ifhecandoitinmoderation。Ifoundmyselfapttogotoexcessinit，andtherefore，afterhavingbeenforsometimewithoutit，onaccountofillness，Ithoughtitbetternottoreturntoit。Everymanistojudgeforhimself，accordingtotheeffectswhichheexperiences。Oneofthefatherstellsus，hefoundfastingmadehimsopeevishthathedidnotpractiseit。’
Thoughheoftenenlargedupontheevilofintoxication，hewasbynomeansharshandunforgivingtothosewhoindulgedinoccasionalexcessinwine。Oneofhisfriends，Iwellremember，cametosupatatavernwithhimandsomeothergentlemen，andtooplainlydiscoveredthathehaddrunktoomuchatdinner。Whenonewholovedmischief，thinkingtoproduceaseverecensure，askedJohnson，afewdaysafterwards，’Well，Sir，whatdidyourfriendsaytoyou，asanapologyforbeinginsuchasituation？’Johnsonanswered，’Sir，hesaidallthatamanSHOULDsay：hesaidhewassorryforit。’
IagainvisitedhimonMonday。Hetookoccasiontoenlarge，asheoftendid，uponthewretchednessofasea-life。’Ashipisworsethanagaol。Thereis，inagaol，betterair，bettercompany，betterconveniencyofeverykind；andashiphastheadditionaldisadvantageofbeingindanger。Whenmencometolikeasea-life，theyarenotfittoliveonland。’——’ThensaidIitwouldbecruelinafathertobreedhissontothesea。’JOHNSON。’ItwouldbecruelinafatherwhothinksasIdo。Mengotosea，beforetheyknowtheunhappinessofthatwayoflife；andwhentheyhavecometoknowit，theycannotescapefromit，becauseitisthentoolatetochooseanotherprofession；asindeedisgenerallythecasewithmen，whentheyhaveonceengagedinanyparticularwayoflife。’
OnTuesday，March19，whichwasfixedforourproposedjaunt，wemetinthemorningattheSomersetcoffee-houseintheStrand，whereweweretakenupbytheOxfordcoach。HewasaccompaniedbyMr。Gwyn，thearchitect；andagentlemanofMertonCollege，whomwedidnotknow，hadthefourthseat。Wesoongotintoconversation；
foritwasveryremarkableofJohnson，thatthepresenceofastrangerhadnorestraintuponhistalk。IobservedthatGarrick，whowasabouttoquitthestage，wouldsoonhaveaneasierlife。
JOHNSON。’Idoubtthat，Sir。’BOSWELL。’Why，Sir，hewillbeAtlaswiththeburthenoffhisback。’JOHNSON。’ButIknownot，Sir，ifhewillbesosteadywithouthisload。However，heshouldneverplayanymore，butbeentirelythegentleman，andnotpartlytheplayer：heshouldnolongersubjecthimselftobehissedbyamob，ortobeinsolentlytreatedbyperformers，whomheusedtorulewithahighhand，andwhowouldgladlyretaliate。’BOSWELL。
’Ithinkheshouldplayonceayearforthebenefitofdecayedactors，asithasbeensaidhemeanstodo。’JOHNSON。’Alas，Sir!
hewillsoonbeadecayedactorhimself。’
Johnsonexpressedhisdisapprobationofornamentalarchitecture，suchasmagnificentcolumnssupportingaportico，orexpensivepilasterssupportingmerelytheirowncapitals，’becauseitconsumeslabourdisproportionatetoitsutility。’Forthesamereasonhesatyrisedstatuary。’Paintingsaidheconsumeslabournotdisproportionatetoitseffect；butafellowwillhackhalfayearatablockofmarbletomakesomethinginstonethathardlyresemblesaman。Thevalueofstatuaryisowingtoitsdifficulty。
Youwouldnotvaluethefinestheadcutuponacarrot。’
Gwynwasafinelivelyrattlingfellow。Dr。Johnsonkepthiminsubjection，butwithakindlyauthority。Thespiritoftheartist，however，roseagainstwhathethoughtaGothickattack，andhemadeabriskdefence。’What，Sir，willyouallownovaluetobeautyinarchitectureorinstatuary？Whyshouldweallowittheninwriting？Whydoyoutakethetroubletogiveussomanyfineallusions，andbrightimages，andelegantphrases？Youmightconveyallyourinstructionwithouttheseornaments。’Johnsonsmiledwithcomplacency；butsaid，’Why，Sir，alltheseornamentsareuseful，becausetheyobtainaneasierreceptionfortruth；butabuildingisnotatallmoreconvenientforbeingdecoratedwithsuperfluouscarvedwork。’