OnSunday，March31，Icalledonhim，andshewedhimasacuriositywhichIhaddiscovered，hisTranslationofLobo’sAccountofAbyssinia，whichSirJohnPringlehadlentme，itbeingthenlittleknownasoneofhisworks。Hesaid，’Takenonoticeofit，’or’don’ttalkofit。’Heseemedtothinkitbeneathhim，thoughdoneatsix-and-twenty。Isaidtohim，’Yourstyle，Sir，ismuchimprovedsinceyoutranslatedthis。’Heansweredwithasortoftriumphantsmile，’Sir，Ihopeitis。’
OnWednesday，April3，inthemorningIfoundhimverybusyputtinghisbooksinorder，andastheyweregenerallyveryoldones，cloudsofdustwereflyingaroundhim。Hehadonapairoflargeglovessuchashedgersuse。Hispresentappearanceputmeinmindofmyuncle，Dr。Boswell’sdescriptionofhim，’Arobustgenius，borntograpplewithwholelibraries。’
HehadbeenincompanywithOmai，anativeofoneoftheSouthSeaIslands，afterhehadbeensometimeinthiscountry。Hewasstruckwiththeeleganceofhisbehaviour，andaccountedforitthus：’Sir，hehadpassedhistime，whileinEngland，onlyinthebestcompany；sothatallthathehadacquiredofourmannerswasgenteel。Asaproofofthis，Sir，LordMulgraveandhedinedonedayatStreatham；theysatwiththeirbackstothelightfrontingme，sothatIcouldnotseedistinctly；andtherewassolittleofthesavageinOmai，thatIwasafraidtospeaktoeither，lestI
shouldmistakeonefortheother。’
Weagreedtodineto-dayattheMitre-tavernaftertherisingoftheHouseofLords，whereabranchofthelitigationconcerningtheDouglasEstate，inwhichIwasoneofthecounsel，wastocomeon。
Iintroducedthetopick，whichisoftenignorantlyurged，thattheUniversitiesofEnglandaretoorich；sothatlearningdoesnotflourishinthemasitwoulddo，ifthosewhoteachhadsmallersalaries，anddependedontheirassiduityforagreatpartoftheirincome。JOHNSON。’Sir，theveryreverseofthisisthetruth；theEnglishUniversitiesarenotrichenough。Ourfellowshipsareonlysufficienttosupportamanduringhisstudiestofithimfortheworld，andaccordinglyingeneraltheyareheldnolongerthantillanopportunityoffersofgettingaway。Nowandthen，perhaps，thereisafellowwhogrowsoldinhiscollege；butthisisagainsthiswill，unlesshebeamanveryindolentindeed。Ahundredayearisreckonedagoodfellowship，andthatisnomorethanisnecessarytokeepamandecentlyasascholar。Wedonotallowourfellowstomarry，becauseweconsideracademicalinstitutionsaspreparatorytoasettlementintheworld。Itisonlybybeingemployedasatutor，thatafellowcanobtainanythingmorethanalivelihood。Tobesureaman，whohasenoughwithoutteaching，willprobablynotteach；forwewouldallbeidleifwecould。Inthesamemanner，amanwhoistogetnothingbyteaching，willnotexerthimself。GreshamCollegewasintendedasaplaceofinstructionforLondon；ableprofessorsweretoreadlecturesgratis，theycontrivedtohavenoscholars；whereas，iftheyhadbeenallowedtoreceivebutsixpencealecturefromeachscholar，theywouldhavebeenemuloustohavehadmanyscholars。EverybodywillagreethatitshouldbetheinterestofthosewhoteachtohavescholarsandthisisthecaseinourUniversities。Thattheyaretoorichiscertainlynottrue；fortheyhavenothinggoodenoughtokeepamanofeminentlearningwiththemforhislife。
IntheforeignUniversitiesaprofessorshipisahighthing。Itisasmuchalmostasamancanmakebyhislearning；andthereforewefindthemostlearnedmenabroadareintheUniversities。Itisnotsowithus。OurUniversitiesareimpoverishedoflearning，bythepenuryoftheirprovisions。Iwishthereweremanyplacesofathousanda-yearatOxford，tokeepfirst-ratemenoflearningfromquittingtheUniversity。’
ImentionedMr。Maclaurin’suneasinessonaccountofadegreeofridiculecarelesslythrownonhisdeceasedfather，inGoldsmith’sHistoryofAnimatedNature，inwhichthatcelebratedmathematicianisrepresentedasbeingsubjecttofitsofyawningsoviolentastorenderhimincapableofproceedinginhislecture；astoryaltogetherunfounded，butforthepublicationofwhichthelawwouldgivenoreparation。Thisledustoagitatethequestion，whetherlegalredresscouldbeobtained，evenwhenaman’sdeceasedrelationwascalumniatedinapublication。
OnFriday，April5，beingGoodFriday，afterhavingattendedthemorningserviceatSt。Clement’sChurch，IwalkedhomewithJohnson。WetalkedoftheRomanCatholickreligion。JOHNSON。’Inthebarbarousages，Sir，priestsandpeoplewereequallydeceived；
butafterwardsthereweregrosscorruptionsintroducedbytheclergy，suchasindulgenciestoprieststohaveconcubines，andtheworshipofimages，not，indeed，inculcated，butknowinglypermitted。’HestronglycensuredthelicensedstewsatRome。
BOSWELL。’Sothen，Sir，youwouldallowofnoirregularintercoursewhateverbetweenthesexes？’JOHNSON。’TobesureI
wouldnot，Sir。Iwouldpunishitmuchmorethanitisdone，andsorestrainit。Inallcountriestherehasbeenfornication，asinallcountriestherehasbeentheft；buttheremaybemoreorlessoftheone，aswellasoftheother，inproportiontotheforceoflaw。Allmenwillnaturallycommitfornication，asallmenwillnaturallysteal。And，Sir，itisveryabsurdtoargue，ashasbeenoftendone，thatprostitutesarenecessarytopreventtheviolenteffectsofappetitefromviolatingthedecentorderoflife；nay，shouldbepermitted，inordertopreservethechastityofourwivesanddaughters。Dependuponit，Sir，severelaws，steadilyenforced，wouldbesufficientagainstthoseevils，andwouldpromotemarriage。’
Mr。Thralecalleduponhim，andappearedtobearthelossofhissonwithamanlycomposure。Therewasnoaffectationabouthim；
andhetalked，asusual，uponindifferentsubjects。HeseemedtometohesitateastotheintendedItaliantour，onwhich，I
flatteredmyself，heandMrs。ThraleandDr。Johnsonweresoontosetout；and，therefore，IpresseditasmuchasIcould。I
mentioned，thatMr。Beauclerkhadsaid，thatBaretti，whomtheyweretocarrywiththem，wouldkeepthemsolonginthelittletownsofhisowndistrict，thattheywouldnothavetimetoseeRome。Imentionedthis，toputthemontheirguard。JOHNSON。
’Sir，wedonotthankMr。BeauclerkforsupposingthatwearetobedirectedbyBaretti。No，Sir；Mr。Thraleistogo，bymyadvice，toMr。Jackson，theall-knowingandgetfromhimaplanforseeingthemostthatcanbeseeninthetimethatwehavetotravel。Wemust，tobesure，seeRome，Naples，Florence，andVenice，andasmuchmoreaswecan。’Speakingwithatoneofanimation。
WhenIexpressedanearnestwishforhisremarksonItaly，hesaid，’IdonotseethatIcouldmakeabookuponItaly；yetIshouldbegladtogettwohundredpounds，orfivehundredpounds，bysuchawork。’ThisshewedboththatajournalofhisTourupontheContinentwasnotwhollyoutofhiscontemplation，andthatheuniformlyadheredtothatstrangeopinion，whichhisindolentdispositionmadehimutter：’Nomanbutablockheadeverwrote，exceptformoney。’Numerousinstancestorefutethiswilloccurtoallwhoareversedinthehistoryofliterature。
Hegaveusoneofthemanysketchesofcharacterwhichweretreasuredinhismind，andwhichhewaswonttoproducequiteunexpectedlyinaveryentertainingmanner。’Ilately，saidhe，
receivedaletterfromtheEastIndies，fromagentlemanwhomI
formerlyknewverywell；hehadreturnedfromthatcountrywithahandsomefortune，asitwasreckoned，beforemeanswerefoundtoacquirethoseimmensesumswhichhavebeenbroughtfromthenceoflate；hewasascholar，andanagreeableman，andlivedveryprettilyinLondon，tillhiswifedied。Afterherdeath，hetooktodissipationandgaming，andlostallhehad。OneeveninghelostathousandpoundstoagentlemanwhosenameIamsorryIhaveforgotten。Nextmorninghesentthegentlemanfivehundredpounds，withanapologythatitwasallhehadintheworld。Thegentlemansentthemoneybacktohim，declaringhewouldnotacceptofit；
andadding，thatifMr——hadoccasionforfivehundredpoundsmore，hewouldlendittohim。HeresolvedtogooutagaintotheEastIndies，andmakehisfortuneanew。Hegotaconsiderableappointment，andIhadsomeintentionofaccompanyinghim。HadI
thoughtthenasIdonow，Ishouldhavegone：but，atthattime，I
hadobjectionstoquittingEngland。’
ItwasaveryremarkablecircumstanceaboutJohnson，whomshallowobservershavesupposedtohavebeenignorantoftheworld，thatveryfewmenhadseengreatervarietyofcharacters；andnonecouldobservethembetter，aswasevidentfromthestrong，yetniceportraitswhichheoftendrew。IhavefrequentlythoughtthatifhehadmadeoutwhattheFrenchcallunecatalogueraisonneeofallthepeoplewhohadpassedunderhisobservation，itwouldhaveaffordedaveryrichfundofinstructionandentertainment。Thesuddennesswithwhichhisaccountsofsomeofthemstartedoutinconversation，wasnotlesspleasingthansurprizing。Irememberheonceobservedtome，’Itiswonderful，Sir，whatistobefoundinLondon。ThemostliteraryconversationthatIeverenjoyed，wasatthetableofJackEllis，amoney-scrivenerbehindtheRoyalExchange，withwhomIatoneperiodusedtodinegenerallyonceaweek。’
Volumeswouldberequiredtocontainalistofhisnumerousandvariousacquaintance，noneofwhomheeverforgot；andcoulddescribeanddiscriminatethemallwithprecisionandvivacity。Heassociatedwithpersonsthemostwidelydifferentinmanners，abilities，rank，andaccomplishments。HewasatoncethecompanionofthebrilliantColonelForresteroftheGuards，whowroteThePolitePhilosopher，andoftheaukwardanduncouthRobertLevet；ofLordThurlow，andMr。Sastres，theItalianmaster；andhasdinedonedaywiththebeautiful，gay，andfascinatingLadyCraven，andthenextwithgoodMrs。Gardiner，thetallow-chandler，onSnow-
hill。
Onmyexpressingmywonderathisdiscoveringsomuchoftheknowledgepeculiartodifferentprofessions，heto]dme，’IlearntwhatIknowoflaw，chieflyfromMr。Ballow，averyableman。I
learntsome，too，fromChambers；butwasnotsoteachablethen。
Oneisnotwillingtobetaughtbyayoungman。’WhenIexpressedawishtoknowmoreaboutMr。Ballow，Johnsonsaid，’Sir，Ihaveseenhimbutoncethesetwentyyears。Thetideoflifehasdrivenusdifferentways。’Iwassorryatthetimetohearthis；butwhoeverquitsthecreeksofprivateconnections，andfairlygetsintothegreatoceanofLondon，will，byimperceptibledegrees，unavoidablyexperiencesuchcessationsofacquaintance。
’Myknowledgeofphysick，headded，IlearntfromDr。James，whomIhelpedinwritingtheproposalsforhisDictionaryandalsoalittleintheDictionaryitself。IalsolearntfromDr。Lawrence，butwasthengrownmorestubborn。’