Johnsonadvisedmeto-nightnottoREFINEintheeducationofmychildren。’Lifesaidhe，willnotbearrefinement：youmustdoasotherpeopledo。’
AswedrovebacktoAshbourne，Dr。Johnsonrecommendedtome，ashehadoftendone，todrinkwateronly：’Forsaidhe，youarethensurenottogetdrunk；whereasifyoudrinkwineyouareneversure。’Isaid，drinkingwinewasapleasurewhichIwasunwillingtogiveup，’Why，Sir，saidhe，thereisnodoubtthatnottodrinkwineisagreatdeductionfromlife；butitmaybenecessary。’Hehoweverowned，thatinhisopinionafreeuseofwinedidnotshortenlife；andsaid，hewouldnotgivelessforthelifeofacertainScotchLordwhomhenamedcelebratedforharddrinking，thanforthatofasoberman。’Butstay，saidhe，withhisusualintelligence，andaccuracyofenquiry，doesittakemuchwinetomakehimdrunk？’Ianswered，’agreatdealeitherofwineorstrongpunch。’——’Thensaidhe，thatistheworse。’Ipresumetoillustratemyfriend’sobservationthus：’Afortresswhichsoonsurrendershasitswallslessshatteredthanwhenalongandobstinateresistanceismade。’
IventuredtomentionapersonwhowasasviolentaScotsmanashewasanEnglishman；andliterallyhadthesamecontemptforanEnglishmancomparedwithaScotsman，thathehadforaScotsmancomparedwithanEnglishman；andthathewouldsayofDr。Johnson，’Damnedrascal!totalkashedoesoftheScotch。’Thisseemed，foramoment，’togivehimpause。’It，perhaps，presentedhisextremeprejudiceagainsttheScotchinapointofviewsomewhatnewtohim，bytheeffectofCONTRAST。
BythetimewhenwereturnedtoAshbourne，Dr。Taylorwasgonetobed。JohnsonandIsatupalongtimebyourselves。
OnSaturday，September20，afterbreakfast，whenTaylorwasgoneouttohisfarm，Dr。JohnsonandIhadaseriousconversationbyourselvesonmelancholyandmadness。
Weenteredseriouslyuponaquestionofmuchimportancetome，whichJohnsonwaspleasedtoconsiderwithfriendlyattention。I
hadlongcomplainedtohimthatIfeltmyselfdiscontentedinScotland，astoonarrowasphere，andthatIwishedtomakemychiefresidenceinLondon，thegreatsceneofambition，instruction，andamusement：ascene，whichwastome，comparativelyspeaking，aheavenuponearth。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，IneverknewanyonewhohadsuchaGUSTforLondonasyouhave：andIcannotblameyouforyourwishtolivethere：yet，Sir，wereIinyourfather’splace，Ishouldnotconsenttoyoursettlingthere；forI
havetheoldfeudalnotions，andIshouldbeafraidthatAuchinleckwouldbedeserted，asyouwouldsoonfinditmoredesirabletohaveacountry-seatinabetterclimate。’
Isuggestedadoubt，thatifIweretoresideinLondon，theexquisitezestwithwhichIrelisheditinoccasionalvisitsmightgooff，andImightgrowtiredofit。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，youfindnoman，atallintellectual，whoiswillingtoleaveLondon。
No，Sir，whenamanistiredofLondon，heistiredoflife；forthereisinLondonallthatlifecanafford。’
Hesaid，’AcountrygentlemanshouldbringhisladytovisitLondonassoonashecan，thattheymayhaveagreeabletopicksforconversationwhentheyarebythemselves。’
Wetalkedofemploymentbeingabsolutelynecessarytopreservethemindfromwearyingandgrowingfretful，especiallyinthosewhohaveatendencytomelancholy；andImentionedtohimasayingwhichsomebodyhadrelatedofanAmericansavage，who，whenanEuropeanwasexpatiatingonalltheadvantagesofmoney，putthisquestion：’WillitpurchaseOCCUPATION？’JOHNSON。’Dependuponit，Sir，thissayingistoorefinedforasavage。And，Sir，moneyWILLpurchaseoccupation；itwillpurchasealltheconveniencesoflife；itwillpurchasevarietyofcompany；itwillpurchaseallsortsofentertainment。’
ItalkedtohimofForster’sVoyagetotheSouthSeas，whichpleasedme；butIfoundhedidnotlikeit。’Sir，saidhe，thereisagreataffectationoffinewritinginit。’BOSWELL。’Buthecarriesyoualongwithhim。’JOHNSON。’No，Sir；hedoesnotcarryMEalongwithhim：heleavesmebehindhim：orrather，indeed，hesetsmebeforehim；forhemakesmeturnovermanyleavesatatime。’
OnSunday，September21，wewenttothechurchofAshbourne，whichisoneofthelargestandmostluminousthatIhaveseeninanytownofthesamesize。IfeltgreatsatisfactioninconsideringthatIwassupportedinmyfondnessforsolemnpublickworshipbythegeneralconcurrenceandmunificenceofmankind。
JohnsonandTaylorweresodifferentfromeachother，thatI
wonderedattheirpreservinganintimacy。Theirhavingbeenatschoolandcollegetogether，might，insomedegree，accountforthis；butSirJoshuaReynoldshasfurnishedmewithastrongerreason；forJohnsonmentionedtohim，thathehadbeentoldbyTaylorhewastobehisheir。Ishallnottakeuponmetoanimadvertuponthis；butcertainitis，thatJohnsonpaidgreatattentiontoTaylor。Henow，however，saidtome，’Sir，Ilovehim；butIdonotlovehimmore；myregardforhimdoesnotincrease。AsitissaidintheApocrypha，“histalkisofbullocks：“Idonotsupposeheisveryfondofmycompany。Hishabitsarebynomeanssufficientlyclerical：thisheknowsthatI
see；andnomanlikestoliveundertheeyeofperpetualdisapprobation。’
IhavenodoubtthatagoodmanysermonswerecomposedforTaylorbyJohnson。AtthistimeIfound，uponhistable，apartofonewhichhehadnewlybeguntowrite：andConcioproTayloroappearsinoneofhisdiaries。Whentothesecircumstancesweaddtheinternalevidencefromthepowerofthinkingandstyle，inthecollectionwhichtheReverendMr。Hayeshaspublished，withtheSIGNIFICANTtitleof’SermonsLEFTFORPUBLICATIONbytheReverendJohnTaylor，LL。D。，’ourconvictionwillbecomplete。
I，however，wouldnothaveitthought，thatDr。Taylor，thoughhecouldnotwritelikeJohnson，as，indeed，whocould？didnotsometimescomposesermonsasgoodasthosewhichwegenerallyhavefromveryrespectabledivines。HeshewedmeonewithnotesonthemargininJohnson’shandwriting；andIwaspresentwhenhereadanothertoJohnson，thathemighthavehisopinionofit，andJohnsonsaiditwas’verywell。’These，wemaybesure，werenotJohnson’s；forhewasabovelittlearts，ortricksofdeception。
ImentionedtoJohnsonarespectablepersonofaverystrongmind，whohadlittleofthattendernesswhichiscommontohumannature；
asaninstanceofwhich，whenIsuggestedtohimthatheshouldinvitehisson，whohadbeensettledtenyearsinforeignparts，tocomehomeandpayhimavisit，hisanswerwas，’No，no，lethimmindhisbusiness。JOHNSON。’Idonotagreewithhim，Sir，inthis。Gettingmoneyisnotallaman’sbusiness：tocultivatekindnessisavaluablepartofthebusinessoflife。’
Intheevening，Johnson，beinginverygoodspirits，entertaineduswithseveralcharacteristicalportraits。Iregretthatanyofthemescapedmyretentionanddiligence。Ifound，fromexperience，thattocollectmyfriend’sconversationsoastoexhibititwithanydegreeofitsoriginalflavour，itwasnecessarytowriteitdownwithoutdelay。Torecordhissayings，aftersomedistanceoftime，waslikepreservingorpicklinglong-keptandfadedfruits，orothervegetables，which，wheninthatstate，havelittleornothingoftheirtastewhenfresh。
IshallpresentmyreaderswithaseriesofwhatIgatheredthiseveningfromtheJohnsoniangarden。
’DidwenothearsomuchsaidofJackWilkes，weshouldthinkmorehighlyofhisconversation。Jackhasgreatvarietyoftalk，Jackisascholar，andJackhasthemannersofagentleman。Butafterhearinghisnamesoundedfrompoletopole，asthephoenixofconvivialfelicity，wearedisappointedinhiscompany。HehasalwaysbeenATME：butIwoulddoJackakindness，ratherthannot。
Thecontestisnowover。’
’ColleyCibberonceconsultedmeastooneofhisbirthdayOdes，alongtimebeforeitwaswanted。Iobjectedveryfreelytoseveralpassages。Cibberlostpatience，andwouldnotreadhisOdetoanend。Whenwehaddonewithcriticism，wewalkedovertoRichardson’s，theauthourofClarissaandIwonderedtofindRichardsondispleasedthatI“didnottreatCibberwithmoreRESPECT。“Now，Sir，totalkofRESPECTforaPLAYER!’smilingdisdainfully。BOSWELL。’There，Sir，youarealwaysheretical：
youneverwillallowmerittoaplayer。’JOHNSON。’Merit，Sir!
whatmerit？Doyourespectarope-dancer，oraballad-singer？’
BOSWELL。’No，Sir：butwerespectagreatplayer，asamanwhocanconceiveloftysentiments，andcanexpressthemgracefully。’
JOHNSON。’What，Sir，afellowwhoclapsahumponhisback，andalumponhisleg，andcries“IamRichardtheThird“？Nay，Sir，aballad-singerisahigherman，forhedoestwothings；herepeatsandhesings：thereisbothrecitationandmusickinhisperformance：theplayeronlyrecites。’BOSWELL。’MydearSir!youmayturnanythingintoridicule。Iallow，thataplayeroffarceisnotentitledtorespect；hedoesalittlething：buthewhocanrepresentexaltedcharacters，andtouchthenoblestpassions，hasveryrespectablepowers；andmankindhaveagreedinadmiringgreattalentsforthestage。Wemustconsider，too，thatagreatplayerdoeswhatveryfewarecapabletodo：hisartisaveryrarefaculty。WHOcanrepeatHamlet’ssoliloquy，“Tobe，ornottobe，“
asGarrickdoesit？’JOHNSON。’Anybodymay。Jemmy，thereaboyabouteightyearsold，whowasintheroom，willdoitaswellinaweek。’BOSWELL。’No，no，Sir：andasaproofofthemeritofgreatacting，andofthevaluewhichmankindsetuponit，Garrickhasgotahundredthousandpounds。’JOHNSON。’Isgettingahundredthousandpoundsaproofofexcellence？Thathasbeendonebyascoundrelcommissary。’
Thiswasmostfallaciousreasoning。IwasSURE，foronce，thatI
hadthebestsideoftheargument。Iboldlymaintainedthejustdistinctionbetweenatragedianandameretheatricaldroll；
betweenthosewhorouseourterrourandpity，andthosewhoonlymakeuslaugh。’IfsaidI，BettertonandFooteweretowalkintothisroom，youwouldrespectBettertonmuchmorethanFoote。’
JOHNSON。’IfBettertonweretowalkintothisroomwithFoote，Footewouldsoondrivehimoutofit。Foote，Sir，quatenusFoote，haspowerssuperiourtothemall。’