WhenwegottoDr。Johnson’shouse，andwereseatedinhislibrary，thedialoguewentonadmirably。EDWARDS。’Sir，IrememberyouwouldnotletussayPRODIGIOUSatCollege。Foreventhen，Sir，turningtome，hewasdelicateinlanguage，andweallfearedhim。’*JOHNSON。toEdwards，’Fromyourhavingpractisedthelawlong，Sir，Ipresumeyoumustberich。’EDWARDS。’No，Sir；Igotagooddealofmoney；butIhadanumberofpoorrelationstowhomIgaveagreatpartofit。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavebeenrichinthemostvaluablesenseoftheword。’EDWARDS。’ButIshallnotdierich。’JOHNSON。’Nay，sure，Sir，itisbettertoLIVErichthantoDIErich。’EDWARDS。’IwishIhadcontinuedatCollege。’
JOHNSON。’Whydoyouwishthat，Sir？’EDWARDS。’BecauseIthinkIshouldhavehadamucheasierlifethanminehasbeen。Ishouldhavebeenaparson，andhadagoodliving，likeBloxamandseveralothers，andlivedcomfortably。’JOHNSON。’Sir，thelifeofaparson，ofaconscientiousclergyman，isnoteasy。Ihavealwaysconsideredaclergymanasthefatherofalargerfamilythanheisabletomaintain。IwouldratherhaveChancerysuitsuponmyhandsthanthecureofsouls。No，Sir，Idonotenvyaclergyman’slifeasaneasylife，nordoIenvytheclergymanwhomakesitaneasylife。’Heretakinghimselfupallofasudden，heexclaimed，’O!
Mr。Edwards!I’llconvinceyouthatIrecollectyou。DoyourememberourdrinkingtogetheratanalehousenearPembrokegate？
Atthattime，youtoldmeoftheEtonboy，who，whenversesonourSAVIOUR’Sturningwaterintowinewereprescribedasanexercise，broughtupasingleline，whichwashighlyadmired，——
“ViditeterubuitlymphapudicaDEUM，“
andItoldyouofanotherfinelineinCamden’sRemains，aneulogyupononeofourKings，whowassucceededbyhisson，aprinceofequalmerit：——
“Miracano，Soloccubuit，noxnullasecutaest。“’
*Johnsonsaidtomeafterwards，’Sir，theyrespectedmeformyliterature：andyetitwasnotgreatbutbycomparison。Sir，itisamazinghowlittleliteraturethereisintheworld。’——BOSWELL
EDWARDS。’Youareaphilosopher，Dr。Johnson。Ihavetriedtooinmytimetobeaphilosopher；but，Idon’tknowhow，cheerfulnesswasalwaysbreakingin。’——Mr。Burke，SirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。
Courtenay，Mr。Malone，and，indeed，alltheeminentmentowhomI
havementionedthis，havethoughtitanexquisitetraitofcharacter。Thetruthis，thatphilosophy，likereligion，istoogenerallysupposedtobehardandsevere，atleastsograveastoexcludeallgaiety。
EDWARDS。’Ihavebeentwicemarried，Doctor。You，Isuppose，haveneverknownwhatitwastohaveawife。’JOHNSON。’Sir，Ihaveknownwhatitwastohaveawife，andinasolemn，tender，faulteringtoneIhaveknownwhatitwastoLOSEAWIFE——Ithadalmostbrokemyheart。’
EDWARDS。’Howdoyoulive，Sir？Formypart，Imusthavemyregularmeals，andaglassofgoodwine。IfindIrequireit。’
JOHNSON。’Inowdrinknowine，Sir。EarlyinlifeIdrankwine：
formanyyearsIdranknone。Ithenforsomeyearsdrankagreatdeal。’EDWARDS。’Somehogs-heads，Iwarrantyou。’JOHNSON。’I
thenhadasevereillness，andleftitoff，andIhaveneverbegunitagain。Ineverfeltanydifferenceuponmyselffromeatingonethingratherthananother，norfromonekindofweatherratherthananother。Therearepeople，Ibelieve，whofeeladifference；butI
amnotoneofthem。Andastoregularmeals，IhavefastedfromtheSunday’sdinnertotheTuesday’sdinner，withoutanyinconvenience。Ibelieveitisbesttoeatjustasoneishungry：
butamanwhoisinbusiness，oramanwhohasafamily，musthavestatedmeals。Iamastraggler。ImayleavethistownandgotoGrandCairo，withoutbeingmissedhereorobservedthere。’
EDWARDS。’Don’tyoueatsupper，Sir？’JOHNSON。’No，Sir。’
EDWARDS。’Formypart，now，Iconsidersupperasaturnpikethroughwhichonemustpass，inordertogettobed。’
JOHNSON。’Youarealawyer，Mr。Edwards。Lawyersknowlifepractically。Abookishmanshouldalwayshavethemtoconversewith。Theyhavewhathewants。’EDWARDS。’Iamgrownold：Iamsixty-five。’JOHNSON。’Ishallbesixty-eightnextbirth-day。
Come，Sir，drinkwater，andputinforahundred。’
ThisinterviewconfirmedmyopinionofJohnson’smosthumaneandbenevolentheart。Hiscordialandplacidbehaviourtoanoldfellow-collegian，amansodifferentfromhimself；andhistellinghimthathewouldgodowntohisfarmandvisithim，showedakindnessofdispositionveryrareatanadvancedage。Heobserved，’howwonderfulitwasthattheyhadbothbeeninLondonfortyyears，withouthavingeveroncemet，andbothwalkersinthestreettoo!’Mr。Edwards，whengoingaway，againrecurredtohisconsciousnessofsenility，andlookingfullinJohnson’sface，saidtohim，’You’llfindinDr。Young，“Omycoevals!remnantsofyourselves。“’
Johnsondidnotrelishthisatall；butshookhisheadwithimpatience。Edwardswalkedoff，seeminglyhighlypleasedwiththehonourofhavingbeenthusnoticedbyDr。Johnson。Whenhewasgone，IsaidtoJohnson，Ithoughthimbutaweakman。JOHNSON。
’Why，yes，Sir。Hereisamanwhohaspassedthroughlifewithoutexperience：yetIwouldratherhavehimwithmethanamoresensiblemanwhowillnottalkreadily。Thismanisalwayswillingtosaywhathehastosay。’YetDr。Johnsonhadhimselfbynomeansthatwillingnesswhichhepraisedsomuch，andIthinksojustly；forwhohasnotfeltthepainfuleffectofthedrearyvoid，whenthereisatotalsilenceinacompany，foranylengthoftime；
or，whichisasbad，orperhapsworse，whentheconversationiswithdifficultykeptupbyaperpetualeffort？
Johnsononceobservedtome，’TomTyersdescribedmethebest：
“Sir，saidhe，youarelikeaghost：youneverspeaktillyouarespokento。“’
ThegentlemanwhomhethusfamiliarlymentionedwasMr。ThomasTyers，sonofMr。JonathanTyers，thefounderofthatexcellentplaceofpublickamusement，VauxhallGardens，whichmusteverbeanestatetoitsproprietor，asitispeculiarlyadaptedtothetasteoftheEnglishnation；therebeingamixtureofcuriousshow，——gayexhibition，musick，vocalandinstrumental，nottoorefinedforthegeneralear；——forallwhichonlyashillingispaid；and，thoughlast，notleast，goodeatinganddrinkingforthosewhochoosetopurchasethatregale。Mr。ThomasTyerswasbredtothelaw；buthavingahandsomefortune，vivacityoftemper，andeccentricityofmind，hecouldnotconfinehimselftotheregularityofpractice。
Hethereforeranabouttheworldwithapleasantcarelessness，amusingeverybodybyhisdesultoryconversation。Heaboundedinanecdote，butwasnotsufficientlyattentivetoaccuracy。I
thereforecannotventuretoavailmyselfmuchofabiographicalsketchofJohnsonwhichhepublished，beingoneamongthevariouspersonsambitiousofappendingtheirnamestothatofmyillustriousfriend。Thatsketchis，however，anentertaininglittlecollectionoffragments。ThosewhichhepublishedofPopeandAddisonareofhighermerit；buthisfamemustchieflyrestuponhisPoliticalConferences，inwhichheintroducesseveraleminentpersonsdeliveringtheirsentimentsinthewayofdialogue，anddiscoversaconsiderableshareoflearning，variousknowledge，anddiscernmentofcharacter。ThismuchmayIbeallowedtosayofamanwhowasexceedinglyobligingtome，andwholivedwithDr。
Johnsoninaseasyamannerasalmostanyofhisverynumerousacquaintance。
Mr。Edwardshadsaidtomeaside，thatDr。Johnsonshouldhavebeenofaprofession。IrepeatedtheremarktoJohnsonthatImighthavehisownthoughtsonthesubject。JOHNSON。’Sir，itWOULD
havebeenbetterthatIhadbeenofaprofession。Ioughttohavebeenalawyer。’BOSWELL。’Idonotthink，Sir，itwouldhavebeenbetter，forweshouldnothavehadtheEnglishDictionary。’
JOHNSON。’ButyouwouldhavehadReports。’BOSWELL。’Ay；buttherewouldnothavebeenanother，whocouldhavewrittentheDictionary。TherehavebeenmanyverygoodJudges。SupposeyouhadbeenLordChancellor；youwouldhavedeliveredopinionswithmoreextentofmind，andinamoreornamentedmanner，thanperhapsanyChancelloreverdid，oreverwilldo。But，Ibelieve，causeshavebeenasjudiciouslydecidedasyoucouldhavedone。’JOHNSON。
’Yes，Sir。Propertyhasbeenaswellsettled。’
Johnson，however，hadanobleambitionfloatinginhismind，andhad，undoubtedly，oftenspeculatedonthepossibilityofhissupereminentpowersbeingrewardedinthisgreatandliberalcountrybythehighesthonoursofthestate。SirWilliamScottinformsme，thatuponthedeathofthelateLordLichfield，whowasChancelloroftheUniversityofOxford，hesaidtoJohnson，’Whatapityitis，Sir，thatyoudidnotfollowtheprofessionofthelaw。
YoumighthavebeenLordChancellorofGreatBritain，andattainedtothedignityofthepeerage；andnowthatthetitleofLichfleld，yournativecity，isextinct，youmighthavehadit。’Johnson，uponthis，seemedmuchagitated；and，inanangrytone，exclaimed，’Whywillyouvexmebysuggestingthis，whenitistoolate？’
Buthedidnotrepineattheprosperityofothers。ThelateDr。
ThomasLeland，toldMr。Courtenay，thatwhenMr。EdmundBurkeshewedJohnsonhisfinehouseandlandsnearBeaconsfield，Johnsoncoollysaid，’Nonequideminvideo；mirormagis。’*
*IamnotentirelywithoutsuspicionthatJohnsonmayhavefeltalittlemomentaryenvy；fornomanlovedthegoodthingsofthislifebetterthanhedidandhecouldnotbutbeconsciousthathedeservedamuchlargershareofthem，thanheeverhad——BOSWELL。
YetnomanhadahighernotionofthedignityofliteraturethanJohnson，orwasmoredeterminedinmaintainingtherespectwhichhejustlyconsideredasduetoit。Ofthis，besidesthegeneraltenorofhisconductinsociety，somecharacteristicalinstancesmaybementioned。
HetoldSirJoshuaReynolds，thatoncewhenhedinedinanumerouscompanyofbooksellers，wheretheroombeingsmall，theheadofthetable，atwhichhesat，wasalmostclosetothefire，heperseveredinsufferingagreatdealofinconveniencefromtheheat，ratherthanquithisplace，andletoneofthemsitabovehim。