Istaidallthisday*withhimatStreatham。Hetalkedagreatdeal，inverygoodhumour。
*Wednesday，May13——ED。
LookingatMessrs。Dilly’ssplendideditionofLordChesterfield’smiscellaneousworks，helaughed，andsaid，’Herenowaretwospeechesascribedtohim，bothofwhichwerewrittenbyme：andthebestofitis，theyhavefoundoutthatoneislikeDemosthenes，andtheotherlikeCicero。’
BOSWELL。’Isnotmodestynatural？’JOHNSON。’Icannotsay，Sir，aswefindnopeoplequiteinastateofnature；butIthinkthemoretheyaretaught，themoremodesttheyare。TheFrenchareagross，ill-bred，untaughtpeople；aladytherewillspitonthefloorandrubitwithherfoot。WhatIgainedbybeinginFrancewas，learningtobebettersatisfiedwithmyowncountry。Timemaybeemployedtomoreadvantagefromnineteentotwenty-fouralmostinanywaythanintravelling；whenyousettravellingagainstmerenegation，againstdoingnothing，itisbettertobesure；buthowmuchmorewouldayoungmanimprovewerehetostudyduringthoseyears。Indeed，ifayoungmaniswild，andmustrunafterwomenandbadcompany，itisbetterthisshouldbedoneabroad，as，onhisreturn，hecanbreakoffsuchconnections，andbeginathomeanewman，withacharactertoform，andacquaintancestomake。Howlittledoestravellingsupplytotheconversationofanymanwhohastravelled；howlittletoBeauclerk!’BOSWELL。’WhatsayyoutoLord——？’JOHNSON。’Ineverbutonceheardhimtalkofwhathehadseen，andthatwasofalargeserpentinoneofthePyramidsofEgypt。’BOSWELL。’Well，Ihappenedtohearhimtellthesamething，whichmademementionhim。’
Italkedofacountrylife。JOHNSON。’WereItoliveinthecountry，Iwouldnotdevotemyselftotheacquisitionofpopularity；Iwouldliveinamuchbetterway，muchmorehappily；I
wouldhavemytimeatmyowncommand。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，isitnotasadthingtobeatadistancefromallourliteraryfriends？’
JOHNSON。’Sir，youwillbyandbyhaveenoughofthisconversation，whichnowdelightsyousomuch。’
Ashewasazealousfriendofsubordination，hewasatalltimeswatchfultorepressthevulgarcantagainstthemannersofthegreat；’Highpeople，Sir，saidhe，arethebest；takeahundredladiesofquality，you’llfindthembetterwives，bettermothers，morewillingtosacrificetheirownpleasuretotheirchildrenthanahundredotherwomen。TradeswomenImeanthewivesoftradesmen
inthecity，whoareworthfromtentofifteenthousandpounds，aretheworstcreaturesupontheearth，grosslyignorant，andthinkingviciousnessfashionable。Farmers，Ithink，areoftenworthlessfellows。Fewlordswillcheat；and，iftheydo，they’llbeashamedofit：farmerscheatandarenotashamedofit：theyhaveallthesensualvicestooofthenobility，withcheatingintothebargain。
Thereisasmuchfornicationandadulteryamongfarmersasamongstnoblemen。’BOSWELL。’Thenotionoftheworld，Sir，howeveris，thatthemoralsofwomenofqualityareworsethanthoseinlowerstations。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，thelicentiousnessofonewomanofqualitymakesmorenoisethanthatofanumberofwomeninlowerstations；then，Sir，youaretoconsiderthemalignityofwomeninthecityagainstwomenofquality，whichwillmakethembelieveanythingofthem，suchasthattheycalltheircoachmentobed。No，Sir，sofarasIhaveobserved，thehigherinrank，thericherladiesare，theyarethebetterinstructedandthemorevirtuous。’
OnTuesday，May19，IwastosetoutforScotlandintheevening。
HewasengagedtodinewithmeatMr。Dilly’s，Iwaiteduponhimtoremindhimofhisappointmentandattendhimthither；hegavemesomesalutarycounsel，andrecommendedvigorousresolutionagainstanydeviationfrommoralduty。BOSWELL。’Butyouwouldnothavemetobindmyselfbyasolemnobligation？’JOHNSON。muchagitated，’What!avow——O，no，Sir，avowisahorriblething，itisasnareforsin。ThemanwhocannotgotoHeavenwithoutavow——
maygo——’Here，standingerect，inthemiddleofhislibrary，androllinggrand，hispausewastrulyacuriouscompoundofthesolemnandtheludicrous；hehalf-whistledinhisusualway，whenpleasant，andhepaused，asifcheckedbyreligiousawe。Methoughthewouldhaveadded——toHell——butwasrestrained。Ihumouredthedilemma。’What!Sir，saidI，Incaelumjusserisibit？’alludingtohisimitationofit，——
’AndbidhimgotoHell，toHellhegoes。’
WehadaquietcomfortablemeetingatMr。Dilly’s；nobodytherebutourselves。MyillustriousfriendandIpartedwithassurancesofaffectionateregard。
Mr。Langtonhasbeenpleased，atmyrequest，tofavourmewithsomeparticularsofDr。Johnson’svisittoWarley-camp，wherethisgentlemanwasatthetimestationedasaCaptainintheLincolnshiremilitia。Ishallgivetheminhisownwordsinalettertome。
’Itwasinthesummeroftheyear1778，thathecompliedwithmyinvitationtocomedowntotheCampatWarley，andhestaidwithmeaboutaweek；thesceneappeared，notwithstandingagreatdegreeofillhealththatheseemedtolabourunder，tointerestandamusehim，asagreeingwiththedispositionthatIbelieveyouknowheconstantlymanifestedtowardsenquiringintosubjectsofthemilitarykind。Hesate，withapatientdegreeofattention，toobservetheproceedingsofaregimentalcourt-martial，thathappenedtobecalled，inthetimeofhisstaywithus；andonenight，aslateasateleveno’clock，heaccompaniedtheMajoroftheregimentingoingwhatarestyledtheRounds，wherehemightobservetheformsofvisitingtheguards，fortheseeingthattheyandtheirsentriesarereadyintheirdutyontheirseveralposts。
Hetookoccasiontoconverseattimesonmilitarytopicks，oneinparticular，thatIseethementionof，inyourJournalofaTourtotheHebrides，whichliesopenbeforeme，astogun-powder；whichhespokeoftothesameeffect，inpart，thatyourelate。
’Ononeoccasion，whentheregimentweregoingthroughtheirexercise，hewentquiteclosetothemenatoneoftheextremitiesofit，andwatchedalltheirpracticesattentively；and，whenhecameaway，hisremarkwas，“Themenindeeddoloadtheirmusketsandfirewithwonderfulcelerity。“Hewaslikewiseparticularinrequiringtoknowwhatwastheweightofthemusquetballsinuse，andwithinwhatdistancetheymightbeexpectedtotakeeffectwhenfiredoff。
’Inwalkingamongthetents，andobservingthedifferencebetweenthoseoftheofficersandprivatemen，hesaidthatthesuperiorityofaccommodationofthebetterconditionsoflife，tothatoftheinferiourones，wasneverexhibitedtohiminsodistinctaview。
Thecivilitiespaidtohiminthecampwere，fromthegentlemenoftheLincolnshireregiment，oneoftheofficersofwhichaccommodatedhimwithatentinwhichheslept；andfromGeneralHall，whoverycourteouslyinvitedhimtodinewithhim，whereheappearedtobeverywellpleasedwithhisentertainment，andthecivilitieshereceivedonthepartoftheGeneral；theattentionlikewise，oftheGeneral’saide-de-camp，CaptainSmith，seemedtobeverywelcometohim，asappearedbytheirengaginginagreatdealofdiscoursetogether。’
Wesurelycannotbutadmirethebenevolentexertionsofthisgreatandgoodman，especiallywhenweconsiderhowgrievouslyhewasafflictedwithbadhealth，andhowuncomfortablehishomewasmadebytheperpetualjarringofthosewhomhecharitablyaccommodatedunderhisroof。Hehassometimessufferedmetotalkjocularlyofhisgroupoffemales，andcallthemhisSeraglio。Hethusmentionsthem，togetherwithhonestLevett，inoneofhisletterstoMrs。
Thrale：’Williamshateseverybody；LevetthatesDesmoulins，anddoesnotloveWilliams；Desmoulinshatesthemboth；Poll*lovesnoneofthem。’**
*MissCarmichael。
**Ayearlaterhewrote：AtBolt-courtthereismuchmalignity，butoflatelittlehostility。’——ED。
In1779，Johnsongavetheworldaluminousproofthatthevigourofhismindinallitsfaculties，whethermemory，judgement，orimagination，wasnotintheleastabated；forthisyearcameoutthefirstfourvolumesofhisPrefaces，biographicalandcritical，tothemosteminentoftheEnglishPoets，publishedbythebooksellersofLondon。Theremainingvolumescameoutintheyear1780。ThePoetswereselectedbytheseveralbooksellerswhohadthehonorarycopyright，whichisstillpreservedamongthembymutualcompact，notwithstandingthedecisionoftheHouseofLordsagainsttheperpetuityofLiteraryProperty。Wehavehisownauthority，thatbyhisrecommendationthepoemsofBlackmore，Watts，Pomfret，andYalden，wereaddedtothecollection。
Onthe22ndofJanuary，Iwrotetohimonseveraltopicks，andmentionedthatashehadbeensogoodastopermitmetohavetheproofsheetsofhisLivesofthePoets，Ihadwrittentohisservant，Francis，totakecareofthemforme。
Onthe23rdofFebruaryIwrotetohimagain，complainingofhissilence，asIhadheardhewasill，andhadwrittentoMr。Thrale，forinformationconcerninghim；andIannouncedmyintentionofsoonbeingagaininLondon。
’TOJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，——Whyshouldyoutakesuchdelighttomakeabustle，towritetoMr。ThralethatIamnegligent，andtoFrancistodowhatissoveryunnecessary。Thrale，youmaybesure，carednotaboutit；andIshallspareFrancisthetrouble，byorderingasetbothoftheLivesandPoetstodearMrs。Boswell，*inacknowledgementofhermarmalade。Persuadehertoacceptthem，andacceptthemkindly。IfIthoughtshewouldreceivethemscornfully，IwouldsendthemtoMissBoswell，who，Ihope，hasyetnoneofhermamma’sill-willtome……
’Mrs。Thralewaitsinthecoach。Iam，dearSir，&c。，’March13，1779。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
*Hesentasetelegantlyboundandgilt，whichwasreceivedasaveryhandsomepresent——BOSWELL
ThislettercrossedmeontheroadtoLondon，whereIarrivedonMonday，March15，andnextmorningatalatehour，foundDr。
Johnsonsittingoverhistea，attendedbyMrs。Desmoulins，Mr。
Levett，andaclergyman，whohadcometosubmitsomepoeticalpiecestohisrevision。Itiswonderfulwhatanumberandvarietyofwriters，someofthemevenunknowntohim，prevailedonhisgood-naturetolookovertheirworks，andsuggestcorrectionsandimprovements。MyarrivalinterruptedforalittlewhiletheimportantbusinessofthistruerepresentativeofBayes；uponitsbeingresumed，Ifoundthatthesubjectunderimmediateconsiderationwasatanslation，yetinmanuscript，oftheCarmenSeculareofHorace，whichhadthisyearbeensettomusick，andperformedasapublickentertainmentinLondon，forthejointbenefitofmonsieurPhilidorandSignorBaretti。WhenJohnsonhaddonereading，theauthouraskedhimbluntly，’Ifuponthewholeitwasagoodtranslation？’Johnson，whoseregardfortruthwasuncommonlystrict，seemedtobepuzzledforamoment，whatanswertomake；ashecertainlycouldnothonestlycommendtheperformance：withexquisiteaddressheevadedthequestionthus，’Sir，Idonotsaythatitmaynotbemadeaverygoodtranslation。’Herenothingwhateverinfavouroftheperformancewasaffirmed，andyetthewriterwasnotshocked。AprintedOdetotheWarlikeGeniusofBritain，camenextinreview；thebardwasalankbonyfigure，withshortblackhair；hewaswrithinghimselfinagitation，whileJohnsonread，andshewinghisteethinagrinofearnestness，exclaimedinbrokensentences，andinakeensharptone，’Isthatpoetry，Sir？——IsitPindar？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，thereishereagreatdealofwhatiscalledpoetry。’Then，turningtome，thepoetcried，’Mymusehasnotbeenlonguponthetown，andpointingtotheOdeittremblesunderthehandofthegreatcritick。’Johnson，inatoneofdispleasure，askedhim，’WhydoyoupraiseAnson？’Ididnottroublehimbyaskinghisreasonforthisquestion。Heproceeded，’Hereisanerrour，Sir；youhavemadeGeniusfeminine。’’Palpable，Sir；criedtheenthusiast，I