Nomanlovestobetreatedwithcontempt。’BEAUCLERK。withapoliteinclinationtowardsJohnson，’Sir，youhaveknownmetwentyyears，andhoweverImayhavetreatedothers，youmaybesureI
couldnevertreatyouwithcontempt。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavesaidmorethanwasnecessary。’Thusitended；andBeauclerk’scoachnothavingcomeforhimtillverylate，Dr。Johnsonandanothergentlemansatwithhimalongtimeaftertherestofthecompanyweregone；andheandIdinedatBeauclerk’sontheSaturdayse’nnightfollowing。
Afterthistempesthadsubsided，Irecollectthefollowingparticularsofhisconversation：——
’Iamalwaysforgettingaboyforwardinhislearning；forthatisasuregood。IwouldlethimatfirstreadANYEnglishbookwhichhappenstoengagehisattention；becauseyouhavedoneagreatdealwhenyouhavebroughthimtohaveentertainmentfromabook。He’llgetbetterbooksafterwards。’
’Tobecontradicted，inordertoforceyoutotalk，ismightyunpleasing。YouSHINE，indeed；butitisbybeingGROUND。’
OnSaturday，April24，IdinedwithhimatMr。Beauclerk’s，withSirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。Jones，afterwardsSirWilliam，Mr。
Langton，Mr。Steevens，Mr。Paradise，andDr。Higgins。ImentionedthatMr。WilkeshadattackedGarricktome，asamanwhohadnofriend。’Ibelieveheisright，Sir。[Greektextomitted]——Hehadfriends，butnofriend。Garrickwassodiffused，hehadnomantowhomhewishedtounbosomhimself。Hefoundpeoplealwaysreadytoapplaudhim，andthatalwaysforthesamething：sohesawlifewithgreatuniformity。’Itookuponme，foronce，tofightwithGoliath’sweapons，andplaythesophist——Garrickdidnotneedafriend，ashegotfromeverybodyallhewanted。Whatisafriend？
Onewhosupportsyouandcomfortsyou，whileothersdonot。
Friendship，youknow，Sir，isthecordialdrop，“tomakethenauseousdraughtoflifegodown：“butifthedraughtbenotnauseous，ifitbeallsweet，thereisnooccasionforthatdrop。’
JOHNSON。’Manymenwouldnotbecontenttoliveso。IhopeI
shouldnot。Theywouldwishtohaveanintimatefriend，withwhomtheymightcompareminds，andcherishprivatevirtues。OneofthecompanymentionedLordChesterfield，asamanwhohadnofriend。
JOHNSON。’ThereweremorematerialstomakefriendshipinGarrick，hadhenotbeensodiffused。’BOSWELL。’Garrickwaspuregold，butbeatouttothinleaf。LordChesterfieldwastinsel。’
JOHNSON。’Garrickwasaverygoodman，thecheerfullestmanofhisage；adecentliverinaprofessionwhichissupposedtogiveindulgencetolicentiousness；andamanwhogaveaway，freely，moneyacquiredbyhimself。Hebegantheworldwithagreathungerformoney；thesonofahalf-payofficer，bredinafamily，whosestudywastomakefour-pencedoasmuchasothersmadefour-pencehalfpennydo。But，whenhehadgotmoney，hewasveryliberal。’I
presumedtoanimadvertonhiseulogyonGarrick，inhisLivesofthePoets。’Yousay，Sir，hisdeatheclipsedthegaietyofnations。’JOHNSON。’Icouldnothavesaidmorenorless。Itisthetruth；ECLIPSED，notEXTINGUISHED；andhisdeathDIDeclipse；
itwaslikeastorm。’BOSWELL。’Butwhynations？Didhisgaietyextendfartherthanhisownnation？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，someexaggerationmustbeallowed。Besides，nationsmaybesaid——ifweallowtheScotchtobeanation，andtohavegaiety，——whichtheyhavenot。YOUareanexception，though。Come，gentlemen，letuscandidlyadmitthatthereisoneScotchmanwhoischeerful。’
BEAUCLERK。’ButheisaveryunnaturalScotchman。’I，however，continuedtothinkthecomplimenttoGarrickhyperbolicallyuntrue。
Hisactinghadceasedsometimebeforehisdeath；atanyratehehadactedinIrelandbutashorttime，atanearlyperiodofhislife，andneverinScotland。Iobjectedalsotowhatappearsananticlimaxofpraise，whencontrastedwiththeprecedingpanegyrick，——’anddiminishedthepublicstockofharmlesspleasure!’——’IsnotHARMLESSPLEASUREverytame？’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，harmlesspleasureisthehighestpraise。Pleasureisawordofdubiousimport；pleasureisingeneraldangerous，andpernicioustovirtue；tobeablethereforetofurnishpleasurethatisharmless，pleasurepureandunalloyed，isasgreatapowerasmancanpossess。’Thiswas，perhaps，asingeniousadefenceascouldbemade；still，however，Iwasnotsatisfied。
Talkingofcelebratedandsuccessfulirregularpractisersinphysick；hesaid，’TaylorwasthemostignorantmanIeverknew；
butsprightly。Wardthedullest。TaylorchallengedmeoncetotalkLatinwithhim；laughing。IquotedsomeofHorace，whichhetooktobeapartofmyownspeech。Hesaidafewwordswellenough。’BEAUCLERK。’Iremember，Sir，yousaidthatTaylorwasaninstancehowfarimpudencecouldcarryignorance。’Mr。Beauclerkwasveryentertainingthisday，andtoldusanumberofshortstoriesinalivelyelegantmanner，andwiththatairofTHEWORLD
whichhasIknownotwhatimpressiveeffect，asifthereweresomethingmorethanisexpressed，orthanperhapswecouldperfectlyunderstand。AsJohnsonandIaccompaniedSirJoshuaReynoldsinhiscoach，Johnsonsaid，’ThereisinBeauclerkapredominanceoverhiscompany，thatonedoesnotlike。Butheisamanwhohaslivedsomuchintheworld，thathehasashortstoryoneveryoccasion；heisalwaysreadytotalk，andisneverexhausted。’
Soonafterthistimealittleincidentoccurred，whichIwillnotsuppress，becauseIamdesirousthatmyworkshouldbe，asmuchasisconsistentwiththestrictesttruth，anantidotetothefalseandinjuriousnotionsofhischaracter，whichhavebeengivenbyothers，andthereforeIinfuseeverydropofgenuinesweetnessintomybiographicalcup。
’TODR。JOHNSON。
’MYDEARSIR，——Iamingreatpainwithaninflamedfoot，andobligedtokeepmybed，soampreventedfromhavingthepleasuretodineatMr。Ramsay’sto-day，whichisveryhard；andmyspiritsaresadlysunk。Willyoubesofriendlyastocomeandsitanhourwithmeintheevening。Iameveryourmostfaithful，andaffectionatehumbleservant，’SouthAudley-street，Monday，April26。’
’JAMESBOSWELL。’
’TOMR。BOSWELL。
’Mr。JohnsonlamentstheabsenceofMr。Boswell，andwillcometohim——Harley-street。’
Hecametomeintheevening，andbroughtSirJoshuaReynolds。I
needscarcelysay，thattheirconversation，whiletheysatebymybedside，wasthemostpleasingopiatetopainthatcouldhavebeenadministered。
JohnsonbeingnowbetterdisposedtoobtaininformationconcerningPopethanhewaslastyear，sentbymetomyLordMarchmontapresentofthosevolumesofhisLivesofthePoetswhichwereatthistimepublished，witharequesttohavepermissiontowaitonhim；andhisLordship，whohadcalledonhimtwice，obliginglyappointedSaturday，thefirstofMay，forreceivingus。
OnthatmorningJohnsoncametomefromStreatham，andafterdrinkingchocolateatGeneralPaoli’s，inSouth-Audley-street，weproceededtoLordMarchmont’sinCurzon-street。HisLordshipmetusatthedoorofhislibrary，andwithgreatpolitenesssaidtoJohnson，’IamnotgoingtomakeanencomiumuponMYSELF，bytellingyouthehighrespectIhaveforYOU，Sir。’Johnsonwasexceedinglycourteous；andtheinterview，whichlastedabouttwohours，duringwhichtheEarlcommunicatedhisanecdotesofPope，wasasagreeableasIcouldhavewished。Whenwecameout，IsaidtoJohnson，thatconsideringhisLordship’scivility，Ishouldhavebeenvexedifhehadagainfailedtocome。’Sir，saidhe，I
wouldratherhavegiventwentypoundsthannothavecome。’I
accompaniedhimtoStreatham，wherewedined，andreturnedtotownintheevening。
Hehad，beforeIleftLondon，resumedtheconversationconcerningtheappearanceofaghostatNewcastleuponTyne，whichMr。JohnWesleybelieved，buttowhichJohnsondidnotgivecredit。Iwas，however，desiroustoexaminethequestionclosely，andatthesametimewishedtobemadeacquaintedwithMr。JohnWesley；forthoughIdifferedfromhiminsomepoints，Iadmiredhisvarioustalents，andlovedhispiouszeal。Atmyrequest，therefore，Dr。Johnsongavemealetterofintroductiontohim。
’TOTHEREVERENDMR。JOHNWESLEY。
’SIR，——Mr。Boswell，agentlemanwhohasbeenlongknowntome，isdesirousofbeingknowntoyou，andhasaskedthisrecommendation，whichIgivehimwithgreatwillingness，becauseIthinkitverymuchtobewishedthatworthyandreligiousmenshouldbeacquaintedwitheachother。Iam，Sir，yourmosthumbleservant，’May3，1779。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
Mr。WesleybeinginthecourseofhisministryatEdinburgh，I
presentedthislettertohim，andwasverypolitelyreceived。I
beggedtohaveitreturnedtome，whichwasaccordinglydone。Hisstateoftheevidenceastotheghostdidnotsatisfyme。
MyreaderswillnotbedispleasedatbeingtoldeveryslightcircumstanceofthemannerinwhichDr。Johnsoncontrivedtoamusehissolitaryhours。Hesometimesemployedhimselfinchymistry，sometimesinwateringandpruningavine，sometimesinsmallexperiments，atwhichthosewhomaysmile，shouldrecollectthattherearemomentswhichadmitofbeingsoothedonlybytrifles。*
*InoneofhismanuscriptDiaries，thereisthefollowingentry，whichmarkshiscuriousminuteattention：’July26，1768。Ishavedmynailbyaccidentinwhettingtheknife，aboutaneighthofaninchfromthebottom，andaboutafourthfromthetop。ThisI
measurethatImayknowthegrowthofnails；thewholeisaboutfiveeighthsofaninch。’
Anotherofthesamekindappears，’Aug。7，1779，Partembrachiidextricarpoproximumetcutempectoriscircamamillamdextramrasi，utnotumfieretquantotemporispilirenovarentur。’
And，’Aug。15，1773。Icutfromthevine41leaves，whichweighedfiveoz。andahalf，andeightscruples：——Ilaythemuponmybookcase，toseewhatweighttheywilllosebydrying。’——BOSWELL。
MyfriendColonelJamesStuart，secondsonoftheEarlofBute，whohaddistinguishedhimselfasagoodofficeroftheBedfordshiremilitia，hadtakenapublick-spiritedresolutiontoservehiscountryinitsdifficulties，byraisingaregularregiment，andtakingthecommandofithimself。This，intheheiroftheimmensepropertyofWortley，washighlyhonourable。HavingbeeninScotlandrecruiting，heobliginglyaskedmetoaccompanyhimtoLeeds，thenthehead-quartersofhiscorps；fromthencetoLondonforashorttime，andafterwardstootherplacestowhichtheregimentmightbeordered。Suchanoffer，atatimeoftheyearwhenIhadfullleisure，wasverypleasing；especiallyasIwastoaccompanyamanofsterlinggoodsense，information，discernment，andconviviality；andwastohaveasecondcropinoneyearofLondonandJohnson。OfthisIinformedmyillustriousfriend，incharacteristicalwarmterms，inaletterdatedthe30thofSeptember，fromLeeds。
OnMonday，October4，Icalledathishousebeforehewasup。Hesentformetohisbedside，andexpressedhissatisfactionatthisincidentalmeeting，withasmuchvivacityasifhehadbeeninthegaietyofyouth。Hecalledbriskly，’Frank，goandgetcoffee，andletusbreakfastINSPLENDOUR。’
OnSunday，October10，wedinedtogetheratMr。Strahan’s。TheconversationhavingturnedontheprevailingpracticeofgoingtotheEast-Indiesinquestofwealth；——JOHNSON。’AmanhadbetterhavetenthousandpoundsattheendoftenyearspassedinEngland，thantwentythousandpoundsattheendoftenyearspassedinIndia，becauseyoumustcomputewhatyouGIVEformoney；andamanwhohaslivedtenyearsinIndia，hasgivenuptenyearsofsocialcomfortandallthoseadvantageswhicharisefromlivinginEngland。TheingeniousMr。Brown，distinguishedbythenameofCapabilityBrown，toldme，thathewasonceattheseatofLordClive，whohadreturnedfromIndiawithgreatwealth；andthatheshewedhimatthedoorofhisbed-chamberalargechest，whichhesaidhehadoncehadfullofgold；uponwhichBrownobserved，“Iamgladyoucanbearitsonearyourbed-chamber。“’