WhiletheworldingeneralwasfilledwithadmirationofJohnson’sLivesofthePoets，therewerenarrowcirclesinwhichprejudiceandresentmentwerefostered，andfromwhichattacksofdifferentsortsissuedagainsthim。BysomeviolentWhigshewasarraignedofinjusticetoMilton；bysomeCambridgemenofdepreciatingGray；
andhisexpressingwithadignifiedfreedomwhathereallythoughtofGeorge，LordLyttelton，gaveoffencetosomeofthefriendsofthatnobleman，andparticularlyproducedadeclarationofwaragainsthimfromMrs。Montagu，theingeniousEssayistonShakspeare，betweenwhomandhisLordshipacommerceofreciprocalcomplimentshadlongbeencarriedon。Inthiswarthesmallerpowersinalliancewithhimwereofcourseledtoengage，atleastonthedefensive，andthusIforonewasexcludedfromtheenjoymentof’AFeastofReason，’suchasMr。Cumberlandhasdescribed，withakeen，yetjustanddelicatepen，inhisObserver。
TheseminuteinconveniencesgavenottheleastdisturbancetoJohnson。Henoblysaid，whenItalkedtohimofthefeeble，thoughshrilloutcrywhichhadbeenraised，’Sir，Iconsideredmyselfasentrustedwithacertainportionoftruth。Ihavegivenmyopinionsincerely；letthemshewwheretheythinkmewrong。’
IwrotetohiminFebruary，complainingofhavingbeentroubledbyarecurrenceoftheperplexingquestionofLibertyandNecessity；——
andmentioningthatIhopedsoontomeethimagaininLondon。
’TOJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，——Ihopedyouhadgotridofallthishypocrisyofmisery。WhathaveyoutodowithLibertyandNecessity？Orwhatmorethantoholdyourtongueaboutit？DonotdoubtbutIshallbemostheartilygladtoseeyouhereagain，forIloveeverypartaboutyoubutyouraffectationofdistress。
’IhaveatlastfinishedmyLives，andhavelaidupforyoualoadofcopy，alloutoforder，sothatitwillamuseyoualongtimetosetitright。Cometome，mydearBozzy，andletusbeashappyaswecan。WewillgoagaintotheMitre，andtalkoldtimesover。I
am，dearSir，yoursaffectionately，’March14，1781。’
’SAM。JOHNSON。’
OnMonday，March19，IarrivedinLondon，andonTuesday，the20th，methiminFleet-street，walking，orratherindeedmovingalong；
forhispeculiarmarchisthusdescribedinaveryjustandpicturesquemanner，inashortLifeofhimpublishedverysoonafterhisdeath：——’Whenhewalkedthestreets，whatwiththeconstantrollofhishead，andtheconcomitantmotionofhisbody，heappearedtomakehiswaybythatmotion，independentofhisfeet。’Thathewasoftenmuchstaredatwhileheadvancedinthismanner，mayeasilybebelieved；butitwasnotsafetomakesportofonesorobustashewas。Mr。Langtonsawhimoneday，inafitofabsence，byasuddenstart，drivetheloadoffaporter’sback，andwalkforwardbriskly，withoutbeingconsciousofwhathehaddone。Theporterwasveryangry，butstoodstill，andeyedthehugefigurewithmuchearnestness，tillhewassatisfiedthathiswisestcoursewastobequiet，andtakeuphisburthenagain。
Ouraccidentalmeetinginthestreetafteralongseparationwasapleasingsurprizetousboth。HesteppedasidewithmeintoFalcon-court，andmadekindinquiriesaboutmyfamily，andaswewereinahurrygoingdifferentways，Ipromisedtocallonhimnextday；hesaidhewasengagedtogooutinthemorning。’Early，Sir？’saidI。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，aLondonmorningdoesnotgowiththesun。’
Iwaitedonhimnextevening，andhegavemeagreatportionofhisoriginalmanuscriptofhisLivesofthePoets，whichhehadpreservedforme。
Ifoundonvisitinghisfriend，Mr。Thrale，thathewasnowveryill，andhadremoved，IsupposebythesolicitationofMrs。Thrale，toahouseinGrosvenor-square。Iwassorrytoseehimsadlychangedinhisappearance。
HetoldmeImightnowhavethepleasuretoseeDr。Johnsondrinkwineagain，forhehadlatelyreturnedtoit。WhenImentionedthistoJohnson，hesaid，’Idrinkitnowsometimes，butnotsocially。’ThefirsteveningthatIwaswithhimatThrale’s，I
observedhepouredalargequantityofitintoaglass，andswalloweditgreedily。Everythingabouthischaracterandmannerswasforcibleandviolent；thereneverwasanymoderation；manyadaydidhefast，manyayeardidherefrainfromwine；butwhenhedideat，itwasvoraciously；whenhediddrinkwine，itwascopiously。Hecouldpractiseabstinence，butnottemperance。
Mrs。ThraleandIhadadispute，whetherShakspeareorMiltonhaddrawnthemostadmirablepictureofaman。*IwasforShakspeare；
Mrs。ThraleforMilton；andafterafairhearing，Johnsondecidedformyopinion。
*Thepassagesconsidered，accordingtoBoswell’snote，weretheportraitofHamlet’sfatherHam。3。4。55-62，andtheportraitofAdamP。L。4。300-303——ED。
ItoldhimofoneofMr。Burke’splayfulsalliesuponDeanMarlay：
’Idon’tliketheDeaneryofFerns，itsoundssolikeaBARREN
title。’——’Dr。HEATHshouldhaveit；’saidI。Johnsonlaughed，andcondescendingtotrifleinthesamemodeofconceit，suggestedDr。
MOSS。
Hesaid，’Mrs。Montaguhasdroptme。Now，Sir，therearepeoplewhomoneshouldlikeverywelltodrop，butwouldnotwishtobedroppedby。’Hecertainlywasvainofthesocietyofladies，andcouldmakehimselfveryagreeabletothem，whenhechoseit；SirJoshuaReynoldsagreedwithmethathecould。Mr。Gibbon，withhisusualsneer，controvertedit，perhapsinresentmentofJohnson’shavingtalkedwithsomedisgustofhisugliness，whichonewouldthinkaPHILOSOPHERwouldnotmind。DeanMarlaywittilyobserved，’Aladymaybevain，whenshecanturnawolf-dogintoalap-dog。’
HisnotionofthedutyofamemberofParliament，sittinguponanelection-committee，wasveryhigh；andwhenhewastoldofagentlemanupononeofthosecommittees，whoreadthenewspaperspartofthetime，andslepttherest，whilethemeritsofavotewereexaminedbythecounsel；andasanexcuse，whenchallengedbythechairmanforsuchbehaviour，bluntlyanswered，’Ihadmadeupmyminduponthatcase。’——Johnson，withanindignantcontempt，said，’Ifhewassucharogueastomakeuphisminduponacasewithouthearingit，heshouldnothavebeensuchafoolastotellit。’’IthinksaidMr。DudleyLong，nowNorth，theDoctorhasprettyplainlymadehimouttobebothrogueandfool。’
Johnson’sprofoundreverencefortheHierarchymadehimexpectfrombishopsthehighestdegreeofdecorum；hewasoffendedevenattheirgoingtotaverns；’Abishopsaidhe，hasnothingtodoatatippling-house。Itisnotindeedimmoralinhimtogotoatavern；
neitherwoulditbeimmoralinhimtowhipatopinGrosvenor-
square。But，ifhedid，Ihopetheboyswouldfalluponhim，andapplythewhiptoHIM。Therearegradationsinconduct；thereismorality，——decency，——propriety。Noneoftheseshouldbeviolatedbyabishop。Abishopshouldnotgotoahousewherehemaymeetayoungfellowleadingoutawench。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，everytaverndoesnotadmitwomen。’JOHNSON。’Dependuponit，Sir，anytavernwilladmitawell-drestmanandawell-drestwoman；theywillnotperhapsadmitawomanwhomtheyseeeverynightwalkingbytheirdoor，inthestreet。Butawell-drestmanmayleadinawell-drestwomantoanytaverninLondon。Tavernssellmeatanddrink，andwillsellthemtoanybodywhocaneatandcandrink。
Youmayaswellsaythatamercerwillnotsellsilkstoawomanofthetown。’
Healsodisapprovedofbishopsgoingtorouts，atleastoftheirstayingatthemlongerthantheirpresencecommandedrespect。Hementionedaparticularbishop。’Poh!saidMrs。Thrale，theBishopof——isnevermindedatarout。’BOSWELL。’Whenabishopplaceshimselfinasituationwherehehasnodistinctcharacter，andisofnoconsequence，hedegradesthedignityofhisorder。’JOHNSON。’Mr。Boswell，Madamhassaiditascorrectlyasitcouldbe。’
Johnsonandhisfriend，Beauclerk，wereoncetogetherincompanywithseveralclergymen，whothoughtthattheyshouldappeartoadvantage，byassumingthelaxjollityofmenoftheworld；which，asitmaybeobservedinsimilarcases，theycarriedtonoisyexcess。Johnson，whotheyexpectedwouldbeENTERTAINED，satgraveandsilentforsometime；atlast，turningtoBeauclerk，hesaid，bynomeansinawhisper，’Thismerrimentofparsonsismightyoffensive。’
OnFriday，March30，IdinedwithhimatSirJoshuaReynolds’s，withtheEarlofCharlemont，SirAnnesleyStewart，Mr。EliotofPort-Eliot，Mr。Burke，DeanMarlay，Mr。Langton；amostagreeableday，ofwhichIregretthateverycircumstanceisnotpreserved；
butitisunreasonabletorequiresuchamultiplicationoffelicity。
Mr。Eliotmentionedacuriousliquorpeculiartohiscountry，whichtheCornishfishermendrink。TheycallitMahogany；anditismadeoftwopartsgin，andoneparttreacle，wellbeatentogether。I
beggedtohavesomeofitmade，whichwasdonewithproperskillbyMr。Eliot。Ithoughtitverygoodliquor；andsaiditwasacounterpartofwhatiscalledAtholPorridgeintheHighlandsofScotland，whichisamixtureofwhiskyandhoney。Johnsonsaid，’thatmustbeabetterliquorthantheCornish，forbothitscomponentpartsarebetter。’Healsoobserved，’Mahoganymustbeamodernname；foritisnotlongsincethewoodcalledmahoganywasknowninthiscountry。’Imentionedhisscaleofliquors；——claretforboys，——portformen，——brandyforheroes。’ThensaidMr。
Burke，letmehaveclaret：Ilovetobeaboy；tohavethecarelessgaietyofboyishdays。’JOHNSON。’Ishoulddrinkclarettoo，ifitwouldgivemethat；butitdoesnot：itneithermakesboysmen，normenboys。You’llbedrownedbyit，beforeithasanyeffectuponyou。’
Iventuredtomentionaludicrousparagraphinthenewspapers，thatDr。JohnsonwaslearningtodanceofVestris。LordCharlemont，wishingtoexcitehimtotalk，proposedinawhisper，thatheshouldbeasked，whetheritwastrue。’ShallIaskhim？’saidhisLordship。Wewere，byagreatmajority，clearfortheexperiment。
UponwhichhisLordshipverygravely，andwithacourteousairsaid，’Pray，Sir，isittruethatyouaretakinglessonsofVestris？’Thiswasriskingagooddeal，andrequiredtheboldnessofaGeneralofIrishVolunteerstomaketheattempt。Johnsonwasatfirststartled，andinsomeheatanswered，’HowcanyourLordshipasksosimpleaquestion？’Butimmediatelyrecoveringhimself，whetherfromunwillingnesstobedeceived，ortoappeardeceived，orwhetherfromrealgoodhumour，hekeptupthejoke：
’Nay，butifanybodyweretoanswertheparagraph，andcontradictit，I’dhaveareply，andwouldsay，thathewhocontradicteditwasnofriendeithertoVestrisorme。ForwhyshouldnotDr。
Johnsonaddtohisotherpowersalittlecorporealagility？
Socrateslearnttodanceatanadvancedage，andCatolearntGreekatanadvancedage。Thenitmightproceedtosay，thatthisJohnson，notcontentwithdancingontheground，mightdanceontherope；andtheymightintroducetheelephantdancingontherope。’
OnSunday，April1，IdinedwithhimatMr。Thrale’s，withSirPhilipJenningsClerkandMr。Perkins，whohadthesuperintendenceofMr。Thrale’sbrewery，withasalaryoffivehundredpoundsayear。SirPhiliphadtheappearanceofagentlemanofancientfamily，welladvancedinlife。Heworehisownwhitehairinabagofgoodlysize，ablackvelvetcoat，withanembroideredwaistcoat，andveryrichlacedruffles；whichMrs。Thralesaidwereoldfashioned，butwhich，forthatreason，Ithoughtthemorerespectable，morelikeaTory；yetSirPhilipwastheninOppositioninParliament。’Ah，Sir，saidJohnson，ancientrufflesandmodernprinciplesdonotagree。’SirPhilipdefendedtheOppositiontotheAmericanwarablyandwithtemper，andI
joinedhim。Hesaid，themajorityofthenationwasagainsttheministry。JOHNSON。’I，Sir，amagainsttheministry；butitisforhavingtoolittleofthat，ofwhichOppositionthinkstheyhavetoomuch。WereIminister，ifanymanwaggedhisfingeragainstme，heshouldbeturnedout；forthatwhichitisinthepowerofGovernmenttogiveatpleasuretooneortoanother，shouldbegiventothesupportersofGovernment。Ifyouwillnotopposeattheexpenceoflosingyourplace，youroppositionwillnotbehonest，youwillfeelnoseriousgrievance；andthepresentoppositionisonlyacontesttogetwhatothershave。SirRobertWalpoleactedasIwoulddo。AstotheAmericanwar，theSENSEofthenationisWITHtheministry。ThemajorityofthosewhocanUNDERSTANDiswithit；themajorityofthosewhocanonlyHEAR，isagainstit；andasthosewhocanonlyheararemorenumerousthanthosewhocanunderstand，andOppositionisalwaysloudest，amajorityoftherabblewillbeforOpposition。’