Herecommendedtometokeepajournalofmylife，fullandunreserved。Hesaiditwouldbeaverygoodexercise，andwouldyieldmegreatsatisfactionwhentheparticularswerefadedfrommyremembrance。Iwasuncommonlyfortunateinhavinghadapreviouscoincidenceofopinionwithhimuponthissubject，forIhadkeptsuchajournalforsometime；anditwasnosmallpleasuretometohavethistotellhim，andtoreceivehisapprobation。Hecounselledmetokeepitprivate，andsaidImightsurelyhaveafriendwhowouldburnitincaseofmydeath。FromthishabitI
havebeenenabledtogivetheworldsomanyanecdotes，whichwouldotherwisehavebeenlosttoposterity。ImentionedthatIwasafraidIputintomyjournaltoomanylittleincidents。JOHNSON。
’Thereisnothing，Sir，toolittleforsolittleacreatureasman。
Itisbystudyinglittlethingsthatweattainthegreatartofhavingaslittlemiseryandasmuchhappinessaspossible。’
NextmorningMr。Dempsterhappenedtocallonme，andwassomuchstruckevenwiththeimperfectaccountwhichIgavehimofDr。
Johnson’sconversation，thattohishonourbeitrecorded，whenI
complainedthatdrinkingportandsittinguplatewithhimaffectedmynervesforsometimeafter，hesaid，’Onehadbetterbepalsiedateighteenthannotkeepcompanywithsuchaman。’
OnTuesday，July18，IfoundtallSirThomasRobinsonsittingwithJohnson。SirThomassaid，thatthekingofPrussiavaluedhimselfuponthreethings；——uponbeingahero，amusician，andanauthour。
JOHNSON。’Prettywell，Sir，foroneman。Astohisbeinganauthour，Ihavenotlookedathispoetry；buthisproseispoorstuff。HewritesjustasyoumightsupposeVoltaire’sfootboytodo，whohasbeenhisamanuensis。Hehassuchpartsasthevaletmighthave，andaboutasmuchofthecolouringofthestyleasmightbegotbytranscribinghisworks。’WhenIwasatFerney，I
repeatedthistoVoltaire，inordertoreconcilehimsomewhattoJohnson，whomhe，inaffectingtheEnglishmodeofexpression，hadpreviouslycharacterisedas’asuperstitiousdog；’butafterhearingsuchacriticismonFredericktheGreat，withwhomhewasthenonbadterms，heexclaimed，’Anhonestfellow!’
Mr。LevetthisdayshewedmeDr。Johnson’slibrary，whichwascontainedintwogarretsoverhisChambers，whereLintot，sonofthecelebratedbooksellerofthatname，hadformerlyhiswarehouse。
Ifoundanumberofgoodbooks，butverydustyandingreatconfusion。Thefloorwasstrewedwithmanuscriptleaves，inJohnson’sownhandwriting，whichIbeheldwithadegreeofveneration，supposingtheyperhapsmightcontainportionsofTheRamblerorofRasselas。Iobservedanapparatusforchymicalexperiments，ofwhichJohnsonwasallhislifeveryfond。Theplaceseemedtobeveryfavourableforretirementandmeditation。
Johnsontoldme，thathewentupthitherwithoutmentioningittohisservant，whenhewantedtostudy，securefrominterruption；forhewouldnotallowhisservanttosayhewasnotathomewhenhereallywas。’Aservant’sstrictregardfortruth，saidhemustbeweakenedbysuchapractice。Aphilosophermayknowthatitismerelyaformofdenial；butfewservantsaresuchnicedistinguishers。IfIaccustomaservanttotellalieforME，haveInotreasontoapprehendthathewilltellmanyliesforHIMSELF。’
Mr。Temple，nowvicarofSt。Gluvias，Cornwall，whohadbeenmyintimatefriendformanyyears，hadatthistimechambersinFarrar’s-buildings，atthebottomofInnerTemple-lane，whichhekindlylentmeuponmyquittingmylodgings，hebeingtoreturntoTrinityHall，Cambridge。Ifoundthemparticularlyconvenientforme，astheyweresonearDr。Johnson’s。
OnWednesday，July20，Dr。Johnson，Mr。Dempster，andmyuncleDr。
Boswell，whohappenedtobenowinLondon，suppedwithmeattheseChambers。JOHNSON。’Pityisnotnaturaltoman。Childrenarealwayscruel。Savagesarealwayscruel。Pityisacquiredandimprovedbythecultivationofreason。Wemayhaveuneasysensationsfromseeingacreatureindistress，withoutpity；forwehavenotpityunlesswewishtorelievethem。WhenIamonmywaytodinewithafriend，andfindingitlate，havebidthecoachmanmakehaste，ifIhappentoattendwhenhewhipshishorses，Imayfeelunpleasantlythattheanimalsareputtopain，butIdonotwishhimtodesist。No，Sir，Iwishhimtodriveon。’
Rousseau’streatiseontheinequalityofmankindwasatthistimeafashionabletopick。ItgaverisetoanobservationbyMr。
Dempster，thattheadvantagesoffortuneandrankwerenothingtoawiseman，whooughttovalueonlymerit。JOHNSON。’Ifmanwereasavage，livinginthewoodsbyhimself，thismightbetrue；butincivilizedsocietywealldependuponeachother，andourhappinessisverymuchowingtothegoodopinionofmankind。Now，Sir，incivilizedsociety，externaladvantagesmakeusmorerespected。A
manwithagoodcoatuponhisbackmeetswithabetterreceptionthanhewhohasabadone。Sir，youmayanalysethis，andsaywhatisthereinit？Butthatwillavailyounothing，foritisapartofageneralsystem。PoundSt。Paul’sChurchintoatoms，andconsideranysingleatom；itis，tobesure，goodfornothing：but，putalltheseatomstogether，andyouhaveSt。Paul’sChurch。Soitiswithhumanfelicity，whichismadeupofmanyingredients，eachofwhichmaybeshewntobeveryinsignificant。Incivilizedsociety，personalmeritwillnotserveyousomuchasmoneywill。
Sir，youmaymaketheexperiment。Gointothestreet，andgiveonemanalectureonmorality，andanotherashilling，andseewhichwillrespectyoumost。Ifyouwishonlytosupportnature，SirWilliamPettyfixesyourallowanceatthreepoundsayear；butastimesaremuchaltered，letuscallitsixpounds。Thissumwillfillyourbelly，shelteryoufromtheweather，andevengetyouastronglastingcoat，supposingittobemadeofgoodbull’shide。
Now，Sir，allbeyondthisisartificial，andisdesiredinordertoobtainagreaterdegreeofrespectfromourfellow-creatures。And，Sir，ifsixhundredpoundsayearprocureamanmoreconsequence，and，ofcourse，morehappinessthansixpoundsayear，thesameproportionwillholdastosixthousand，andsoonasfarasopulencecanbecarried。Perhapshewhohasalargefortunemaynotbesohappyashewhohasasmallone；butthatmustproceedfromothercausesthanfromhishavingthelargefortune：for，coeterisparibus，hewhoisrichinacivilizedsociety，mustbehappierthanhewhoispoor；asriches，ifproperlyused，anditisaman’sownfaultiftheyarenot，mustbeproductiveofthehighestadvantages。Money，tobesure，ofitselfisofnouse；foritsonlyuseistopartwithit。Rousseau，andallthosewhodealinparadoxes，areledawaybyachildishdesireofnovelty。WhenI
wasaboy，Iusedalwaystochoosethewrongsideofadebate，becausemostingeniousthings，thatistosay，mostnewthings，couldbesaiduponit。Sir，thereisnothingforwhichyoumaynotmusterupmoreplausiblearguments，thanthosewhichareurgedagainstwealthandotherexternaladvantages。Why，now，thereisstealing；whyshoulditbethoughtacrime？Whenweconsiderbywhatunjustmethodspropertyhasbeenoftenacquired，andthatwhatwasunjustlygotitmustbeunjusttokeep，whereistheharminoneman’stakingthepropertyofanotherfromhim？Besides，Sir，whenweconsiderthebadusethatmanypeoplemakeoftheirproperty，andhowmuchbetterusethethiefmaymakeofit，itmaybedefendedasaveryallowablepractice。Yet，Sir，theexperienceofmankindhasdiscoveredstealingtobesoverybadathing，thattheymakenoscrupletohangamanforit。WhenIwasrunningaboutthistownaverypoorfellow，Iwasagreatarguerfortheadvantagesofpoverty；butIwas，atthesametime，verysorrytobepoor。Sir，alltheargumentswhicharebroughttorepresentpovertyasnoevil，shewittobeevidentlyagreatevil。Youneverfindpeoplelabouringtoconvinceyouthatyoumayliveveryhappilyuponaplentifulfortune——SoyouhearpeopletalkinghowmiserableaKingmustbe；andyettheyallwishtobeinhisplace。’
ItwassuggestedthatKingsmustbeunhappy，becausetheyaredeprivedofthegreatestofallsatisfactions，easyandunreservedsociety。JOHNSON。’Thatisanill-foundednotion。BeingaKingdoesnotexcludeamanfromsuchsociety。GreatKingshavealwaysbeensocial。TheKingofPrussia，theonlygreatKingatpresent，isverysocial。CharlestheSecond，thelastKingofEnglandwhowasamanofparts，wassocial；andourHenrysandEdwardswereallsocial。’
Mr。DempsterhavingendeavouredtomaintainthatintrinsickmeritOUGHTtomaketheonlydistinctionamongstmankind。JOHNSON。
’Why，Sir，mankindhavefoundthatthiscannotbe。Howshallwedeterminetheproportionofintrinsickmerit？Werethattobetheonlydistinctionamongstmankind，weshouldsoonquarrelaboutthedegreesofit。Werealldistinctionsabolished，thestrongestwouldnotlongacquiesce，butwouldendeavourtoobtainasuperioritybytheirbodilystrength。But，Sir，assubordinationisverynecessaryforsociety，andcontentionsforsuperiorityverydangerous，mankind，thatistosay，allcivilizednations，havesettledituponaplaininvariableprinciple。Amanisborntohereditaryrank；orhisbeingappointedtocertainoffices，giveshimacertainrank。Subordinationtendsgreatlytohumanhappiness。Werewealluponanequality，weshouldhavenootherenjoymentthanmereanimalpleasure。’
Hetookcaretoguardhimselfagainstanypossiblesuspicionthathissettledprinciplesofreverenceforrankandrespectforwealthwereatallowingtomeanorinterestedmotives；forheassertedhisownindependenceasaliteraryman。’Nomansaidhewhoeverlivedbyliterature，haslivedmoreindependentlythanIhavedone。’HesaidhehadtakenlongertimethanheneededtohavedoneincomposinghisDictionary。Hereceivedourcomplimentsuponthatgreatworkwithcomplacency，andtoldusthattheAcademiadellaCruscacouldscarcelybelievethatitwasdonebyoneman。
Atnight*Mr。JohnsonandIsuppedinaprivateroomattheTurk’sHeadcoffee-house，intheStrand。’Iencouragethishousesaidhe；forthemistressofitisagoodcivilwoman，andhasnotmuchbusiness。’
*July21。
’Sir，Ilovetheacquaintanceofyoungpeople；because，inthefirstplace，Idon’tliketothinkmyselfgrowingold。Inthenextplace，youngacquaintancesmustlastlongest，iftheydolast；andthen，Sir，youngmenhavemorevirtuethanoldmen：theyhavemoregeneroussentimentsineveryrespect。Ilovetheyoungdogsofthisage：theyhavemorewitandhumourandknowledgeoflifethanwehad；butthenthedogsarenotsogoodscholars。Sir，inmyearlyyearsIreadveryhard。Itisasadreflection，butatrueone，thatIknewalmostasmuchateighteenasIdonow。Myjudgement，tobesure，wasnotsogood；butIhadallthefacts。I
rememberverywell，whenIwasatOxford，anoldgentlemansaidtome，“Youngman，plyyourbookdiligentlynow，andacquireastockofknowledge；forwhenyearscomeuponyou，youwillfindthatporinguponbookswillbebutanirksometask。“’
Heagaininsistedonthedutyofmaintainingsubordinationofrank。
’Sir，Iwouldnomoredepriveanoblemanofhisrespect，thanofhismoney。Iconsidermyselfasactingapartinthegreatsystemofsociety，andIdotoothersasIwouldhavethemtodotome。I