But，indeed，consideringtheslovenlyandcarelessmannerinwhichbooksweretreatedbyJohnson，itcouldnotbeexpectedthatscarceandvaluableeditionsshouldhavebeenlenttohim。
Agentleman*havingtosomeoftheusualargumentsfordrinkingaddedthis：’Youknow，Sir，drinkingdrivesawaycare，andmakesusforgetwhateverisdisagreeable。Wouldnotyouallowamantodrinkforthatreason？’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，ifhesatnextYOU。’
*ThegentlemanmostlikelyisBoswell——HILL。
Alearnedgentlemanwhointhecourseofconversationwishedtoinformusofthissimplefact，thattheCounseluponthecircuitatShrewsburyweremuchbittenbyfleas，took，Isuppose，sevenoreightminutesinrelatingitcircumstantially。Heinaplenitudeofphrasetoldus，thatlargebalesofwoollenclothwerelodgedinthetown-hall；——thatbyreasonofthis，fleasnestledthereinprodigiousnumbers；thatthelodgingsofthecounselwereneartothetown-hall；——andthatthoselittleanimalsmovedfromplacetoplacewithwonderfulagility。Johnsonsatingreatimpatiencetillthegentlemanhadfinishedhistediousnarrative，andthenburstoutplayfullyhowever，’Itisapity，Sir，thatyouhavenotseenalion；forafleahastakenyousuchatime，thatalionmusthaveservedyouatwelvemonth。’
HewouldnotallowScotlandtoderiveanycreditfromLordMansfield；forhewaseducatedinEngland。’Muchsaidhe，maybemadeofaScotchman，ifhebeCAUGHTyoung。’
Hesaid，’Iamveryunwillingtoreadthemanuscriptsofauthours，andgivethemmyopinion。Iftheauthourswhoapplytomehavemoney，Ibidthemboldlyprintwithoutaname；iftheyhavewritteninordertogetmoney，Itellthemtogotothebooksellers，andmakethebestbargaintheycan。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，ifabooksellershouldbringyouamanuscripttolookat？’JOHNSON。
’Why，Sir，Iwoulddesirethebooksellertotakeitaway。’
ImentionedafriendofminewhohadresidedlonginSpain，andwasunwillingtoreturntoBritain。JOHNSON。’Sir，heisattachedtosomewoman。’BOSWELL。’Iratherbelieve，Sir，itisthefineclimatewhichkeepshimthere。’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，howcanyoutalkso？WhatisCLIMATEtohappiness？PlacemeintheheartofAsia，shouldInotbeexiled？Whatproportiondoesclimatebeartothecomplexsystemofhumanlife？YoumayadvisemetogotoliveatBolognatoeatsausages。Thesausagestherearethebestintheworld；theylosemuchbybeingcarried。’
OnSaturday，May9，Mr。DempsterandIhadagreedtodinebyourselvesattheBritishCoffee-house。Johnson，onwhomIhappenedtocallinthemorning，saidhewouldjoinus，whichhedid，andwespentaveryagreeableday，thoughIrecollectbutlittleofwhatpassed。
Hesaid，’WalpolewasaministergivenbytheKingtothepeople：
PittwasaministergivenbythepeopletotheKing，——asanadjunct。’
’ThemisfortuneofGoldsmithinconversationisthis：hegoesonwithoutknowinghowheistogetoff。Hisgeniusisgreat，buthisknowledgeissmall。Astheysayofagenerousman，itisapityheisnotrich，wemaysayofGoldsmith，itisapityheisnotknowing。Hewouldnotkeephisknowledgetohimself。’
1773：AETAT。64。]——In1773hisonlypublicationwasaneditionofhisfolioDictionary，withadditionsandcorrections；nordidhe，sofarasisknown，furnishanyproductionsofhisfertilepentoanyofhisnumerousfriendsordependants，exceptthePrefacetohisoldamanuensisMacbean’sDictionaryofAncientGeography。
’TOJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
’DEARSIR，……AneweditionofmygreatDictionaryisprinted，fromacopywhichIwaspersuadedtorevise；buthavingmadenopreparation，Iwasabletodoverylittle。SomesuperfluitiesI
haveexpunged，andsomefaultsIhavecorrected，andhereandtherehavescatteredaremark；butthemainfabrickoftheworkremainsasitwas。IhadlookedverylittleintoitsinceIwroteit，and，Ithink，Ifounditfullasoftenbetter，asworse，thanI
expected。
’BarettiandDavieshavehadafuriousquarrel；aquarrel，Ithink，irreconcileable。Dr。Goldsmithhasanewcomedy，whichisexpectedinthespring。Nonameisyetgivenit。Thechiefdiversionarisesfromastratagembywhichaloverismadetomistakehisfuturefather-in-law’shouseforaninn。This，yousee，bordersuponfarce。Thedialogueisquickandgay，andtheincidentsaresopreparedasnottoseemimprobable……
’Myhealthseemsingeneraltoimprove；butIhavebeentroubledformanyweekswithavexatiouscatarrh，whichissometimessufficientlydistressful。Ihavenotfoundanygreateffectsfrombleedingandphysick；andamafraid，thatImustexpecthelpfrombrighterdaysandsofterair。
’Writetomenowandthen；andwheneveranygoodbefallsyou，makehastetoletmeknowit，fornoonewillrejoiceatitmorethan，dearSir，yourmosthumbleservant，’SAM。JOHNSON。’
’London，Feb。24，1773。’
’YoucontinuetostandveryhighinthefavourofMrs。Thrale。’
Whileaformereditionofmyworkwaspassingthroughthepress，I
wasunexpectedlyfavouredwithapacketfromPhiladelphia，fromMr。
JamesAbercrombie，agentlemanofthatcountry，whoispleasedtohonourmewithveryhighpraiseofmyLifeofDr。Johnson。Tohavethefameofmyillustriousfriend，andhisfaithfulbiographer，echoedfromtheNewWorldisextremelyflattering；andmygratefulacknowledgementsshallbewaftedacrosstheAtlantick。Mr。
Abercrombiehaspolitelyconferredonmeaconsiderableadditionalobligation，bytransmittingtomecopiesoftwolettersfromDr。
JohnsontoAmericangentlemen。
OnSaturday，April3，thedayaftermyarrivalinLondonthisyear，Iwenttohishouselateintheevening，andsatwithMrs。Williamstillhecamehome。IfoundintheLondonChronicle，Dr。
Goldsmith’sapologytothepublickforbeatingEvans，abookseller，onaccountofaparagraphinanewspaperpublishedbyhim，whichGoldsmiththoughtimpertinenttohimandtoaladyofhisacquaintance。TheapologywaswrittensomuchinDr。Johnson’smanner，thatbothMrs。WilliamsandIsupposedittobehis；butwhenhecamehome，hesoonundeceivedus。WhenhesaidtoMrs。
Williams，’Well，Dr。Goldsmith’smanifestohasgotintoyourpaper；’IaskedhimifDr。Goldsmithhadwrittenit，withanairthatmadehimseeIsuspecteditwashis，thoughsubscribedbyGoldsmith。JOHNSON。’Sir，Dr。Goldsmithwouldnomorehaveaskedmetowritesuchathingasthatforhim，thanhewouldhaveaskedmetofeedhimwithaspoon，ortodoanythingelsethatdenotedhisimbecility。Iasmuchbelievethathewroteit，asifIhadseenhimdoit。Sir，hadheshewnittoanyonefriend，hewouldnothavebeenallowedtopublishit。Hehas，indeed，doneitverywell；butitisafoolishthingwelldone。Isupposehehasbeensomuchelatedwiththesuccessofhisnewcomedy，thathehasthoughteverythingthatconcernedhimmustheofimportancetothepublick。’BOSWELL。’Ifancy，Sir，thisisthefirsttimethathehasbeenengagedinsuchanadventure。’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，I
believeitisthefirsttimehehasBEAT；hemayhaveBEENBEATEN
before。This，Sir，isanewplumetohim。’
AtMr。Thrale’s，intheevening，herepeatedhisusualparadoxicaldeclamationagainstactioninpublickspeaking。’Actioncanhavenoeffectuponreasonableminds。Itmayaugmentnoise，butitnevercanenforceargument。’
LordChesterfieldbeingmentioned，Johnsonremarked，thatalmostallofthatcelebratednobleman’swittysayingswerepuns。He，however，allowedthemeritofgoodwittohisLordship’ssayingofLordTyrawleyandhimself，whenbothveryoldandinfirm：’TyrawleyandIhavebeendeadthesetwoyears；butwedon’tchoosetohaveitknown。’
Theconversationhavingturnedonmodernimitationsofancientballads，andsomeonehavingpraisedtheirsimplicity，hetreatedthemwiththatridiculewhichhealwaysdisplayedwhenthatsubjectwasmentioned。
Hedisapprovedofintroducingscripturephrasesintoseculardiscourse。Thisseemedtomeaquestionofsomedifficulty。A
scriptureexpressionmaybeused，likeahighlyclassicalphrase，toproduceaninstantaneousstrongimpression；anditmaybedonewithoutbeingatallimproper。YetIownthereisdanger，thatapplyingthelanguageofoursacredbooktoordinarysubjectsmaytendtolessenourreverenceforit。Ifthereforeitbeintroducedatall，itshouldbewithverygreatcaution。
OnThursday，April8，Isatagoodpartoftheeveningwithhim，buthewasverysilent。
Thoughhewasnotdisposedtotalk，hewasunwillingthatIshouldleavehim；andwhenIlookedatmywatch，andtoldhimitwastwelveo’clock，hecried，What’sthattoyouandme？’andorderedFranktotellMrs。Williamsthatwewerecomingtodrinkteawithher，whichwedid。Itwassettledthatweshouldgotochurchtogethernextday。
Onthe9thofApril，beingGoodFriday，Ibreakfastedwithhimonteaandcross-buns；DOCTORLevet，asFrankcalledhim，makingthetea。HecarriedmewithhimtothechurchofSt。ClementDanes，wherehehadhisseat；andhisbehaviourwas，asIhadimagedtomyself，solemnlydevout。InevershallforgetthetremulousearnestnesswithwhichhepronouncedtheawfulpetitionintheLitany：’Inthehourofdeath，andatthedayofjudgement，goodLORDdeliverus。
Wewenttochurchbothinthemorningandevening。Intheintervalbetweenthetwoserviceswedidnotdine；buthereadintheGreekNewTestament，andIturnedoverseveralofhisbooks。
ItoldhimthatGoldsmithhadsaidtomeafewdaysbefore，’AsI
takemyshoesfromtheshoemaker，andmycoatfromthetaylor，soI
takemyreligionfromthepriest。’Iregrettedthisloosewayoftalking。JOHNSON。’Sir，heknowsnothing；hehasmadeuphismindaboutnothing。’
TomygreatsurprizeheaskedmetodinewithhimonEaster-day。I