ThecharacterofMallethavingbeenintroduced，andspokenofslightinglybyGoldsmith；JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，Mallethadtalentsenoughtokeephisliteraryreputationaliveaslongashehimselflived；andthat，letmetellyou，isagooddeal。’GOLDSMITH。
’ButIcannotagreethatitwasso。Hisliteraryreputationwasdeadlongbeforehisnaturaldeath。Iconsideranauthour’sliteraryreputationtobealiveonlywhilehisnamewillensureagoodpriceforhiscopyfromthebooksellers。IwillgetyoutoJohnson，ahundredguineasforanythingwhateverthatyoushallwrite，ifyouputyournametoit。’
Dr。Goldsmith’snewplay，SheStoopstoConquer，beingmentioned；
JOHNSON。’Iknowofnocomedyformanyyearsthathassomuchexhilaratedanaudience，thathasansweredsomuchthegreatendofcomedy——makinganaudiencemerry。’
Goldsmithhavingsaid，thatGarrick’scomplimenttotheQueen，whichheintroducedintotheplayofTheChances，whichhehadalteredandrevisedthisyear，wasmeanandgrossflattery；
JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，IwouldnotWRITE，Iwouldnotgivesolemnlyundermyhand，acharacterbeyondwhatIthoughtreallytrue；butaspeechonthestage，letitflattereversoextravagantly，isformular。IthasalwaysbeenformulartoflatterKingsandQueens；
somuchso，thateveninourchurch-servicewehave“ourmostreligiousKing，“usedindiscriminately，whoeverisKing。Nay，theyevenflatterthemselves；——“wehavebeengraciouslypleasedtogrant。“Nomodernflattery，however，issogrossasthatoftheAugustanage，wheretheEmperourwasdeified。“ProesensDivushabebiturAugustus。“Andastomeanness，risingintowarmth，howisitmeaninaplayer，——ashowman，——afellowwhoexhibitshimselfforashilling，toflatterhisQueen？Theattempt，indeed，wasdangerous；forifithadmissed，whatbecameofGarrick，andwhatbecameoftheQueen？AsSirWilliamTemplesaysofagreatGeneral，itisnecessarynotonlythathisdesignsbeformedinamasterlymanner，butthattheyshouldbeattendedwithsuccess。
Sir，itisright，atatimewhentheRoyalFamilyisnotgenerallyliked，toletitbeseenthatthepeoplelikeatleastoneofthem。’SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’Idonotperceivewhytheprofessionofaplayershouldbedespised；forthegreatandultimateendofalltheemploymentsofmankindistoproduceamusement。Garrickproducesmoreamusementthananybody。’BOSWELL。’Yousay，Dr。
Johnson，thatGarrickexhibitshimselfforashilling。Inthisrespectheisonlyonafootingwithalawyerwhoexhibitshimselfforhisfee，andevenwillmaintainanynonsenseorabsurdity，ifthecaserequiresit。Garrickrefusesaplayorapartwhichhedoesnotlike；alawyerneverrefuses。’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，whatdoesthisprove？onlythatalawyerisworse。BoswellisnowlikeJackinTheTaleofaTub，who，whenheispuzzledbyanargument，hangshimself。HethinksIshallcuthimdown，butI’lllethimhang。’laughingvociferously。SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’Mr。Boswellthinksthattheprofessionofalawyerbeingunquestionablyhonourable，ifhecanshowtheprofessionofaplayertobemorehonourable，heproveshisargument。’
OnFriday，April30，IdinedwithhimatMr。Beauclerk’s，wherewereLordCharlemont，SirJoshuaReynolds，andsomemoremembersoftheLITERARYCLUB，whomhehadobliginglyinvitedtomeetme，asI
wasthiseveningtobeballotedforascandidateforadmissionintothatdistinguishedsociety。Johnsonhaddonemethehonourtoproposeme，andBeauclerkwasveryzealousforme。
Goldsmithbeingmentioned；JOHNSON。’ItisamazinghowlittleGoldsmithknows。Heseldomcomeswhereheisnotmoreignorantthananyoneelse。’SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’Yetthereisnomanwhosecompanyismoreliked。’JOHNSON。’Tobesure，Sir。Whenpeoplefindamanofthemostdistinguishedabilitiesasawriter，theirinferiourwhileheiswiththem，itmustbehighlygratifyingtothem。WhatGoldsmithcomicallysaysofhimselfisverytrue，——
healwaysgetsthebetterwhenhearguesalone；meaning，thatheismasterofasubjectinhisstudy，andcanwritewelluponit；butwhenhecomesintocompany，growsconfused，andunabletotalk。
Takehimasapoet，hisTravellerisaveryfineperformance；ay，andsoishisDesertedVillage，wereitnotsometimestoomuchtheechoofhisTraveller。Whether，indeed，wetakehimasapoet，——asacomickwriter，——orasanhistorian，hestandsinthefirstclass。’BOSWELL。’Anhistorian!MydearSir，yousurelywillnotrankhiscompilationoftheRomanHistorywiththeworksofotherhistoriansofthisage？’JOHNSON。’Why，whoarebeforehim？’
BOSWELL。’Hume，——Robertson，——LordLyttelton。’JOHNSONhisantipathytotheScotchbeginningtorise。’IhavenotreadHume；
but，doubtless，Goldsmith’sHistoryisbetterthantheVERBIAGEofRobertson，orthefopperyofDalrymple。’BOSwELL。’WillyounotadmitthesuperiorityofRobertson，inwhoseHistorywefindsuchpenetration——suchpainting？’JOHNSON。’Sir，youmustconsiderhowthatpenetrationandthatpaintingareemployed。Itisnothistory，itisimagination。Hewhodescribeswhatheneversaw，drawsfromfancy。RobertsonpaintsmindsasSirJoshuapaintsfacesinahistory-piece：heimaginesanheroiccountenance。YoumustlookuponRobertson’sworkasromance，andtryitbythatstandard。Historyitisnot。Besides，Sir，itisthegreatexcellenceofawritertoputintohisbookasmuchashisbookwillhold。GoldsmithhasdonethisinhisHistory。NowRobertsonmighthaveputtwiceasmuchintohisbook。Robertsonislikeamanwhohaspackedgoldinwool：thewooltakesupmoreroomthanthegold。No，Sir；IalwaysthoughtRobertsonwouldbecrushedbyhisownweight，——wouldbeburiedunderhisownornaments。
Goldsmithtellsyoushortlyallyouwanttoknow：Robertsondetainsyouagreatdealtoolong。NomanwillreadRobertson’scumbrousdetailasecondtime；butGoldsmith’splainnarrativewillpleaseagainandagain。IwouldsaytoRobertsonwhatanoldtutorofacollegesaidtooneofhispupils：“Readoveryourcompositions，andwhereeveryoumeetwithapassagewhichyouthinkisparticularlyfine，strikeitout。“Goldsmith’sabridgementisbetterthanthatofLuciusFlorusorEutropius；andIwillventuretosay，thatifyoucomparehimwithVertot，inthesameplacesoftheRomanHistory，youwillfindthatheexcelsVertot。Sir，hehastheartofcompiling，andofsayingeverythinghehastosayinapleasingmanner。HeisnowwritingaNaturalHistoryandwillmakeitasentertainingasaPersianTale。’
Icannotdismissthepresenttopickwithoutobserving，thatitisprobablethatDr。Johnson，whoownedthatheoften’talkedforvictory，’ratherurgedplausibleobjectionstoDr。Robertson’sexcellenthistoricalworks，intheardourofcontest，thanexpressedhisrealanddecidedopinion；foritisnoteasytosuppose，thatheshouldsowidelydifferfromtherestoftheliteraryworld。
JOHNSON。’IrememberoncebeingwithGoldsmithinWestminster-
abbey。WhilewesurveyedthePoets’Corner，Isaidtohim，“Forsitanetnostrumnomenmiscebituristis。“
whenwegottoTemple-barhestoppedme，pointedtotheheadsuponit，andslilywhisperedme，“ForsitanetnostrumnomenmiscebiturISTIS。“’*
*InallusiontoDr。Johnson’ssupposedpoliticalprinciples，andperhapshisown。Boswell。
JohnsonpraisedJohnBunyanhighly。’HisPilgrim’sProgresshasgreatmerit，bothforinvention，imagination，andtheconductofthestory；andithashadthebestevidenceofitsmerit，thegeneralandcontinuedapprobationofmankind。Fewbooks，I
believe，havehadamoreextensivesale。Itisremarkable，thatitbeginsverymuchlikethepoemofDante；yettherewasnotranslationofDantewhenBunyanwrote。ThereisreasontothinkthathehadreadSpenser。’
Apropositionwhichhadbeenagitated，thatmonumentstoeminentpersonsshould，forthetimetocome，beerectedinSt。Paul’schurchaswellasinWestminster-abbey，wasmentioned；anditwasasked，whoshouldbehonouredbyhavinghismonumentfirsterectedthere。SomebodysuggestedPope。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，asPopewasaRomanCatholick，Iwouldnothavehistobefirst。IthinkMilton’srathershouldhavetheprecedence。IthinkmorehighlyofhimnowthanIdidattwenty。ThereismorethinkinginhimandinButler，thaninanyofourpoets。’
Thegentlemenwentawaytotheirclub，andIwasleftatBeauclerk’stillthefateofmyelectionshouldbeannouncedtome。
IsatinastateofanxietywhicheventhecharmingconversationofLadyDiBeauclerkcouldnotentirelydissipate。InashorttimeI
receivedtheagreeableintelligencethatIwaschosen。Ihastenedtotheplaceofmeeting，andwasintroducedtosuchasocietyascanseldombefound。Mr。EdmundBurke，whomIthensawforthefirsttime，andwhosesplendidtalentshadlongmademeardentlywishforhisacquaintance；Dr。Nugent，Mr。Garrick，Dr。Goldsmith，Mr。afterwardsSirWilliamJones，andthecompanywithwhomIhaddined。Uponmyentrance，Johnsonplacedhimselfbehindachair，onwhichheleanedasonadeskorpulpit，andwithhumorousformalitygavemeaCharge，pointingouttheconductexpectedfrommeasagoodmemberofthisclub。
Goldsmithproducedsomeveryabsurdverseswhichhadbeenpublicklyrecitedtoanaudienceformoney。JOHNSON。’Icanmatchthisnonsense。TherewasapoemcalledEugenio，whichcameoutsomeyearsago，andconcludesthus：
“Andnow，yetrifling，self-assumingelves，Brimfulofpride，ofnothing，ofyourselves，SurveyEugenio，viewhimo’erando’er，Thensinkintoyourselves，andbenomore。“
Nay，DrydeninhispoemontheRoyalSociety，hastheselines：
“Thenweuponourglobe’slastvergeshallgo，Andseetheoceanleaningonthesky；
Fromthenceourrollingneighboursweshallknow，Andonthelunarworldsecurelypry。“’
Muchpleasantconversationpassed，whichJohnsonrelishedwithgreatgoodhumour。Buthisconversationalone，orwhatledtoit，orwasinterwovenwithit，isthebusinessofthiswork。
OnSaturday，May1，wedinedbyourselvesatouroldrendezvous，theMitretavern。Hewasplacid，butnotmuchdisposedtotalk。
Heobservedthat’TheIrishmixbetterwiththeEnglishthantheScotchdo；theirlanguageisnearertoEnglish；asaproofofwhich，theysucceedverywellasplayers，whichScotchmendonot。