’Youmaytranslatebooksofscienceexactly。Youmayalsotranslatehistory，insofarasitisnotembellishedwithoratory，whichispoetical。Poetry，indeed，cannotbetranslated；and，therefore，itisthepoetsthatpreservelanguages；forwewouldnotbeatthetroubletolearnalanguage，ifwecouldhaveallthatiswritteninitjustaswellinatranslation。Butasthebeautiesofpoetrycannotbepreservedinanylanguageexceptthatinwhichitwasoriginallywritten，welearnthelanguage。’
’Goldsmithhesaid，referredeverythingtovanity；hisvirtues，andhisvicestoo，werefromthatmotive。Hewasnotasocialman。
Heneverexchangedmindwithyou。’
WespenttheeveningatMr。Hoole’s。Mr。Mickle，theexcellenttranslatorofTheLusiad，wasthere。Ihavepreservedlittleoftheconversationofthisevening。Dr。Johnsonsaid，’Thomsonhadatruepoeticalgenius，thepowerofviewingeverythinginapoeticallight。Hisfaultissuchacloudofwordssometimes，thatthesensecanhardlypeepthrough。Shiels，whocompiledCibber’sLivesofthePoets，wasonedaysittingwithme。ItookdownThomson，andreadaloudalargeportionofhim，andthenasked，——Isnotthisfine？Shielshavingexpressedthehighestadmiration。
Well，Sir，saidI，Ihaveomittedeveryotherline。’
IrelatedadisputebetweenGoldsmithandMr。RobertDodsley，onedaywhentheyandIwerediningatTomDavies’s，in1762。
Goldsmithasserted，thattherewasnopoetryproducedinthisage。
DodsleyappealedtohisownCollection，andmaintained，thatthoughyoucouldnotfindapalacelikeDryden’sOdeonSt。Cecilia’sDay，youhadvillagescomposedofveryprettyhouses；andhementionedparticularlyTheSpleen。JOHNSON。’IthinkDodsleygaveupthequestion。HeandGoldsmithsaidthesamething；onlyhesaiditinasoftermannerthanGoldsmithdid；forheacknowledgedthattherewasnopoetry，nothingthattoweredabovethecommonmark。Youmayfindwitandhumourinverse，andyetnopoetry。
Hudibrashasaprofusionofthese；yetitisnottobereckonedapoem。TheSpleen，inDodsley’sCollection，onwhichyousayhechieflyrested，isnotpoetry。’BOSWELL。’DoesnotGray’spoetry，Sir，towerabovethecommonmark？’JOHNSON。Yes，Sir；butwemustattendtothedifferencebetweenwhatmeningeneralcannotdoiftheywould，andwhateverymanmaydoifhewould。Sixteen-stringJack*toweredabovethecommonmark。’BOSWELL。’Then，Sir，whatispoetry？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，itismucheasiertosaywhatitisnot。WeallKNOWwhatlightis；butitisnoteasytoTELLwhatitis。’
*Anotedhighwayman，whoafterhavingbeenseveraltimestriedandacquitted，wasatlasthanged。Hewasremarkableforfopperyinhisdress，andparticularlyforwearingabunchofsixteenstringsatthekneesofhisbreeches——BOSWELL。
OnFriday，April12，IdinedwithhimatourfriendTomDavies’s。
HeremindedDr。JohnsonofMr。Murphy’shavingpaidhimthehighestcomplimentthateverwaspaidtoalayman，byaskinghispardonforrepeatingsomeoathsinthecourseoftellingastory。
JohnsonandIsuptthiseveningattheCrownandAnchortavern，incompanywithSirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。Langton，Mr。Nairne，nowoneoftheScotchJudges，withthetitleofLordDunsinan，andmyveryworthyfriend，SirWilliamForbes，ofPitsligo。
Wediscussedthequestionwhetherdrinkingimprovedconversationandbenevolence。SirJoshuamaintaineditdid。JOHNSON。’No，Sir：beforedinnermenmeetwithgreatinequalityofunderstanding；
andthosewhoareconsciousoftheirinferiority，havethemodestynottotalk。Whentheyhavedrunkwine，everymanfeelshimselfhappy，andlosesthatmodesty，andgrowsimpudentandvociferous：
butheisnotimproved；heisonlynotsensibleofhisdefects。’
SirJoshuasaidtheDoctorwastalkingoftheeffectsofexcessinwine；butthatamoderateglassenlivenedthemind，bygivingapropercirculationtotheblood。’Iamsaidhe，inverygoodspirits，whenIgetupinthemorning。Bydinner-timeIamexhausted；wineputsmeinthesamestateaswhenIgotup；andI
amsurethatmoderatedrinkingmakespeopletalkbetter。’JOHNSON。
’No，Sir；winegivesnotlight，gay，idealhilarity；buttumultuous，noisy，clamorousmerriment。Ihaveheardnoneofthosedrunken，——nay，drunkenisacoarseword，——noneofthoseVINOUS
flights。’SIRJOSHUA。’Becauseyouhavesatby，quitesober，andfeltanenvyofthehappinessofthosewhoweredrinking。’
JOHNSON。’Perhaps，contempt——And，Sir，itisnotnecessarytobedrunkone’sself，torelishthewitofdrunkenness。Dowenotjudgeofthedrunkenwit，ofthedialoguebetweenIagoandCassio，themostexcellentinitskind，whenwearequitesober？Witiswit，bywhatevermeansitisproduced；and，ifgood，willappearsoatalltimes。Iadmitthatthespiritsareraisedbydrinking，asbythecommonparticipationofanypleasure：cock-fighting，orbear-baiting，willraisethespiritsofacompany，asdrinkingdoes，thoughsurelytheywillnotimproveconversation。Ialsoadmit，thattherearesomesluggishmenwhoareimprovedbydrinking；astherearefruitswhicharenotgoodtilltheyarerotten。Therearesuchmen，buttheyaremedlars。Iindeedallowthattherehavebeenaveryfewmenoftalentswhowereimprovedbydrinking；butImaintainthatIamrightastotheeffectsofdrinkingingeneral：andletitbeconsidered，thatthereisnoposition，howeverfalseinitsuniversality，whichisnottrueofsomeparticularman。’SirWilliamForbessaid，’Mightnotamanwarmedwithwinebelikeabottleofbeer，whichismadebriskerbybeingsetbeforethefire？’——’Nay，saidJohnson，laughing，I
cannotanswerthat：thatistoomuchforme。’
Iobserved，thatwinedidsomepeopleharm，byinflaming，confusing，andirritatingtheirminds；butthattheexperienceofmankindhaddeclaredinfavourofmoderatedrinking。JOHNSON。
’Sir，Idonotsayitiswrongtoproduceselfcomplacencybydrinking；Ionlydenythatitimprovesthemind。WhenIdrankwine，Iscornedtodrinkitwhenincompany。Ihavedrunkmanyabottlebymyself；inthefirstplace，becauseIhadneedofittoraisemyspirits；inthesecondplace，becauseIwouldhavenobodytowitnessitseffectsuponme。’
Hetoldus，’almostallhisRamblerswerewrittenjustastheywerewantedforthepress；thathesentacertainportionofthecopyofanessay，andwrotetheremainder，whiletheformerpartofitwasprinting。Whenitwaswanted，andhehadfairlysatdowntoit，hewassureitwouldbedone。’
Hesaid，thatforgeneralimprovement，amanshouldreadwhateverhisimmediateinclinationpromptshimto；though，tobesure，ifamanhasasciencetolearn，hemustregularlyandresolutelyadvance。Headded，’whatwereadwithinclinationmakesamuchstrongerimpression。Ifwereadwithoutinclination，halfthemindisemployedinfixingtheattention；sothereisbutonehalftobeemployedonwhatweread。’Hetoldus，hereadFielding’sAmeliathroughwithoutstopping。Hesaid，’ifamanbeginstoreadinthemiddleofabook，andfeelsaninclinationtogoon，lethimnotquitit，togotothebeginning。Hemayperhapsnotfeelagaintheinclination。’
Soonafterthisday，hewenttoBathwithMr。andMrs。Thrale。I
hadneverseenthatbeautifulcity，andwishedtotaketheopportunityofvisitingit，whileJohnsonwasthere。
Onthe26thofApril，IwenttoBath；andonmyarrivalatthePelicaninn，foundlyingformeanobliginginvitationfromMr。andMrs。Thrale，bywhomIwasagreeablyentertainedalmostconstantlyduringmystay。Theyweregonetotherooms；buttherewasakindnotefromDr。Johnson，thatheshouldsitathomealltheevening。
Iwenttohimdirectly，andbeforeMr。andMrs。Thralereturned，wehadbyourselvessomehoursoftea-drinkingandtalk。
IshallgrouptogethersuchofhissayingsasIpreservedduringthefewdaysthatIwasatBath。
Ithavingbeenmentioned，Iknownotwithwhattruth，thatacertainfemalepoliticalwriter，whosedoctrineshedisliked，hadoflatebecomeveryfondofdress，sathourstogetherathertoilet，andevenputonrouge：——JohnsoN。’Sheisbetteremployedathertoilet，thanusingherpen。Itisbettersheshouldbereddeningherowncheeks，thanblackeningotherpeople’scharacters。’
HewouldnotallowmetopraisealadythenatBath；observing，’Shedoesnotgainuponme，Sir；Ithinkherempty-headed。’Hewas，indeed，asterncritickuponcharactersandmanners。EvenMrs。Thraledidnotescapehisfriendlyanimadversionattimes。
WhenheandIwereonedayendeavouringtoascertain，articlebyarticle，howoneofourfriendscouldpossiblyspendasmuchmoneyinhisfamilyashetoldushedid，sheinterruptedusbyalivelyextravagantsally，ontheexpenceofclothinghischildren，describingitinaveryludicrousandfancifulmanner。Johnsonlookedalittleangry，andsaid，’Nay，Madam，whenyouaredeclaiming，declaim；andwhenyouarecalculating，calculate。’Atanothertime，whenshesaid，perhapsaffectedly，’Idon’tliketofly。’JOHNSON。’WithYOURwings，Madam，youMUSTfly：buthaveacare，thereareCLIPPERSabroad。’
OnMonday，April29，heandImadeanexcursiontoBristol，whereI
wasentertainedwithseeinghimenquireuponthespot，intotheauthenticityof’Rowley’sPoetry，’asIhadseenhimenquireuponthespotintotheauthenticityof’Ossian’sPoetry。’GeorgeCatcot，thepewterer，whowasaszealousforRowley，asDr。HughBlairwasforOssian，ItrustmyReverendfriendwillexcusethecomparison，attendedusatourinn，andwithatriumphantairoflivelysimplicitycalledout，’I’llmakeDr。Johnsonaconvert。’
Dr。Johnson，athisdesire，readaloudsomeofChatterton’sfabricatedverses，whileCatcotstoodatthebackofhischair，，movinghimselflikeapendulum，andbeatingtimewithhisfeet，andnowandthenlookingintoDr。Johnson’sface，wonderingthathewasnotyetconvinced。WecalledonMr。Barret，thesurgeon，andsawsomeoftheORIGINALSastheywerecalled，whichwereexecutedveryartificially；butfromacarefulinspectionofthem，andaconsiderationofthecircumstanceswithwhichtheywereattended，wewerequitesatisfiedoftheimposture，which，indeed，hasbeenclearlydemonstratedfrominternalevidence，byseveralablecriticks。
HonestCatcotseemedtopaynoattentionwhatevertoanyobjections，butinsisted，asanendofallcontroversy，thatweshouldgowithhimtothetowerofthechurchofSt。Mary，Redcliff，andVIEWWITHOUROWNEYEStheancientchestinwhichthemanuscriptswerefound。Tothis，Dr。Johnsongood-naturedlyagreed；andthoughtroubledwithashortnessofbreathing，labouredupalongflightofsteps，tillwecametotheplacewherethewonderouscheststood。’THERE，saidCateot，withabouncingconfidentcredulity，THEREistheverychestitself。’AfterthisOCULARDEMONSTRATION，therewasnomoretobesaid。HebroughttomyrecollectionaScotchHighlander，amanoflearningtoo，andwhohadseentheworld，attesting，andatthesametimegivinghisreasonsfortheauthenticityofFingal：——’IhaveheardallthatpoemwhenIwasyoung。’——’Haveyou，Sir？Praywhathaveyouheard？’——’IhaveheardOssian，Oscar，andEVERYONEOFTHEM。’