JohnsonsaidofChatterton，’Thisisthemostextraordinaryyoungmanthathasencounteredmyknowledge。Itiswonderfulhowthewhelphaswrittensuchthings。’
WewerebynomeanspleasedwithourinnatBristol。’Letusseenow，saidI，howweshoulddescribeit。’Johnsonwasreadywithhisraillery。’Describeit，Sir？——Why，itwassobadthatBoswellwishedtobeinScotland!’
AfterDr。Johnson’sreturntoLondon，Iwasseveraltimeswithhimathishouse，whereIoccasionallyslept，intheroomthathadbeenassignedtome。IdinedwithhimatDr。Taylor’s，atGeneralOglethorpe’s，andatGeneralPaoli’s。Toavoidatediousminuteness，IshallgrouptogetherwhatIhavepreservedofhisconversationduringthisperiodalso，withoutspecifyingeachscenewhereitpassed，exceptone，whichwillbefoundsoremarkableascertainlytodeserveaveryparticularrelation。
’Garrickheobserved，doesnotplaythepartofArcherinTheBeauxStratagemwell。Thegentlemanshouldbreakoutthroughthefootman，whichisnotthecaseashedoesit。’
’Thatmanisneverhappyforthepresentissotrue，thatallhisrelieffromunhappinessisonlyforgettinghimselfforalittlewhile。Lifeisaprogressfromwanttowant，notfromenjoymenttoenjoyment。’
’LordChesterfield’sLetterstohisSon，Ithink，mightbemadeaveryprettybook。Takeouttheimmorality，anditshouldbeputintothehandsofeveryyounggentleman。Anelegantmannerandeasinessofbehaviourareacquiredgraduallyandimperceptibly。Nomancansay“I’llbegenteel。“Therearetengenteelwomenforonegenteelman，becausetheyaremorerestrained。Amanwithoutsomedegreeofrestraintisinsufferable；butwearealllessrestrainedthanwomen。Wereawomansittingincompanytoputoutherlegsbeforeherasmostmendo，weshouldbetemptedtokickthemin。’
Nomanwasamoreattentiveandniceobserverofbehaviourinthoseinwhosecompanyhehappenedtobe，thanJohnson；or，howeverstrangeitmayseemtomany，hadahigherestimationofitsrefinements。LordEliotinformsme，thatonedaywhenJohnsonandhewereatdinneratagentleman’shouseinLondon，uponLordChesterfield’sLettersbeingmentioned，Johnsonsurprizedthecompanybythissentence：’Everymanofanyeducationwouldratherbecalledarascal，thanaccusedofdeficiencyinTHEGRACES。’Mr。
Gibbon，whowaspresent，turnedtoaladywhoknewJohnsonwell，andlivedmuchwithhim，andinhisquaintmanner，tappinghisbox，addressedherthus：’Don’tyouthink，Madam，lookingtowardsJohnson，thatamongALLyouracquaintance，youcouldfindONE
exception？’Theladysmiled，andseemedtoacquiesce。
TheuncommonvivacityofGeneralOglethorpe’smind，andvarietyofknowledge，havingsometimesmadehisconversationseemtoodesultory，Johnsonobserved，’Oglethorpe，Sir，neverCOMPLETESwhathehastosay。’
HeonthesameaccountmadeasimilarremarkonPatrickLordElibank：’Sir，thereisnothingCONCLUSIVEinhistalk。’
WhenIcomplainedofhavingdinedatasplendidtablewithouthearingonesentenceofconversationworthyofbeingremembered，hesaid，’Sir，thereseldomisanysuchconversation。’BOSWELL。’Whythenmeetattable？’JOHNSON。’Why，toeatanddrinktogether，andtopromotekindness；and，Sir，thisisbetterdonewhenthereisnosolidconversation；forwhenthereis，peopledifferinopinion，andgetintobadhumour，orsomeofthecompanywhoarenotcapableofsuchconversation，areleftout，andfeelthemselvesuneasy。Itwasforthisreason，SirRobertWalpolesaid，healwaystalkedbawdyathistable，becauseinthatallcouldjoin。’
Beingirritatedbyhearingagentleman*askMr。Levettavarietyofquestionsconcerninghim，whenhewassittingby，hebrokeout，’Sir，youhavebuttwotopicks，yourselfandme。Iamsickofboth。’’Aman，saidhe，shouldnottalkofhimself，normuchofanyparticularperson。Heshouldtakecarenottobemadeaproverb；and，therefore，shouldavoidhavinganyonetopickofwhichpeoplecansay，“Weshallhearhimuponit。“TherewasaDr。
Oldfield，whowasalwaystalkingoftheDukeofMarlborough。Hecameintoacoffee-houseoneday，andtoldthathisGracehadspokenintheHouseofLordsforhalfanhour。“Didheindeedspeakforhalfanhour？“saidBelehier，thesurgeon，——“Yes。“——
“AndwhatdidhesayofDr。Oldfield？“——“Nothing“——“Whythen，Sir，hewasveryungrateful；forDr。Oldfieldcouldnothavespokenforaquarterofanhour，withoutsayingsomethingofhim。“’
*MostlikelyBoswellhimself——HILL。
IamnowtorecordaverycuriousincidentinDr。Johnson’sLife，whichfellundermyownobservation；ofwhichparsmagnafui，andwhichIampersuadedwill，withtheliberal-minded，bemuchtohiscredit。
Mydesireofbeingacquaintedwithcelebratedmenofeverydescription，hadmademe，muchaboutthesametime，obtainanintroductiontoDr。SamuelJohnsonandtoJohnWilkes，Esq。Twomenmoredifferentcouldperhapsnotbeselectedoutofallmankind。Theyhadevenattackedoneanotherwithsomeasperityintheirwritings；yetIlivedinhabitsoffriendshipwithboth。I
couldfullyrelishtheexcellenceofeach；forIhaveeverdelightedinthatintellectualchymistry，whichcanseparategoodqualitiesfromevilinthesameperson。
SirJohnPringle，’mineownfriendandmyFather’sfriend，’betweenwhomandDr。JohnsonIinvainwishedtoestablishanacquaintance，asIrespectedandlivedinintimacywithbothofthem，observedtomeonce，veryingeniously，’Itisnotinfriendshipasinmathematicks，wheretwothings，eachequaltoathird，areequalbetweenthemselves。YouagreewithJohnsonasamiddlequality，andyouagreewithmeasamiddlequality；butJohnsonandIshouldnotagree。’SirJohnwasnotsufficientlyflexible；soIdesisted；
knowing，indeed，thattherepulsionwasequallystrongonthepartofJohnson；who，Iknownotfromwhatcause，unlesshisbeingaScotchman，hadformedaveryerroneousopinionofSirJohn。ButI
conceivedanirresistiblewish，ifpossible，tobringDr。JohnsonandMr。Wilkestogether。Howtomanageit，wasaniceanddifficultmatter。
Myworthybooksellersandfriends，MessieursDillyinthePoultry，atwhosehospitableandwell-coveredtableIhaveseenagreaternumberofliterarymen，thanatanyother，exceptthatofSirJoshuaReynolds，hadinvitedmetomeetMr。WilkesandsomemoregentlemenonWednesday，May15。’PraysaidI，letushaveDr。
Johnson。’——’WhatwithMr。Wilkes？notfortheworld，saidMr。
EdwardDilly：Dr。Johnsonwouldneverforgiveme。’——’Come，saidI，ifyou’llletmenegotiateforyou，Iwillbeanswerablethatallshallgowell。’DILLY。’Nay，ifyouwilltakeituponyou，I
amsureIshallbeveryhappytoseethembothhere。’
NotwithstandingthehighvenerationwhichIentertainedforDr。
Johnson，Iwassensiblethathewassometimesalittleactuatedbythespiritofcontradiction，andbymeansofthatIhopedIshouldgainmypoint。IwaspersuadedthatifIhadcomeuponhimwithadirectproposal，’Sir，willyoudineincompanywithJackWilkes？’
hewouldhaveflownintoapassion，andwouldprobablyhaveanswered，’DinewithJackWilkes，Sir!I’dassoondinewithJackKetch。’Itherefore，whileweweresittingquietlybyourselvesathishouseinanevening，tookoccasiontoopenmyplanthus：——’Mr。
Dilly，Sir，sendshisrespectfulcomplimentstoyou，andwouldbehappyifyouwoulddohimthehonourtodinewithhimonWednesdaynextalongwithme，asImustsoongotoScotland。’JOHNSON。
’Sir，IamobligedtoMr。Dilly。Iwillwaituponhim——’BOSWELL。
’Provided，Sir，Isuppose，thatthecompanywhichheistohave，isagreeabletoyou。’JOHNSON。’Whatdoyoumean，Sir？Whatdoyoutakemefor？DoyouthinkIamsoignorantoftheworldastoimaginethatIamtoprescribetoagentlemanwhatcompanyheistohaveathistable？’BOSWELL。’Ibegyourpardon，Sir，forwishingtopreventyoufrommeetingpeoplewhomyoumightnotlike。
Perhapshemayhavesomeofwhathecallshispatriotickfriendswithhim。’Johnson。’Well，Sir，andwhatthen？WhatcareIforhisPATRIOTICKFRIENDS？Poh!’BOSWELL。’IshouldnotbesurprizedtofindJackWilkesthere。’Johnson。’AndifJackWilkesSHOULDbethere，whatisthattoME，Sir？Mydearfriend，letushavenomoreofthis。Iamsorrytobeangrywithyou；butreallyitistreatingmestrangelytotalktomeasifIcouldnotmeetanycompanywhatever，occasionally。’BOSWELL。’Prayforgiveme，Sir：Imeantwell。Butyoushallmeetwhoevercomes，forme。’
ThusIsecuredhim，andtoldDillythathewouldfindhimverywellpleasedtobeoneofhisguestsonthedayappointed。
Uponthemuch-expectedWednesday，Icalledonhimabouthalfanhourbeforedinner，asIoftendidwhenweweretodineouttogether，toseethathewasreadyintime，andtoaccompanyhim。
Ifoundhimbuffetinghisbooks，asuponaformeroccasion，coveredwithdust，andmakingnopreparationforgoingabroad。’Howisthis，Sir？saidI。Don’tyourecollectthatyouaretodineatMr。Dilly’s？’JOHNSON。’Sir，IdidnotthinkofgoingtoDilly’s：
itwentoutofmyhead。IhaveordereddinnerathomewithMrs。
Williams。’BOSWELL。’But，mydearSir，youknowyouwereengagedtoMr。Dilly，andItoldhimso。Hewillexpectyou，andwillbemuchdisappointedifyoudon’tcome。’JOHNSON。’YoumusttalktoMrs。Williamsaboutthis。’
Herewasasaddilemma。IfearedthatwhatIwassoconfidentI
hadsecuredwouldyetbefrustrated。HehadaccustomedhimselftoshewMrs。Williamssuchadegreeofhumaneattention，asfrequentlyimposedsomerestraintuponhim；andIknewthatifsheshouldbeobstinate，hewouldnotstir。Ihasteneddownstairstotheblindlady’sroom，andtoldherIwasingreatuneasiness，forDr。
JohnsonhadengagedtometodinethisdayatMr。Dilly’s，butthathehadtoldmehehadforgottenhisengagement，andhadordereddinnerathome。’Yes，Sir，saidshe，prettypeevishly，Dr。