Wetalkedoflivinginthecountry。JOHNSON。’Nowisemanwillgotoliveinthecountry，unlesshehassomethingtodowhichcanbebetterdoneinthecountry。Forinstance：ifheistoshuthimselfupforayeartostudyascience，itisbettertolookouttothefields，thantoanoppositewall。Then，ifamanwalksoutinthecountry，thereisnobodytokeephimfromwalkinginagain：butifamanwalksoutinLondon，heisnotsurewhenheshallwalkinagain。Agreatcityis，tobesure，theschoolforstudyinglife；
and“Theproperstudyofmankindisman，“asPopeobserves。’
BOSWELL。’IfancyLondonisthebestplaceforsociety；thoughI
haveheardthattheveryfirstsocietyofParisisstillbeyondanythingthatwehavehere。’JOHNSON。’Sir，IquestionifinParissuchacompanyasissittingroundthistablecouldbegottogetherinlessthanhalfayear。TheytalkinFranceofthefelicityofmenandwomenlivingtogether：thetruthis，thattherethemenarenothigherthanthewomen，theyknownomorethanthewomendo，andtheyarenothelddownintheirconversationbythepresenceofwomen。’
Wetalkedofoldage。Johnsonnowinhisseventiethyear，said，’Itisaman’sownfault，itisfromwantofuse，ifhismindgrowstorpidinoldage。’TheBishopasked，ifanoldmandoesnotlosefasterthanhegets。JOHNSON。’Ithinknot，myLord，ifheexertshimself。’Oneofthecompanyrashlyobserved，thathethoughtitwashappyforanoldmanthatinsensibilitycomesuponhim。
JOHNSON。withanobleelevationanddisdain，’No，Sir，Ishouldneverbehappybybeinglessrational。’BISHOPOFST。ASAPH。
’Yourwishthen，Sir，is[Greektextomitted]。’JOHNSON。’Yes，myLord。’
ThisseasontherewasawhimsicalfashioninthenewspapersofapplyingShakspeare’swordstodescribelivingpersonswellknownintheworld；whichwasdoneunderthetitleofModernCharactersfromShakspeare；manyofwhichwereadmirablyadapted。Thefancytooksomuch，thattheywereafterwardscollectedintoapamphlet。
SomebodysaidtoJohnson，acrossthetable，thathehadnotbeeninthosecharacters。’Yessaidhe，Ihave。Ishouldhavebeensorrytobeleftout。’Hethenrepeatedwhathadbeenappliedtohim，’ImustborrowGARAGANTUA’Smouth。’
MissReynoldsnotperceivingatoncethemeaningofthis，hewasobligedtoexplainittoher，whichhadsomethingofanaukwardandludicrouseffect。’Why，Madam，ithasareferencetome，asusingbigwords，whichrequirethemouthofagianttopronouncethem。
GaragantuaisthenameofagiantinRabelais。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，thereisanotheramongstthemforyou：
“HewouldnotflatterNeptuneforhistrident，OrJoveforhispowertothunder。“’
JOHNSON。’Thereisnothingmarkedinthat。No，Sir，Garagantuaisthebest。’Notwithstandingthiseaseandgoodhumour，whenI，alittlewhileafterwards，repeatedhissarcasmonKenrick，whichwasreceivedwithapplause，heasked，’WHOsaidthat？’andonmysuddenlyanswering，Garagantua，helookedserious，whichwasasufficientindicationthathedidnotwishittobekeptup。
Whenwewenttothedrawing-roomtherewasarichassemblage。
Besidesthecompanywhohadbeenatdinner，therewereMr。Garrick，Mr。HarrisofSalisbury，Dr。Percy，Dr。Burney，HonourableMrs。
Cholmondeley，MissHannahMore，&c。&c。
Afterwanderingaboutinakindofpleasingdistractionforsometime，Igotintoacorner，withJohnson，Garrick，andHarris。
GARRICK。toHarris，’Pray，Sir，haveyoureadPotter’sAeschylus？’HARRIS。’Yes；andthinkitpretty。’GARRICK。toJohnson，’Andwhatthinkyou，Sir，ofit？’JOHNSON。’IthoughtwhatIreadofitVERBIAGE：butuponMr。Harris’srecommendation，I
willreadaplay。ToMr。Harris，Don’tprescribetwo。’Mr。
Harrissuggestedone，Idonotrememberwhich。JOHNSON。’WemusttryitseffectasanEnglishpoem；thatisthewaytojudgeofthemeritofatranslation。Translationsare，ingeneral，forpeoplewhocannotreadtheoriginal。’Imentionedthevulgarsaying，thatPope’sHomerwasnotagoodrepresentationoftheoriginal。
JOHNSON。’Sir，itisthegreatestworkofthekindthathaseverbeenproduced。’BOSWELL。’Thetruthis，itisimpossibleperfectlytotranslatepoetry。Inadifferentlanguageitmaybethesametune，butithasnotthesametone。Homerplaysitonabassoon；Popeonaflagelet。’HARRIS。’IthinkHeroickpoetryisbestinblankverse；yetitappearsthatrhymeisessentialtoEnglishpoetry，fromourdeficiencyinmetricalquantities。Inmyopinion，thechiefexcellenceofourlanguageisnumerousprose。’
JOHNSON。’SirWilliamTemplewasthefirstwriterwhogavecadencetoEnglishprose。Beforehistimetheywerecarelessofarrangement，anddidnotmindwhetherasentenceendedwithanimportantwordoraninsignificantword，orwithwhatpartofspeechitwasconcluded。’
GARRICK。’Ofallthetranslationsthateverwereattempted，I
thinkElphinston’sMartialthemostextraordinary。Heconsultedmeuponit，whoamalittleofanepigrammatistmyself，youknow。I
toldhimfreely，“Youdon’tseemtohavethatturn。“Iaskedhimifhewasserious；andfindinghewas，Iadvisedhimagainstpublishing。Why，histranslationismoredifficulttounderstandthantheoriginal。Ithoughthimamanofsometalents；butheseemscrazyinthis。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavedonewhatIhadnotcouragetodo。Buthedidnotaskmyadvice，andIdidnotforceituponhim，tomakehimangrywithme。’GARRICK。’Butasafriend，Sir。’JOHNSON。’Why，suchafriendasIamwithhim——
no。’GARRICK。’Butifyouseeafriendgoingtotumbleoveraprecipice？’JOHNSON。’Thatisanextravagantcase，Sir。Youaresureafriendwillthankyouforhinderinghimfromtumblingoveraprecipice；but，intheothercase，Ishouldhurthisvanity，anddohimnogood。Hewouldnottakemyadvice。Hisbrother-in-law，Strahan，senthimasubscriptionoffiftypounds，andsaidhewouldsendhimfiftymore，ifhewouldnotpublish。’GARRICK。’What!
eh!isStrahanagoodjudgeofanEpigram？IsnotheratheranOBTUSEman，eh？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，hemaynotbeajudgeofanEpigram：butyouseeheisajudgeofwhatisnotanEpigram。’
BOSWELL。’Itiseasyforyou，Mr。Garrick，totalktoanauthourasyoutalkedtoElphinston；you，whohavebeensolongthemanagerofatheatre，rejectingtheplaysofpoorauthours。YouareanoldJudge，whohaveoftenpronouncedsentenceofdeath。Youareapracticedsurgeon，whohaveoftenamputatedlimbs；andthoughthismayhavebeenforthegoodofyourpatients，theycannotlikeyou。
Thosewhohaveundergoneadreadfuloperation，arenotveryfondofseeingtheoperatoragain。’GARRICK。’Yes，Iknowenoughofthat。
Therewasareverendgentleman，Mr。Hawkins，whowroteatragedy，theSIEGEofsomething，whichIrefused。’HARRIS。’So，thesiegewasraised。’JOHNSON。’Ay，hecametomeandcomplained；andtoldme，thatGarricksaidhisplaywaswrongintheCONCOCTION。Now，whatistheconcoctionofaplay？’HereGarrickstarted，andtwistedhimself，andseemedsorelyvexed；forJohnsontoldme，hebelievedthestorywastrue。GARRICK。’I——I——I——saidFIRST
concoction。’JOHNSON。smiling，’Well，heleftoutFIRST。AndRich，hesaid，refusedhimINFALSEENGLISH：hecouldshewitunderhishand。’GARRICK。’Hewrotetomeinviolentwrath，forhavingrefusedhisplay：“Sir，thisisgrowingaveryseriousandterribleaffair。Iamresolvedtopublishmyplay。Iwillappealtotheworld；andhowwillyourjudgementappear？“Ianswered，“Sir，notwithstandingalltheseriousness，andalltheterrours，Ihavenoobjectiontoyourpublishingyourplay；andasyouliveatagreatdistance，Devonshire，Ibelieve，ifyouwillsendittome，Iwillconveyittothepress。“Ineverheardmoreofit，ha!ha!
ha!’
OnFriday，April10，IfoundJohnsonathomeinthemorning。Weresumedtheconversationofyesterday。Heputmeinmindofsomeofitwhichhadescapedmymemory，andenabledmetorecorditmoreperfectlythanIotherwisecouldhavedone。Hewasmuchpleasedwithmypayingsogreatattentiontohisrecommendationin1763，theperiodwhenouracquaintancebegan，thatIshouldkeepajournal；andIcouldperceivehewassecretlypleasedtofindsomuchofthefruitofhismindpreserved；andashehadbeenusedtoimagineandsaythathealwayslabouredwhenhesaidagoodthing——
itdelightedhim，onareview，tofindthathisconversationteemedwithpointandimagery。
Isaidtohim，’Youwereyesterday，Sir，inremarkablygoodhumour：
buttherewasnothingtooffendyou，nothingtoproduceirritationorviolence。Therewasnoboldoffender。Therewasnotonecapitalconviction。Itwasamaidenassize。Youhadonyourwhitegloves。’
HefoundfaultwithourfriendLangtonforhavingbeentoosilent。
’Sir，saidI，youwillrecollect，thatheveryproperlytookupSirJoshuaforbeinggladthatCharlesFoxhadpraisedGoldsmith’sTraveller，andyoujoinedhim。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，IknockedFoxonthehead，withoutceremony。ReynoldsistoomuchunderFoxandBurkeatpresent。HeisundertheFoxstarandtheIrishconstellation。Heisalwaysundersomeplanet。’BOSWELL。’ThereisnoFoxstar。’JOHNSON。’Butthereisadogstar。’BOSWELL。
’Theysay，indeed，afoxandadogarethesameanimal。’
WedinedtogetherwithMr。ScottnowSirWilliamScotthisMajesty’sAdvocateGeneral，athischambersintheTemple，nobodyelsethere。Thecompanybeingsmall，Johnsonwasnotinsuchspiritsashehadbeentheprecedingday，andforaconsiderabletimelittlewassaid。
Talkingoffame，forwhichthereissogreatadesire，Iobservedhowlittlethereisofitinreality，comparedwiththeotherobjectsofhumanattention。’Leteverymanrecollect，andhewillbesensiblehowsmallapartofhistimeisemployedintalkingorthinkingofShakspeare，Voltaire，oranyofthemostcelebratedmenthathaveeverlived，orarenowsupposedtooccupytheattentionandadmirationoftheworld。Letthisbeextractedandcompressed；
intowhatanarrowspacewillitgo!’IthenslilyintroducedMr。
Garrick’sfame，andhisassumingtheairsofagreatman。JOHNSON。