’Why，Madam，becauseIhavenotthengotthebetterofmybadhumourfromhavingbeenshownthem。Youmustconsider，Madam；
beforehandtheymaybebad，aswellasgood。Nobodyhasarighttoputanotherundersuchadifficulty，thathemusteitherhurtthepersonbytellingthetruth，orhurthimselfbytellingwhatisnottrue。’BOSWELL。’Amanoftenshewshiswritingstopeopleofeminence，toobtainfromthem，eitherfromtheirgood-nature，orfromtheirnotbeingabletotellthetruthfirmly，acommendation，ofwhichhemayafterwardsavailhimself。’JOHNSON。’Verytrue，Sir。Thereforetheman，whoisaskedbyanauthour，whathethinksofhiswork，isputtothetorture，andisnotobligedtospeakthetruth；sothatwhathesaysisnotconsideredashisopinion；yethehassaidit，andcannotretractit；andthisauthour，whenmankindarehuntinghimwithacannisterathistail，cansay，“I
wouldnothavepublished，hadnotJohnson，orReynolds，orMusgrave，orsomeothergoodjudge，commendedthework。“YetI
consideritasaverydifficultquestioninconscience，whetheroneshouldadviseamannottopublishawork，ifprofitbehisobject；
forthemanmaysay，“Haditnotbeenforyou，Ishouldhavehadthemoney。“Nowyoucannotbesure；foryouhaveonlyyourownopinion，andthepublickmaythinkverydifferently。’SIRJOSHUA
REYNOLDS。’Youmustuponsuchanoccasionhavetwojudgements；oneastotherealvalueofthework，theotherastowhatmaypleasethegeneraltasteatthetime。’JOHNSON。’ButyoucanbeSUREofneither；andthereforeIshouldscruplemuchtogiveasuppressivevote。BothGoldsmith’scomedieswereoncerefused；hisfirstbyGarrick，hissecondbyColman，whowasprevailedonatlastbymuchsolicitation，nay，akindofforce，tobringiton。HisVicarofWakefieldImyselfdidnotthinkwouldhavehadmuchsuccess。ItwaswrittenandsoldtoabooksellerbeforehisTraveller；butpublishedafter；solittleexpectationhadthebooksellerfromit。
HaditbeensoldaftertheTravellerhemighthavehadtwiceasmuchmoneyforit，thoughsixtyguineaswasnomeanprice。ThebooksellerhadtheadvantageofGoldsmith’sreputationfromTheTravellerinthesale，thoughGoldsmithhaditnotinsellingthecopy。’SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’TheBeggar’sOperaaffordsaproofhowstrangelypeoplewilldifferinopinionaboutaliteraryperformance。Burkethinksithasnomerit。’JOHNSON。’Itwasrefusedbyoneofthehouses；butIshouldhavethoughtitwouldsucceed，notfromanygreatexcellenceinthewriting，butfromthenovelty，andthegeneralspiritandgaietyofthepiece，whichkeepstheaudiencealwaysattentive，anddismissesthemingoodhumour。’
Wewenttothedrawing-room，wherewasaconsiderableincreaseofcompany。SeveralofusgotroundDr。Johnson，andcomplainedthathewouldnotgiveusanexactcatalogueofhisworks，thattheremightbeacompleteedition。Hesmiled，andevadedourentreaties。
Thatheintendedtodoit，Ihavenodoubt，becauseIhaveheardhimsayso；andIhaveinmypossessionanimperfectlist，fairlywrittenout，whichheentitlesHistoriaStudiorum。Ioncegotfromoneofhisfriendsalist，whichtherewasprettygoodreasontosupposewasaccurate，foritwaswrittendowninhispresencebythisfriend，whoenumeratedeacharticlealoud，andhadsomeofthemmentionedtohimbyMr。Levett，inconcertwithwhomitwasmadeout；andJohnson，whoheardallthis，didnotcontradictit。
ButwhenIshewedacopyofthislisttohim，andmentionedtheevidenceforitsexactness，helaughed，andsaid，’Iwaswillingtoletthemgoonastheypleased，andneverinterfered。’UponwhichIreadittohim，articlebyarticle，andgothimpositivelytoownorrefuse；andthen，havingobtainedcertaintysofar，Igotsomeotherarticlesconfirmedbyhimdirectly；andafterwards，fromtimetotime，madeadditionsunderhissanction。
TheconversationhavingturnedonBon-Mots，bequoted，fromoneoftheAna，anexquisiteinstanceofflatteryinamaidofhonourinFrance，whobeingaskedbytheQueenwhato’clockitwas，answered，’WhatyourMajestypleases。’HeadmittedthatMr。Burke’sclassicalpunuponMr。Wilkes’sbeingcarriedontheshouldersofthemob，——
’——NumerisqueferturLegesolutus，’
wasadmirable；andthoughhewasstrangelyunwillingtoallowtothatextraordinarymanthetalentofwit，healsolaughedwithapprobationatanotherofhisplayfulconceits；whichwas，that’Horacehasinonelinegivenadescriptionofagooddesirablemanour：——
“Estmodusinrebus，suntcertideniquefines；“
thatistosay，amodusastothetithesandcertainfines。’
Heobserved，’Amancannotwithproprietyspeakofhimself，exceptherelatessimplefacts；as，“IwasatRichmond：“orwhatdependsonmensuration；as，“Iamsixfeethigh。“HeissurehehasbeenatRichmond；heissureheissixfeethigh：buthecannotbesureheiswise，orthathehasanyotherexcellence。Then，allcensureofaman’sselfisobliquepraise。Itisinordertoshewhowmuchhecanspare。Ithasalltheinvidiousnessofself-praise，andallthereproachoffalsehood。’
OnTuesday，April28，hewasengagedtodineatGeneralPaoli’s，where，asIhavealreadyobserved，Iwasstillentertainedineleganthospitality，andwithalltheeaseandcomfortofahome。
Icalledonhim，andaccompaniedhiminahackney-coach。WestoppedfirstatthebottomofHedgelane，intowhichhewenttoleavealetter，’withgoodnewsforapoormanindistress，’ashetoldme。Ididnotquestionhimparticularlyastothis。HehimselfoftenresembledLadyBolingbroke’sLivelydescriptionofPope；that’hewasunpolitiqueauxchouxetauxraves。’Hewouldsay，’Idineto-dayinGrosvenor-square；’thismightbewithaDuke：or，perhaps，’Idineto-dayattheotherendofthetown：’
or，’Agentlemanofgreateminencecalledonmeyesterday。’Helovedthustokeepthingsfloatinginconjecture：Omneignotumpromagnificoest。IbelieveIventuredtodissipatethecloud，tounveilthemystery，morefreelyandfrequentlythananyofhisfriends。WestoppedagainatWirgman’s，thewell-knowntoy-shop，inSt。James’s-street，atthecornerofSt。James’s-place，towhichhehadbeendirected，butnotclearly，forhesearchedaboutsometime，andcouldnotfinditatfirst；andsaid，’TodirectoneonlytoacornershopisTOYINGwithone。’Isupposehemeantthisasaplayuponthewordtoy：itwasthefirsttimethatIknewhimstooptosuchsport。Afterhehadbeensometimeintheshop，hesentformetocomeoutofthecoach，andhelphimtochooseapairofsilverbuckles，asthosehehadweretoosmall。ProbablythisalterationindresshadbeensuggestedbyMrs。Thrale，byassociatingwithwhom，hisexternalappearancewasmuchimproved。
Hegotbettercloaths；andthedarkcolour，fromwhichheneverdeviated，wasenlivenedbymetalbuttons。Hiswigs，too，weremuchbetter；andduringtheirtravelsinFrance，hewasfurnishedwithaParis-madewig，ofhandsomeconstruction。Thischoosingofsilverbuckleswasanegociation：’Sir，saidhe，Iwillnothavetheridiculouslargeonesnowinfashion；andIwillgivenomorethanaguineaforapair。’SuchwerethePRINCIPLESofthebusiness；
and，aftersomeexamination，hewasfitted。Aswedrovealong，I
foundhiminatalkinghumour，ofwhichIavailedmyself。BOSWELL。
’IwasthismorninginRidley’sshop，Sir；andwastold，thatthecollectioncalledJohnsonianahassoldverymuch。’JOHNSON。’YettheJourneytotheHebrideshasnothadagreatsale。’BOSWELL。
’Thatisstrange。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir；forinthatbookIhavetoldtheworldagreatdealthattheydidnotknowbefore。’
BOSWELL。’Idrankchocolate，Sir，thismorningwithMr。Eld；and，tomynosmallsurprize，foundhimtobeaStaffordshireWhig，abeingwhichIdidnotbelievehadexisted。’JOHNSON。’Sir，therearerascalsinallcountries。’BOSWELL。’Eldsaid，aTorywasacreaturegeneratedbetweenanon-juringparsonandone’sgrandmother。’JOHNSON。’AndIhavealwayssaid，thefirstWhigwastheDevil。’BOSWELL。’Hecertainlywas，Sir。TheDevilwasimpatientofsubordination；hewasthefirstwhoresistedpower：——
“BettertoreigninHell，thanserveinHeaven。“’
AtGeneralPaoli’swereSirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。Langton，MarcheseGherardiofLombardy，andMr。JohnSpottiswoodetheyounger，ofSpottiswoode，thesolicitor。
Wetalkedofdrinkingwine。JOHNSON。’IrequirewineonlywhenI
amalone。Ihavethenoftenwishedforit，andoftentakenit。’
SPOTTISWOODE。’What，bywayofacompanion，Sir？’JOHNSON。’Togetridofmyself，tosendmyselfaway。Winegivesgreatpleasure；
andeverypleasureisofitselfagood。Itisagood，unlesscounterbalancedbyevil。Amanmayhaveastrongreasonnottodrinkwine；andthatmaybegreaterthanthepleasure。Winemakesamanbetterpleasedwithhimself。Idonotsaythatitmakeshimmorepleasingtoothers。Sometimesitdoes。Butthedangeris，thatwhileamangrowsbetterpleasedwithhimself，hemaybegrowinglesspleasingtoothers。Winegivesamannothing。Itneithergiveshimknowledgenorwit；itonlyanimatesaman，andenableshimtobringoutwhatadreadofthecompanyhadrepressed。
Itonlyputsinmotionwhathasbeenlockedupinfrost。Butthismaybegood，oritmaybebad。’SPOTTISWOODE。’So，Sir，wineisakeywhichopensabox；butthisboxmaybeeitherfullorempty。’
JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，conversationisthekey：wineisapick-lock，whichforcesopentheboxandinjuresit。Amanshouldcultivatehismindsoastohavethatconfidenceandreadinesswithoutwine，whichwinegives。’BOSWELL。’Thegreatdifficultyofresistingwineisfrombenevolence。Forinstance，agoodworthymanasksyoutotastehiswine，whichhehashadtwentyyearsinhiscellar。’
JOHNSON。’Sir，allthisnotionaboutbenevolencearisesfromaman’simagininghimselftobeofmoreimportancetoothers，thanhereallyis。Theydon’tcareafarthingwhetherhedrinkswineornot。’SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’Yes，theydoforthetime。’JOHNSON。
’Forthetime!——Iftheycarethisminute，theyforgetitthenext。
Andasforthegoodworthyman；howdoyouknowheisgoodandworthy？Nogoodandworthymanwillinsistuponanotherman’sdrinkingwine。Astothewinetwentyyearsinthecellar，——oftenmen，threesaythis，merelybecausetheymustsaysomething；——threearetellingalie，whentheysaytheyhavehadthewinetwentyyears；——threewouldrathersavethewine；——one，perhaps，cares。I
allowitissomethingtopleaseone’scompany：andpeoplearealwayspleasedwiththosewhopartakepleasurewiththem。Butafteramanhasbroughthimselftorelinquishthegreatpersonalpleasurewhicharisesfromdrinkingwine，anyotherconsiderationisatrifle。Topleaseothersbydrinkingwine，issomethingonly，iftherebenothingagainstit。Ishould，however，besorrytooffendworthymen：