knowit。Butinalowertone，itwastopayacomplimenttotheDuchessofDevonshire，withwhichherGracewaspleased。SheiswalkingacrossCoxheath，inthemilitaryuniform，andIsupposehertobetheGeniusofBritain。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youaregivingareasonforit；butthatwillnotmakeitright。Youmayhaveareasonwhytwoandtwoshouldmakefive；buttheywillstillmakebutfour。’
AlthoughIwasseveraltimeswithhiminthecourseofthefollowingdays，suchitseemsweremyoccupations，orsuchmynegligence，thatIhavepreservednomemorialofhisconversationtillFriday，March26，whenIvisitedhim。HesaidheexpectedtobeattackedonaccountofhisLivesofthePoets。’Howeversaidhe，Iwouldratherbeattackedthanunnoticed。Fortheworstthingyoucandotoanauthouristobesilentastohisworks。Anassaultuponatownisabadthing；butstarvingitisstillworse；
anassaultmaybeunsuccessful；youmayhavemoremenkilledthanyoukill；butifyoustarvethetown，youaresureofvictory。’
Talkingofafriendofoursassociatingwithpersonsofverydiscordantprinciplesandcharacters；Isaidhewasaveryuniversalman，quiteamanoftheworld。JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir；butonemaybesomuchamanoftheworldastobenothingintheworld。IrememberapassageinGoldsmith’sVicarofWakefield，whichhewasafterwardsfoolenoughtoexpunge：“Idonotloveamanwhoiszealousfornothing。“’BOSWELL。’Thatwasafinepassage。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir：therewasanotherfinepassagetoo，whichbestruckout：“WhenIwasayoungman，beinganxioustodistinguishmyself，Iwasperpetuallystartingnewpropositions。
ButIsoongavethisover；for，Ifoundthatgenerallywhatwasnewwasfalse。“’IsaidIdidnotliketositwithpeopleofwhomI
hadnotagoodopinion。JOHNSON。’Butyoumustnotindulgeyourdelicacytoomuch；oryouwillbeatete-a-tetemanallyourlife。’
DuringmystayinLondonthisspring，IfindIwasunaccountablynegligentinpreservingJohnson’ssayings，moresothanatanytimewhenIwashappyenoughtohaveanopportunityofhearinghiswisdomandwit。Thereisnohelpforitnow。ImustcontentmyselfwithpresentingsuchscrapsasIhave。ButIamneverthelessashamedandvexedtothinkhowmuchhasbeenlost。Itisnotthattherewasabadcropthisyear；butthatIwasnotsufficientlycarefulingatheringitin。I，therefore，insomeinstancescanonlyexhibitafewdetachedfragments。
TalkingofthewonderfulconcealmentoftheauthourofthecelebratedletterssignedJunius；hesaid，’IshouldhavebelievedBurketobeJunius，becauseIknownomanbutBurkewhoiscapableofwritingtheseletters；butBurkespontaneouslydeniedittome。
ThecasewouldhavebeendifferenthadIaskedhimifhewastheauthour；amansoquestioned，astoananonymouspublication，maythinkhehasarighttodenyit。’
OnWednesday，March31，whenIvisitedhim，andconfessedanexcessofwhichIhadveryseldombeenguilty；thatIhadspentawholenightinplayingatcards，andthatIcouldnotlookbackonitwithsatisfaction；insteadofaharshanimadversion，hemildlysaid，’Alas，Sir，onhowfewthingscanwelookbackwithsatisfaction。’
OnFriday，April2，beingGood-Friday，Ivisitedhiminthemorningasusual；andfindingthatweinsensiblyfellintoatrainofridiculeuponthefoiblesofoneofourfriends，averyworthyman，I，bywayofacheck，quotedsomegoodadmonitionfromTheGovernmentoftheTongue，thatverypiousbook。Ithappenedalsoremarkablyenough，thatthesubjectofthesermonpreachedtousto-daybyDr。Burrows，therectorofSt。ClementDanes，wasthecertaintythatatthelastdaywemustgiveanaccountof’thedeedsdoneinthebody；’and，amongstvariousactsofculpabilityhementionedevil-speaking。Asweweremovingslowlyalonginthecrowdfromchurch，Johnsonjoggedmyelbow，andsaid，’Didyouattendtothesermon？’’Yes，Sir，saidI，itwasveryapplicabletoUS。’He，however，stooduponthedefensive。’Why，Sir，thesenseofridiculeisgivenus，andmaybelawfullyused。TheauthourofTheGovernmentoftheTonguewouldhaveustreatallmenalike。’
Intheintervalbetweenmorningandeveningservice，heendeavouredtoemployhimselfearnestlyindevotionalexercises；andashehasmentionedinhisPrayersandMeditations，gavemeLesPenseesdePaschal，thatImightnotinterrupthim。Ipreservethebookwithreverence。Hispresentingittomeismarkeduponitwithhisownhand，andIhavefoundinitatrulydivineunction。Wewenttochurchagainintheafternoon。
OnWednesday，April7，IdinedwithhimatSirJoshuaReynolds’s。
Ihavenotmarkedwhatcompanywasthere。Johnsonharangueduponthequalitiesofdifferentliquors；andspokewithgreatcontemptofclaret，assoweak，thatamanwouldbedrownedbyitbeforeitmadehimdrunk。’Hewaspersuadedtodrinkoneglassofit，thathemightjudge，notfromrecollection，whichmightbedim，butfromimmediatesensation。Heshookhishead，andsaid，’Poorstuff!
No，Sir，claretistheliquorforboys；portformen；buthewhoaspirestobeaherosmiling，mustdrinkbrandy。Inthefirstplace，theflavourofbrandyismostgratefultothepalate；andthenbrandywilldosoonestforamanwhatdrinkingCANdoforhim。
Thereare，indeed，fewwhoareabletodrinkbrandy。Thatisapowerrathertobewishedforthanattained。Andyet，proceededhe，asinallpleasurehopeisaconsiderablepart，Iknownotbutfruitioncomestooquickbybrandy。FlorencewineIthinktheworst；itiswineonlytotheeye；itiswineneitherwhileyouaredrinkingit，norafteryouhavedrunkit；itneitherpleasesthetaste，norexhilaratesthespirits。’IremindedhimhowheartilyheandIusedtodrinkwinetogether，whenwewerefirstacquainted；andhowIusedtohaveahead-acheaftersittingupwithhim。Hedidnotliketohavethisrecalled，or，perhaps，thinkingthatIboastedimproperly，resolvedtohaveawittystrokeatme：’Nay，Sir，itwasnottheWINEthatmadeyourheadache，buttheSENSEthatIputintoit。’BOSWELL。’What，Sir!willsensemaketheheadache？’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，withasmile，whenitisnotusedtoit。’——Nomanwhohasatruerelishofpleasantrycouldbeoffendedatthis；especiallyifJohnsoninalongintimacyhadgivenhimrepeatedproofsofhisregardandgoodestimation。I
usedtosay，thatashehadgivenmeathousandpoundsinpraise，hehadagoodrightnowandthentotakeaguineafromme。
OnThursday，April8，IdinedwithhimatMr。AllanRamsay’s，withLordGrahamandsomeothercompany。WetalkedofShakspeare’switches。JOHNSON。’Theyarebeingsofhisowncreation；theyareacompoundofmalignityandmeanness，withoutanyabilities；andarequitedifferentfromtheItalianmagician。KingJamessaysinhisDaemonology，’Magicianscommandthedevils：witchesaretheirservants。TheItalianmagiciansareelegantbeings。’RAMSAY。
’Operawitches，notDrury-lanewitches。’Johnsonobserved，thatabilitiesmightbeemployedinanarrowsphere，asingettingmoney，whichhesaidhebelievednomancoulddo，withoutvigorousparts，thoughconcentratedtoapoint。RAMSAY。’Yes，likeastronghorseinamill；hepullsbetter。’
LordGraham，whilehepraisedthebeautyofLochlomond，onthebanksofwhichishisfamilyseat，complainedoftheclimate，andsaidhecouldnotbearit。JOHNSON。’Nay，myLord，don’ttalkso：
youmaybearitwellenough。YourancestorshaveborneitmoreyearsthanIcantell。’ThiswasahandsomecomplimenttotheantiquityoftheHouseofMontrose。HisLordshiptoldmeafterwards，thathehadonlyaffectedtocomplainoftheclimate；
lest，ifhehadspokenasfavourablyofhiscountryashereallythought，Dr。Johnsonmighthaveattackedit。JohnsonwasverycourteoustoLadyMargaretMacdonald。’Madam，saidhe，whenI
wasintheIsleofSky，Iheardofthepeoplerunningtotakethestonesofftheroad，lestLadyMargaret’shorseshouldstumble。’
LordGrahamcommendedDr。DrummondatNaples，asamanofextraordinarytalents；andadded，thathehadagreatloveofliberty。JOHNSON。’HeisYOUNG，myLord；lookingtohisLordshipwithanarchsmile，allBOYSloveliberty，tillexperienceconvincesthemtheyarenotsofittogovernthemselvesastheyimagined。Weareallagreedastoourownliberty；wewouldhaveasmuchofitaswecanget；butwearenotagreedastothelibertyofothers：forinproportionaswetake，othersmustlose。
Ibelievewehardlywishthatthemobshouldhavelibertytogovernus。Whenthatwasthecasesometimeago，nomanwasatlibertynottohavecandlesinhiswindows。’RAMSAY。’Theresultis，thatorderisbetterthanconfusion。’JOHNSON。’Theresultis，thatordercannotbehadbutbysubordination。’
OnFriday，April16，IhadbeenpresentatthetrialoftheunfortunateMr。Hackman，who，inafitoffrantickjealouslove，hadshotMissRay，thefavouriteofanobleman。Johnson，inwhosecompanyIdinedto-daywithsomeotherfriends，wasmuchinterestedbymyaccountofwhatpassed，andparticularlywithhisprayerforthemercyofheaven。Hesaid，inasolemnfervidtone，’IhopeheSHALLfindmercy。’
ThisdayaviolentaltercationarosebetweenJohnsonandBeauclerk，whichhavingmademuchnoiseatthetime，Ithinkitproper，inordertopreventanyfuturemisrepresentation，togiveaminuteaccountofit。
IntalkingofHackman，Johnsonargued，asJudgeBlackstonehaddone，thathisbeingfurnishedwithtwopistolswasaproofthathemeanttoshoottwopersons。Mr。Beauclerksaid，’No；forthateverywisemanwhointendedtoshoothimself，tooktwopistols，thathemightbesureofdoingitatonce。Lord——’
cookshothimselfwithonepistol，andlivedtendaysingreatagony。Mr——，wholovedbutteredmuffins，butdurstnoteatthembecausetheydisagreedwithhisstomach，resolvedtoshoothimself；andthenheeatthreebutteredmuffinsforbreakfast，beforeshootinghimself，knowingthatheshouldnotbetroubledwithindigestion：HEhadtwochargedpistols；onewasfoundlyingchargeduponthetablebyhim，afterhehadshothimselfwiththeother。’’Well，saidJohnson，withanairoftriumph，youseehereonepistolwassufficient。’Beauclerkrepliedsmartly，’Becauseithappenedtokillhim。’Andeitherthenoraverylittleafterwards，beingpiquedatJohnson’striumphantremark，added，’Thisiswhatyoudon’tknow，andIdo。’Therewasthenacessationofthedispute；andsomeminutesintervened，duringwhich，dinnerandtheglasswentoncheerfully；whenJohnsonsuddenlyandabruptlyexclaimed，’Mr。Beauclerk，howcameyoutotalksopetulantlytome，as“Thisiswhatyoudon’tknow，butwhatIknow“？OnethingIknow，whichYOUdon’tseemtoknow，thatyouareveryuncivil。’BEAUCLERK。’BecauseYOUbeganbybeinguncivil，whichyoualwaysare。’Thewordsinparenthesiswere，I
believe，notheardbyDr。Johnson。Hereagaintherewasacessationofarms。Johnsontoldme，thatthereasonwhyhewaitedatfirstsometimewithouttakinganynoticeofwhatMr。Beauclerksaid，wasbecausehewasthinkingwhetherheshouldresentit。ButwhenheconsideredthattherewerepresentayoungLordandaneminenttraveller，twomenoftheworldwithwhomhehadneverdinedbefore，hewasapprehensivethattheymightthinktheyhadarighttotakesuchlibertieswithhimasBeauclerkdid，andthereforeresolvedhewouldnotletitpass；adding，that’hewouldnotappearacoward。’Alittlewhileafterthis，theconversationturnedontheviolenceofHackman’stemper。Johnsonthensaid，’ItwashisbusinesstoCOMMANDhistemper，asmyfriend，Mr。
Beauclerk，shouldhavedonesometimeago。’BEAUCLERK。’IshouldlearnofYOU，Sir。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavegivenME
opportunitiesenoughoflearning，whenIhavebeeninYOURcompany。