Sheshallhaveallthat’sfineandfair，Andthebestofsilkandsatinshallwear；
Andrideinacoachtotaketheair，AndhaveahouseinSt。James’s-square。“
Tohearaman，oftheweightanddignityofJohnson，repeatingsuchhumbleattemptsatpoetry，hadaveryamusingeffect。He，however，seriouslyobservedofthelaststanzarepeatedbyhim，thatitnearlycomprizedalltheadvantagesthatwealthcangive。
’Aneminentforeigner，whenhewasshewntheBritishMuseum，wasverytroublesomewithmanyabsurdinquiries。“Nowthere，Sir，saidhe，isthedifferencebetweenanEnglishmanandaFrenchman。
AFrenchmanmustbealwaystalking，whetherheknowsanythingofthematterornot；anEnglishmaniscontenttosaynothing，whenhehasnothingtosay。“
’Hisunjustcontemptforforeignerswas，indeed，extreme。Oneevening，atoldSlaughter’scoffee-house，whenanumberofthemweretalkingloudaboutlittlematters，hesaid，“DoesnotthisconfirmoldMeynell’sobservation——ForanythingIsee，foreignersarefools。“’
’Hesaid，thatonce，whenhehadaviolenttooth-ache，aFrenchmanaccostedhimthus：——“Ah，Monsieurvousetudieztrop。“’
’Colman，inanoteonhistranslationofTerence，talkingofShakspeare’slearning，asks，“WhatsaysFarmertothis？WhatsaysJohnson？“Uponthisheobserved，“Sir，letFarmeranswerforhimself：Ineverengagedinthiscontroversy。Ialwayssaid，ShakspearehadLatinenoughtogrammaticisehisEnglish。“’
’Aclergyman，whomhecharacterisedasonewholovedtosaylittleoddities，wasaffectingoneday，ataBishop’stable，asortofslynessandfreedomnotincharacter，andrepeated，asifpartofTheOldMan’sWish，asongbyDr。WalterPope，averseborderingonlicentiousness。Johnsonrebukedhiminthefinestmanner，byfirstshewinghimthathedidnotknowthepassagehewasaimingat，andthushumblinghim：
“Sir，thatisnotthesong：itisthus。“Andhegaveitright。
Thenlookingstedfastlyonhim，“Sir，thereisapartofthatsongwhichIshouldwishtoexemplifyinmyownlife：——
“MayIgovernmypassionswithabsolutesway!“’
’Heusedfrequentlytoobserve，thatmenmightbeveryeminentinaprofession，withoutourperceivinganyparticularpowerofmindintheminconversation。“Itseemsstrangesaidhe，thatamanshouldseesofartotheright，whoseessoshortawaytotheleft。Burkeistheonlymanwhosecommonconversationcorrespondswiththegeneralfamewhichhehasintheworld。Takeupwhatevertopickyouplease，heisreadytomeetyou。“’
’Mr。Langton，whenaveryyoungman，readDodsley’sCleone，aTragedy，tohim，notawareofhisextremeimpatiencetobereadto。
Asitwentonheturnedhisfacetothebackofhischair，andputhimselfintovariousattitudes，whichmarkedhisuneasiness。Attheendofanact，however，hesaid，“Comelet’shavesomemore，let’sgointotheslaughter-houseagain，Lanky。ButIamafraidthereismorebloodthanbrains。“
’Snatchesofreadingsaidhe，willnotmakeaBentleyoraClarke。Theyare，however，inacertaindegreeadvantageous。I
wouldputachildintoalibrarywherenounfitbooksareandlethimreadathischoice。Achildshouldnotbediscouragedfromreadinganythingthathetakesalikingto，fromanotionthatitisabovehisreach。Ifthatbetheease，thechildwillsoonfinditoutanddesist；ifnot，heofcoursegainstheinstruction；
whichissomuchthemorelikelytocome，fromtheinclinationwithwhichhetakesupthestudy。’
’AgentlemanwhointroducedhisbrothertoDr。JohnsonwasearnesttorecommendhimtotheDoctor’snotice，whichhedidbysaying，“Whenwehavesattogethersometime，you’llfindmybrothergrowveryentertaining。“——“Sir，saidJohnson，Icanwait。“’
’Inthelatterpartofhislife，inordertosatisfyhimselfwhetherhismentalfacultieswereimpaired，heresolvedthathewouldtrytolearnanewlanguage，andfixedupontheLowDutch，forthatpurpose，andthishecontinuedtillhehadreadaboutonehalfofThomasaKempis；andfindingthatthereappearednoabatementofhispowerofacquisition，hethendesisted，asthinkingtheexperimenthadbeendulytried。’
’Mr。LangtonandhehavinggonetoseeaFreemason’sfuneralprocession，whentheywereatRochester，andsomesolemnmusickbeingplayedonFrenchhorns，hesaid，“ThisisthefirsttimethatIhaveeverbeenaffectedbymusicalsounds；“adding，“thattheimpressionmadeuponhimwasofamelancholykind。“Mr。Langtonsaying，thatthiseffectwasafineone，——JOHNSON。“Yes，ifitsoftensthemind，soastoprepareitforthereceptionofsalutaryfeelings，itmaybegood：butinasmuchasitismelancholyperse，itisbad。“’
’Goldsmithhadlongavisionaryproject，thatsometimeorotherwhenhiscircumstancesshouldbeeasier，hewouldgotoAleppo，inordertoacquireaknowledgeasfarasmightbeofanyartspeculiartotheEast，andintroducethemintoBritain。WhenthiswastalkedofinDr。Johnson’scompany，hesaid，“OfallmenGoldsmithisthemostunfittogooutuponsuchaninquiry；forheisutterlyignorantofsuchartsaswealreadypossess，andconsequentlycouldnotknowwhatwouldbeaccessionstoourpresentstockofmechanicalknowledge。Sir，hewouldbringhomeagrindingbarrow，whichyouseeineverystreetinLondon，andthinkthathehadfurnishedawonderfulimprovement。“’
’Greek，Sir，saidhe，islikelace；everymangetsasmuchofitashecan。’
’JohnsononedaygavehighpraisetoDr。Bentley’sversesinDodsley’sCollection，whichherecitedwithhisusualenergy。Dr。
AdamSmith，whowaspresent，observedinhisdecisiveprofessorialmanner，“Verywell——Verywell。“Johnsonhoweveradded，“Yes，theyAREverywell，Sir；butyoumayobserveinwhatmannertheyarewell。Theyaretheforcibleversesofamanofastrongmind，butnotaccustomedtowriteverse；forthereissomeuncouthnessintheexpression。“’
’DrinkingteaonedayatGarrick’swithMr。Langton，hewasquestionedifhewasnotsomewhatofaheretickastoShakspeare；
saidGarrick，“Idoubtheisalittleofaninfidel。“——“Sir，saidJohnson，IwillstandbythelinesIhavewrittenonShakspeareinmyPrologueattheopeningofyourTheatre。“Mr。Langtonsuggested，thatintheline“AndpantingTimetoil’dafterhiminvain，“
JohnsonmighthavehadinhiseyethepassageinTheTempest，whereProsperosaysofMiranda，“——Shewilloutstripallpraise，Andmakeithaltbehindher。“
Johnsonsaidnothing。Garrickthenventuredtoobserve，“IdonotthinkthatthehappiestlineinthepraiseofShakspeare。“Johnsonexclaimedsmiling，“Prosaicalrogues!nexttimeIwrite，I’llmakebothtimeandspacepant。“’
’ItiswellknownthattherewasformerlyarudecustomforthosewhoweresailingupontheThames，toaccosteachotherastheypassed，inthemostabusivelanguagetheycouldinvent，generally，however，withasmuchsatiricalhumourastheywerecapableofproducing。Addisongivesaspecimenofthisribaldry，inNumber383ofTheSpectator，whenSirRogerdeCoverlyandhearegoingtoSpring-garden。Johnsonwasonceeminentlysuccessfulinthisspeciesofcontest；afellowhavingattackedhimwithsomecoarseraillery，Johnsonansweredhimthus，“Sir，yourwife，underpretenceofkeepingabawdy-house，isareceiverofstolengoods。“
OneeveningwhenheandMr。BurkeandMr。Langtonwereincompanytogether，andtheadmirablescoldingofTimonofAthenswasmentioned，thisinstanceofJohnson’swasquoted，andthoughttohaveatleastequalexcellence。’
’AsJohnsonalwaysallowedtheextraordinarytalentsofMr。Burke，soMr。BurkewasfullysensibleofthewonderfulpowersofJohnson。
Mr。Langtonrecollectshavingpassedaneveningwithbothofthem，whenMr。Burkerepeatedlyenteredupontopickswhichitwasevidenthewouldhaveillustratedwithextensiveknowledgeandrichnessofexpression；butJohnsonalwaysseizedupontheconversation，inwhich，however，heacquittedhimselfinamostmasterlymanner。AsMr。BurkeandMr。Langtonwerewalkinghome，Mr。BurkeobservedthatJohnsonhadbeenverygreatthatnight；Mr。Langtonjoinedinthis，butadded，hecouldhavewishedtohearmorefromanotherperson；plainlyintimatingthathemeantMr。Burke。“O，nosaidMr。Burke，itisenoughformetohaverungthebelltohim。“’
’Beauclerkhavingobservedtohimofoneoftheirfriends，thathewasaukwardatcountingmoney，“Why，Sir，saidJohnson，Iamlikewiseaukwardatcountingmoney。Butthen，Sir，thereasonisplain；Ihavehadverylittlemoneytocount。“’
’Goldsmith，uponbeingvisitedbyJohnsononedayintheTemple，saidtohimwithalittlejealousyoftheappearanceofhisaccommodation，“Ishallsoonbeinbetterchambersthanthese。“
Johnsonatthesametimecheckedhimandpaidhimahandsomecompliment，implyingthatamanofhistalentsshouldbeaboveattentiontosuchdistinctions，——“Nay，Sir，nevermindthat。Niltequaesiverisextra。“’
’WhenMr。VeseywasproposedasamemberofTheLITERARYCLUB，Mr。
Burkebeganbysayingthathewasamanofgentlemanners。“Sir，saidJohnson，youneedsaynomore。Whenyouhavesaidamanofgentlemanners；youhavesaidenough。“’
’ThelateMr。FitzherberttoldMr。LangtonthatJohnsonsaidtohim，“Sir，amanhasnomorerighttoSAYanuncivilthing，thantoACTone；nomorerighttosayarudethingtoanotherthantoknockhimdown“’
’Richardsonhadlittleconversation，exceptabouthisownworks，ofwhichSirJoshuaReynoldssaidhewasalwayswillingtotalk，andgladtohavethemintroduced。JohnsonwhenhecarriedMr。Langtontoseehim，professedthathecouldbringhimoutintoconversation，andusedthisallusiveexpression，“Sir，IcanmakehimREAR。“Buthefailed；forinthatinterviewRichardsonsaidlittleelsethanthattherelayintheroomatranslationofhisClarissaintoGerman。’
’OncewhensomebodyproducedanewspaperinwhichtherewasaletterofstupidabuseofSirJoshuaReynolds，ofwhichJohnsonhimselfcameinforashare，——“Pray，“saidhe，“letushaveitreadaloudfrombeginningtoend；“whichbeingdone，hewithaludicrousearnestness，andnotdirectinghislooktoanyparticularperson，calledout，“Arewealiveafterallthissatire!“’
’OfDr。Goldsmithhesaid，“Nomanwasmorefoolishwhenhehadnotapeninhishand，ormorewisewhenhehad。“’
’AnobservationofBathurst’smaybementioned，whichJohnsonrepeated，appearingtoacknowledgeittobewellfounded，namely，itwassomewhatremarkablehowseldom，onoccasionofcomingintothecompanyofanynewperson，onefeltanywishorinclinationtoseehimagain。’
1781：AETAT。72。]——In1781JohnsonatlastcompletedhisLivesofthePoets，ofwhichhegivesthisaccount：’SometimeinMarchI
finishedtheLivesofthePoets，whichIwroteinmyusualway，dilatorilyandhastily，unwillingtowork，andworkingwithvigourandhaste。’Inamemorandumprevioustothis，hesaysofthem：
’Written，Ihope，insuchamannerasmaytendtothepromotionofpiety。’
Thebooksellers，justlysensibleofthegreatadditionalvalueofthecopy-right，presentedhimwithanotherhundredpounds，overandabovetwohundred，forwhichhisagreementwastofurnishsuchprefacesashethoughtfit。
Ashewassogoodastomakemeapresentofthegreatestpartoftheoriginalandindeedonlymanuscriptofthisadmirablework，I
haveanopportunityofobservingwithwonder，thecorrectnesswithwhichherapidlystruckoffsuchglowingcomposition。
TheLifeofCOWLEYhehimselfconsideredasthebestofthewhole，onaccountofthedissertationwhichitcontainsontheMetaphysicalPoets。