TheheterogeneouscompositionofhumannaturewasremarkablyexemplifiedinJohnson。Hisliberalityingivinghismoneytopersonsindistresswasextraordinary。Yettherelurkedabouthimapropensitytopaultrysaving。OnedayIownedtohimthat’IwasoccasionallytroubledwithafitofNARROWNESS。’’Why，Sir，saidhe，soamI。BUTIDONOTTELLIT。’Hehasnowandthenborrowedashillingofme；andwhenIaskedforitagain，seemedtoberatheroutofhumour。Adrolllittlecircumstanceonceoccurred：
asifhemeanttoreprimandmyminuteexactnessasacreditor，hethusaddressedme；——’Boswell，LENDmesixpence——NOTTOBEREPAID。’
Thisgreatman’sattentiontosmallthingswasveryremarkable。Asaninstanceofit，heonedaysaidtome，’Sir，whenyougetsilverinchangeforaguinea，lookcarefullyatit；youmayfindsomecuriouspieceofcoin。’
ThoughasternTRUE-BORNENGLISHMAN，andfullyprejudicedagainstallothernations，hehaddiscernmentenoughtosee，andcandourenoughtocensure，thecoldreservetoocommonamongEnglishmentowardsstrangers：’Sir，saidhe，twomenofanyothernationwhoareshewnintoaroomtogether，atahousewheretheyarebothvisitors，willimmediatelyfindsomeconversation。ButtwoEnglishmenwillprobablygoeachtoadifferentwindow，andremaininobstinatesilence。Sir，weasyetdonotenoughunderstandthecommonrightsofhumanity。’
Johnson，forsportperhaps，orfromthespiritofcontradiction，eagerlymaintainedthatDerrickhadmeritasawriter。Mr。
Morgann*arguedwithhimdirectly，invain。Atlengthhehadrecoursetothisdevice。’Pray，Sir，saidhe，whetherdoyoureckonDerrickorSmartthebestpoet？’Johnsonatoncefelthimselfroused；andanswered，’Sir，thereisnosettlingthepointofprecedencybetweenalouseandaflea。’
*AuthoroftheEssayontheCharacterofFalstaff——ED。
Hewaspleasedtosaytomeonemorningwhenwewereleftaloneinhisstudy，’Boswell，IthinkIameasierwithyouthanwithalmostanybody。’
HewouldnotallowMr。DavidHumeanycreditforhispoliticalprinciples，thoughsimilartohisown；sayingofhim，’Sir，hewasaTorybychance。’
Hisacuteobservationofhumanlifemadehimremark，’Sir，thereisnothingbywhichamanexasperatesmostpeoplemore，thanbydisplayingasuperiourabilityorbrilliancyinconversation。Theyseempleasedatthetime；buttheirenvymakesthemcursehimintheirhearts。’
Johnson’sloveoflittlechildren，whichhediscovereduponalloccasions，callingthem’prettydears，’andgivingthemsweetmeats，wasanundoubtedproofoftherealhumanityandgentlenessofhisdisposition。
Hisuncommonkindnesstohisservants，andseriousconcern，notonlyfortheircomfortinthisworld，buttheirhappinessinthenext，wasanotherunquestionableevidenceofwhatall，whowereintimatelyacquaintedwithhim，knewtobetrue。
Norwoulditbejust，underthishead，toomitthefondnesswhichheshewedforanimalswhichhehadtakenunderhisprotection。I
nevershallforgettheindulgencewithwhichhetreatedHodge，hiscat：forwhomhehimselfusedtogooutandbuyoysters，lesttheservantshavingthattroubleshouldtakeadisliketothepoorcreature。Iam，unluckily，oneofthosewhohaveanantipathytoacat，sothatIamuneasywhenintheroomwithone；andIown，I
frequentlysufferedagooddealfromthepresenceofthissameHodge。IrecollecthimonedayscramblingupDr。Johnson’sbreast，apparentlywithmuchsatisfaction，whilemyfriendsmilingandhalf-whistling，rubbeddownhisback，andpulledhimbythetail；
andwhenIobservedhewasafinecat，saying，’Whyyes，Sir，butI
havehadcatswhomIlikedbetterthanthis；’andthenasifperceivingHodgetobeoutofcountenance，adding，’butheisaveryfinecat，averyfinecatindeed。’
ThisremindsmeoftheludicrousaccountwhichhegaveMr。Langton，ofthedespicablestateofayoungGentlemanofgoodfamily。’Sir，whenIheardofhimlast，hewasrunningabouttownshootingcats。’
Andtheninasortofkindlyreverie，hebethoughthimselfofhisownfavouritecat，andsaid，’ButHodgeshan’tbeshot；no，no，Hodgeshallnotbeshot。’
OnThursday，April10，Iintroducedtohim，athishouseinBolt-
court，theHonourableandReverendWilliamStuart，sonoftheEarlofBute；agentlemantrulyworthyofbeingknowntoJohnson；being，withalltheadvantagesofhighbirth，learning，travel，andelegantmanners，anexemplaryparishpriestineveryrespect。
Aftersomecomplimentsonbothsides，thetourwhichJohnsonandI
hadmadetotheHebrideswasmentioned。JOHNSON。’IgotanacquisitionofmoreideasbyitthanbyanythingthatIremember。
Isawquiteadifferentsystemoflife。’BOSWELL。’Youwouldnotliketomakethesamejourneyagain？’JOHNSON。’Whyno，Sir；notthesame：itisataletold。Gravina，anItaliancritick，observes，thateverymandesirestoseethatofwhichhehasread；
butnomandesirestoreadanaccountofwhathehasseen：somuchdoesdescriptionfallshortofreality。Descriptiononlyexcitescuriosity：seeingsatisfiesit。OtherpeoplemaygoandseetheHebrides。’BOSWELL。’IshouldwishtogoandseesomecountrytotallydifferentfromwhatIhavebeenusedto；suchasTurkey，wherereligionandeverythingelsearedifferent。’JOHNSON。
’Yes，Sir；therearetwoobjectsofcuriosity，——theChristianworld，andtheMahometanworld。Alltherestmaybeconsideredasbarbarous。’BOSWELL。’Pray，Sir，istheTurkishSpyagenuinebook？’JOHNSON。’No，Sir。Mrs。Manley，inherLife，saysthatherfatherwrotethefirsttwovolumes：andinanotherbook，Dunton’sLifeandErrours，wefindthattherestwaswrittenbyoneSault，attwoguineasasheet，underthedirectionofDr。
Midgeley。’
AboutthistimehewrotetoMrs。LucyPorter，mentioninghisbadhealth，andthatheintendedavisittoLichfield。’Itis，sayshe，withnogreatexpectationofamendmentthatImakeeveryyearajourneyintothecountry；butitispleasanttovisitthosewhosekindnesshasbeenoftenexperienced。’
OnApril18，beingGood-Friday，Ifoundhimatbreakfast，inhisusualmanneruponthatday，drinkingteawithoutmilk，andeatingacross-buntopreventfaintness；wewenttoSt。Clement’schurch，asformerly。Whenwecamehomefromchurch，heplacedhimselfononeofthestone-seatsathisgarden-door，andItooktheother，andthusintheopenairandinaplacidframeofmind，hetalkedawayveryeasily。JOHNSON。’WereIacountrygentleman，Ishouldnotbeveryhospitable，Ishouldnothavecrowdsinmyhouse。’
BOSWELL。’SirAlexanderDicktellsme，thatheremembershavingathousandpeopleinayeartodineathishouse：thatis，reckoningeachpersonasone，eachtimethathedinedthere。’JOHNSON。
’That，Sir，isaboutthreeaday。’BOSWELL。’Howyourstatementlessenstheidea。’JOHNSON。’That，Sir，isthegoodofcounting。
Itbringseverythingtoacertainty，whichbeforefloatedinthemindindefinitely。’
BOSWELL。’Iwishtohaveagoodwalledgarden。’JOHNSON。’I
don’tthinkitwouldbeworththeexpencetoyou。WecomputeinEngland，aparkwallatathousandpoundsamile；nowagarden-wallmustcostatleastasmuch。Youintendyourtreesshouldgrowhigherthanadeerwillleap。Nowletussee；forahundredpoundsyoucouldonlyhaveforty-foursquareyards，whichisverylittle；
fortwohundredpounds，youmayhaveeighty-foursquareyards，whichisverywell。Butwhenwillyougetthevalueoftwohundredpoundsofwalls，infruit，inyourclimate？No，Sir，suchcontentionwithNatureisnotworthwhile。Iwouldplantanorchard，andhaveplentyofsuchfruitasripenwellinyourcountry。Myfriend，Dr。Madden，ofIreland，said，that“inanorchardthereshouldbeenoughtoeat，enoughtolayup，enoughtobestolen，andenoughtorotupontheground。“Cherriesareanearlyfruit，youmayhavethem；andyoumayhavetheearlyapplesandpears。’BOSWELL。’Wecannothavenonpareils。’JOHNSON。
’Sir，youcannomorehavenonpareilsthanyoucanhavegrapes。’
BOSWELL。’Wehavethem，Sir；buttheyareverybad。’JOHNSON。
’Nay，Sir，nevertrytohaveathingmerelytoshewthatyouCANNOT
haveit。Fromgroundthatwouldletforfortyshillingsyoumayhavealargeorchard；andyouseeitcostsyouonlyfortyshillings。Nay，youmaygrazethegroundwhenthetreesaregrownup；youcannotwhiletheyareyoung。’BOSWELL。’IsnotagoodgardenaverycommonthinginEngland，Sir？’JOHNSON。’Notsocommon，Sir，asyouimagine。InLincolnshirethereishardlyanorchard；inStaffordshireverylittlefruit。’BOSWELL。’HasLangtonnoorchard？’JOHNSON。’No，Sir。’BOSWELL。’Howso，Sir？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，fromthegeneralnegligenceofthecounty。Hehasitnot，becausenobodyelsehasit。’BOSWELL。’A
hot-houseisacertainthing；Imayhavethat。’JOHNSON。’Ahot-
houseisprettycertain；butyoumustfirstbuildit，thenyoumustkeepfiresinit，andyoumusthaveagardenertotakecareofit。’
BOSWELL。’ButifIhaveagardeneratanyrate？——’JOHNSON。
’Why，yes。’BOSWELL。’I’dhaveitnearmyhouse；thereisnoneedtohaveitintheorchard。’JOHNSON。’Yes，I’dhaveitnearmyhouse。Iwouldplantagreatmanycurrants；thefruitisgood，andtheymakeaprettysweetmeat。’
Irecordthisminutedetail，whichsomemaythinktrifling，inordertoshewclearlyhowthisgreatman，whosemindcouldgraspsuchlargeandextensivesubjects，ashehasshewninhisliterarylabours，wasyetwell-informedinthecommonaffairsoflife，andlovedtoillustratethem。
Talkingoftheoriginoflanguage；JOHNSON。’Itmusthavecomebyinspiration。Athousand，nay，amillionofchildrencouldnotinventalanguage。Whiletheorgansarepliable，thereisnotunderstandingenoughtoformalanguage；bythetimethatthereisunderstandingenough，theorgansarebecomestiff。Weknowthatafteracertainagewecannotlearntopronounceanewlanguage。
Noforeigner，whocomestoEnglandwhenadvancedinlife，everpronouncesEnglishtolerablywell；atleastsuchinstancesareveryrare。WhenImaintainthatlanguagemusthavecomebyinspiration，Idonotmeanthatinspirationisrequiredforrhetorick，andallthebeautiesoflanguage；forwhenoncemanhaslanguage，wecanconceivethathemaygraduallyformmodificationsofit。Imeanonlythatinspirationseemstometobenecessarytogivemanthefacultyofspeech；toinformhimthathemayhavespeech；whichI
thinkhecouldnomorefindoutwithoutinspiration，thancowsorhogswouldthinkofsuchafaculty。’WALKER。’Doyouthink，Sir，thatthereareanyperfectsynonimesinanylanguage？’JOHNSON。
’Originallytherewerenot；butbyusingwordsnegligently，orinpoetry，onewordcomestobeconfoundedwithanother。’
HetalkedofDr。Dodd。’Afriendofmine，saidhe，cametomeandtoldme，thataladywishedtohaveDr。Dodd’spictureinabracelet，andaskedmeforamotto。Isaid，IcouldthinkofnobetterthanCurratLex。Iwasverywillingtohavehimpardoned，thatis，tohavethesentencechangedtotransportation：but，whenhewasoncehanged，Ididnotwishheshouldbemadeasaint。’
Mrs。Burney，wifeofhisfriendDr。Burney，camein，andheseemedtobeentertainedwithherconversation。
Garrick’sfuneralwastalkedofasextravagantlyexpensive。
Johnson，fromhisdisliketoexaggeration，wouldnotallowthatitwasdistinguishedbyanyextraordinarypomp。’Weretherenotsixhorsestoeachcoach？’saidMrs。Burney。JOHNSON。’Madam，therewerenomoresixhorsesthansixphoenixes。’
Timepassedoninconversationtillitwastoolatefortheserviceofthechurchatthreeo’clock。Itookawalk，andlefthimaloneforsometime；thenreturned，andwehadcoffeeandconversationagainbyourselves。