IhavementionedJohnson’sgeneralaversiontoapun。Heonce，however，enduredoneofmine。Whenweweretalkingofanumerouscompanyinwhichhehaddistinguishedhimselfhighly，Isaid，’Sir，youwereaCODsurroundedbysmelts。Isnotthisenoughforyou？
atatimetoowhenyouwerenotFISHINGforacompliment？’Helaughedatthiswithacomplacentapprobation。OldMr。Sheridanobserved，uponmymentioningittohim，’Helikedyourcomplimentsowell，hewaswillingtotakeitwithPUNSAUCE。’Formyownpart，Ithinknoinnocentspeciesofwitorpleasantryshouldbesuppressed；andthatagoodpunmaybeadmittedamongthesmallerexcellenciesoflivelyconversation。
Mr。BurkeuniformlyshewedJohnsonthegreatestrespect；andwhenMr。Townshend，nowLordSydney，ataperiodwhenhewasconspicuousinopposition，threwoutsomereflectioninparliamentuponthegrantofapensiontoamanofsuchpoliticalprinciplesasJohnson；Mr。Burke，thoughthenofthesamepartywithMr。
Townshend，stoodwarmlyforthindefenceofhisfriend，towhom，hejustlyobserved，thepensionwasgrantedsolelyonaccountofhiseminentliterarymerit。Iamwellassured，thatMr。Townshend’sattackuponJohnsonwastheoccasionofhis’hitchinginarhyme；’
for，thatintheoriginalcopyofGoldsmith’scharacterofMr。
Burke，inhisRetaliation，anotherperson’snamestoodinthecoupletwhereMr。Townshendisnowintroduced：——
’Thoughfraughtwithalllearningkeptstraininghisthroat，TopersuadeTommyTownshendtolendhimavote。’
Itmaybeworthremarking，amongtheminutiaeofmycollection，thatJohnsonwasoncedrawntoserveinthemilitia，theTrainedBandsoftheCityofLondon，andthatMr。Rackstrow，oftheMuseuminFleet-street，washisColonel。Itmaybebelievedhedidnotserveinperson；buttheidea，withallitscircumstances，iscertainlylaughable。Heuponthatoccasionprovidedhimselfwithamusket，andwithaswordandbelt，whichIhaveseenhanginginhiscloset。
Anauthourofmostanxiousandrestlessvanitybeingmentioned，’Sir，saidhe，thereisnotayoungsaplinguponParnassusmoreseverelyblownaboutbyeverywindofcriticismthanthatpoorfellow。’
Thedifference，heobserved，betweenawell-bredandanill-bredmanisthis：’Oneimmediatelyattractsyourliking，theotheryouraversion。Youlovetheonetillyoufindreasontohatehim；youhatetheothertillyoufindreasontolovehim。’
AfoppishphysicianonceremindedJohnsonofhishavingbeenincompanywithhimonaformeroccasion；’Idonotrememberit，Sir。’
Thephysicianstillinsisted；addingthathethatdayworesofineacoatthatitmusthaveattractedhisnotice。’Sir，saidJohnson，hadyoubeendiptinPactolusIshouldnothavenoticedyou。’
Heseemedtotakeapleasureinspeakinginhisownstyle；forwhenhehadcarelesslymissedit，hewouldrepeatthethoughttranslatedintoit。TalkingoftheComedyofTheRehearsal，hesaid，’Ithasnotwitenoughtokeepitsweet。’Thiswaseasy；hethereforecaughthimself，andpronouncedamoreroundsentence；’Ithasnotvitalityenoughtopreserveitfromputrefaction。’
Thoughhehadnotasteforpainting，headmiredmuchthemannerinwhichSirJoshuaReynoldstreatedofhisart，inhisDiscoursestotheRoyalAcademy。Heobservedonedayofapassageinthem，’I
thinkImightaswellhavesaidthismyself：’andoncewhenMr。
Langtonwassittingbyhim，hereadoneofthemveryeagerly，andexpressedhimselfthus：——’Verywell，MasterReynolds；verywell，indeed。Butitwillnotbeunderstood。’
WhenIobservedtohimthatPaintingwassofarinferiourtoPoetry，thatthestoryorevenemblemwhichitcommunicatesmustbepreviouslyknown，andmentionedasanaturalandlaughableinstanceofthis，thatalittleMissonseeingapictureofJusticewiththescales，hadexclaimedtome，’See，there’sawomansellingsweetmeats；’hesaid，’Painting，Sir，canillustrate，butcannotinform。’
Nomanwasmorereadytomakeanapologywhenhehadcensuredunjustly，thanJohnson。Whenaproof-sheetofoneofhisworkswasbroughttohim，hefoundfaultwiththemodeinwhichapartofitwasarranged，refusedtoreadit，andinapassiondesiredthatthecompositormightbesenttohim。ThecompositorwasMr。Manning，adecentsensibleman，whohadcomposedaboutonehalfofhisDictionary，wheninMr。Strahan’sprinting-house；andagreatpartofhisLivesofthePoets，wheninthatofMr。Nichols；andwhoinhisseventy-seventhyear，wheninMr。Baldwin’sprinting-house，composedapartofthefirsteditionofthisworkconcerninghim。
Byproducingthemanuscript，heatoncesatisfiedDr。Johnsonthathewasnottoblame。UponwhichJohnsoncandidlyandearnestlysaidtohim，’Mr。Compositor，Iaskyourpardon。Mr。Compositor，I
askyourpardon，againandagain。’
Hisgeneroushumanitytothemiserablewasalmostbeyondexample。
Thefollowinginstanceiswellattested：——Cominghomelateonenight，hefoundapoorwomanlyinginthestreet，somuchexhaustedthatshecouldnotwalk；hetookheruponhisback，andcarriedhertohishouse，wherehediscoveredthatshewasoneofthosewretchedfemaleswhohadfallenintotheloweststateofvice，poverty，anddisease。Insteadofharshlyupbraidingher，hehadhertakencareofwithalltendernessforalongtime，atconsiderableexpence，tillshewasrestoredtohealth，andendeavouredtoputherintoavirtuouswayofliving。
HeonceinhislifewasknowntohaveutteredwhatiscalledaBULL：SirJoshuaReynolds，whentheywereridingtogetherinDevonshire，complainedthathehadaverybadhorse，forthatevenwhengoingdownhillhemovedslowlystepbystep。’AysaidJohnson，andwhenhegoesuphill，heSTANDSSTILL。’
Hehadagreataversiontogesticulatingincompany。Hecalledoncetoagentlemanwhooffendedhiminthatpoint，’Don’tATTITUDENISE。’Andwhenanothergentlemanthoughthewasgivingadditionalforcetowhatheuttered，byexpressivemovementsofhishands，Johnsonfairlyseizedthem，andheldthemdown。
Mr。Steevens，whopassedmanyasocialhourwithhimduringtheirlongacquaintance，whichcommencedwhentheybothlivedintheTemple，haspreservedagoodnumberofparticularsconcerninghim，mostofwhicharetobefoundinthedepartmentofApothegms，&c。
intheCollectionofJohnson’sWorks。Buthehasbeenpleasedtofavourmewiththefollowing，whichareoriginal：——
’Dr。JohnsononceassumedacharacterinwhichperhapsevenMr。
Boswellneversawhim。HiscuriosityhavingbeenexcitedbythepraisesbestowedonthecelebratedTorre’sfireworksatMarybone-
Gardens，hedesiredMr。Steevenstoaccompanyhimthither。Theeveninghadprovedshowery；andsoonafterthefewpeoplepresentwereassembled，publicknoticewasgiven，thattheconductorstothewheels，suns，stars，&c。，weresothoroughlywater-soaked，thatitwasimpossibleanypartoftheexhibitionshouldbemade。“Thisisamereexcuse，saystheDoctor，tosavetheircrackersforamoreprofitablecompany。Letusbutholdupoursticks，andthreatentobreakthosecolouredlampsthatsurroundtheOrchestra，andweshallsoonhaveourwishesgratified。Thecoreofthefireworkscannotbeinjured；letthedifferentpiecesbetouchedintheirrespectivecenters，andtheywilldotheirofficesaswellasever。“Someyoungmenwhooverheardhim，immediatelybegantheviolencehehadrecommended，andanattemptwasspeedilymadetofiresomeofthewheelswhichappearedtohavereceivedthesmallestdamage；buttolittlepurposeweretheylighted，formostofthemcompletelyfailed。TheauthourofTheRambler，however，maybeconsidered，onthisoccasion，astheringleaderofasuccessfulriot，thoughnotasaskilfulpyrotechnist。’
’IthasbeensupposedthatDr。Johnson，sofarasfashionwasconcerned，wascarelessofhisappearanceinpublick。Butthisisnotaltogethertrue，asthefollowingslightinstancemayshow：——
Goldsmith’slastComedywastoberepresentedduringsomecourt-
mourning：andMr。SteevensappointedtocallonDr。Johnson，andcarryhimtothetavernwherehewastodinewithothersofthePoet’sfriends。TheDoctorwasreadydressed，butincolouredcloaths；yetbeingtoldthathewouldfindeveryoneelseinblack，receivedtheintelligencewithaprofusionofthanks，hastenedtochangehisattire，allthewhilerepeatinghisgratitudefortheinformationthathadsavedhimfromanappearancesoimproperinthefrontrowofafrontbox。“Iwouldnotaddedhe，fortenpounds，haveseemedsoretrogradetoanygeneralobservance。“
’Hewouldsometimesfoundhisdislikesonveryslendercircumstances。HappeningonedaytomentionMr。Flexman，aDissentingMinister，withsomecomplimenttohisexactmemoryinchronologicalmatters；theDoctorreplied，“Letmehearnomoreofhim，Sir。ThatisthefellowwhomadetheIndextomyRamblers，andsetdownthenameofMiltonthus：Milton，MR。John。“’
Inthecourseofthisworkanumerousvarietyofnameshasbeenmentioned，towhichmanymightbeadded。IcannotomitLordandLadyLucan，atwhosehouseheoftenenjoyedallthataneleganttableandthebestcompanycancontributetohappiness；hefoundhospitalityunitedwithextraordinaryaccomplishments，andembellishedwithcharmsofwhichnomancouldbeinsensible。
OnTuesday，June22，IdinedwithhimatTHELITERARYCLUB，thelasttimeofhisbeinginthatrespectablesociety。TheothermemberspresentweretheBishopofSt。Asaph，LordEliot，LordPalmerston，Dr。Fordyce，andMr。Malone。Helookedill；buthadsuchamanlyfortitude，thathedidnottroublethecompanywithmelancholycomplaints。Theyallshewedevidentmarksofkindconcernabouthim，withwhichhewasmuchpleased，andheexertedhimselftobeasentertainingashisindispositionallowedhim。
Theanxietyofhisfriendstopreservesoestimablealife，aslongashumanmeansmightbesupposedtohaveinfluence，madethemplanforhimaretreatfromtheseverityofaBritishwinter，tothemildclimateofItaly。ThisschemewasatlastbroughttoaseriousresolutionatGeneralPaoli’s，whereIhadoftentalkedofit。Oneessentialmatter，however，Iunderstoodwasnecessarytobepreviouslysettled，whichwasobtainingsuchanadditiontohisincome，aswouldbesufficienttoenablehimtodefraytheexpenceinamannerbecomingthefirstliterarycharacterofagreatnation，andindependentofallhisothermerits，theAuthourofTHE
DICTIONARYOFTHEENGLISHLANGUAGE。ThepersontowhomIaboveallothersthoughtIshouldapplytonegociatethisbusiness，wastheLordChancellor，becauseIknewthathehighlyvaluedJohnson，andthatJohnsonhighlyvaluedhisLordship；sothatitwasnodegradationofmyillustriousfriendtosolicitforhimthefavourofsuchaman。IhavementionedwhatJohnsonsaidofhimtomewhenhewasatthebar；andafterhisLordshipwasadvancedtotheseals，hesaidofhim，’IwouldpreparemyselffornomaninEnglandbutLordThurlow。WhenIamtomeetwithhimIshouldwishtoknowadaybefore。’HowhewouldhavepreparedhimselfIcannotconjecture。Wouldhehaveselectedcertaintopicks，andconsideredthemineveryviewsoastobeinreadinesstoarguethematallpoints？andwhatmaywesupposethosetopickstohavebeen？Ioncestartedthecuriousinquirytothegreatmanwhowasthesubjectofthiscompliment：hesmiled，butdidnotpursueit。
IfirstconsultedwithSirJoshuaReynolds，whoperfectlycoincidedinopinionwithme；andItherefore，thoughpersonallyverylittleknowntohisLordship，wrotetohim，statingthecase，andrequestinghisgoodofficesforDr。Johnson。ImentionedthatI
wasobligedtosetoutforScotlandearlyinthefollowingweek，sothatifhisLordshipshouldhaveanycommandsformeastothispiousnegociation，hewouldbepleasedtosendthembeforethattime；otherwiseSirJoshuaReynoldswouldgiveallattentiontoit。
ThisapplicationwasmadenotonlywithoutanysuggestiononthepartofJohnsonhimself，butwasutterlyunknowntohim，norhadhethesmallestsuspicionofit。Anyinsinuations，therefore，whichsincehisdeathhavebeenthrownout，asifhehadstoopedtoaskwhatwassuperfluous，arewithoutanyfoundation。But，hadheaskedit，itwouldnothavebeensuperfluous；forthoughthemoneyhehadsavedprovedtobemorethanhisfriendsimagined，orthanI