He censured Lord Kames's "Sketches of the History of Man," for misrepresenting Clarendon's account of the appearance of Sir George Villiers's ghost, as if Clarendon were weakly credulous; when the truth is, that Clarendon only says, that the story was upon a better foundation of credit than usually such discourses are founded upon; nay, speaks thus of the person who was reported to have seen the vision, "the poor man, if he had been at all waking;" which Lord Kames has omitted.' He added, "In this book it is maintained that virtue is natural to man, and that if we would but consult our own hearts we should be virtuous. Now, after consulting our own hearts all we can, and with all the helps we have, we find how few of us are virtuous. This is saying a thing which all mankind know not to be true." BOSWELL. "Is not modesty natural ?" | JOHNSON. "I cannot say, Sir, as we find no people quite in a state of nature; but, I think, the more they are taught, the more modest they are. The French are a gross, ill-bred, untaught people; a lady there will spit on the floor and rub it with her foot. What I gained by being in France was, learning to be better satisfied with my own country. Time may be employed to more advantage from nineteen to twenty-four, almost in any way than in travelling. When you set travelling against mere negation, against doing nothing, it is better to be sure; but how much more would a young man improve were he to study during those years! Indeed, if a young man is wild, and must run after women and bad company, it is better this should be done abroad, as, on his return, he can break off such connections, and begin at home a new man, with a character to form, and acquaintance to make. How little does travelling supply to the conversation of any man who has travelled! how little to Beauclerk!" BoSWELL. "What say you to Lord [Charlemont]!" JOHNSON. "I never but once heard him talk of what he had seen, and that was of a large serpent in one of the pyramids of Egypt." BOSWELL. "Well, I happened to hear him tell the same thing, which made me mention him."2

I talked of a country life. JOHNSON. "Were I to live in the country, I would not devote myself to the acquisition of popularity; I would live in a much better way, much more happily; I would have my time at my own command." BOSWELL. "But, Sir, is it not a sad thing to be at a distance from all our literary friends?" JOHNSON. Sir, you will by-and-by have

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enough of this conversation, which now delights you so much."

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As he was a zealous friend of subordination, he was at all times watchful to repress the vulgar cant against the manners of the great. High people, Sir," said he, "are the best: take a hundred ladies of quality, you'll find them better wives, better mothers, more willing to sacrifice their own pleasure to their children, than a hundred other women. Tradeswomen (I mean the wives of tradesmen) in the city, who are worth from ten to fifteen thousand pounds, are the worst creatures upon the earth, grossly ignorant, and thinking viciousness fashionable. Farmers, I think, are often worthless fellows. Few lords will cheat; and, if they do, they'll be ashamed of it: farmers cheat, and are not ashamed of it: they have all the sensual vices too of the nobility, with cheating into the bargain. There is as much fornication and adultery amongst farmers as amongst noblemen." BOSWELL. "The notion of the world, Sir, however, is, that the morals of women of quality are worse than those in lower stations." JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir; the licentiousness of one woman of quality makes more noise than that of a number of women in lower stations: then, Sir, you are to consider the malignity of women in the city against women of quality, which will make them believe any thing of them, such as that they call their coachmen to bed. No, Sir; so far as I have observed, the higher in rank, the richer ladies are, they are the better instructed, and the more virtuous."

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This year the Reverend Mr. Horne published his "Letter to Mr. Dunning on the English Particle." Johnson read it; and though not treated in it with sufficient respect, he had candour enough to say to Mr. Seward, Were I to make a new edition of my Dictionary, I would adopt several of Mr. Horne's etymologies. I hope they did not put the dog in the pillory for his libel; he has too much literature for that."4

On Saturday, May 16., I dined with him at Mr. Beauclerk's with Mr. Langton, Mr. Steevens, Dr. Higgins, and some others. I regret very feelingly every instance of my remissness in recording his memorabilia; Í am afraid it is the condition of humanity (as Mr. Windham, of Norfolk, once observed to me, after having made an admirable speech in the House of Commons, which was highly ap plauded, but which he afterwards perceived might have been better), "that we are more

1 This suppression is particularly blameable, because the question was as to the extent of Clarendon's credulity; aud Lord Kames gives his own summary of the story with marks of quotation, as if he were copying Clarendon exactly. CROKER.

2 James, first earl. His lordship was, to the last, in the habit of telling this story rather too often. - CROKER. 3 In Mr. Horne Tooke's enlargement of that" Letter," which he has since published with the title of “ Eria Trigarta, or, The Diversions of Purley," he mentions this compliment,

as if Dr. Johnson, instead of several of his etymologies, had said all. His recollection having thus magnified it, shows how ambitious he was of the approbation of so great a man. -BOSWELL. The occasion of Horne's letter was his disputing the construction put by the judges of the Court of King's Bench on some words in his indictment. - Croker, 1847.

4 This is another instance of Johnson's contradictory opinions -- antè, p. 602.- for which I can more easily account than for his continued ignorance of Horne Tooke's sentence. CROKER.

uneasy from thinking of our wants, than happy in thinking of our acquisitions." This is an unreasonable mode of disturbing our tranquillity, and should be corrected: let me then comfort myself with the large treasure of Johnson's conversation which I have preserved for my own enjoyment and that of the world; and let me exhibit what I have upon each occasion, whether more or less, whether a bulse, or only a few sparks of a diamond.

He said, "Dr. Mead lived more in the broad sunshine of life than almost any man."

The disaster of General Burgoyne's army' was then the common topic of conversation. It was asked why piling their arms was insisted upon as a matter of such consequence, when it seemed to be a circumstance so inconsiderable in itself. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, a French author says, Il y a beaucoup de puérilités dans la guerre. All distinctions are trifles, because great things can seldom occur, and those distinctions are settled by custom. A savage would as willingly have his meat sent to him in the kitchen, as eat it at the table here: as men become civilised, various modes of denoting honourable preference are invented."

He this day made the observations upon the similarity between "Rasselas" and "Candide;" which I have inserted in its proper place [p. 115.], when considering his admirable philosophical romance. He said, "Candide," he thought, had more power in it than any thing that Voltaire had written.

He said, "The lyrical part of Horace never can be perfectly translated; so much of the excellence is in the numbers and expression. Francis has done it the best. I'll take his, five out of six, against them all."

On Sunday, May 17., I presented to him Mr. Fullarton, of Fullarton, who has since distinguished himself so much in India, to whom he naturally talked of travels, as Mr. Brydone accompanied him in his tour to Sicily and Malta. He said, "The information which we have from modern travellers is much more authentic than what we had from ancient travellers; ancient travellers guessed, modern travellers measure. The Swiss admit that there is but one error in Stanyan.5 If Brydone were more attentive to his Bible, he would be a good traveller." [p. 491.]

He said, "Lord Chatham was a Dictator;

1 Mr. Windham's MS. Journal, which I have seen, exhibits instances of a morbid, self-tormenting hypochondriacism, of which those who knew him only in society could have no idea. CROKER, 1847.

2 Dr. Richard Mead was born in 1673, and died in 1754. His collecton of books, pictures, and coins (which sold for upwards of 16,000.), were, during his life, most liberally open to public curiosity. He was much visited by the literati and foreigners, and did certainly live in the "sunshine of life."-CROKER.

3 Its surrender at Saratoga, October, 1777.-CROKER.

In 1787, Mr. Fullarton published a "View of the English Interests in India."— WRIGHT.

Temple Stanyan, Esq., at one time minister to the Porte, author of an "Account of Switzerland," 1714, and of a better known "History of Greece." He died 1752. — CROKER, 1835.

6 The slip of paper on which he made the correction is

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he possessed the power of putting the state in motion: now there is no power, all order is relaxed." BOSWELL. "Is there no hope of a change to the better?" JOHNSON. Why, yes, Sir, when we are weary of this relaxation. So the city of London will appoint its mayors again by seniority." BoswELL. "But is not that taking a mere chance for having a good or a bad mayor ?" JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir; but the evil of competition is greater than that of the worst mayor that can come; besides, there is no more reason to suppose that the choice of a rabble will be right, than that chance will be right."

On Tuesday, May 19., I was to set out for Scotland in the evening. He was engaged to dine with me at Mr. Dilly's. I waited upon him to remind him of his appointment and attend him thither; he gave me some salutary counsel, and recommended vigorous resolution against any deviation from moral duty. BosWELL. 'But you would not have me to bind myself by a solemn obligation?" JOHNSON (much agitated). "What! a vow! - O, no, Sir; a vow is a horrible thing! it is a snare for sin. The man who cannot go to heaven without a vow, may go Here, standing erect in the middle of his library, and rolling grand, his pause was truly a curious compound of the solemn and the ludicrous; he halfwhistled in his usual way when pleasant, and he paused as if checked by religious awe. Methought he would have added, to hell, but was restrained. I humoured the dilemma. What, Sir!" said I, "In cœlum jusseris ibit?"" alluding to his imitation of it,—

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deposited by me in the noble library to which it relates, and to which I have presented other pieces of his handwriting.BOSWELL.

The passage in the first, and in some other editions, stands as follows:

"When first the college rolls receive his name, The young enthusiast quits his ease for fame: Resistless burns the fever of renown, Caught from the strong contagion of the gown; O'er Bodley's dome his future labours spread, And Bacon's mansion trembles o'er his head." Johnson, no doubt, in amending the second awkward couplet, inadvertently inserted spreads instead of burns. The true reading ought to be introduced in any new edition of the poem, which it has not been in any that I have ever seen. Even the Oxford edition (1825) notices the error and the correction, but, strange to say, does not amend the text.-CROKER.

more poetical, as it might carry an allusion to the shirt by which Hercules was inflamed.

We had a quiet, comfortable meeting at Mr. Dilly's; nobody there but ourselves. Mr. Dilly mentioned somebody having wished that Milton's "Tractate on Education" should be printed along with his Poems in the edition of the English Poets then going on. JOHNSON. "It would be breaking in upon the plan; but would be of no great consequence. So far as it would be any thing, it would be wrong. Education in England has been in danger of being hurt by two of its greatest men, Milton and Locke. Milton's plan is impracticable, and I suppose has never been tried. Locke's, I fancy, has been tried often enough, but is very imperfect; it gives too much to one side, and too little to the other; it gives too little to literature. I shall do what I can for Dr. Watts; but my materials are very scanty. His poems are by no means his best works; I cannot praise his poetry itself highly, but I can praise its design."

My illustrious friend and I parted with assurances of affectionate regard.

I wrote to him on the 25th of May, from Thorpe, in Yorkshire, one of the seats of Mr. Bosville, [p.523.] and gave him an account of my having passed a day at Lincoln, unexpectedly, and therefore without having any letters of introduction; but that I had been honoured with civilities from the Reverend Mr. Simpson, an acquaintance of his, and Captain Broadley, of the Lincolnshire militia; but more particularly from the Reverend Dr. Gordon, the chancellor, who first received me with great politeness as a stranger, and, when I informed him who I was, entertained me at his house with the most flattering attention. I also expressed the pleasure with which I had found that our worthy friend, Langton, was highly esteemed in his own county town.

BOSWELL TO JOHNSON.

"Edinburgh, June 18. 1778. "MY DEAR SIR, Since my return to Scotland, I have been again at Lanark, and have had more conversation with Thomson's sister. It is strange that Murdoch, who was his intimate friend, should have mistaken his mother's maiden name, which he says was Hume, whereas Hume was the name of his grandmother by the mother's side. His mother's name was Beatrix Trotter', a

daughter of Mr. Trotter of Fogo, a small proprietor of land. Thomson had one brother, whom he had with him in England as his amanuensis; but he was seized with a consumption, and having returned to Scotland, to try what his native air would do for him, died young. He had three sisters: one married to Mr. Bell, minister of the parish of Strathaven; one to Mr. Craig, father of the ingenious architect, who gave the plan of the New Town of Edinburgh; and one to Mr. Thom

1 Dr. Johnson was by no means attentive to minute accuracy in his "Lives of the Poets;" for, notwithstanding my having detected this mistake, he continued it. BoswELL.

Lord

son, master of the grammar-school at Lanark. He was of a humane and benevolent disposition; not only sent valuable presents to his sisters, but a yearly allowance in money, and was always wishing to have it in his power to do them more good. Lyttelton's observation, that he loathed much to Mrs. Thomson, were not frequent; and in one of write,' was very true. His letters to his sister, how backward I am to write letters; and never them he says, All my friends who know me, know impute the negligence of my hand to the coldness of my heart.' I send you a copy of the last letter which she had from him; she never heard that he had any intention of going into holy orders. From this late interview with his sister, I think much more favourably of him, as I hope you will. I am eager to see more of your Prefaces to the Poets: I solace myself with the few proof-sheets which I have.

"I send another parcel of Lord Hailes's 'Annais,' which you will please to return to me as soon as would cut a little deeper;' but he may be proud you conveniently can. He says, 'he wishes you that there is so little occasion to use the critical knife. I ever am, my dear Sir, &c.,

"JAMES BOSWELL."

I shall

Mr. Langton has been pleased, at my request, to favour me with some particulars of this gentleman was at the time stationed as a Dr. Johnson's visit to Warley Camp, where captain in the Lincolnshire militia. give them in his own words in a letter to me. he complied with my invitation to come down to the camp at Warley, and he staid with me about a week; the scene appeared, notwithstanding a great to interest and amuse him, as agreeing with the degree of ill health that he seemed to labour under, disposition that I believe you know he constantly manifested towards inquiring into subjects of the military kind. He sate, with a patient degree of attention, to observe the proceedings of a regimental court-martial, that happened to be called in the time of his stay with us; and one night, as late as at eleven o'clock, he accompanied the major of the regiment in going what are styled the rounds, where he might observe the forms of visiting the guards, for the seeing that they and their sentries are ready sion to converse at times on military topics, once in in their duty on their several posts. He took occaparticular, that I see the mention of, in your

"It was in the summer of the year 1778, that

Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides,' which lies

open before me, (p. 303.), as to gunpowder; which he spoke of to the same effect, in part, that you relate.

going through their exercise, he went quite close "On one occasion, when the regiment were watched all their practices attentively; and, when to the men at one of the extremities of it, and he came away, his remark was, 'The men indeed do load their muskets and fire with wonderful celerity. He was likewise particular in requiring in use, and within what distance they might be to know what was the weight of the musket balls expected to take effect when fired off.

"In walking among the tents, and observing the difference between those of the officers and private men, he said, that the superiority of accommodation of the better conditions of life, to that of the inferior

"When I called the other day at Burney's, I found only the young ones at home; at last came the doctor and madam, from a dinner in the country, to tell how they had been robbed as they returned. The doctor saved his purse, but gave them three guineas and some silver, of which they returned him three-and-sixpence, unasked, to pay the turnpike.

"I have sat twice to Sir Joshua, and he seems to like his own performance. He has projected another, in which I am to be busy; but we can think on it at leisure."

"Mrs. Williams is come home better, and the habitation is all concord and harmony; only Mr. Levett harbours discontent. With Dr. Lawrence's consent, I have for the two last nights taken musk; the first night was a worse night than common, the second, a better; but not so much better

as that I dare ascribe any virtue to the medicine. I took a scruple each time." "Oct. 31. 1778.. Sir Joshua has finished my picture, and it seems to please every body; but I shall wait to see how it pleases you. To-day Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Desmoulins had a scold, and Williams was going away: but I bid her not turn tail, and she came back, and rather got the upper

hand."

We surely cannot but admire the benevolent exertions of this great and good man, especially when we consider how grievously he was afflicted with bad health, and how uncomfortable his home was made by the perpetual jarring of those whom he charitably accommodated under his roof. He has sometimes suffered me to talk jocularly of his group of females, and call them his Seraglio. He thus mentions them, together with honest Levett, in one of his letters to Mrs. Thrale: "Williams hates every body; Levett hates Desmoulins, and does not love Williams; Desmoulins hates them both; Poll 2 loves none of them."

I suppose the first is the Thrale picture - now Sir Robert Peel's; the second was probably either that in which he is reading, or the other in which he holds a pen-neither of them at all comparable to the former-perhaps Sir Joshua's very finest head. - CROKER, 1847.

2 Miss Carmichael. - BOSWELL. I have not learned how this lady was connected with Dr. Johnson. It would seem from Madam D'Arblay's account that she was invited to enliven the gloom of Bolt Court, but did not in that respect answer Johnson's expectations. It was no doubt his domestic experience which prompted his complimentary exclamation to Hannah More and her four sisters, "What! five women live happily together!! — More's Life, v. i. p. 67. Hawkins draws, as is his wont, a very gloomy picture of this society. "His inmates were enemies to his peace, and occasioned him greatdisquiet: the jealousy that subsisted among them rendered his dwelling irksome to him, and he seldom approached it, after an evening's conversation abroad, but with the dread of finding it a scene of discord, and of having his ears filled with the complaints of Mrs. Williams, of Frank's neglect of his duty, and inattention to the interests of his master, and of Frank against Mrs. Williams, for the authority she assumed over him, and exercised with an unwarrantable severity. Even those intruders who had taken shelter under his roof, and who, in his absence from home, brought thither their children, found cause to murmur: their provision of food was scanty, or their dinners ill dressed;" all which he chose to endure, rather than put an end to their clamours by ridding his home of such thankless and troublesome guests. Nay, so insensible was he of the ingratitude of those whom he suffered thus to hang upon him, and among whom he may be said to have

"DEAR SIR, When I recollect how long ago I was received with so much kindness at Warley Common, I am ashamed that I have not made some inquiries after my friends.

"Pray how many sheep-stealers did you convict? and how did you punish them? When are you to be cantoned in better habitations? The air grows cold, and the ground damp. Longer stay in the camp cannot be without much danger to the health of the common men, if even the officers can escape.

"You

see that Dr. Percy is now dean of Carlisle; above five hundred a year, with a power of presenting himself to some good living. He is The session of the Club is to comprovided for. mence with that of the parliament. Mr. Banks desires to be admitted; he will be a very honour

able accession.

"Did the king please you? 5 The Coxheath men, I think, have some reason to complain.

Reynolds says your camp is better than theirs. I hope you find yourself able to encounter this weather. Take care of your own health; and, as compliments to all the gentlemen whose notice I you can, of your men. Be pleased to make my have had, and whose kindness I have experienced. I am, dear Sir, &c., SAM. JOHNSON."

I wrote to him on the 18th of August, the 18th of September, and the 6th of November; informing him of my having had another son born, whom I had called James 7; that I had passed some time at Auchinleck; that the Countess of Loudoun, now in her ninety-ninth year, was as fresh as when he saw her, and reremembered him with respect; and that his mother by adoption, the Countess of Eglintoune, had said to me, "Tell Mr. Johnson, I love him exceedingly;" that I had again sufferred much from bad spirits; and that as it

divided an income which was little more than sufficient for his own support, that he would submit to reproach and personal affront from some of them; even Levett would sometimes insult him, and Mrs. Williams, in her paroxysms of rage, has been known to drive him from her presence." And Johnson himself writes to Mrs. Thrale, Oct. 16. 1779: "Mrs. Williams is not yet returned; but discord and discontent reign in my humble habitation as in the palaces of inonarchs. Mr. Levett and Mrs. Desmoulins have vowed eternal hate. Levett is the more insidious, and wants me to turn her out."- CROKER, 1831-47.

3 Dr. Johnson here addresses his worthy friend, Bennet Langton, Esq., by his title as Captain of Lincolnshire Militia, in which he has since been most deservedly raised to the rank of Major. BosWELL.

4 Afterwards the right honourable Sir Joseph Banks, K.B., so long president of the Royal Society. - CROKER.

5 His Majesty and the Queen visited Warley Camp on the 20th October. CROKER.

6 Of the king's not visiting that camp as well as Warley; which, however, he did, on the 3d November.- CROKER.

7 This was the gentleman who contributed a few notes to this work. He was of Brazennose College, and a Vinerian Fellow, and died in February 1822, at his chambers, in the Temple. Hall. I knew him, and tried once to persuade him to edit this work, but he died soon after, having just completed a new edition of Malone's Shakespeare. He was very convivial; and in other respects like his father though altogether on a smaller scale. There is an account of him in the Edin. Ann. Reg. for 1822, written by our common friend, Mr. Markland. - CROKER, 1831-47.