Some Scotch had taken possession of a barren part of America. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, all barrenness is comparative. The Scotch would not know it to be barren." BOSWELL. "Come, come, he is flattering the English. You have now been in Scotland, Sir, and say if you did not see meat and drink enough there." JOHNSON. "Why, yes, Sir; meat and drink enough to give the inhabitants sufficient strength to run away from home." All these quick and lively sallies were said sportively, quite in jest, and with a smile, which showed that he meant only wit. Upon this topic he and Mr. Wilkes could perfectly assimilate; here was a bond of union between them. They amused themselves with persevering in the old jokes. I claimed a superiority for Scotland over England in one respect, that a seizure of the person, before judgment is obtained, can take place only if his creditor should swear that he is about to fly from the country. WILKES. "That, I should think, may be safely sworn of all the Scotch nation." JOHNSON. (TO Mr. Wilkes.) "You must know, Sir, I lately took my friend Boswell, and showed him genuine civilized life in an English provincial town. I turned him loose at Lichfield, my native city, that he might see for once real civility; for you know he lives among savages in Scotland and among rakes in London." WILKES. "Except when he is with grave, sober, decent people, like you and me." JOHNSON. (Smiling.) "And we ashamed of him.”

They were quite frank and easy. Johnson told the story of his asking Mrs. Macaulay to allow her footman to sit down with them, to prove the ridiculousness of the arguments, for the equality of man

kind, and he said to me afterwards, with a nod of satisfaction, "You saw Mr. Wilkes acquiesced."

Mr. Burke gave me much credit for this successful negotiation; and pleasantly said, "that there was nothing equal to it in the whole history of the Corps Diplomatique.

I attended Dr. Johnson home, and had the satisfaction to hear him tell Mrs. Williams how much he had been pleased with Mr. Wilkes's company, and what an agreeable day he had passed.

I mentioned a scheme which I had of making a tour to the Isle of Man, and giving a full account of it; and that Mr. Burke had playfully suggested as a motto,

"The proper study of mankind is MAN."

JOHNSON. "Sir, you will get more by the book than the jaunt will cost you; so you will have your diversion for nothing, and add to your reputation."

I thanked him with great warmth for all his kindness. "Sir, (said he,) you are very welcome. Nobody repays it with more."

How very false is the notion that has gone round the world of the rough and passionate and harsh manners of this great and good man. I admit that the beadle within him was often so eager to apply the lash, that the Judge had not time to consider the case with sufficient deliberation.

"To SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

"I send you the poor dear Doctor's epitaph. Read it first yourself; and if you then think it right,

show it to the Club. I am, you know, willing to be corrected. If you think anything much amiss, keep it to yourself, till we come together. must be settled by Dr. Percy. I am, Sir,

The dates

"Your most humble servant,
"SAM. JOHNSON."

"May 16, 1776."

"OLIVARII GOLDSMITH,

Poetæ, Physici, Historici,
Qui nullum ferè scribendi genus
Non tetigit,

Nullum quod tetigit non ornavit:
Sive risus essent movendi,
Sive lacrymæ,

Affectuum potens at lenis dominator:
Ingenio sublimis, vividus, versatilis,
Oratione grandis, nitidus, venustus:
Hoc monumento memoriam coluit
Sodalium amor

Amicorum fides,

Lectorum veneratio.

Natus in Hiberniâ Forniæ Longfordiensis,

In loco cui nomen Pallas,

Nov. XXIX. MDCCXXXI;
Eblanæ literis institutus;

Obiit Londini,

Sir William Forbes writes to me thus: "I enclose the Round Robin. This jeu d'esprit took its rise one day at dinner at our friend Sir Joshua Reynolds's. All the company present, except myself, were friends and acquaintances of Dr. Goldsmith. The Epitaph, written for him by Dr. Johnson, became the subject of conversation, and various emendations were suggested, which it was agreed should be submitted to the Doctor's consideration.-But the question was, who should have the courage to propose them to him? At last it was hinted, that there could be no way so good as that of a Round Robin, as the sailors call it, which they make use of when they enter into a conspiracy, so as not to let it be known who puts his name first or last to the paper. This proposition was instantly assented to; and Dr. Barnard, Dean of Derry, now Bishop of Killaloe, drew up an address to Dr. Johnson on the occasion, replete with wit and humor, but which it was feared the Doctor might think treated the subject with too much. levity. Mr. Burke then proposed the address as it stands in the paper in writing, to which I had the honor to officiate as clerk.

"Sir Joshua agreed to carry it to Dr. Johnson, who received it with much good humor, and desired Sir Joshua to tell the gentlemen, that he would alter the Epitaph in any manner they pleased, as to the sense of it; but he would never consent to disgrace the walls of Westminster Abbey with an English inscription.

I consider the Round Robin as a species of literary

curiosity worth preserving, as it marks, in a certain degree, Dr. Johnson's character."

ROUND ROBIN, addrefsed to SAMUEL JOHNSON, 1.LD.
with FACSIMILES of the Signatures.

Jo
Metcalfereyoooon. Jos. Warton. Com Bucher The. Franklinie

hoping read, with great pleasure, an
intended Gitaph for the Monument of Dr
Goldsmiths which considered abstractedly appears to
be, for degant Composition and Masterly Stile, in
every respect worthy of the poor of its learned Authors
ro yst of openwn, hat the Character of the Deceased as
altriter, particularly as a Poet, is, perhaps, mit delineateds
with all the exxactness which D. Johnson is Capable of
giving it. We therefore, with deference to his Superior Judge
ment, kembly request, that he would at least take the trouble.
of revising it: & of making duck additions and alterations
as he shall think proper, upon a farther porusal. Baute
if the might venture to express our Wishes, they would?
lead res, to, request, that he would write the Epitaph
in English, rather than in Latin: A We think that the
Memory of so smenent an English Writer ought to be
perpetuated in the languages to which his Works are
likely to be so
Casting
on Ornament, Whichave)
also know to have been the opinion of
The late Doctor

Glolma

My readers are presented with a faithful tran

script of a paper, which I doubt not of their being desirous to see.

I select from his private register the following passage:

"July 25, 1776. O God, who hast ordained that whatever is to be desired should be sought by labor, and who by thy blessing, bringest honest labor to