Johnson was undoubtedly prone to believe any supernatural tale; in this respect he was often weakly credulous. Boswell's own testimony establishes this fact, despite his attempt to vindicate Johnson in the passage last quoted. It must be remembered, in this connection, that Boswell was here disqualified to judge fairly of Johnson by his own tendency to superstition. His intimate friend, Malone, says of him, "He delighted in talking concerning ghosts, and what he has frequently denominated the mysterious." And Johnson, writing to Mrs. Thrale from the Hebrides, says, "Boswell, who is very pious, went into a ruined chapel at night to perform his devotions, but came back in haste, for fear of spectres." This does not give one much confidence in Boswell's ability to form a rational opinion of such matters.-Editor.

INCREDULITY AND CYNICISM.

He did not give me full credit when I mentioned that I had carried on a short conversation by signs with some Esquimaux who were then in London, particularly with one of them who was a priest. He thought I could not make them understand me. No man was more incredulous as to particular facts which were at all extraordinary; and, therefore, no man was more scrupulously inquisitive in order to discover the truth.-Boswell.

He was, indeed, so much impressed with the prevalence of falsehood, voluntary or unintentional, that I never knew any person who, upon hearing an extraordinary circumstance told, discovered more of the incredulus odi. He would say, with a significant look and decisive tone, “It is not so. Do not tell this again."—Boswell.

Mr. Johnson's incredulity amounted almost to disease, and

I have seen it mortify his companions exceedingly. Two gentlemen, I perfectly well remember, dining with us at Streatham, in the summer of 1782, when Elliot's brave defence of Gibraltar was a subject of common discourse, one of these men naturally enough began some talk about redhot balls thrown with surprising dexterity and effect; which Mr. Johnson having listened some time to: "I would advise you, sir," said he, with a cold sneer, "never to relate this story again: you really can scarce imagine how very poor a figure you make in the telling of it." His fixed incredulity of everything he heard, and his little care to conceal that incredulity, was teasing enough, to be sure; and I saw Mr. Sharp was pained exceedingly when, relating the history of a hurricane that happened about that time in the West Indies, where, for aught I know, he had himself lost some friends too, he observed Dr. Johnson believed not a syllable of the account. "For 'tis so easy," says he, " for a man to fill his mouth with a wonder, and run about telling the lie before it can be detected, that I have no heart to believe hurricanes, easily raised by the first inventor, and blown forward by thousands more."—Mrs. Piozzi.

"Indeed, Dr. Johnson," said Miss Monckton, "you must see Mrs. Siddons. Won't you see her in some fine part?" "Why, if I must, madam, I have no choice." "She says, sir, she shall be very much afraid of you." "Madam, that cannot be true." "Not true ?" cried Miss Monckton, staring; "yes, it is." "It cannot be, madam." "But she said. so to me; I heard her say it myself." "Madam, it is not possible! Remember, therefore, in future, that even fiction should be supported by probability." Miss Monckton looked all amazement, but insisted on the truth of what she had said. "I do not believe, madam," said he, warmly, “she knows my name."-Madame D'Arblay.

I mentioned my having that morning introduced to Mr.

Garrick Count Neni, a Flemish nobleman of great rank and fortune, to whom Garrick talked of Abel Drugger as a small part, and related, with pleasant vanity, that a Frenchman. who had seen him in one of his low characters exclaimed, "Comment! je ne le crois pas. Ce n'est pas Monsieur Garrick, ce grand homme!" Garrick added, with an appearance of grave recollection, "If I were to begin life again, I think I should not play these low characters." Upon which I observed, "Sir, you would be in the wrong; for your great excellence is your variety of playing, your representing so well characters so very different." Johnson: "Garrick, sir, was not in earnest in what he said; for, to be sure, his peculiar excellence is his variety; and, perhaps, there is not any one character which has not been as well acted by somebody else as he could do it." Boswell: "Why then, sir, did he talk so?" Johnson: "Why, sir, to make you answer as you did." Boswell: "I don't know, sir; he seemed to dip deep into his mind for the reflection." Johnson : "He had not far to dip, sir; he had said the same thing, probably, twenty times before."-Boswell.

Of Dr. Johnson, when my father and Hogarth were talking together about him one day, "That man," said the latter, "is not contented with believing the Bible, but he fairly resolves, I think, to believe nothing but the Bible. Johnson," added he, "though so wise a fellow, is more like King David than King Solomon, for he says, in his haste, that all men are liars."-Mrs. Piozzi.

We were speaking of a gentleman who loved his friend: "Make him prime minister," says Johnson, "and see how long his friend will be remembered." But he had a rougher answer for me, when I commended a sermon preached by an intimate acquaintance of our own at the trading end of the town. "What was the subject, madam ?" says Dr. Johnson. "Friendship, sir," replied I. "Why now, is it not strange

that a wise man, like our dear little Evans, should take it in his head to preach on such a subject in a place where no one can be thinking of it ?" "Why, what are they thinking upon, sir?" said I. "Why, the men are thinking of their money, I suppose, and the women of their mops."- Mrs.

Piozzi.

It is certain he would scarcely allow any one to feel much for the distresses of others; or, whatever he thought they might feel, he was very apt to impute to causes that did no honor to human nature. Indeed, I thought him too fond of Rochefoucault's maxims.-Miss Reynolds.

SENTIMENT.

LADY MACLEOD and I got into a warm dispute. She wanted to build a house upon a farm which she has taken, about five miles from the castle, and to make gardens and other ornaments there; all of which I approved of, but insisted that the seat of the family should always be upon the rock of Dunvegan. Johnson: "Ay, in time we'll build all round this rock. You may make a very good house at the farm, but it must not be such as to tempt the Laird of Macleod to go thither to reside. Most of the great families of England have a secondary residence, which is called a jointure-house: let the new house be of that kind." The lady insisted that the rock was very inconvenient; that there was no place near it where a good garden could be made; that it must always be a rude place; that it was a Herculean labor to make a dinner here. I was vexed to find the alloy of modern refinement in a lady who had so much old family spirit. "Madam," said I, "if once you quit this rock, there is no knowing where you may settle. You move five miles at first; then to St. Andrews, as the late laird did; then to Edinburgh; and so on, till you end at Hampstead or in France.

No, no; keep to the rock: it is the very jewel of the estate. It looks as if it had been let down from heaven by the four corners, to be the residence of a chief. Have all the com

forts and conveniences of life upon it, but never leave Rorie More's cascade." "But," said she, "is it not enough if we keep it? must we never have more convenience than Rorie More had? He had his beef brought to dinner in one basket, and his bread in another. Why not as well be Rorie More all over, as live upon his rock? And should not we tire in looking perpetually on this rock? It is very well for you, who have a fine place, and everything easy, to talk thus, and think of chaining honest folks to a rock. You would not live upon it yourself." "Yes, madam,” said I, "I would live upon it, were I Laird of Macleod, and should be unhappy if I were not upon it." Johnson, with a strong voice and most determined manner: "Madam, rather than quit the old rock, Boswell would live in the pit; he would make his bed in the dungeon." I felt a degree of elation at finding my resolute feudal enthusiasm thus confirmed by such a sanction. The lady was puzzled a little. She still returned to her pretty farm-rich ground-fine garden. "Madam," said Dr. Johnson, "were they in Asia, I would not leave the rock."-Boswell.

Amidst this cold obscurity, there was one brilliant circumstance to cheer him he was well acquainted with Mr. Henry Hervey, one of the branches of the noble family of that name, who had been quartered at Lichfield as an officer of the army, and had at this time a house in London, where Johnson was frequently entertained, and had an opportunity of meeting genteel company. Not very long before his death, he mentioned this, among other particulars of his life, which he was kindly communicating to me; and he described this early friend, "Harry Hervey," thus: "He was a vicious man, but very kind to me. If you call a dog Hervey, I shall love him."-Boswell (1737).