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He talked of Ifaac Walton's Lives, which was one of his most favourite books. Dr. Donne's Life, he faid, was the most perfect of them. He Etat. 66. observed, that " it was wonderful that Walton, who was in a very low fituation in life, fhould have been familiarly received by fo many great men, and that at a time when the ranks of fociety were kept more separate than they are now." He fuppofed that Walton had then given up his business as a linen-draper and fempfter, and was only an authour; and added, "that he was a great panegyrift." BOSWELL. "No quality will get a man more friends than a difpofition to admire the qualities of others. I do not mean flattery, but a fincere admiration." JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, flattery pleases very generally. In the first place, the flatterer may think what he fays to be true: but, in the second place, whether he thinks fo or not, he certainly thinks those whom he flatters of confequence enough to be flattered."

No fooner had we made our bow to Mr. Cambridge, in his library, than Johnson ran eagerly to one fide of the room, intent on poring over the backs of the books. Sir Joshua obferved, (afide,) "He runs to the books, as I do to the pictures but I have the advantage. I can see much more of the pictures than he can of the books." Mr. Cambridge, upon this, politely faid, "Dr. Johnson, I am going, with your pardon, to accufe myself, for I have the fame custom which I perceive you have. But it feems odd that one should have fuch a defire to look at the backs of books." Johnson, ever ready for conteft, instantly started from his reverie, wheeled about, and answered, " Sir, the reason is very plain. Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a fubject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. When we inquire into any fubject, the first thing we have to do is to know what books have treated of it. This leads us to look at catalogues, and at the backs of books in libraries." Sir Joshua obferved to me, the extraordinary promptitude with which Johnfon flew upon an argument. Yes, (faid I,) he has no formal preparation, no flourishing with his fword; he is through your body in an inftant."

Johnfon was here folaced with an elegant entertainment, a very accomplished family, and much good company; among whom was Mr. Harris of Salisbury, who paid him many compliments on his "Journey to the Western Islands."

The common remark as to the utility of reading history being made ;JOHNSON. "We must confider how very little history there is; I mean real authentick hiftory. That certain Kings reigned, and certain battles were fought, we can depend upon as true; but all the colouring, all the philofophy,

of

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of history is conjecture." BOSWELL." Then, Sir, you would reduce all Etat. 66. hiftory to no better than an almanack, a mere chronological feries of remarkable events." Mr. Gibbon, who muft at that time have been employed upon his hiftory, of which he published the firft volume in the following year, was prefent, but did not step forth in defence of that fpecies of writing. He probably did not like to trust himself with Johnfon 7.

Johnson obferved, that the force of our early habits was fo great, that though reafon approved, nay, though our fenfes relished a different course, almost every man returned to them. I do not believe there is any obfervation upon human nature better founded than this; and, in many cafes, it is a very painful truth; for where early habits have been mean and wretched, the joy and elevation refulting from better modes of life, must be damped by the gloomy consciousness of being under an almoft inevitable doom to fink back into a fituation which we recollect with difguft. It furely may be prevented, by constant attention and unremitting exertion to establish contrary habits of fuperiour efficacy.

"The Beggars Opera," and the common question, whether it was pernicious in its effects, having been introduced;-JOHNSON. "As to this matter, which has been very much contested, I myself am of opinion, that more influence has been ascribed to The Beggars Opera,' than it in reality ever had; for I do not believe that any man was ever made a rogue by being prefent at its representation. At the fame time I do not deny that it may have fome influence, by making the character of a rogue familiar, and in fome degree pleafing." Then collecting himself, as it were, to give a heavy stroke: "There is in it fuch a labefactation of all principles, as may be injurious to morality."

While he pronounced this refponfe, we fat in a comical fort of restraint, fmothering a laugh, which we were afraid might burst out. In his Life of Gay, he has been ftill more decifive as to the inefficiency of "The Beggars Opera," in corrupting fociety. But I have ever thought fomewhat differently;

7 See page 478.

A very eminent phyfician, whofe difcernment is as acute and penetrating in judging of the human character as it is in his own profeffion, remarked once at a club where I was, that a lively young man, fond of pleasure and without money, would hardly refift a folicitation from his mistress to go upon the highway, immediately after being prefent at the representation of " The Beggars Opera." I have been told of an ingenious obfervation by Mr. Gibbon, that "The Beggars Opera may, perhaps, have fometimes increased the number of highwaymen; but that it has had a beneficial effect in refining that class of men, making them less ferocious, more polite, in short, more like gentlemen." Upon this Mr. Courtenay faid, that "Gay was the Orpheus of highwaymen.”

for

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for, indeed, not only are the gaiety and heroism of a highwayman very captivating to a youthful imagination, but the arguments for adventurous Etat. 66. depredation are so plausible, the allufions fo lively, and the contrafts with the ordinary and more painful modes of acquiring property are fo artfully displayed, that it requires a cool and strong judgement to refift fo imposing an aggregate: yet, I own, I should be very forry to have "The Beggars Opera" fuppreffed; for there is in it fo much of real London life, fo much brilliant wit, and fuch a variety of airs, which, from early affociation of ideas, engage, foothe, and enliven the mind, that no performance which the theatre exhibits, delights me more.

The late "worthy" Duke of Queensberry, as Thomfon, in his "Seafons," justly characterises him, told me, that when Gay firft fhewed him “The Beggars Opera," his Grace's obfervation was, "This is a very odd thing, Gay; I am fatisfied that it is either a very good thing, or a very bad thing." It proved the former, beyond the warmest expectations of the authour or his friends. Mr. Cambridge, however, fhewed us to day, that there was good reafon enough to doubt concerning its fuccefs. He was told by Quin, that during the first night of its appearance it was long in a very dubious state; that there was a difpofition to damn it, and that it was faved by the fong, "Oh ponder well, be not fevere." Quin himself had fo bad an opinion of it, that he refused the part of Captain Macheath, and gave it to Walker, who acquired great celebrity by his grave yet animated performance of it.

We talked of a young gentleman's marriage with an eminent finger, and his determination that she should no longer fing in publick, though his father was very earnest she should, because her talents would be liberally rewarded fo as to make her a good fortune. It was queftioned whether the young gentleman, who had not a fhilling in the world, but was bleft with very uncommon talents, was not foolishly delicate, or foolishly proud, and his father truly rational without being mean. Johnson, with all the high spirit of a Roman fenator, exclaimed, "He refolved wifely and nobly to be fure. He is a brave man. Would not a gentleman be difgraced by having his wife finging publickly for hire? No, Sir, there can be no doubt here. I know not if I fhould not prepare myfelf for a publick finger, as readily as let my wife be one."

Johnson arraigned the modern politicks of this country, as entirely devoid of all principle of whatever kind. "Politicks (faid he) are now nothing more than means of rifing in the world. With this fole view do men engage in politicks, and their whole conduct proceeds upon it. How different in that refpect is the ftate of the nation now from what it was in Rrr

the

1775. the time of Charles the First, during the Ufurpation, and after the RestoraAtat. 66. tion, in the time of Charles the Second. Hudibras affords a strong proof how much hold political principles had then upon the minds of men. There is in Hudibras a great deal of bullion, which will always laft. But to be fure the brighteft ftrokes of his wit owed their force to the impreffion of the characters, which was upon men's minds at the time; to their knowing them, at table and in the street; in fhort, being familiar with them; and above all, to his fatire being directed against those whom a little while before they had hated and feared. The nation in general has ever been loyal, has been at all times attached to the monarch, though a few daring rebels have been wonderfully powerful for a time. The murder of Charles the First was undoubtedly not committed with the approbation or confent of the people. Had that been the cafe, parliament would not have ventured to confign the regicides to their deferved punishment. And we know what exuberance of joy there was when Charles the Second was reftored. If Charles the Second had bent all his mind to it, had made it his fole object, he might have been as abfolute as Louis the Fourteenth." A gentleman observed he would have done no harm if he had. JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, abfolute princes feldom do any harm. But they who are governed by them are governed by chance. There is no fecurity for good government.” CAMBRIDGE. "There have been many fad victims to abfolute power." JOHNSON." So, Sir, have there been to popular factions." "The question is, which is worst, one wild beaft or many?"

BOSWELL..

Johnfon praised "The SPECTATOR," particularly the character of Sir Roger de Coverley. He faid, " Sir Roger did not die a violent death, as has been generally fancied. He was not killed; he died only because others were to die, and because his death afforded an opportunity to Addison for fome very fine writing. We have the example of Cervantes making Don Quixote die.-I never could fee why Sir Roger is reprefented as a little cracked. It appears to me that the ftory of the widow was intended to have fomething fuperinduced upon it: but the superstructure did not come."

Somebody found fault with writing verfes in a dead language, maintaining that they were merely arrangements of fo many words, and laughed at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, for sending forth collections of them not only in Greek and Latin, but even in Syriack, Arabick, and other more unknown tongues. JOHNSON. "I would have as many of these as poffible; I would have verses in every language that there are the means of acquiring. Nobody imagines that an University is to have at once two hundred poets;. but it should be able to fhew two hundred fcholars. Peirefc's death was lamented,

1775.

lamented, I think, in forty languages. And I would have at every coronation, and every death of a King, every Gaudium, and every Luctus, University Etat. 66. verses in as many languages as can be acquired. I would have the world to be thus told, Here is a school where every thing may be learnt."

Having fet out next day on a vifit to the Earl of Pembroke, at Wilton, and to my friend, Mr. Temple, at Mamhead, in Devonshire, and not having returned to town till the fecond of May, I did not fee Dr. Johnson for a confiderable time, and during the remaining part of my stay in London, kept very imperfect notes of his converfation, which had I according to my ufual custom written out at large foon after the time, much might have been preserved, which is now irretrievably loft. I can now only record fome particular fcenes, and a few fragments of his memorabilia. But to make fome amends for my relaxation of diligence in one refpect, I have to prefent my readers with arguments upon two law cafes, with which he favoured me.

On Saturday, the fixth of May, we dined by ourselves at the Mitre, and he dictated to me what follows, to obviate the complaint already mentioned, which had been made in the form of an action in the Court of Seffion, by Dr. Memis, of Aberdeen, that in the fame tranflation of a charter in which physicians were mentioned, he was called Doctor of Medicine.

"THERE are but two reasons for which a physician can decline the title of Doctor of Medicine, because he supposes himself difgraced by the doctorship, or fupposes the doctorship difgraced by himself. To be difgraced by a title which he shares in common with every illustrious name of his profeffion, with Boerhaave, with Arbuthnot, and with Cullen, can furely diminish no man's reputation. It is, I fuppofe, to the doctorate, from which he shrinks, that he owes his right of practifing phyfick. A Doctor of Medicine is a physician under the protection of the laws, and by the stamp of authority. The physician who is not a Doctor, ufurps a profession, and is authorised only by himself to decide upon health and fickness, and life and death. That this gentleman is a Doctor, his diploma makes evident; a diploma not obtruded upon him, but obtained by folicitation, and for which fees were paid. With what countenance any man can refuse the title which he has either begged or bought, is not easily discovered.

"All verbal injury muft comprise in it either fome falfe pofition, or fome unneceffary declaration of defamatory truth. That in calling him Doctor, a false appellation was given him, he himself will not pretend, who at the fame time that he complains of the title, would be offended if we fuppofed him to