large, but the middle aisle is very lofty and awful. On the left are chapels built beyond the line of the wall, which destroyed the symmetry of the sides. The organ is higher above the pavement than I have ever seen. The gates are of brass. On the middle gate is the history of our Lord. The painted windows are historical, and said to be eminently beautiful-We were at another church belonging to a convent, of which the portal is a dome: we could not enter further, and it was almost dark.

Thursday, Nov. 2.- We came this day to Chantilly, a seat belonging to the Prince of Condé. This place is eminently beautified by all varieties of waters starting up in fountains, falling in cascades, running in streams, and spread in lakes. The water seems to be too near the house. All this water is brought from a source or river three leagues off, by an artificial canal, which for one league is carried under ground-The house is magnificentThe cabinet seems well stocked; what I remember was, the jaws of a hippopotamus, and a young hippopotamus preserved, which, how. ever, is so small, that I doubt its reality-It seems too hairy for an abortion, and too small for a mature birth - Nothing was [preserved] in spirits; all was dry - The dog; the deer; the ant-bear with long snout - The toucan, long broad beak-The stables were of very great length-The kennel had no scents-There was a mockery of a village-The menagerie had few animals -Two faussans2, or Brazilian weasels, spotted, very wild-- There is a forest, and, I think, a park —I walked till I was very weary, and next morning felt my feet battered, and with pains in the toes.

"Friday, Nov. 3.- We came to Compeigne, a very large town, with a royal palace built round a pentagonal court - The court is raised upon vaults, and has, I suppose, an entry on one side by a gentle rise — Talk of painting The church is not very large, but very elegant and splendid - I had at first great difficulty to walk, but motion grew continually easier-At night we came to Noyon, an episcopal city The cathedral is very beautiful, the pillars alternately Gothic and Corinthian We entered a very noble parochial church Noyon is walled, and is said to be three miles round.

66

Saturday, Nov. 4.-We rose very early,

The writing is so bad here, that the names of several of the animals could not be deciphered without much more acden, his history than I possess. Dr. Blagwith his usual politeness, most obligingly examined the MS. To that gentleman, and to Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, who also very readily assisted me, I beg leave to express my best thanks.- BOSWELL.

It is thus written by Johnson, trom the French pronunciation of fossane. It should be observed, that the person who showed this menagerie was mistaken in supposing the fossane and the Brazilian weasel to be the same, the fussane being a different animal, and a native of Madagascar. I find them, however, upon one plate in Pennant's Synopsis of Quadrupeds."-BOSWELL.

Here his Journal 3 ends abruptly. Whether he wrote any more after this time, I know not; but probably not much, as he arrived in England about the 12th of November. These short notes of his tour, though they may seem minute taken singly, make together a considerable mass of information, and exhibit such an ardour of inquiry and acuteness of examination, as, I believe, are found in but few travellers, especially at an advanced age. They completely refute the idle notion which has been propagated, that he could not see; and, if he had taken the trouble to revise and digest them, he undoubtedly could have expanded them into a very entertaining narrative.

When I met him in London the following year, the account which he gave me of his French tour was, "Sir, I have seen all the visibilities of Paris, and around it: but to have formed an acquaintance with the people there | would have required more time than I could stay. I was just beginning to creep into acquaintance by means of Colonel Drumgould, a very high man, Sir, head of L'Ecole Militaire, a most complete character, for he had first been a professor of rhetoric, and then became a soldier. And, Sir, I was very kindly treated by the English Benedictines, and have a cell appropriated to me in their convent."

He observed, "The great in France live very magnificently, but the rest very miserably. There is no happy middle state, as in England. The shops of Paris are mean; the meat in the markets is such as would be sent to a gaol in England; and Mr. Thrale justly observed, that the cookery of the French was forced upon them by necessity; for they could not eat their meat, unless they added some taste to it. The French are an indelicate people; they will spit upon any place. At Madame [Du Bocage's],

3 My worthy and ingenious friend, Mr. Andrew Lumisden, by his accurate acquaintance with France, enabled me to make out many proper names, which Dr. Johnson had written indistinctly, and sometimes spelt erroneously. BOSWELL. He was private secretary to the Pretender, and author of a work on the Antiquities of Rome. He had resided twenty years in Rome, and eighteen in Paris, but died at Edinburgh, 26th Dec. 1801, ætat. 81. CROKER, 1846.

4 Miss Reynolds, who knew him longer, and saw him more constantly than Mr. Boswell, says, "Dr. Johnson's sight was so very defective, that he could scarcely distinguish the face of his most intimate acquaintance at half a yard."- Recollections.- CROKER.

a literary lady of rank, the footman took the sugar in his fingers, and threw it into my coffee. I was going to put it aside; but hearing it was made on purpose for me, I e'en tasted Tom's fingers. The same lady would needs make tea à l'Angloise. The spout of the teapot did not pour freely; she bade the footman blow into it.' France is worse than Scotland in every thing but climate. Nature has done more for the French; but they have done less for themselves than the Scotch have done." 2

----

It happened that Foote was at Paris at the same time with Dr. Johnson, and his description of my friend while there was abundantly ludicrous. He told me, that the French were quite astonished at his figure and manner, and at his dress, which he obstinately continued exactly as in London 3; - his brown clothes, black stockings, and plain shirt. He mentioned, that an Irish gentleman said to Johnson, "Sir, you have not seen the best French players." JOHN. SON. Players, Sir! I look on them as no better than creatures set upon tables and joint stools, to make faces and produce laughter, like dancing dogs." "But, Sir, you will allow that some players are better than others?" JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir, as some dogs dance better

66

than others."

While Johnson was in France, he was generally very resolute in speaking Latin. It was a maxim with him that a man should not let himself down by speaking a language which he speaks imperfectly. Indeed, we must have often observed how inferior, how much like a child a man appears, who speaks a broken tongue. When Sir Joshua Reynolds, at one of the dinners of the Royal Academy, presented him to a Frenchman of great distinction, he would not deign to speak French, but talked Latin, though his Excellency did not understand it, owing, perhaps, to Johnson's English pronunciation:

yet upon another occasion he was observed to speak French to a Frenchman of high rank, who spoke English; and being asked the reason, with some expression of surprise, he answered, "because I think my French is as good as his English." Though Johnson understood French perfectly, he could not speak it readily, as I have observed at his first interview with General Paoli, in 1769; yet he wrote it, I imagine, pretty well, as appears from some of his letters in Mrs. Piozzi's collection, of which I shall transcribe one:

A MADAME LA COMTESSE DE

"May 16. 1771.4

"Oui, madame, le moment est arrivé, et il faut que je parte. Mais pourquoi faut il partir? Est ce que je m'ennuye? Je m'ennuyerai ailleurs. Est ce que je cherche ou quelque plaisir, ou quelque soulagement? Je ne cherche rien, je n'espère rien. Aller voir ce que j'ai vû, être un peu rejoui, un peu degouté, me ressouvenir que la vie se passe, et qu'elle se passe en vain, me plaindre de moi, m'endurcir aux dehors; voici le tout de ce qu'on compte pour les delices de l'année. Que Dieu vous donne, madame, tous les agrémens de la vie, avec un esprit qui peut en jouir sans s'y livrer trop."

Here let me not forget a curious anecdote, as related to me by Mr. Beauclerk, which I shall endeavour to exhibit as well as I can in that gentleman's lively manner; and in justice to him it is proper to add, that Dr. Johnson told me I might rely both on the correctness of his memory, and the fidelity of his narrative. "When Madame de Boufflers 5 was first in England," said Beauclerk, "she was desirous to see Johnson. I accordingly went with her to his chambers in the Temple, where she was entertained with his conversation for some time. When our visit was over, she and I left him, and were got into Inner Temple Lane, when

1 Miss Reynolds's "Recollections" preserve this story as told her by Baretti, who was of the party :-"Going one day to drink tea with Madame du Bocage, she happened to produce an old china teapot, which Mrs. Strickland, who made the tea, could not make pour: Soufflez, soufflez, madame, dedans,' cried Madame du Bocage, il se rectifie immédiatement; essayez, je vous en prie.' The servant then thinking that Mrs. Strickland did not understand what his lady said, took up the teapot to rectify it, and Mrs. Strickland had quite a struggle to prevent his blowing into the spout. Madame du Bocage all this while had not the least idea of its being any impropriety, and wondered at Mrs. Strickland's stupid. ity. She came over to the latter, caught up the teapot, and blew into the spout with all her might: then finding it pour, she held it up in triumph, and repeatedly exclaimed, Voilà. voilà, j'ai regagné l'honneur de ma théière.' She had no sugar-tongs, and said something that showed she expected Mrs. Strickland to use her fingers to sweeten the cups. 'Madame, je n'oserois.'—' Oh mon Dieu! quel grand quanquan les Anglois font de peu de chose.'" See other details of this French tour in the Recollections.- CROKER.

2 In a letter written a few days after his return from France, he says, "The French have a clear air and a fruitful soil: but their mode of common life is gross and incommodious, and disgusting. I am come home convinced that no improvement of general use is to be found among them."MALONE.

"Mr. Thrale loved," says Mrs. Piozzi, "prospects, and was mortified that his friend could not enjoy the sight of those different dispositions of wood and water, hill and valley, that travelling through England and France affords a man. But when he wished to point them out to his companion,

'Never heed such nonsense,' would be the reply: a blade of grass is always a blade of grass, whether in one country or another. Let us, if we do talk, talk about something: men and women are my subjects of inquiry; let us see how these differ from those we have left behind.' His dislike of the French was well known to both nations, I believe; but he applauded the number of their books and the graces of their style. They have few sentiments,' said he, but they express them neatly; they have little meat too, but they dress it well.'"-CROKER.

3 Foote seems to have embellished a little in saying that Johnson did not alter his dress at Paris; as in his journal is a memorandum about white stockings, wig, and hat. In another place we are told that "during his travels in France he was furnished with a French-made wig of handsome construction."- BLAKEWAY. - By a note in Johnson's diary (Hawkins's "Life," p. 517.), it appears that he had laid out thirty pounds in clothes for his French journey. — MALONE. 4 This is the date in Mrs. Piozzi's book, where it first appeared. In Boswell's first edition it was given 16 July, 1771, and in all his later editions, 16 July, 1775. I cannot, under any of these dates, guess to whom the letter could have been addressed. Boswell, by his immediate mention of Madame de Boufflers, seems to suppose it was addressed to her, but I cannot reconcile either its date or purport with any circumstances of his acquaintance with that, or indeed any other foreign lady.-CROKER.

5 La Comtesse de Boufflers was the mistress of the Prince of Conti, and aspired to be his wife: she was a bel-esprit, ard in that character thought it necessary to be an Anglomane, and to visit England; which she did in 1763. — CROKER,

all at once I heard a voice like thunder. This was occasioned by Johnson, who, it seems, upon a little reflection, had taken it into his head that he ought to have done the honours of his literary residence to a foreign lady of quality, and, eager to show himself a man of gallantry, was hurrying down the staircase in violent agitation. He overtook us before we reached the Temple-gate, and, brushing in between me and Madame de Boufflers, seized her hand, and conducted her to her coach. His dress was a rusty brown morning suit, a pair of old shoes by way of slippers, a little shrivelled wig sticking on the top of his head, and the sleeves of his shirt and the knees of his breeches hanging loose. A considerable crowd of people gathered round, and were not a little struck by this singular appearance."

He spoke Latin with wonderful fluency and elegance. When Père Boscovich was in England, Johnson dined in company with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, and at Dr. Douglas's, now Bishop of Salisbury. Upon both occasions that celebrated foreigner expressed his astonishment at Johnson's Latin conversation.3 When at Paris, Johnson thus characterised Voltaire to Freron the journalist: "Vir est acerrimi ingenii et paucarum literarum.”

BOSWELL TO JOHNSON.

"Edinburgh, Oct. 24. 1775. "MY DEAR SIR, If I had not been informed that you were at Paris, you should have had a letter from me by the earliest opportunity, announcing the birth of my son, on the 9th instant; I have named him Alexander, after my father. I now write, as I suppose your fellow-traveller, Mr. | Thrale, will return to London this week, to attend his duty in parliament, and that you will not stay behind him.

"I send another parcel of Lord Hailes's 'Annals.' I have undertaken to solicit you for a favour to him, which he thus requests in a letter to me: I intend

It was not to high rank alone that Johnson paid these attentions. When Hannah More and her sister visited Johnson for the first time (1774), she says, "When our visit was ended, he called for his hat (as it rained), to attend us down a long winding to our coach. - Mem. i. 49. — CROKER, 1846.

See antè, p. 218. Boscovich was a Jesuit, born at Ragusa in 1711, who first introduced the Newtonian philosophy into Italy. He vis ted London in 1760, and was there elected into the Royal Society. He died in 1787.- CROKER.

3 Boscovich had a ready current flow of that flimsy phraseology with which a priest may travel through Italy, Spain, and Germany. Johnson scorned what he called colloquial barbarisms. It was his pride to speak his best. He went on, after a little practice. with as much facility as if it was his native tongue. One sentence I remember. Observing that Fontenell at first o posed the Newtonian philosophy, and embraced it afterwards, his words were: Fontinellus, ni fallor, crivemå senectute, uit transfuga ad castra Newtoniana." Murphy. This phrase seems rather too pompous for the occasion, and was, I suspect, not quite so unpremeditated as Murphy represents. Johnson had probably in his mind a pass ige in Seneca. quoted in Menagiana (v. ii. p. 46 ): "Senéque voulant dire qu'il profitait de ce qu'il y avait de bon dans les auteurs dit, Solon sepe in aliena castra transire; Ha tanquam transfuga, sed tanquam explorator ;" and this s rendered the more probable because in the same volume of the Menagiana, and within a few pages of each other, are found two other Latin quotations, which Johnson has made use of the one from Thuanus, "Fami non fame scribere See ante, p. 64. The other from 4stumatus Xylandrus "

soon to give you The Life of Robert Bruce, which you will be pleased to transmit to Dr. Johnson. I wish that you could assist me in a fancy which I have taken, of getting Dr. Johnson to that I give of that prince. If he finds materials for draw a character of Robert Bruce, from the account it in my work, it will be a proof that I have been

fortunate in selecting the most striking incidents.' "I suppose by The Life of Robert Bruce,' his Lordship means that part of his ‘Annals' which relates the history of that prince, and not a separate

work.

"Shall we have A Journey to Paris' from you in the winter? You will, I hope, at any rate, be kind enough to give me some account of your French travels very soon, for I am very impatient. What a different scene have you viewed this autumn, from that which you viewed in autumn 1773! I ever am, my dear Sir, your much obliged and affectionate humble servant, "JAMES BOSWELL."

JOHNSON TO BOSWELL.

"London, Nov. 16. 1775. "DEAR SIR, I am glad that the young laird is born, and an end, as I hope, put to the only difference that you can ever have with Mrs. Boswell. I know that she does not love me; but I intend to persist in wishing her well till I get the better of her.

66

Paris is, indeed, a place very different from the Hebrides, but it is to a hasty traveller not so fertile of novelty, nor affords so many opportunities of remark. I cannot pretend to tell the public any thing of a place better known to many of my readers than to myself. We can talk of it when we meet.

"I shall go next week to Streatham, from whence I purpose to send a parcel of the History' every poet. Concerning the character of Bruce, I can only say, that I do not see any great reason for writing it; but I shall not easily deny what Lord Hailes and you concur in desiring.

"I have been remarkably healthy all the journey, and hope you and your family have

J. C. Scaliger, "Homo ex alieno ingenio poeta, ex suo tantum versificator:" which is the motto Johnson prefixed to his version of the Messiah: anté, p. 13. Mrs. Piozzi however bears a like testimony to the fluency of Johnson's Latinity. "When we were at Rouen, he took a great fancy to the Abbé Roffette, with whom he conversed about the destruction of the order of Jesuits, and condemned it loudly, as a blow to the general power of the church, and likely to be followed with many and dangerous innovations, which might at length become fatal to religion itself, and shake even the foundation of Christianity. The gentleman seemed to wonder and delight in his conversation: the talk was all in Latin, which both spoke fluently, and Dr. Johnson pronounced a long eulogium upon Milton with so much ardour, eloquence, and ingenuity, that the abbé rose from his seat and embraced him. Anecdotes. Yet I cannot but wonder how, consider. ing the difference between the continental and English pronunciation of Latin, Johnson and those foreigners came to understand each other so readily,- CROKER.

4 I had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He was a highspirited, clever, and amiable gentleman; and, like his father, of a frank and social disposition, and high tory principles; but it is said that he did not relish the recollections of our author's devotion to Dr. Johnson: and, like old Lord Auchin leck, seemed to think it a kind of derogation. He was created a Baronet in 1821. He left issue a son and two daughters, one of whom, Lady Elliot of Stobbs, I had the pleasure of also knowing. See antè, p. 301.- CROKER.

5 This alludes to my old feudal principle of preferring male to female succession. BosWELL.

known only that trouble and danger which has so happily terminated. Among all the congratulations that you may receive, hope you believe none more warm or sincere than those of, dear Sir, your most affectionate, SAM. JOHNSON."

use.

JOHNSON TO MISS PORTER.'

"Nov. 16. 1775.

"DEAR MADAM, · This week I came home from Paris. I have brought you a little box, which I thought pretty; but I know not whether it is properly a snuff-box, or a box for some other I will send it, when I can find an opportunity. I have been through the whole journey remarkably well. My fellow-travellers were the same whom you saw at Lichfield, only we took Barctti with us. Paris is not so fine a place as you would expect. The palaces and churches, however, are very splendid and magnificent; and what would please you, there are many very fine pictures; but I do not think their way of life commodious or pleasant.

64

Let me know how your health has been all this while. I hope the fine summer has given you

strength sufficient to encounter the winter.

"Make my compliments to all my friends; and, if your fingers will let you, write to me, or let

I

your maid write, if it be troublesome to you. am, dear Madam, your most affectionate humble SAM. JOHNSON."

servant,

BOSWELL TO JOHNSON.

"Edinburgh, Dec. 5. 1775.

"MY DEAR SIR, Mr. Alexander Maclean, the young laird of Col, being to set out to-morrow for London, I give him this letter to introduce him to your acquaintance. The kindness which you and I experienced from his brother, whose unfortunate death we sincerely lament, will make us always desirous to show attention to any branch of the family. Indeed, you have so much of the true Highland cordiality, that I am sure you would have thought me to blame if I had neglected to recommend to you this Hebridean prince, in whose island we were hospitably entertained. I ever am, with respectful attachment, my dear Sir, your most obliged and

most humble servant,

JAMES BOSWELL."

JOHNSON TO MISS PORTER.

"Dec. 17. 1775.

"DEAR MADAM, Some weeks ago I wrote to you, to tell you that I was just come home from a ramble, and hoped that I should have heard from you. I am afraid winter has laid hold on your fingers, and hinders you from writing. However, let somebody write, if you cannot, and tell me how you do, and a little of what has happened at Lichfield among our friends. I hope you are all well. "When 1 was in France, I thought myself growing young, but am afraid that cold weather will take part of my new vigour from me. Let us, however, take care of ourselves, and lose no part of our health by negligence.

1 There can be no doubt that many years previous to 1775, he corresponded with this lady, who was his stepdaughter, but none of his earlier letters to her have been preserved. — BOSWELL. Since the death of Mr. Boswell, several of Johnson's letters to Mrs. Lucy Porter, written before 1775, were

"I never knew whether you received the Commentary on the New Testament, and the Travels, and the glasses. Do, my dear love, write to me; and do not let us forget each other. This is the season of good wishes, and I wish you all good. I have not lately seen Mr. Porter, nor heard of him. Is he with you?

"Be pleased to make my compliments to Mrs. Adey, and Mrs. Cobb, and all my friends; and when I can do any good, let me know. I am, dear Madam, yours most affectionately,

"The writer of an epitaph should not be considered as saying nothing but what is strictly true. Allowance must be made for some degree of exaggerated praise. In lapidary inscriptions a man is not upon oath."

"There is now less flogging in our great schools than formerly, but then less is learned there; so that what the boys get at one end they lose at the other."

More is learned in public than in private schools, from emulation; there is the collision of mind with mind, or the radiation of many minds pointing to one centre. Though few boys make their own exercises, yet if a good exercise is given up, out of a great number of boys, it is made by somebody."

66

I hate by-roads in education. Education is as well known, and has long been as well known, as ever it can be. Endeavouring to make children prematurely wise is useless labour. Suppose they have more knowledge at five or six years old than other children, what use can be made of it? It will be lost before it is wanted, and the waste of so much time and labour of the teacher can never be repaid. Too much is expected from precocity, and too little performed. Miss [Aikin] was an instance of early cultivation, but in what did it terminate? In marrying a little presbyterian parson, who keeps an infant boarding school, so that all her employment now is

2

"To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer.'

obligingly communicated to me by the Rev. Dr. Vyse, and are printed in the present edition. MALONE.

Several others, as has been already stated (antè, p. 62.), are added to my editions. -CROKER.

2 Miss Letitia Aikin, who married Mr. Barbauld, and pub. lished "Easy Lessons for Children," &c. &c. - CROKER.