HeremainedatOxfordaconsiderabletime；IwasobligedtogotoLondon，whereIreceivedhisletter，whichhadbeenreturnedfromScotland。
　　’TOJAMESBOSWELL，ESQ。
　　’MYDEARBOSWELL，——Ihaveomittedalongtimetowritetoyou，withoutknowingverywellwhy。IcouldnowtellwhyIshouldnotwrite；forwhowouldwritetomenwhopublishthelettersoftheirfriends，withouttheirleave？YetIwritetoyouinspiteofmycaution，totellyouthatIshallbegladtoseeyou，andthatI
　　wishyouwouldemptyyourheadofCorsica，whichIthinkhasfilleditrathertoolong。But，atallevents，Ishallbeglad，verygladtoseeyou。Iam，Sir，yoursaffectionately，’SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　’Oxford，March23，1768。’
　　UponhisarrivalinLondoninMay，hesurprizedmeonemorningwithavisitatmylodgingsinHalf-Moon-street，wasquitesatisfiedwithmyexplanation，andwasinthekindestandmostagreeableframeofmind。Ashehadobjectedtoapartofoneofhislettersbeingpublished，Ithoughtitrighttotakethisopportunityofaskinghimexplicitlywhetheritwouldbeimpropertopublishhislettersafterhisdeath。Hisanswerwas，’Nay，Sir，whenIamdead，youmaydoasyouwill。’
　　Hetalkedinhisusualstylewitharoughcontemptofpopularliberty。’TheymakearoutaboutUNIVERSALliberty，withoutconsideringthatallthatistobevalued，orindeedcanbeenjoyedbyindividuals，isPRIVATEliberty。Politicallibertyisgoodonlysofarasitproducesprivateliberty。Now，Sir，thereisthelibertyofthepress，whichyouknowisaconstanttopick。SupposeyouandIandtwohundredmorewererestrainedfromprintingourthoughts：whatthen？Whatproportionwouldthatrestraintuponusbeartotheprivatehappinessofthenation？’
　　Thismodeofrepresentingtheinconveniencesofrestraintaslightandinsignificant，wasakindofsophistryinwhichhedelightedtoindulgehimself，inoppositiontotheextremelaxityforwhichithasbeenfashionablefortoomanytoargue，whenitisevident，uponreflection，thattheveryessenceofgovernmentisrestraint；
　　andcertainitis，thatasgovernmentproducesrationalhappiness，toomuchrestraintisbetterthantoolittle。Butwhenrestraintisunnecessary，andsocloseastogallthosewhoaresubjecttoit，thepeoplemayandoughttoremonstrate；and，ifreliefisnotgranted，toresist。Ofthismanlyandspiritedprinciple，nomanwasmoreconvincedthanJohnsonhimself。
　　HissincereregardforFrancisBarber，hisfaithfulnegroservant，madehimsodesirousofhisfurtherimprovement，thathenowplacedhimataschoolatBishopStortford，inHertfordshire。ThishumaneattentiondoesJohnson’sheartmuchhonour。OutofmanyletterswhichMr。Barberreceivedfromhismaster，hehaspreservedthree，whichhekindlygaveme，andwhichIshallinsertaccordingtotheirdates。
　　’TOMR。FRANCISBARBER。
　　’DEARFRANCIS，——Ihavebeenverymuchoutoforder。Iamgladtohearthatyouarewell，anddesigntocomesoontoseeyou。I
　　wouldhaveyoustayatMrs。Clapp’sforthepresent，tillIcandeterminewhatweshalldo。Beagoodboy。
　　’MycomplimentstoMrs。ClappandtoMr。Fowler。Iam，your’saffectionately，SAM。JOHNSON。’
　　’May28，1768。’
　　Soonafterwards，hesuppedattheCrownandAnchortavern，intheStrand，withacompanywhomIcollectedtomeethim。TheywereDr。
　　Percy，nowBishopofDromore，Dr。Douglas，nowBishopofSalisbury，Mr。Langton，Dr。RobertsontheHistorian，Dr。HughBlair，andMr。
　　ThomasDavies，whowishedmuchtobeintroducedtotheseeminentScotchliterati；butonthepresentoccasionhehadverylittleopportunityofhearingthemtalk，forwithanexcessofprudence，forwhichJohnsonafterwardsfoundfaultwiththem，theyhardlyopenedtheirlips，andthatonlytosaysomethingwhichtheywerecertainwouldnotexposethemtotheswordofGoliath；suchwastheiranxietyfortheirfamewheninthepresenceofJohnson。Hewasthiseveninginremarkablevigourofmind，andeagertoexerthimselfinconversation，whichhedidwithgreatreadinessandfluency；butIamsorrytofindthatIhavepreservedbutasmallpartofwhatpassed。
　　HewasvehementagainstoldDr。Mounsey，ofChelseaCollege，as’afellowwhosworeandtalkedbawdy。’’Ihavebeenofteninhiscompany，saidDr。Percy，andneverheardhimswearortalkbawdy。’Mr。Davies，whosatnexttoDr。Percy，havingafterthishadsomeconversationasidewithhim，madeadiscoverywhich，inhiszealtopaycourttoDr。Johnson，heeagerlyproclaimedaloudfromthefootofthetable：’O，Sir，IhavefoundoutaverygoodreasonwhyDr。PercyneverheardMounseyswearortalkbawdy；forhetellsme，heneversawhimbutattheDukeofNorthumberland’stable。’’Andso，Sir，saidJohnsonloudly，toDr。Percy，youwouldshieldthismanfromthechargeofswearingandtalkingbawdy，becausehedidnotdosoattheDukeofNorthumberland’stable。Sir，youmightaswelltellusthatyouhadseenhimholduphishandattheOldBailey，andheneithersworenortalkedbawdy；orthatyouhadseenhiminthecartatTyburn，andheneithersworenortalkedbawdy。Andisitthus，Sir，thatyoupresumetocontrovertwhatIhaverelated？’Dr。Johnson’sanimadversionwasutteredinsuchamanner，thatDr。Percyseemedtobedispleased，andsoonafterwardsleftthecompany，ofwhichJohnsondidnotatthattimetakeanynotice。
　　Swifthavingbeenmentioned，Johnson，asusual，treatedhimwithlittlerespectasanauthour。SomeofusendeavouredtosupporttheDeanofSt。Patrick’sbyvariousarguments。OneinparticularpraisedhisConductoftheAllies。JOHNSON。’Sir，hisConductoftheAlliesisaperformanceofverylittleability。’’Surely，Sir，saidDr。Douglas，youmustallowithasstrongfacts。’JOHNSON。
　　’Whyyes，Sir；butwhatisthattothemeritofthecomposition？
　　IntheSessions-paperoftheOldBailey，therearestrongfacts。
　　Housebreakingisastrongfact；robberyisastrongfact；andmurderisaMIGHTYstrongfact；butisgreatpraiseduetothehistorianofthosestrongfacts？No，Sir。Swifthastoldwhathehadtotelldistinctlyenough，butthatisall。Hehadtocountten，andhehascounteditright。’ThenrecollectingthatMr。
　　Davies，byactingasanINFORMER，hadbeentheoccasionofhistalkingsomewhattooharshlytohisfriendDr。Percy，forwhich，probably，whenthefirstebullitionwasover，hefeltsomecompunction，hetookanopportunitytogivehimahit；soadded，withapreparatorylaugh，’Why，Sir，TomDaviesmighthavewrittenTheConductoftheAllies。’PoorTombeingthussuddenlydraggedintoludicrousnoticeinpresenceoftheScottishDoctors，towhomhewasambitiousofappearingtoadvantage，wasgrievouslymortified。Nordidhispunishmentresthere；foruponsubsequentoccasions，wheneverhe，’statesmanallover，’assumedastruttingimportance，Iusedtohailhim——’theAuthourofTheConductoftheAllies。’
　　WhenIcalleduponDr。Johnsonnextmorning，Ifoundhimhighlysatisfiedwithhiscolloquialprowesstheprecedingevening。
　　’Well，saidhe，wehadgoodtalk。’BOSWELL。’Yes，Sir；youtossedandgoredseveralpersons。’
　　ThelateAlexander，EarlofEglintoune，wholovedwitmorethanwine，andmenofgeniusmorethansycophants，hadagreatadmirationofJohnson；butfromtheremarkableeleganceofhisownmanners，was，perhaps，toodelicatelysensibleoftheroughnesswhichsometimesappearedinJohnson’sbehaviour。Oneeveningaboutthistime，whenhisLordshipdidmethehonourtosupatmylodgingswithDr。Robertsonandseveralothermenofliterarydistinction，heregrettedthatJohnsonhadnotbeeneducatedwithmorerefinement，andlivedmoreinpolishedsociety。’No，no，myLord，saidSignorBaretti，dowithhimwhatyouwould，hewouldalwayshavebeenabear。’’True，answeredtheEarl，withasmile，buthewouldhavebeenaDANCINGbear。’
　　ToobviateallthereflectionswhichhavegoneroundtheworldtoJohnson’sprejudice，byapplyingtohimtheepithetofaBEAR，letmeimpressuponmyreadersajustandhappysayingofmyfriendGoldsmith，whoknewhimwell：’Johnson，tobesure，hasaroughnessinhismanner；butnomanalivehasamoretenderheart。Hehasnothingofthebearbuthisskin。’
　　1769：AETAT。60。]——IcametoLondonintheautumn，andhavinginformedhimthatIwasgoingtobemarriedinafewmonths，I
　　wishedtohaveasmuchofhisconversationasIcouldbeforeengaginginastateoflifewhichwouldprobablykeepmemoreinScotland，andpreventmeseeinghimsooftenaswhenIwasasingleman；butIfoundhewasatBrighthelmstonewithMr。andMrs。
　　Thrale。
　　Afterhisreturntotown，wemetfrequently，andIcontinuedthepracticeofmakingnotesofhisconversation，thoughnotwithsomuchassiduityasIwishIhaddone。Atthistime，indeed，IhadasufficientexcusefornotbeingabletoappropriatesomuchtimetomyJournal；forGeneralPaoli，afterCorsicahadbeenoverpoweredbythemonarchyofFrance，wasnownolongerattheheadofhisbravecountrymen，buthavingwithdifficultyescapedfromhisnativeisland，hadsoughtanasyluminGreat-Britain；anditwasmyduty，aswellasmypleasure，toattendmuchuponhim。SuchparticularsofJohnson’sconversationatthisperiodasIhavecommittedtowriting，Ishallhereintroduce，withoutanystrictattentiontomethodicalarrangement。Sometimesshortnotesofdifferentdaysshallbeblendedtogether，andsometimesadaymayseemimportantenoughtobeseparatelydistinguished。
　　Hesaid，hewouldnothaveSundaykeptwithrigidseverityandgloom，butwithagravityandsimplicityofbehaviour。
　　ItoldhimthatDavidHumehadmadeashortcollectionofScotticisms。’Iwonder，saidJohnson，thatHEshouldfindthem。’
　　Onthe30thofSeptemberwedinedtogetherattheMitre。I
　　attemptedtoargueforthesuperiorhappinessofthesavagelife，upontheusualfancifultopicks。JOHNSON。’Sir，therecanbenothingmorefalse。Thesavageshavenobodilyadvantagesbeyondthoseofcivilisedmen。Theyhavenotbetterhealth；andastocareormentaluneasiness，theyarenotaboveit，butbelowit，likebears。No，Sir；youarenottotalksuchparadox：letmehavenomoreon’t。Itcannotentertain，farlesscanitinstruct。LordMonboddo，oneofyourScotchJudges，talkedagreatdealofsuchnonsense。IsufferedHIM；butIwillnotsufferYOU。’——BOSWELL。