Iattemptedtocontinuetheconversation。Hewassoprovoked，thathesaid，’Giveusnomoreofthis；’andwasthrownintosuchastateofagitation，thatheexpressedhimselfinawaythatalarmedanddistressedme；shewedanimpatiencethatIshouldleavehim，andwhenIwasgoingaway，calledtomesternly，’Don’tletusmeettomorrow。’
　　Iwenthomeexceedinglyuneasy。AlltheharshobservationswhichI
　　hadeverheardmadeuponhischaracter，crowdedintomymind；andI
　　seemedtomyselflikethemanwhohadputhisheadintothelion’smouthagreatmanytimeswithperfectsafety，butatlasthaditbitoff。
　　NextmorningIsenthimanote，stating，thatImighthavebeeninthewrong，butitwasnotintentionally；hewastherefore，Icouldnothelpthinking，toosevereuponme。Thatnotwithstandingouragreementnottomeetthatday，Iwouldcallonhiminmywaytothecity，andstayfiveminutesbymywatch。’Youare，saidI，
　　inmymind，sincelastnight，surroundedwithcloudandstorm。Letmehaveaglimpseofsunshine，andgoaboutmyaffairsinserenityandchearfulness。’
　　Uponenteringhisstudy，Iwasgladthathewasnotalone，whichwouldhavemadeourmeetingmoreawkward。Therewerewithhim，Mr。
　　SteevensandMr。Tyers，bothofwhomInowsawforthefirsttime。
　　Mynotehad，onhisownreflection，softenedhim，forhereceivedmeverycomplacently；sothatIunexpectedlyfoundmyselfatease，andjoinedintheconversation。
　　Iwhisperedhim，’Well，Sir，youarenowingoodhumour。JOHNSON。
　　’Yes，Sir。’Iwasgoingtoleavehim，andhadgotasfarasthestaircase。Hestoppedme，andsmiling，said，’GetyougoneIN；’acuriousmodeofinvitingmetostay，whichIaccordinglydidforsometimelonger。
　　Thislittleincidentalquarrelandreconciliation，which，perhaps，Imaybethoughttohavedetailedtoominutely，mustbeesteemedasoneofmanyproofswhichhisfriendshad，thatthoughhemightbechargedwithbadhumourattimes，hewasalwaysagood-naturedman；
　　andIhaveheardSirJoshuaReynolds，aniceanddelicateobserverofmanners，particularlyremark，thatwhenuponanyoccasionJohnsonhadbeenroughtoanypersonincompany，hetookthefirstopportunityofreconciliation，bydrinkingtohim，oraddressinghisdiscoursetohim；butifhefoundhisdignifiedindirectoverturessullenlyneglected，hewasquiteindifferent，andconsideredhimselfashavingdoneallthatheoughttodo，andtheotherasnowinthewrong。
　　IwenttohimearlyonthemorningofthetenthofNovember。’Nowsaidhe，thatyouaregoingtomarry，donotexpectmorefromlife，thanlifewillafford。Youmayoftenfindyourselfoutofhumour，andyoumayoftenthinkyourwifenotstudiousenoughtopleaseyou；andyetyoumayhavereasontoconsideryourselfasuponthewholeveryhappilymarried。’
　　1770：AETAT。61。]——DuringthisyeartherewasatotalcessationofallcorrespondencebetweenDr。Johnsonandme，withoutanycoldnessoneitherside，butmerelyfromprocrastination，continuedfromdaytoday；andasIwasnotinLondon，Ihadnoopportunityofenjoyinghiscompanyandrecordinghisconversation。Tosupplythisblank，IshallpresentmyreaderswithsomeCollectanea，obliginglyfurnishedtomebytheRev。Dr。Maxwell，ofFalkland，inIreland，sometimeassistantpreacherattheTemple，andformanyyearsthesocialfriendofJohnson，whospokeofhimwithaverykindregard。
　　’Hisgeneralmodeoflife，duringmyacquaintance，seemedtobeprettyuniform。Abouttwelveo’clockIcommonlyvisitedhim，andfrequentlyfoundhiminbed，ordeclaimingoverhistea，whichhedrankveryplentifully。Hegenerallyhadaleveeofmorningvisitors，chieflymenofletters；Hawkesworth，Goldsmith，Murphy，Langton，Steevens，Beaucherk，&c。&c。，andsometimeslearnedladies，particularlyIrememberaFrenchladyofwitandfashiondoinghimthehonourofavisit。Heseemedtometobeconsideredasakindofpublickoracle，whomeverybodythoughttheyhadarighttovisitandconsult；anddoubtlesstheywerewellrewarded。
　　Inevercoulddiscoverhowhefoundtimeforhiscompositions。Hedeclaimedallthemorning，thenwenttodinneratatavern，wherehecommonlystaidlate，andthendrankhisteaatsomefriend’shouse，overwhichheloiteredagreatwhile，butseldomtooksupper。Ifancyhemusthavereadandwrotechieflyinthenight，forIcanscarcelyrecollectthatheeverrefusedgoingwithmetoatavern，andheoftenwenttoRanelagh，whichhedeemedaplaceofinnocentrecreation。
　　’Hefrequentlygaveallthesilverinhispockettothepoor，whowatchedhim，betweenhishouseandthetavernwherehedined。Hewalkedthestreetsatallhours，andsaidhewasneverrobbed，fortheroguesknewhehadlittlemoney，norhadtheappearanceofhavingmuch。
　　’Thoughthemostaccessibleandcommunicativemanalive；yetwhenhesuspectedhewasinvitedtobeexhibited，heconstantlyspurnedtheinvitation。
　　’TwoyoungwomenfromStaffordshirevisitedhimwhenIwaspresent，toconsulthimonthesubjectofMethodism，towhichtheywereinclined。“Come，saidhe，youprettyfools，dinewithMaxwellandmeattheMitre，andwewilltalkoverthatsubject；“whichtheydid，andafterdinnerhetookoneofthemuponhisknee，andfondledherforhalfanhourtogether。
　　’JohnsonwasmuchattachedtoLondon：heobserved，thatamanstoredhismindbetterthere，thananywhereelse；andthatinremotesituationsaman’sbodymightbefeasted，buthismindwasstarved，andhisfacultiesapttodegenerate，fromwantofexerciseandcompetition。Noplace，hesaid，curedaman’svanityorarrogancesowellasLondon；forasnomanwaseithergreatorgoodperse，butascomparedwithothersnotsogoodorgreat，hewassuretofindinthemetropolismanyhisequals，andsomehissuperiours。Heobserved，thatamaninLondonwasinlessdangeroffallinginloveindiscreetly，thananywhereelse；fortherethedifficultyofdecidingbetweentheconflictingpretensionsofavastvarietyofobjects，kepthimsafe。Hetoldme，thathehadfrequentlybeenofferedcountrypreferment，ifhewouldconsenttotakeorders；buthecouldnotleavetheimprovedsocietyofthecapital，orconsenttoexchangetheexhilaratingjoysandsplendiddecorationsofpublicklife，fortheobscurity，insipidity，anduniformityofremotesituations。
　　’Burton’sAnatomyofMelancholy，hesaid，wastheonlybookthatevertookhimoutofbedtwohourssoonerthanhewishedtorise。
　　’Whenexasperatedbycontradiction，hewasapttotreathisopponentswithtoomuchacrimony：as，“Sir，youdon’tseeyourwaythroughthatquestion：“——“Sir，youtalkthelanguageofignorance。“
　　Onmyobservingtohimthatacertaingentlemanhadremainedsilentthewholeevening，inthemidstofaverybrilliantandlearnedsociety，“Sir，saidhe，theconversationoverflowed，anddrownedhim。“
　　’Heobserved，thattheestablishedclergyingeneraldidnotpreachplainenough；andthatpolishedperiodsandglitteringsentencesflewovertheheadsofthecommonpeople，withoutanyimpressionupontheirhearts。Somethingmightbenecessary，heobserved，toexcitetheaffectionsofthecommonpeople，whoweresunkinlanguorandlethargy，andthereforehesupposedthatthenewconcomitantsofmethodismmightprobablyproducesodesirableaneffect。Themind，likethebody，heobserved，delightedinchangeandnovelty，andeveninreligionitself，courtednewappearancesandmodifications。Whatevermightbethoughtofsomemethodistteachers，hesaid，hecouldscarcelydoubtthesincerityofthatman，whotravelledninehundredmilesinamonth，andpreachedtwelvetimesaweek；fornoadequatereward，merelytemporal，couldbegivenforsuchindefatigablelabour。
　　’InaLatinconversationwiththePereBoscovitch，atthehouseofMrs。Cholmondeley，IheardhimmaintainthesuperiorityofSirIsaacNewtonoverallforeignphilosophers，withadignityandeloquencethatsurprizedthatlearnedforeigner。Itbeingobservedtohim，thatarageforeverythingEnglishprevailedmuchinFranceafterLordChatham’sgloriouswar，hesaid，hedidnotwonderatit，forthatwehaddrubbedthosefellowsintoaproperreverenceforus，andthattheirnationalpetulancerequiredperiodicalchastisement。
　　’Speakingofadulltiresomefellow，whomhechancedtomeet，hesaid，“Thatfellowseemstometopossessbutoneidea，andthatisawrongone。“
　　’Muchenquiryhavingbeenmadeconcerningagentleman，whohadquittedacompanywhereJohnsonwas，andnoinformationbeingobtained；atlastJohnsonobserved，that“hedidnotcaretospeakillofanymanbehindhisback，buthebelievedthegentlemanwasanATTORNEY。“
　　’Agentlemanwhohadbeenveryunhappyinmarriage，marriedimmediatelyafterhiswifedied：Johnsonsaid，itwasthetriumphofhopeoverexperience。
　　’Heobserved，thatamanofsenseandeducationshouldmeetasuitablecompanioninawife。Itwasamiserablethingwhentheconversationcouldonlybesuchas，whetherthemuttonshouldbeboiledorroasted，andprobablyadisputeaboutthat。
　　’Hedidnotapproveoflatemarriages，observingthatmorewaslostinpointoftime，thancompensatedforbyanypossibleadvantages。
　　Evenillassortedmarriageswerepreferabletocheerlesscelibacy。
　　’Hesaid，fopperywasnevercured；itwasthebadstaminaofthemind，which，likethoseofthebody，wereneverrectified：onceacoxcomb，andalwaysacoxcomb。
　　’BeingtoldthatGilbertCowpercalledhimtheCalibanofliterature；“Well，saidhe，ImustdubhimthePunchinello。“
　　’Hesaidfewpeoplehadintellectualresourcessufficienttoforegothepleasuresofwine。Theycouldnototherwisecontrivehowtofilltheintervalbetweendinnerandsupper。
　　’OneeveningatMrs。Montagu’s，whereasplendidcompanywasassembled，consistingofthemosteminentliterarycharacters，I
　　thoughtheseemedhighlypleasedwiththerespectandattentionthatwereshewnhim，andaskedhimonourreturnhomeifhewasnothighlygratifiedbyhisvisit：
　　“No，Sir，saidhe，nothighlygratified；yetIdonotrecollecttohavepassedmanyeveningswithfewerobjections。“
　　’Thoughofnohighextractionhimself，hehadmuchrespectforbirthandfamily，especiallyamongladies。Hesaid，“adventitiousaccomplishmentsmaybepossessedbyallranks；butonemayeasilydistinguishtheborngentlewoman。“