Talkingofanacquaintanceofours，whosenarratives，whichaboundedincuriousandinterestingtopicks，wereunhappilyfoundtobeveryfabulous；ImentionedLordMansfield’shavingsaidtome，’SupposewebelieveoneHALFofwhathetells。’JOHNSON。’Ay；
　　butwedon’tknowWHICHhalftobelieve。Byhislyingwelosenotonlyourreverenceforhim，butallcomfortinhisconversation。’
　　BOSWELL。’Maywenottakeitasamusingfiction？’JOHNSON。’Sir，themisfortuneis，thatyouwillinsensiblybelieveasmuchofitasyouinclinetobelieve。’
　　Itisremarkable，thatnotwithstandingtheircongenialityinpoliticks，heneverwasacquaintedwithalateeminentnoblejudge，whomIhaveheardspeakofhimasawriter，withgreatrespect。
　　Johnson，Iknownotuponwhatdegreeofinvestigation，entertainednoexaltedopinionofhisLordship’sintellectualcharacter。
　　Talkingofhimtomeoneday，hesaid，’Itiswonderful，Sir，withhowlittlerealsuperiorityofmindmencanmakeaneminentfigureinpublicklife。’Heexpressedhimselftothesamepurposeconcerninganotherlaw-Lord，who，itseems，oncetookafancytoassociatewiththewitsofLondon；butwithsolittlesuccess，thatFootesaid，’Whatcanhemeanbycomingamongus？Heisnotonlydullhimself，butthecauseofdullnessinothers。’Tryinghimbythetestofhiscolloquialpowers，Johnsonhadfoundhimverydefective。HeoncesaidtoSirJoshuaReynolds，’Thismannowhasbeentenyearsabouttown，andhasmadenothingofit；’meaningasacompanion。Hesaidtome，’Ineverheardanythingfromhimincompanythatwasatallstriking；anddependuponit，Sir，itiswhenyoucomeclosetoamaninconversation，thatyoudiscoverwhathisrealabilitiesare；tomakeaspeechinapublickassemblyisaknack。NowIhonourThurlow，Sir；Thurlowisafinefellow；
　　hefairlyputshismindtoyours。’
　　Afterrepeatingtohimsomeofhispointed，livelysayings，Isaid，’Itisapity，Sir，youdon’talwaysrememberyourowngoodthings，thatyoumayhavealaughwhenyouwill。’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，itisbetterthatIforgetthem，thatImayberemindedofthem，andhavealaughontheirbeingbroughttomyrecollection。’
　　WhenIrecalledtohimhishavingsaidaswesailedupLoch-lomond，’Thatifheworeanythingfine，itshouldbeVERYfine；’I
　　observedthatallhisthoughtswereuponagreatscale。JOHNSON。
　　’Dependuponit，Sir，everymanwillhaveasfineathingashecanget；asalargediamondforhisring。’BOSWELL。’Pardonme，Sir：
　　amanofanarrowmindwillnotthinkofit，aslighttrinketwillsatisfyhim：
　　“Necsufferrequeatmajorisponderagemmae。“’
　　ItoldhimIshouldsendhimsomeEssayswhichIhadwritten，whichIhopedhewouldbesogoodastoread，andpickoutthegoodones。
　　JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，sendmeonlythegoodones；don’tmakeMEpickthem。’
　　Asasmallproofofhiskindlinessanddelicacyoffeeling，thefollowingcircumstancemaybementioned：Oneeveningwhenwewereinthestreettogether，andItoldhimIwasgoingtosupatMr。
　　Beauclerk’s，hesaid，’I’llgowithyou。’Afterhavingwalkedpartoftheway，seemingtorecollectsomething，hesuddenlystoppedandsaid，’Icannotgo，——butIdonotloveBeauclerktheless。’
　　Ontheframeofhisportrait，Mr。Beauclerkhadinscribed，——
　　’——IngeniumingensIncultolatethocsubcorpore。’
　　AfterMr。Beauclerk’sdeath，whenitbecameMr。Langton’sproperty，hemadetheinscriptionbedefaced。Johnsonsaidcomplacently，’Itwaskindinyoutotakeitoff；’andthenafterashortpause，added，’andnotunkindinhimtoputiton。’
　　Hesaid，’Howfewofhisfriends’houseswouldamanchoosetobeatwhenheissick。’Hementionedoneortwo。IrecollectonlyThrale’s。
　　Heobserved，’Thereisawickedinclinationinmostpeopletosupposeanoldmandecayedinhisintellects。Ifayoungormiddle-agedman，whenleavingacompany，doesnotrecollectwherehelaidhishat，itisnothing；butifthesameinattentionisdiscoveredinanoldman，peoplewillshruguptheirshoulders，andsay，“Hismemoryisgoing。“’
　　SirJoshuaReynoldscommunicatedtomethefollowingparticulars：——
　　JohnsonthoughtthepoemspublishedastranslationsfromOssianhadsolittlemerit，thathesaid，’Sir，amanmightwritesuchstuffforever，ifhewouldABANDONhismindtoit。’
　　Hesaid，’AmanshouldpassapartofhistimewithTHELAUGHERS，bywhichmeansanythingridiculousorparticularabouthimmightbepresentedtohisview，andcorrected。’Iobserved，hemusthavebeenaboldlaugherwhowouldhaveventuredtotellDr。Johnsonofanyofhisparticularities。*
　　*Iamhappy，however，tomentionapleasinginstanceofhisenduringwithgreatgentlenesstohearoneofhismoststrikingparticularitiespointedout：——MissHunter，anieceofhisfriendChristopherSmart，whenaveryyounggirl，struckbyhisextraordinarymotions，saidtohim，Pray，Dr。Johnson，whydoyoumakesuchstrangegestures？’Frombadhabit，hereplied。’Doyou，mydear，takecaretoguardagainstbadhabits。’ThisIwastoldbytheyounglady’sbrotheratMargate——Boswell。
　　Dr。GoldsmithsaidoncetoDr。Johnson，thathewishedforsomeadditionalmemberstoTHELITERARYCLUB，togiveitanagreeablevariety；forsaidhe，therecannowbenothingnewamongus：wehavetravelledoveroneanother’sminds。Johnsonseemedalittleangry，andsaid，’Sir，youhavenottravelledoverMYmind，I
　　promiseyou。’SirJoshua，however，thoughtGoldsmithright；
　　observing，that’whenpeoplehavelivedagreatdealtogether，theyknowwhateachofthemwillsayoneverysubject。Anewunderstanding，therefore，isdesirable；becausethoughitmayonlyfurnishthesamesenseuponaquestionwhichwouldhavebeenfurnishedbythosewithwhomweareaccustomedtolive，yetthissensewillhaveadifferentcolouring；andcolouringisofmucheffectineverythingelseaswellasinpainting。’
　　Johnsonusedtosaythathemadeitaconstantruletotalkaswellashecouldbothastosentimentandexpression，bywhichmeans，whathadbeenoriginallyeffortbecamefamiliarandeasy。Theconsequenceofthis，SirJoshuaobserved，was，thathiscommonconversationinallcompanieswassuchastosecurehimuniversalattention，assomethingabovetheusualcolloquialstylewasexpected。
　　Yet，thoughJohnsonhadthishabitincompany，whenanothermodewasnecessary，inordertoinvestigatetruth，hecoulddescendtoalanguageintelligibletothemeanestcapacity。AninstanceofthiswaswitnessedbySirJoshuaReynolds，whentheywerepresentatanexaminationofalittleblackguardboy，byMr。SaundersWelch，thelateWestminsterJustice。Welch，whoimaginedthathewasexaltinghimselfinDr。Johnson’seyesbyusingbigwords，spokeinamannerthatwasutterlyunintelligibletotheboy；Dr。Johnsonperceivingit，addressedhimselftotheboy，andchangedthepompousphraseologyintocolloquiallanguage。SirJoshuaReynolds，whowasmuchamusedbythisprocedure，whichseemedakindofreversingofwhatmighthavebeenexpectedfromthetwomen，tooknoticeofittoDr。Johnson，astheywalkedawaybythemselves。Johnsonsaid，thatitwascontinuallythecase；andthathewasalwaysobligedtoTRANSLATEtheJustice’sswellingdiction，smiling，soasthathismeaningmightbeunderstoodbythevulgar，fromwhominformationwastobeobtained。
　　SirJoshuaonceobservedtohim，thathehadtalkedabovethecapacityofsomepeoplewithwhomtheyhadbeenincompanytogether。’Nomatter，Sir，saidJohnson；theyconsideritasacomplimenttobetalkedto，asiftheywerewiserthantheyare。
　　Sotrueisthis，Sir，thatBaxtermadeitaruleineverysermonthathepreached，tosaysomethingthatwasabovethecapacityofhisaudience。’
　　Johnson’sdexterityinretort，whenheseemedtobedriventoanextremitybyhisadversary，wasveryremarkable。Ofhispowerinthisrespect，ourcommonfriend，Mr。WindhamofNorfolk，hasbeenpleasedtofurnishmewithaneminentinstance。HoweverunfavourabletoScotland，heuniformlygaveliberalpraisetoGeorgeBuchanan，asawriter。Inaconversationconcerningtheliterarymeritsofthetwocountries，inwhichBuchananwasintroduced，aScotchman，imaginingthatonthisgroundheshouldhaveanundoubtedtriumphoverhim，exclaimed，’Ah，Dr。Johnson，whatwouldyouhavesaidofBuchanan，hadhebeenanEnglishman？’
　　’Why，Sir，saidJohnson，afteralittlepause，IshouldNOThavesaidofBuchanan，hadhebeenanENGLISHMAN，whatIwillnowsayofhimasaSCOTCHMAN，——thathewastheonlymanofgeniushiscountryeverproduced。’
　　ThoughhisusualphraseforconversationwasTALK，yethemadeadistinction；forwhenheoncetoldmethathedinedthedaybeforeatafriend’shouse，with’averyprettycompany；’andIaskedhimiftherewasgoodconversation，heanswered，’No，Sir；wehadTALK
　　enough，butnoCONVERSATION；therewasnothingDISCUSSED。’
　　Suchwashissensibility，andsomuchwasheaffectedbypathetickpoetry，that，whenhewasreadingDr。Beattie’sHermitinmypresence，itbroughttearsintohiseyes。
　　Mr。Hooletoldhim，hewasborninMoorfields，andhadreceivedpartofhisearlyinstructioninGrub-street。’Sir，saidJohnson，smiling，youhavebeenREGULARLYeducated。’Havingaskedwhowashisinstructor，andMr。Hoolehavinganswered，’Myuncle，Sir，whowasataylor；’Johnson，recollectinghimself，said，’Sir，Iknewhim；wecalledhimthemetaphysicaltaylor。HewasofaclubinOld-street，withmeandGeorgePsalmanazar，andsomeothers：butpray，Sir，washeagoodtaylor？’Mr。Hoolehavingansweredthathebelievedhewastoomathematical，andusedtodrawsquaresandtrianglesonhisshop-board，sothathedidnotexcelinthecutofacoat；——’IamsorryforitsaidJohnson，forIwouldhaveeverymantobemasterofhisownbusiness。’
　　InpleasantreferencetohimselfandMr。Hoole，asbrotherauthours，heoftensaid，’LetyouandI，Sir，gotogether，andeatabeef-steakinGrub-street。’
　　HesaidtoSirWilliamScott，’Theageisrunningmadafterinnovation；allthebusinessoftheworldistobedoneinanewway；menaretobehangedinanewway；Tyburnitselfisnotsafefromthefuryofinnovation。’Ithavingbeenarguedthatthiswasanimprovement，——’No，Sir，saidhe，eagerly，itisNOTanimprovement：theyobjectthattheoldmethoddrewtogetheranumberofspectators。Sir，executionsareintendedtodrawspectators。
　　Iftheydonotdrawspectatorstheydon’tanswertheirpurpose。
　　Theoldmethodwasmostsatisfactorytoallparties；thepublickwasgratifiedbyaprocession；thecriminalwassupportedbyit。
　　Whyisallthistobesweptaway？’IperfectlyagreewithDr。
　　Johnsonuponthishead，andampersuadedthatexecutionsnow，thesolemnprocessionbeingdiscontinued，havenotnearlytheeffectwhichtheyformerlyhad。MagistratesbothinLondon，andelsewhere，have，Iamafraid，inthishadtoomuchregardtotheirowncase。
　　Johnson’sattentiontoprecisionandclearnessinexpressionwasveryremarkable。Hedisapprovedofparentheses；andIbelieveinallhisvoluminouswritings，nothalfadozenofthemwillbefound。Heneverusedthephrasestheformerandthelatter，havingobserved，thattheyoftenoccasionedobscurity；hethereforecontrivedtoconstructhissentencessoasnottohaveoccasionforthem，andwouldevenratherrepeatthesamewords，inordertoavoidthem。Nothingismorecommonthantomistakesurnameswhenwehearthemcarelesslyutteredforthefirsttime。Topreventthis，heusednotonlytopronouncethemslowlyanddistinctly，buttotakethetroubleofspellingthem；apracticewhichIhaveoftenfollowed；andwhichIwishweregeneral。
　　Suchwastheheatandirritabilityofhisblood，thatnotonlydidheparehisnailstothequick；butscrapedthejointsofhisfingerswithapen-knife，tilltheyseemedquiteredandraw。