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is an infidel; that is to fay, he has never thought upon the fubject "." BOSWELL. "I fuppofe, Sir, he has thought fuperficially, and feized the first notions which occurred to his mind." JOHNSON. "Why then, Sir, ftill he is like a dog, that snatches the piece next him. Did you never observe that dogs have not the power of comparing? A dog will take a fmall bit of meat as readily as a large, when both are before him."

"Buchanan (he obferved,) has fewer centos than any modern Latin poet. He not only had great knowledge of the Latin language, but was a great poetical genius. Both the Scaligers praife him."

He again talked of the paffage in Congrève with high commendation, and faid, "Shakspeare never has fix lines together without a fault. Perhaps you may find seven: but this does not refute my general affertion. If I come to an orchard, and fay there's no fruit here, and then comes a poring man, who finds two apples and three pears, and tells me, Sir, you are mistaken, I have found both apples and pears,' I should laugh at him: what would that be to the purpose ?" BOSWELL. "What do you think of Dr. Young's Night Thoughts,' Sir?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, there are very fine things in them." BOSWELL. "Is there not less religion in the nation now, Sir, than there was formerly?" JOHNSON. "I don't know, Sir, that there is." BOSWELL. "For inftance, there used to be a chaplain in every great family, which we do not find now." JOHNSON. "Neither do you find many of the ftate fervants which great families used formerly to have. There is a change of modes in the whole department of life."

Next day, October 20, he appeared, for the only time I fuppofe in his life, as a witness in a Court of Juftice, being called to give evidence to the character of Mr. Baretti, who having stabbed a man in the street, was arraigned

s When Mr. Foote was at Edinburgh, he thought fit to entertain a numerous Scotch company with a great deal of coarfe jocularity, at the expence of Dr. Johnfon, imagining it would be acceptable. I felt this as not civil to me, but fat very patiently till he had exhausted his merriment on that subject; and then observed, that furely Johnson must be allowed to have some sterling wit, and that I had heard him say a very good thing of Mr. Foote himself. "Ah, my old friend Sam, (cried Foote,) no man fays better things: do let us have it." Upon which I told the above ftory, which produced a very loud laugh from the company. But I never faw Foote fo difconcerted. He looked grave and angry, and entered into a serious refutation of the juftice of the remark. "What, Sir, (faid he,) talk thus of a man of liberal education ;-a man who for years was at the University of Oxford ;-a man who has added fixteen new characters to the English drama of his country!"

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at the Old Bailey for murder. Never did fuch a conftellation of genius enlighten the aweful Seffions House; Mr. Burke, Mr. Garrick, Mr. Beau- Etat. 60. clerk, and Dr. Johnson: and undoubtedly their favourable teftimony had due weight with the Court and Jury. Johnfon gave his evidence in a flow, deliberate, and diftin&t manner, which was uncommonly impreffive. It is well known that Mr. Baretti was acquitted.

On the 26th of October, we dined together at the Mitre tavern. I found fault with Foote for indulging his talent of ridicule at the expence of his vifitors, which I colloquially termed making fools of his company. JOHNSON. Why, Sir, when you go to fee Foote, you do not go to see a faint: you go to fee a man who will be entertained at your house, and then bring you on a publick stage; who will entertain you at his house, for the very purpose of bringing you on a publick stage. Sir, he does not make fools of his company; they whom he exposes are fools already: he only brings them into action."

Talking of trade, he obferved, "It is a mistaken notion that a vast deal of money is brought into a nation by trade. It is not fo.. Commodities come from commodities; but trade produces no capital acceffion of wealth. However, though there fhould be little profit in money, there is a confiderable profit in pleasure, as it gives to one nation the productions of another; as we have wines and fruits, and many other foreign articles, brought to us.” BOSWELL."Yes, Sir, and there is a profit in pleasure, by its furnishing occupation to fuch numbers of mankind." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, you cannot call that pleasure to which all are averse, and which none begin but with the hope of leaving off; a thing which men diflike before they have tried it, and when they have tried it." BOSWELL." But, Sir, the mind must be employed, and we grow weary when idle." JOHNSON. "That is, Sir, because, others being bufy, we want company; but if we were all idle, there would be no growing weary; we fhould all entertain one another. There is, indeed, this in trade-it gives men an opportunity of improving their fituation. If there were no trade, many who are poor would always remain poor. But no man loves labour for itself." BOSWELL. "Yes, Sir, I know a perfon who does. He is a very laborious Judge, and he loves the labour." JOHNSON. "Sir, that is because he loves respect and diftinction. Could he have them without labour, he would like it lefs." "He tells me he likes it for itfelf."

Why, Sir, he fancies fo, because he is not accustomed to abstract." We went home to his house to tea. Mrs. Williams made it with fufficient dexterity, notwithstanding her blindness, though her manner of fatisfying

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herself that the cups were full enough, was a little aukward: fhe put her Etat. 60. finger down a certain way, till fhe felt the tea touch it. In my first elation at being allowed the privilege of attending Dr. Johnson at his late visits to this lady, which was like being è fecretioribus confiliis, I willingly drank cup after cup, as if it had been the Heliconian fpring. But as the charm of novelty went off, I grew more faftidious; and befides, I difcovered that fhe was of a peevish temper.

There was a pretty large circle this evening. Dr. Johnson was in very good humour, lively, and ready to talk upon all fubjects. Mr. Ferguffon, the selftaught philofopher, told him of a new-invented machine which went without horfes a man who fat in it turned a handle, which worked a fpring that drove it forward. "Then, Sir, (faid Johnson,) what is gained is, the man has his choice whether he will move himself alone, or himself and the machine too." Dominicetti being mentioned, he would not allow him any merit. "There is nothing in all this boasted fyftem. No, Sir; medicated baths can be no better than warm water: their only effect can be that of tepid moisture." One of the company took the other fide, maintaining that medicines of various forts, and fome too of most powerful effect, are introduced into the human frame by the medium of the pores; and, therefore, when warm water is impregnated with falutiferous fubftances, it may produce great effects as a bath. This appeared to me very fatisfactory. Johnson did not answer it; but talking for victory, and determined to be master of the field, he had recourse to the device which Goldfmith imputed to him in the witty words of one of Cibber's comedies: "There is no arguing with Johnfon; for when his piftol miffes fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it." He turned to the gentleman, "Well, Sir, go to Dominicetti, and get thyfelf fumigated; but be fure that the fteam be directed to thy head, for that is the peccant part. This produced a triumphant roar of laughter from the motley affembly of philofophers, printers, and dependents, male and female.

I know not how fo whimfical a thought came into my mind, but I asked, "If, Sir, you were fhut up in a castle, and a new-born child with you, what would you do?" JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I fhould not much like my company. BOSWELL. "But would you take the trouble of rearing it?" He feemed, as well be fuppofed, unwilling to pursue the fubject; but upon my persevering in my question, replied, "Why yes, Sir, I would; but I must have all conveniencies. If I had no garden, I would make a fhed on the roof, and take it there for fresh air. I fhould feed it, and wash it much, and with warm water to please it, not with cold water to give it pain." BOSWELL. «But,

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Sir, does not heat relax?" JOHNSON. "Sir, you are not to imagine the water is to be very hot. I would not coddle the child. No, Sir, the hardy Etat. 60. method of treating children does no good. I'll take you five children from London, who fhall cuff five Highland children. Sir, a man bred in London will carry a burthen, or run, or wrestle, as well as a man brought up in the hardiest manner in the country." BOSWELL. "Good living, I fuppofe, makes the Londoners ftrong." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I don't know that it does. Our chairmen from Ireland, who are as ftrong men as any, have been brought up upon potatoes. Quantity makes up for quality." BOSWELL. "Would teach this child that I have furnished you with, any thing?" JOHNSON. "No, I should not be apt to teach it." BOSWELL. “Would not you have a pleasure in teaching it?" JOHNSON. "No, Sir,. I should not have a pleasure in teaching it." BOSWELL. "Have you not a pleasure in teaching men?— There I have you. You have the fame pleasure in teaching men, that I should have in teaching children." JOHNSON. "Why, fomething about that."

you

BOSWELL. "Do you think, Sir, that what is called natural affection is born with us? It seems to me to be the effect of habit, or of gratitude for kindness. No child has it for a parent whom it has not seen." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I think there is an inftinctive natural affection in parents towards their children."

Ruffia being mentioned as likely to become a great empire, by the rapid increase of population;-JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I fee no prospect of their propagating more. They can have no more children than they can get. I know of no way to make them breed more than they do. It is not from reafon and prudence that people marry, but from inclination. A man is poor; he thinks, I cannot be worse, and fo I'll e'en take Peggy." BOSWELL. "But have not nations been more populous at one period than another?" JOHNSON. "Yes, Sir; but that has been owing to the people being lefs thinned at one period than another, whether by emigrations, war, or pestilence, not by their being more or lefs prolifick. Births at all times bear the fame proportion to the fame number of people." BOSWELL. "But, to confider the state of our own country; does not throwing a number of farms into one hand hurt population?" JOHNSON. "Why no, Sir; the fame quantity of food being produced, will be consumed by the fame number of mouths, though the people may be difpofed of in different ways. We fee, if corn be dear, and butchers' meat cheap, the farmers all apply themselves to the raising of corn, till it becomes plentiful and cheap, and then butchers' meat becomes dear; fo that an equality is always preferved. No, Sir, let fanciful men do as

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they will, depend upon it, it is difficult to disturb the system of life." BOSWELL. "But, Sir, is it not a very bad thing for landlords to oppress their tenants, by raising their rents?" JOHNSON. "Very bad. But, Sir, it never can have any general influence; it may diftrefs fome individuals. For confider this: landlords cannot do without tenants. Now tenants will not give more for land than land is worth. If they can make more of their money by keeping a fhop, or any other way, they'll do it, and fo oblige landlords to let land come back to a reasonable rent, in order that they may get tenants. Land, in England, is an article of commerce. A tenant who pays his landlord his rent, thinks himself no more obliged to him than you think yourself obliged to a man in whofe fhop you buy a piece of goods. He knows the landlord does not let him have his land for less than he can get from others, in the fame manner as the fhopkeeper fells his goods. No fhopkeeper fells a yard of ribband for fix-pence, when seven-pence is the current price." BOSWELL. "But, Sir, is it not better that tenants should be dependent on landlords?” JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, as there are many more tenants than landlords, perhaps, strictly speaking, we should wish not. But if you please you may let your lands cheap, and fo get the value, part in money and part in homage. I should agree with you in that." BOSWELL." So, Sir, you laugh at schemes of political improvement." JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, most schemes of political improvement are very laughable things."

He obferved, "Providence has wifely ordered that the more numerous men are, the more difficult it is for them to agree in any thing, and fo they are governed. There is no doubt, that if the poor should reason, We'll be the poor no longer, we'll make the rich take their turn,' they could easily do it, were it not that they can't agree. So the common foldiers, though fo much more numerous than their officers, are governed by them for the fame reason."

He faid, "Mankind have a strong attachment to the habitations to which they have been accustomed. You see the inhabitants of Norway do not with one confent quit it, and go to fome part of America, where there is a mild climate, and where they may have the fame produce from land, with the tenth part of the labour. No, Sir; their affection for their old dwellings, and the terrour of a general change, keep them at home. Thus, we fee many of the finest spots in the world thinly inhabited, and many rugged fpots well inhabited."

The London Chronicle, which was the only newspaper he conftantly took in, being brought, the office of reading it aloud was affigned to me.

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