1773. Etat. 64. procure We talked of the melancholy end of a gentleman who had destroyed himfelf. JOHNSON. "It was owing to imaginary difficulties in his affairs, which, had he talked with any friend, would foon have vanished." BOSWELL. "Do you think, Sir, that all who commit fuicide are mad?" JOHNSON. "Sir, they are often not univerfally difordered in their intellects, but one paffion preffes fo upon them that they yield to it, and commit fuicide, as a paffionate man will ftab another." He added, "I have often thought, that after a man has taken the refolution to kill himself, it is not courage in him to do any thing, however defperate, because he has nothing to fear." GOLDSMITH. "I don't fee that." JOHNSON." Nay but, my dear Sir, why should not you see what every one elfe fees?" GOLDSMITH. "It is for fear of fomething that he has refolved to kill himself, and will not that timid disposition restrain him?" JOHNSON. "It does not fignify that the fear of fomething made him refolve; it is upon the ftate of his mind after the refolution is taken, that I argue. Suppofe a man, either from fear, or pride, or confcience, or whatever motive, has refolved to kill himself; when once the refolution is taken, he has nothing to fear. He may then go and take the King of Pruffia by the nofe, at the head of his army. He cannot fear the rack, who is refolved to kill himself. When Euftace Budgel was walking down to the Thames determined to drown himself, he might, if he pleased, without any apprehenfion of danger, have turned afide, and first set fire to St. James's palace." On Tuesday, April 27, Mr. Beauclerk and I called on him in the morning. As we walked up Johnson's-court, I faid, "I have a veneration for this court;" and was glad to find that Beauclerk had the fame reverential enthusiasm. We found him alone. We talked of Mr. Andrew Stuart's elegant and plausible Letters to Lord Mansfield; a copy of which had been fent by the authour to Dr. Johnson. JOHNSON. They have not answered the end. They have not been talked of: I have never heard of them. This is owing to their not being fold. People feldom read a book which is given to them; and few are given. The way to fpread a work is to fell it at a low price. No man will fend to buy a thing that cofts even fix-pence, without an intention to read it." BOSWELL. "May it not be doubted, Sir, whether it be proper to I publish 1773. publish letters, arraigning the ultimate decifion of an important cause by the fupreme judicature of the nation?" JOHNSON. "No, Sir, I do not think it tat. 64. was wrong to publifh these letters. If they are thought to do harm, why not anfwer them? But they will do no harm. If Mr. Douglas be indeed the fon of Lady Jane, he cannot be hurt: if he be not her fon, and yet has the great eftate of the family of Douglas, he may well fubmit to have a pamphlet against him by Andrew Stuart. Sir, I think fuch a publication does good, as it does good to fhew us the poffibilities of human life. And, Sir, you will not fay that the Douglas cause was a caufe of eafy decifion, when it divided your Court as much as it could do, to be determined at all. When your Judges were seven and seven, the cafting vote of the Prefident must be given on one fide or other; no matter, for my argument, on which; one or the other must be taken; as when I am to move, there is no matter which leg I move first. And then, Sir, it was otherwise determined here. No, Sir, a more dubious determination of, any queftion cannot be imagined"." He said, "Goldfinith fhould not be for ever attempting to fhine in converfation he has not temper for it, he is fo much mortified when he fails. Sir, a game of jokes is composed partly of skill, partly of chance. A man may be beat at times by one who has not the tenth part of his wit. Now Goldfmith's putting himself against another, is like a man laying a hundred to one who cannot spare the hundred. It is not worth a man's while. A man fhould not lay a hundred to one, unless he can easily spare it, though he has a hundred chances for him: he can get but a guinea, and he may lofe a hundred. Goldsmith is in this ftate. When he contends, if he gets the better, it is a very little addition to a man of his literary reputation: if he does not get the better, he is miferably vexed." Johnfon's own fuperlative power of wit fet him above any risk of fuch uneafinefs. Garrick had remarked to me of him, a few days before, “ Rabelais and all other wits are nothing compared with him. You may be diverted by them; but Johnson gives you a forcible hug, and shakes laughter out of you, whether you will or no." I regretted that Dr. Johnfon never took the trouble to study a question which interested nations. He would not even read a pamphlet which I wrote upon it, entitled "The Effence of the Douglas Caufe," which, I have reason to flatter myself, had confiderable effect in favour of Mr. Douglas ; of whofe legitimate filiation I was then, and am ftill, firmly convinced. Let me add, that no fact can be more refpectably afcertained, than by a judgement of the moft auguft tribunal in the world; a judgement, in which Lord Mansfield and Lord Camden united in 1769, and from which only five of a numerous body entered a protest. Fff 2 Goldfmith, 1773. Etat. 64. Goldfinith, however, was often very fortunate in his witty contests, ever when he entered the lifts with Johnfon himself. Sir Joshua Reynolds was in company with them one day, when Goldsmith faid, that he thought he could write a good fable, mentioned the fimplicity which that kind of compofition requires, and obferved, that in most fables the animals introduced feldom talk in character. "For inftance, (faid he,) the fable of the little fishes, who faw birds fly over their heads, and envying them, petitioned Jupiter to be changed into birds. The fkill (continued he,) confifts in making them talk like little fifhes." While he indulged himself in this fanciful reverie, he obferved Johnfon fhaking his fides, and laughing. Upon which he fmartly proceeded, Why, Dr. Johnson, this is not fo eafy as you feem to think; for if you were to make little fifhes talk, they would talk like WHALES." Johnson, though remarkable for his great variety of compofition, never exercifed his talents in fable, except we allow his beautiful tale published in Mrs. Williams's Mifcellanies to be of that fpecies. I have, however, found among his manufcript collections the following fketch of one: "Glow-worm lying in the garden faw a candle in a neighbouring palace,and complained of the littlenefs of his own light;-another obferved-wait a little ;-foon dark ;-have outlafted wona [many] of thefe glaring lights which only are brighter as they hafte to nothing." On Thursday, April 29, I dined with him at General Oglethorpe's, where were Sir Joshua Reynolds, Mr. Langton, Dr. Goldsmith, and Mr. Thrale. I was very defirous to get Dr. Johnson abfolutely fixed in his refolution to go with me to the Hebrides this year; and I told him that I had received a letter from Dr. Robertfon the hiftorian upon the fubject, with which he was much pleased, and now talked in fuch a manner of his long-intended tour, that I was fatisfied he meant to fulfil his engagement. The custom of eating dogs at Otaheite being mentioned, Goldsmith obferved, that this was also a cuftom in China; that a dog-butcher is as common there as any other butcher; and that when he walks abroad all the dogs fall on him. JOHNSON. "That is not owing to his killing dogs, Sir. I remember a butcher at Lichfield, whom a dog that was in the house where I lived, always attacked. It is the fmell of carnage which provokes this, let the animals he has killed be what they may." GOLDSMITH. "Yes, there is a general abhorrence in animals at the figns of maffacre. If you put a tub full of blood into a ftable, the horfes are like to go mad." JOHNSON. "I doubt that." GOLDSMITH. "Nay, Sir, it is a fact well authenticated." THRALE. "You had better prove it before you put it into your book on natural history. You You may do it in my stable if you will." JOHNSON. "Nay, Sir, I would 1773not have him prove it. If he is content to take his information from others, Etat. 64. he may get through his book with little trouble, and without much endangering his reputation. But if he makes experiments for fo comprehenfive a book as his, there would be no end to them; his erroneous affertions would then fall upon himfelf; and he might be blamed for not having made experiments as to every particular." The character of Mallet having been introduced, and spoken of flightingly by Goldsmith; JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, Mallet had talents enough to keep his literary reputation alive as long as he himself lived; and that, let me tell you, is a good deal." GOLDSMITH. "But I cannot agree that it was fo. His literary reputation was dead long before his natural death. I confider an authour's literary reputation to be alive only while his name will enfure a good price for his copy from the bookfellers. I will get you (to Johnson,) a hundred guineas for any thing whatever that you shall write, if you put your name to it.” Dr. Goldsmith's new play, "She ftoops to conquer," being mentioned JOHNSON. "I know of no comedy for many years that has fo much exhilarated an audience, that has answered fo much the great end of comedy,-making an audience merry." Goldfmith having faid, that Garrick's compliment to the Queen, which he introduced into the play of The Chances,' which he had altered and revised. this year, was mean and grofs flattery;-JOHNSON. "Why, Sir, I would not write, I would not give folemnly under my hand a character beyond what I thought really true; but a speech on the stage, let it flatter ever fo extravagantly, is formular. It has always been formular to flatter Kings and Queens; fo much fo, that even in our church-fervice we have our most religious King,' used indiscriminately, whoever is King. Nay, they even flatter themfelves; we have been graciously pleased to grant.'-No modern flattery, however, is fo grofs as that of the Auguftan age, where the Emperour was deified. Præfens Divus habebitur Auguftus.' And as to meannefs, (rifing into warmth,) how is it mean in a player,—a fhowman,-a fellow who exhibits himself for a fhilling, to flatter his Queen? The attempt, indeed, was dangerous; for if it had miffed, what became of Garrick, and what became of the Queen? As Sir William Temple fays of a great General, it is neceffary not only that his designs should be formed in a masterly manner, but that they should be attended with fuccefs. Sir, it is right, at a time when the Royal Family is not generally liked, to let it be feen that the people like at least one of them." SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "I do not perceive why the profeffion of a player 1773. Atat. 64. player fhould be defpifed; for the great and ultimate end of all the employments of mankind is to produce amusement. Garrick produces more amusement than any body." BOSWELL. "You fay, Dr. Johnfon, that Garrick exhibits himself for a fhilling. In this refpect he is only on a footing with a lawyer who exhibits himself for his fee, and even will maintain any nonsense or abfurdity, if the cafe requires it. Garrick refufes a play or a part which he does not like; a lawyer never refufes." JOHNSON.“ Why, Sir, what does this prove? only that a lawyer is worse. Bofwell is now like Jack in The Tale of a Tub,' who, when he is puzzled by an argument, hangs himself. He thinks I fhall cut him down, but I'll let him hang," (laughing vociferoufly.) SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "Mr. Bofwell thinks that the profeffion of a lawyer being unquestionably honourable, if he can fhew the profeffion of a player to be more honourable, he proves his argument." On Friday, April 30, I dined with him at Mr. Beauclerk's, where were Lord Charlemont, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and fome more members of the Literary Club, whom he had obligingly invited to meet me, as I was this evening to be balloted for as candidate for admiffion into that diftinguished fociety. Johnson had done me the honour to propofe me, and Beauclerk was very zealous for me. Goldsmith being mentioned;-JOHNSON. "It is amazing how little Goldfinith knows. He feldom comes where he is not more ignorant than any one else." SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "Yet there is no man whofe company is more liked." JOHNSON. "To be fure, Sir. When people find a man of the most distinguished abilities as a writer, their inferiour while he is with them, it must be highly gratifying to them. What Goldfiith comically fays of himself is very true, he always gets the better when he argues alone;-meaning, that he is mafter of a fubject in his study, and can write well upon it; but when he comes into company, grows confufed, and unable to talk. Take him as a poet, his Traveller' is a very fine performance; aye, and fo is his Deferted Village,' were it not fometimes too much the echo of his Traveller.' Whether, indeed, we take him as a poet,—as a comick writer,—or as an historian, he stands in the first class." BOSWELL. "An hiftorian! My dear Sir, you furely will not rank his compilation of the Roman History with the works of other hiftorians of this age?" JOHNSON. Why, who are before him?" BOSWELL. "Hume,-Robertfon,-Lord Lyttelton." JOHNSON. (His antipathy to the Scotch beginning to rife,) "I have not read Hume; but, doubtlefs, Goldfmith's Hiftory is better than the verbiage of Robertfon, or the foppery of Dalrymple." BOSWELL. "Will you not admit the fuperiority of Robertson, |