'Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his Son, I think, might be made a very pretty book. Take
out the immorality, and it should be put into the hands of every young gentleman. An
elegant manner and easiness of behaviour are acquired gradually and imperceptibly. No
man can say "I'll be genteel." There are ten genteel women for one genteel man, because
they are more restrained. A man without some degree of restraint is insufferable; but we
are all less restrained than women. Were a woman sitting in company to put out her legs
before her as most men do, we should be tempted to kick them in.'
No man was a more attentive and nice observer of behaviour in those in whose company
he happened to be, than Johnson; or, however strange it may seem to many, had a higher
estimation of its refinements. Lord Eliot informs me, that one day when Johnson and he
were at dinner at a gentleman's house in London, upon Lord Chesterfield's Letters being
mentioned, Johnson surprized the company by this sentence: 'Every man of any education
would rather be called a rascal, than accused of deficiency in THE GRACES.' Mr.
Gibbon, who was present, turned to a lady who knew Johnson well, and lived much with
him, and in his quaint manner, tapping his box, addressed her thus: 'Don't you think,
Madam, (looking towards Johnson,) that among ALL your acquaintance, you could find
ONE exception?' The lady smiled, and seemed to acquiesce.
The uncommon vivacity of General Oglethorpe's mind, and variety of knowledge, having
sometimes made his conversation seem too desultory, Johnson observed, 'Oglethorpe,
Sir, never COMPLETES what he has to say.'
He on the same account made a similar remark on Patrick Lord Elibank: 'Sir, there is
nothing CONCLUSIVE in his talk.'
When I complained of having dined at a splendid table without hearing one sentence of
conversation worthy of being remembered, he said, 'Sir, there seldom is any such
conversation.' BOSWELL. 'Why then meet at table?' JOHNSON. 'Why, to eat and drink
together, and to promote kindness; and, Sir, this is better done when there is no solid
conversation; for when there is, people differ in opinion, and get into bad humour, or
some of the company who are not capable of such conversation, are left out, and feel
themselves uneasy. It was for this reason, Sir Robert Walpole said, he always talked
bawdy at his table, because in that all could join.'
Being irritated by hearing a gentleman* ask Mr. Levett a variety of questions concerning
him, when he was sitting by, he broke out, 'Sir, you have but two topicks, yourself and
me. I am sick of both.' 'A man, (said he,) should not talk of himself, nor much of any
particular person. He should take care not to be made a proverb; and, therefore, should
avoid having any one topick of which people can say, "We shall hear him upon it." There
was a Dr. Oldfield, who was always talking of the Duke of Marlborough. He came into a
coffee-house one day, and told that his Grace had spoken in the House of Lords for half
an hour. "Did he indeed speak for half an hour?" (said Belehier, the surgeon,)--"Yes."--
"And what did he say of Dr. Oldfield?"--"Nothing"--"Why then, Sir, he was very
ungrateful; for Dr. Oldfield could not have spoken for a quarter of an hour, without
saying something of him."'
* Most likely Boswell himself.--HILL.
I am now to record a very curious incident in Dr. Johnson's Life, which fell under my
own observation; of which pars magna fui, and which I am persuaded will, with the
liberal-minded, be much to his credit.
My desire of being acquainted with celebrated men of every description, had made me,
much about the same time, obtain an introduction to Dr. Samuel Johnson and to John
Wilkes, Esq. Two men more different could perhaps not be selected out of all mankind.
They had even attacked one another with some asperity in their writings; yet I lived in
habits of friendship with both. I could fully relish the excellence of each; for I have ever
delighted in that intellectual chymistry, which can separate good qualities from evil in the
same person.
Sir John Pringle, 'mine own friend and my Father's friend,' between whom and Dr.
Johnson I in vain wished to establish an acquaintance, as I respected and lived in
intimacy with both of them, observed to me once, very ingeniously, 'It is not in friendship
as in mathematicks, where two things, each equal to a third, are equal between
themselves. You agree with Johnson as a middle quality, and you agree with me as a
middle quality; but Johnson and I should not agree.' Sir John was not sufficiently flexible;
so I desisted; knowing, indeed, that the repulsion was equally strong on the part of
Johnson; who, I know not from what cause, unless his being a Scotchman, had formed a
very erroneous opinion of Sir John. But I conceived an irresistible wish, if possible, to
bring Dr. Johnson and Mr. Wilkes together. How to manage it, was a nice and difficult
matter.
My worthy booksellers and friends, Messieurs Dilly in the Poultry, at whose hospitable
and well-covered table I have seen a greater number of literary men, than at any other,
except that of Sir Joshua Reynolds, had invited me to meet Mr. Wilkes and some more
gentlemen on Wednesday, May 15. 'Pray (said I,) let us have Dr. Johnson.'--'What with
Mr. Wilkes? not for the world, (said Mr. Edward Dilly:) Dr. Johnson would never forgive
me.'--'Come, (said I,) if you'll let me negotiate for you, I will be answerable that all shall
go well.' DILLY. 'Nay, if you will take it upon you, I am sure I shall be very happy to see
them both here.'
Notwithstanding the high veneration which I entertained for Dr. Johnson, I was sensible
that he was sometimes a little actuated by the spirit of contradiction, and by means of that
I hoped I should gain my point. I was persuaded that if I had come upon him with a direct
proposal, 'Sir, will you dine in company with Jack Wilkes?' he would have flown into a
passion, and would probably have answered, 'Dine with Jack Wilkes, Sir! I'd as soon dine
with Jack Ketch.' I therefore, while we were sitting quietly by ourselves at his house in an
evening, took occasion to open my plan thus:--'Mr. Dilly, Sir, sends his respectful
compliments to you, and would be happy if you would do him the honour to dine with
him on Wednesday next along with me, as I must soon go to Scotland.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, I
am obliged to Mr. Dilly. I will wait upon him--' BOSWELL. 'Provided, Sir, I suppose,
that the company which he is to have, is agreeable to you.' JOHNSON. 'What do you
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