'When in good humour he would talk of his own writings with a wonderful frankness and candour,and would even criticise them with the closest severity.One day,having read over one of his Ramblers,Mr.Langton asked him,how he liked that paper;he shook his head,and answered,"too wordy."At another time,when one was reading his tragedy of Irene to a company at a house in the country,he left the room;and somebody having asked him the reason of this,he replied,"Sir,I thought it had been better."'
'He related,that he had once in a dream a contest of wit with some other person,and that he was very much mortified by imagining that his opponent had the better of him."Now,(said he,)one may mark here the effect of sleep in weakening the power of reflection;for had not my judgement failed me,I should have seen,that the wit of this supposed antagonist,by whose superiority I felt myself depressed,was as much furnished by me,as that which I thought Ihad been uttering in my own character."'
'Of Sir Joshua Reynolds,he said,"Sir,I know no man who has passed through life with more observation than Reynolds."'
'He repeated to Mr.Langton,with great energy,in the Greek,our SAVIOUR'S gracious expression concerning the forgiveness of Mary Magdalen,'[Greek text omitted]."Thy faith hath saved thee;go in peace."He said,"the manner of this dismission is exceedingly affecting."'
'Talking of the Farce of High Life below Stairs,he said,"Here is a Farce,which is really very diverting when you see it acted;and yet one may read it,and not know that one has been reading any thing at all."'
'He used at one time to go occasionally to the green room of Drury-lane Theatre,where he was much regarded by the players,and was very easy and facetious with them.He had a very high opinion of Mrs.Clive's comick powers,and conversed more with her than with any of them.He said,"Clive,Sir,is a good thing to sit by;she always understands what you say."And she said of him,"I love to sit by Dr.Johnson;he always entertains me."One night,when The Recruiting Officer was acted,he said to Mr.Holland,who had been expressing an apprehension that Dr.Johnson would disdain the works of Farquhar;"No,Sir,I think Farquhar a man whose writings have considerable merit."'
'His friend Garrick was so busy in conducting the drama,that they could not have so much intercourse as Mr.Garrick used to profess an anxious wish that there should be.There might,indeed,be something in the contemptuous severity as to the merit of acting,which his old preceptor nourished in himself,that would mortify Garrick after the great applause which he received from the audience.For though Johnson said of him,"Sir,a man who has a nation to admire him every night,may well be expected to be somewhat elated;"yet he would treat theatrical matters with a ludicrous slight.He mentioned one evening,"I met David coming off the stage,drest in a woman's riding-hood,when he acted in The Wonder;I came full upon him,and I believe he was not pleased."'
'Once he asked Tom Davies,whom he saw drest in a fine suit of clothes,"And what art thou to-night?"Tom answered,"The Thane of Ross;"(which it will be recollected is a very inconsiderable character.)"O brave!"said Johnson.
'Of Mr.Longley,at Rochester,a gentleman of very considerable learning,whom Dr.Johnson met there,he said,"My heart warms towards him.I was surprised to find in him such a nice acquaintance with the metre in the learned languages;though I was somewhat mortified that I had it not so much to myself,as I should have thought."'
'Talking of the minuteness with which people will record the sayings of eminent persons,a story was told,that when Pope was on a visit to Spence at Oxford,as they looked from the window they saw a Gentleman Commoner,who was just come in from riding,amusing himself with whipping at a post.Pope took occasion to say,"That young gentleman seems to have little to do."Mr.Beauclerk observed,"Then,to be sure,Spence turned round and wrote that down;"and went on to say to Dr.Johnson,"Pope,Sir,would have said the same of you,if he had seen you distilling."JOHNSON.
"Sir,if Pope had told me of my distilling,I would have told him of his grotto."'
'He would allow no settled indulgence of idleness upon principle,and always repelled every attempt to urge excuses for it.A friend one day suggested,that it was not wholesome to study soon after dinner.JOHNSON."Ah,Sir,don't give way to such a fancy.At one time of my life I had taken it into my head that it was not wholesome to study between breakfast and dinner."'
'Dr.Goldsmith,upon occasion of Mrs.Lennox's bringing out a play,said to Dr.Johnson at THE CLUB,that a person had advised him to go and hiss it,because she had attacked Shakspeare in her book called Shakspeare Illustrated.JOHNSON."And did not you tell him he was a rascal?"GOLDSMITH."No,Sir,I did not.Perhaps he might not mean what he said."JOHNSON."Nay,Sir,if he lied,it is a different thing."Colman slily said,(but it is believed Dr.
Johnson did not hear him,)"Then the proper expression should have been,--Sir,if you don't lie,you're a rascal."'
'His affection for Topham Beauclerk was so great,that when Beauclerk was labouring under that severe illness which at last occasioned his death,Johnson said,(with a voice faultering with emotion,)"Sir,I would walk to the extent of the diameter of the earth to save Beauclerk."'
'Johnson was well acquainted with Mr.Dossie,authour of a treatise on Agriculture;and said of him,"Sir,of the objects which the Society of Arts have chiefly in view,the chymical effects of bodies operating upon other bodies,he knows more than almost any man."Johnson,in order to give Mr.Dossie his vote to be a member of this Society,paid up an arrear which had run on for two years.
