in the "Spectator" recommending Whittington to the Temple of Fame.

Bozzy was like a man in Mrs. Inchbald's comedies, I forget his name, who brings people together for his own sport, and they sometimes quarrel, but make it up so often that he is at length happily persuaded of his own benevolence.

On Boswell's saying that she had mistaken sutile for futile. It was no mistake. As pictures they are futile; so are Miss Linwood's. The moth, the sunshine, every thing may destroy the beautiful work. Alas! * On Boswell's fearing to go into a world where Shakspeare is unknown. shall die," says Cowley. however, that we may not

"And Virgil's sacred work Note: I am not so sure, repeat Virgil, as I am that

we shall not see the pictures of Raphael and Correggio. They must be taken from us I fear. The verses may

be remembered.

As to wine unlocking the heart. "Wine," says the

* Dr. Lort, writing to Bishop Percy, says: "I take for granted that you have read Dr. Johnson's Correspondence, published by Mrs. Piozzi: and though you might not have been sorry to have read the whole, yet I wish, for the Doctor's sake, that only half of it had been printed. In one letter it is said, 'I have seen Mrs. Knowles, the quaker, and her futile pictures;' it should be sutile, a word, though not to be found in his Dictionary, yet very aptly made to express the mode of painting, viz. in needlework, of which sort there are two portraits of the king and queen made by Mrs. Knowles at Buckingham House. I desired a sight of the original letter in order to determine a wager. There it plainly appeared that a dash had been put across the long s, Johnson's usual mode of writing that letter, perhaps by the printer or corrector of the press."

orator in Esdras, "enables a man to speak with his talent."

"And a new thought is a very uncommon thing in conversation, even of witty men." (Johnson.) A new thought is like a new coin, and has more glitter but not more weight than the expression we have long been used to.

"Querulousness of old age." Boswell.)

(Malone, as quoted by Was not Johnson querulous?

In whom

else would such querulousness have been endured? On Johnson's saying of Beauclerc, "No man was ever so free, when he was going to say a good thing, from a look that expressed that it was coming; or, when he had said it, from a look that expressed that it had come." Note: Yes, Beauclerc was first upon the languid list of Ton people. Dr. Johnson, who was all emphasis himself, felt épris of such a character: a man of quality who disdained effect in conversation, to which he never came unprepared.

Otway's hag is a very fine one; completely what you see every day. Yet he makes it impress you at the fiftieth reading :

"Oh, seen for ever, yet for ever new

can be applied only to Otway's hag.

"The truth is, it is impossible perfectly to translate poetry. In a different language it

tune, but it has not the same tone. a bassoon Pope on a flageolet."

may be the same

Homer plays it on

Boswell. Homer

played on the organ: Pope on the Cremona fiddle.

"You must not expect I should tell you anything, if I had anything to tell." (Johnson to Boswell, July 13th, 1779.) Very true; he never did tell him any

thing for fear of misrepresentation.

On Windham's remark (May 16th, 1778) that we were more uneasy from thinking of our wants, than happy in thinking of our acquisitions: No need of Mr. Windham to tell us that.

"What need of books those truths to tell
Which folks perceive who cannot spell;
And must we spectacles apply

To see what hurts our naked eye ?" "

"Thrale cared not about it." (Johnson's letter to Boswell, March 13th, 1779.) To be sure he did not. "Mrs. Thrale was in the coach." (Id.) Which he cared no more for than her husband cared about Boswell's anxiety.

On Johnson's remark that a father had no right to control the inclinations of his daughter in marriage Some of his auditors were, however, of opinion that children might control their parents in marriage.

On Johnson's reference to a man with an inverted understanding: I have a notion it was the Rev. Mr. Mence, of whom I once heard Dr. Johnson say to old Burney: "Sir, Mence is a man who should be stuck upon a pole, and a large writing under him to say, 'Do nothing as Mence does it.""

Parents expecting a return: They must be silly parents sure, of no experience at all-Scotch parents,

RICHARDSON.

WOMEN AND BEGGARS.

129

attentive to interest even whilst fondling their babies. What nonsense!

On the anecdote of Richardson mentioning that a gentleman had seen "Clarissa" lying on the king's brother's table: The present king of France, Louis Dixhuit, who likewise delighted in reading Fielding's "Tom Jones: he asked Dr. B as they walked on the Crescent at Bath, if Prior Park had belonged to the man who was believed the Allworthy of "Tom Jones; but Louis Dixhuit is a universal reader.

As to beggars asking more readily from men than from women: The man has more money in his pocket, and his money is his own. The woman is commonly responsible for her expenses to a father, a brother, or a husband. She must give in her account on Monday evening, and mention the shilling given to the beggar, for doing which she will receive a cheque and be told it was ill bestowed.

"Mrs. Thrale and I," says Boswell, "had a dispute whether Shakespeare or Milton had drawn the most admirable picture of a man." (Adam versus Hamlet's father.) Note: Milton kept closer to the man. Shakespeare was more excursive: he lacked in ornament after all; his is a more dramatic, Milton's a more epic description. Both were best, as the children say.

On Johnson's dining with bishops: Well! I do think it was out of rule for a bishop to make a dinner on Holy Thursday. It would shock a foreign Romanist to hear of it. Who was the bishop I wonder? But there were two it seems.

On Mrs. Garrick calling Hannah More her chaplain : Odd enough if she did so, because their religious opinions were so widely different.

The author of "Night Thoughts" and his son: A parent that he, the young man, hated. Addison and Young knew too much of life to be favourites with their families.

On Palmer's return from transportation: When Margaret came home safe, and his old cat which he took out to exile with him, I know not who told me the cat recognised her original habitation.

To Chinese vaunting, a common sailor retorted: "And yet, though you have been pouring out tea ever since the Flood, you never had skill to make a spout to your teapot till we taught you how."

"He (Johnson) had projected a work to show how small a quantity of real fiction there is in the world." (Boswell.) That would have been pretty. Johnson used to say that he believed no combination could be found, and few sentiments, that might not be traced to Homer, Shakespeare, and Richardson.

Youth's Divine Pastime (one of "Burton's Books") was the legitimate parent of Ferdinand, Count Fathom.

"In the meantime let us be kind to one another." (Johnson to Dr. Taylor.) To whom he perpetually turned - not to his flatterers and admirers. Ever sighing for the toast, bread and butter of life, when satiated with the turtle and Burgundy of it.

Johnson's letter to Miss Jane Langton, May 10, 1784: Like his letters to Mr. Thrale's daughters, exactly.