struction and good habits this is cured, till a man has not even an inclination to seize what is another's; has no struggle with himself about it.' And here I shall record a scene of too much heat between Dr. Johnson and Dr. Percy, which I should have suppressed, were it not that it gave occasion to display the truly tender and benevolent heart of Johnson, who, as soon as he found a friend was at all hurt by anything which he had said in his wrath,' was not only prompt and desirous to be reconciled, but exerted himself to make ample reparation.

Books of travels having been mentioned, Johnson praised Pennant very highly, as he did at Dunvegan, in the Isle of Skye.' Dr. Percy, knowing himself to be the heir male of the ancient Percys, and having the warmest and most dutiful attachment to the noble House of Northumberland, could not sit quietly and hear a man praised who had spoken disrespectfully of Alnwick Castle and the Duke's pleasuregrounds, especially as he thought meanly of his travels. He therefore opposed Johnson eagerly. JOHNSON: 'Pennant, in what he has said of Alnwick, has done what he intended; he has made you very angry.' PERCY: 'He has said the garden is trim, which is representing it like a citizen's parterre, when the truth is, there is a very large extent of fine turf and gravel walks.' JOHNSON: According to your own account, sir, Pennant is right. It is trim. Here is grass cut close, and gravel rolled smooth. Is not that trim? The extent is nothing against that; a mile may be as trim as a square yard. Your extent puts me in mind of the citizen's enlarged dinner, two pieces of roast beef and two puddings. There is no variety, no mind exerted in laying out the ground, no trees.' PERCY: 'He pretends to give the natural history of Northumberland, and yet takes no notice of the im

1 Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, edit. 3, p. 221.BOSWELL.

2 See this accurately stated, and the descent of his family from the Earls of Northumberland clearly deduced, in the Reverend Dr. Nash's excellent History of Worcestershire, vol. ii. p. 318. The Doctor has subjoined a note, in which he says, "The Editor hath seen and carefully examined the proofs of all the particulars above mentioned, now in the possession of the Reverend Thomas Percy.'

The same proofs I have also myself carefully examined, and have seen some additional proofs which have occurred since the Doctor's book was published; and both as a lawyer accustomed to the consideration of evidence, and as a genealogist versed in the study of pedigrees, I am fully satisfied. I cannot help observing, as a circumstance of no small moment, that in tracing the Bishop of Dromore's genealogy, essential aid was given by the late Elizabeth Duchess of Northumberland, heiress of that illustrious house; a lady not only of high dignity of spirit, such as became her noble blood, but of excellent understanding and lively talents. With a fair pride I can boast of the honour of her Grace's correspondence, specimens of which adorn my archives.-BOSWELL

mense number of trees planted there of late.' JOHNSON: That, sir, has nothing to do with the natural history; that is, civil history. A man who gives the natural history of the oak, is not to tell how many oaks have been planted in this place or that. A man who gives the natural history of the cow, is not to tell how many cows are milked at Islington. The animal is the same, whether milked in the park or at Islington.' PERCY: Pennant does not describe well; a carrier who goes along the side of Lochlomond would describe it better.' JOHNSON: 'I think he describes very well.' PERCY: 'I travelled after him.' JOHNSON: 'And I travelled after him.' PERCY: 'But, my good friend, you are shortsighted, and do not see so well as I do.' I wondered at Dr. Percy's venturing thus. Dr. Johnson said nothing at the time; but inflammable particles were collecting for a cloud to burst. In a little while, Dr. Percy said something more in disparagement of Pennant. JOHNSON (pointedly): This is the resentment of a narrow mind, because he did not find everything in Northumberland.' PERCY (feeling the stroke): 'Sir, you may be as rude as you please.' JOHNSON: Hold, sir! Don't talk of rudeness. Remember, sir, you told me (puffing hard with passion struggling for a vent) I was short-sighted. We have done with civility. We are to be as rude as we please.' PERCY: Upon my honour, sir, I did not mean to be uncivil.' JOHNSON: 'I cannot say so, sir; for I did mean to be uncivil, thinking you had been uncivil.' Dr. Percy rose, ran up to him, and taking him by the hand, assured him affectionately that his meaning had been misunderstood; upon which a reconciliation instantly took place. JOHNSON: 'My dear sir, I am willing you shall hang Pennant.' PERCY (resuming the former subject): 'Pennant complains that the helmet is not hung out to invite to the hall of hospitality. Now, I never heard that it was a custom to hang out a helmet.' JOHNSON: 'Hang him up, hang him up.' BOSWELL (humouring the joke): 'Hang out his skull instead of a helmet, and you may drink ale out of it in your hall of Odin, as he is your enemy; that will be truly ancient. There will be Northern Antiquities." JOHNSON: 'He's a Whig, sir; a sad dog (smiling at his own violent expressions, merely for political difference of opinion).

1

But he's the best traveller I ever

1 It certainly was a custom, as appears from the following passage in Perce Forest, vol. iii. p. 108:'Fasoient mettre au plus hault de leur hostel un heaulme, en signe que tous les gentils hommes et gentilles femmes entrassent hardiment en leur hostel comme en leur propre,' etc.-KEARNEY.

The author's second son, Mr. James Boswell, late of Brazen - nose College, in Oxford, and now of the Inner Temple, had noticed this passage in Perce Forest, and suggested to me the same remark.-MALONE.

2 The title of a book translated by Dr. Percy.BOSWELL.

newspapers of giving modern characters in sentences from the classics, and of the passage'Parcus deorum cultor et infrequens, Insanientis dum sapientiæ

Consultus erro, nunc retrorsum

Vel dare, atque iterare cursus
Cogor relictos-'1

2

being well applied to Soame Jenyns, who, after having wandered in the wilds of infidelity, had returned to the Christian faith. Mr. Langton asked Johnson as to the propriety of sapientia consultus. JOHNSON: Though consultus was primarily an adjective, like amicus it came to be used as a substantive. So we have juris consultus, a consult in law.'

We talked of the styles of different painters, and how certainly a connoisseur could distinguish them. I asked if there was as clear a difference of styles in language as in painting, or even as in handwriting, so that the composition of every individual may be distinguished? JOHNSON: 'Yes. Those who have a style of eminent excellence, such as Dryden and Milton, can always be distinguished.' I had no doubt of this: but what I wanted to know was, whether there was really a peculiar style to every man whatever, as there is certainly a peculiar handwriting, a peculiar countenance, not widely different in many, yet always enough to be distinctive :facies non omnibus una,

Nec diversa tamen.' 3

The Bishop thought not; and said he supposed that many pieces in Dodsley's collection of poems, though all very pretty, had nothing appropriated in their style, and in that particular could not be at all distinguished. JOHNSON: 'Why, sir, I think every man whatever has a peculiar style, which may be discovered by nice examination and comparison with others; but a man must write a great deal to make his style obviously discernible. As logicians say, this appropriation of style is infinite in potestate, limited in actu.'

Mr. Topham Beauclerk came in the evening, and he and Dr. Johnson and I stayed to supper. It was mentioned that Dr. Dodd had once wished to be a member of the LITERARY CLUB.

JOHNSON: I should be sorry if any of our club were hanged. I will not say but some of them deserve it.' BEAUCLERK (supposing this to be aimed at persons for whom he had at that time a wonderful fancy, which, however, did not last long) was irritated, and eagerly said: 'You, sir, have a friend (naming him) who deserves to be hanged; for he speaks behind their backs against those with whom he lives on the best terms, and attacks them in the newspapers.

1 Horat. Carm. 1. i. Od. 34.

2 Soame Jenyns was M. P. for Cambridgeshire. His principal works are, A Free Inquiry into the Origin of Evil, and a View of the Internal Evidence of the Christian Religion. He was born in 1704, and died in 1787. 3 Ovid. Met. ii. 13.

66

He certainly ought to be kicked.' JOHNSON: 'Sir, we all do this in some degree: Veniam petimus damusque vicissim." To be sure it may be done so much, that a man may deserve to be kicked.' BEAUCLERK: 'He is very malignant.' JOHNSON: No, sir; he is not malignant. He is mischievous, if you will. He would do no man an essential injury; he may, indeed, love to make sport of people by vexing their vanity. I, however, once knew an old gentleman who was absolutely malignant. He really wished evil to others, and rejoiced at it.' BoSWELL: 'The gentleman, Mr. Beauclerk, against whom you are so violent, is, I know, a man of good principles.' BEAUCLERK Then he does not wear them out in practice.'

Dr. Johnson (who, as I have observed before, delighted in discrimination of character, and having a masterly knowledge of human nature, was willing to take men as they are, imperfect, and with a mixture of good and bad qualities), I suppose, thought he had said enough in defence of his friend, of whose merits, notwithstanding his exceptionable points, he had a just value; and added no more on the subject.

On Tuesday, April 14, I dined with him at General Oglethorpe's, with General Paoli and Mr. Langton. General Oglethorpe declaimed against luxury. JOHNSON: 'Depend upon it, sir, every state of society is as luxurious as it can be. Men always take the best they can get.' OGLETHORPE: But the best depends much upon ourselves; and if we can be as well satisfied with plain things, we are in the wrong to accustom our palates to what is high-seasoned and expensive. What says Addison in his Cato, speaking of the Numidian?

"Coarse are his meals, the fortune of the chase;
Amid the running stream he slakes his thirst,
Toils all the day, and at the approach of night,
On the first friendly bank he throws him down;
Or rests his head upon a rock till morn:
And if the following day he chance to find
A new repast, or an untasted spring,
Blesses his stars, and thinks it luxury."

Let us have that kind of luxury, sir, if you will.' JOHNSON: But hold, sir; to be merely satisfied is not enough. It is in refinement and elegance that the civilised man differs from the savage. A great part of our industry and all our ingenuity is exercised in procuring pleasure; and, sir, a hungry man has not the same pleasure in eating a plain dinner that a hungry man has in eating a luxurious dinner. You see I put the case fairly. A hungry man may have as much, nay, more pleasure in eating a plain dinner, than a man grown fastidious has in eating a luxurious dinner. But I suppose the man who decides between the two dinners to be equally a hungry man.'

Talking of different governments-JOHNSON: 'The more contracted power is, the more easily it is destroyed. A country governed by a despot

is an inverted cone. Government there cannot be so firm as when it rests upon a broad basis gradually contracted, as the government of Great Britain, which is founded on the Parliament, then is in the Privy Council, then in the King.' BOSWELL: 'Power, when contracted into the person of a despot, may be easily destroyed, as the prince may be cut off. So Caligula wished that the people of Rome had but one neck, that he might cut them off at a blow.' OGLETHORPE: 'It was of the Senate he wished that. The Senate, by its usurpation, controlled both the emperor and the people. And don't you think that we see too much of that in our own Parliament?'

Dr. Johnson endeavoured to trace the etymology of Maccaronic verses, which he thought were of Italian invention from maccaroni; but on being informed that this would infer that they were the most common and easy verses, maccaroni being the most ordinary and simple food, he was at a loss? for he said, 'He rather should have supposed it to import, in its primitive signification, a composition of several things; for maccaronic verses are verses made out of a mixture of different languages; that is, of one language with the termination of another.' I suppose we scarcely know of a language in any country where there is any learning, in which that motley ludicrous species of composition may not be found. It is particularly droll in Low Dutch. The Polemo-middinia of Drummond of Hawthornden, in which there is a jumble of many languages moulded, as if it were all in Latin, is well known. Mr. Langton made us laugh heartily at one in the Grecian mould, by Joshua Barnes, in which are to be found such comical Anglo-hellenisms as Kaiß. Bordir "Baxley: They were banged with clubs.'

On Wednesday, April 15, I dined with Dr. Johnson at Mr. Dilly's, and was in high spirits, for I had been a good part of the morning with Mr. Orme, the able and eloquent historian of Hindostan, who expressed a great admiration of Johnson. 'I do not care,' said he, on what subject Johnson talks: but I love better to hear him talk than anybody. He either gives you new thoughts or a new colouring. It is a shame to the nation that he has not been more liberally rewarded. Had I been George the Third, and thought as he did about America, I would

1 Dr. Johnson was right in supposing that this kind of poetry derived its name from maccherone. 'Ars ista poetica' (says Merlin Coccaio, whose true name was Theophilo Folengo) nuncupatur ARS MACARONICA, a macaronibus derivata; qui macarones sunt quoddam pulmentum, farinâ, caseo, butyro compaginatum, grossum, rude, et rusticanum. Ideo MACARONICA nil nisi grossedinem, ruditatem, et VOCABULAZZOS debet in se continere.' (Warton's Hist. of Eng. Poet. ii. 357.) Folengo's true name was taken up in consequence of his having been instructed in his youth by Virago Coccaio. He died in 1544.-MALONE.

have given Johnson three hundred a year for his Taxation no Tyranny alone.' I repeated this, and Johnson was much pleased with such praise from such a man as Orme.

At Mr. Dilly's to-day were Mrs. Knowles, the ingenious Quaker lady Miss Seward, the poetess of Lichfield, the Rev. Dr. Mayo, and the Rev. Mr. Beresford, tutor to the Duke of Bedford. Before dinner Dr. Johnson seized upon Mr. Charles Sheridan's' Account of the late Revolution in Sweden, and seemed to read it ravenously, as if he devoured it, which was to all appearance his method of studying. 'He knows how to read better than any one,' said Mrs. Knowles; he gets at the substance of a book directly; he tears out the heart of it.' He kept it wrapped up in the table-cloth in his lap during the time of dinner, from an avidity to have one entertainment in readiness when he should have finished another; resembling (if I may use so coarse a simile) a dog who holds a bone in his paws in reserve, while he eats something else which has been thrown to him.

The subject of cookery having been very naturally introduced at a table where Johnson, who boasted of the niceness of his palate, owned that 'he always found a good dinner,' he said, 'I could write a better book of cookery than has ever yet been written; it should be a book upon philosophical principles. Pharmacy is now made much more simple. Cookery may be made so too. A prescription, which is now compounded of five ingredients, had formerly fifty in it. So in cookery, if the nature of the ingredients be well known, much fewer will do. Then, as you cannot make bad meat good, I would tell what is the best butcher's meat, the best beef, the best pieces; how to choose young fowls; the proper seasons of different vegetables; and then how to roast and boil, and compound.' DILLY: 'Mrs. Glasse's Cookery, which is the best, was written by Dr. Hill. Half the trade know this.' JOHNSON: 'Well, sir, this shows how much better the subject of cookery may be treated by a philosopher. I doubt if the book be written by Dr. Hill; for, in Mrs. Glasse's Cookery, which I have looked into, saltpetre and sal prunella are spoken of as different substances, whereas sal-prunella is only saltpetre burnt on charcoal; and Hill could not be ignorant of this. However, as the greatest part of such a book is made by transcription, this mistake may have been carelessly adopted. But you shall see what a book of cookery I shall make! I shall agree with Mr. Dilly for the copyright.' MISS SEWARD: 'That would be Hercules with the distaff indeed.' JOHNSON:

1 The elder brother of R. B. Sheridan, Esq. He died in 1806.-MALONE.

2 As Physicians are called the Faculty, the Counsellors at Law the Profession, the Booksellers of London are denominated the Trade. Johnson disapproved of these denominations.-BoSWELL.