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expect he would behave to me, were I a nobleman and he Sam. Johnson. Sir, there is one Mrs. Macaulay in this town, a great republican. One day, when I was at her house, I put on a very grave countenance, and faid to her, 'Madam, I am now become a convert to your way of thinking. I am convinced that all mankind are upon an equal footing; and to give you an unquestionable proof, Madam, that I am in earnest, here is a very fenfible, civil, wellbehaved fellow-citizen, your footman; I defire that he may be allowed to fit down and dine with us.' I thus, Sir, fhewed her the abfurdity of the levelling doctrine. She has never liked me fince. Sir, your levellers with to level down as far as themselves; but they cannot bear levelling up to themselves. They would all have fome people under them; why not then have fome people above them ?" A certain author was mentioned, who disgusted by his forwardness, and by fhewing no deference to noblemen into whofe company he was admitted. Johnson said, Suppofe a fhoemaker should claim an equality with him, as he does with a lord, how would he ftare !- Why, Sir, do you ftare (fays the shoemaker)? I do I do great fervice to fociety. "Tis true, I am paid for doing it it; but fo are you, Sir: and I am forry to say it, better paid than I am, for doing something not

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neceffary; for mankind could do better without your books, than without my fhoes.' there would be a perpetual ftruggle for precedence, were there no fixed invariable rules for the diftinction of rank, which creates no jealoufy, as it is allowed to be accidental.”

On another occafion (fays Mr. B.) we had talked of old families, and the respect due to them. Johnson faid, Sir, you have a right to that kind of refpect, and are arguing for yourfelf. I am for fupporting the principle, and am difinterested in doing it, as I have no fuch right."-B. "Why, Sir, it is one more incitement to a man to do well."-J.

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Yes, Sir, and it is a matter of opinion very neceffary to keep fociety together. What is it but opinion by which we have a refpect for authority, that prevents us, who are the rabble, from rifing up, and pulling down you who are gentlemen from your places, and faying, We will be gentlemen in our turn!' Now, Sir, that refpect for authority is much more eafily granted to a man whofe father has had it, than to an upftart; and fo fociety is more easily supported.”—B. “ Perhaps, Sir, it might be done by the respect belonging to office, as among the Romans, where the drefs, the toga, infpired reverence. "Why, we know very little about the Romans. But, furely, it is much easier to respect a man

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who has always had respect, than to respect a man who we know was last year no better than ourselves, and will be no better next year. In republics there is not a respect for authority, but a fear of power."-B. "At prefent, Sir, I think riches feem to gain most respect."-7. "No, Sir, riches do not gain hearty respect; they only procure external attention. A very rich man, from low beginnings, may buy his election in a borough; but, cæteris paribus, a man of family will be preferred. People will prefer a man for whofe father their fathers have voted, though they should get no more money, or even lefs. This fhews that the respect for family is not merely fanciful, but has an actual operation. If gentlemen of family would allow the rich upftarts to spend their money profufely, which they are ready enough to do, and not vie with them in expence, the upftarts would foon be at an end, and the gentlemen would remain but if the gentlemen will vie in expence with the upstarts, which is very foolish, they must be ruined."

Johnson, indeed, though of no high extraction himself, had much respect for birth and family, cfpecially among ladies. "Adventitious accomplishments (faid he) may be poffeffed by all ranks; but one may easily distinguish the born gentlewoman."

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One evening at Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) Chambers's in the temple, he talked with a noble enthusiasm of keeping up the reprefentation of refpectable families. His zeal on this fubject was a circumstance in his character exceedingly remarkable, when it is confidered that he had no pretenfions to blood. He himself once faid, "I have great merit in being zealous for fubordination and the honours of birth; for I can hardly tell who was my grandfather." He maintained the dignity and propriety of male fucceffion, in oppofition to the opinion of one who had that day employed Mr. Chambers to draw his will, devifing his estate to his three fif ters, in preference to a remote heir male. Johnfon called them three dewdies,' and faid, with as high a spirit as the boldeft Baron in the moft perfect days of the feudal fyftem, An ancient eftate fhould always go to males. It is mighty foolish to let a ftranger have it becaufe he marries your daughter, and takes your name. As for an eftate newly-acquired by trade, you may give it, if you will, to the dog Towfer, and let him keep his own name.”

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"Providence (he obferved at another time) has wifely ordered that the more numerous men are, the more difficult it is for them to agree in any thing; and fo they are governed. There is no doubt, that if the poor fhould reafon,—

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"We'll be the poor no longer, we'll make the rich take their turn,' they could eafily do it, were it not that they can't agrce. So the common foldiers, though fo much more numerous than their officers, are governed by them for the fame reafon."

Some one told him, that Mrs. Macaulay wondered how he could reconcile his political principles with his moral; his notions of inequality and fubordination with wishing well to the happiness of all mankind, who might live fo agreeably, had they all their portions of land, and none to domineer over another. Why, Sir (faid he), I reconcile my principles very well, because mankind are happier in a state of inequality and fubordination. Were they to be in this pretty state of equality, they would foon degenerate into brutes ;-they would become Monboddo's nation; their tails would grow. Sir, all would be lofers, were all to work for all-they would have no intellectual improvement. All intellectual improvement arises from leifure: all leifure arifes from one working for another."

On another occafion he faid, "So far is it from being true that men are naturally equal, that no two people can be half an hour together, but one fhall acquire an evident fuperiority over the other."

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