cafe which admits of doubt, we try to think on the fide which is for our intereft, and generally bring ourselves to act accordingly. But the fubject must admit of diverfity of colouring, it muft receive a colour on that fide. In the Houfe of Commons there are members enough who will not vote what is grofsly unjuft or abfurd. No, Sir, there must always be right enough, or appearance of right, to keep wrong in countenance."-BoS WELL. "There is furely always a majority in parliament who have places, or who want to have them, and who therefore will be generally ready to fupport government without requiring any pretext."-E. "True, Sir; that majority will always follow

Quo clamor vocat et turba faventium.”—

E. "Well now, let us take the common phrafe, Place-hunters. I thought they had hunted without regard to any thing, juft as their huntfman, the minifter, leads, looking only to the prey."-7. "But, taking your metaphor, you know that in hunting there are few fo defperately keen as to follow without referve. Some do not choofe to leap ditches and hedges and rifk their necks, or gallop over fteeps, or even to dirty themselves in bogs and mire."-B. “I am glad there are fome good, quiet, moderate,

political

political hunters."-E. " I believe in any body of men in England I fhould have been in the minority; I have always been in the minority." A gentleman prefent faid, "The Houfe of Commons resembles a private company. How feldom is any man convinced by another's argument! paffion and pride rife against it." Another asked, "What would be the confequence, if a Minifter, fure of a majority in the House of Commons, should refolve that there fhould be no fpeaking at all upon his fide.”—E. “He must foon go out. That has been tried; but it was found it would not do.”

Ruffia being mentioned as likely to become a great empire, by the rapid increafe of population, Johnson faid, "Why, Sir, I fee no profpect of their propagating more. They can have not more children than they can get. I know of no way to make them breed more than they do. It is not from reafon and prudence that people marry, but from inclination. A man is poor; he thinks, I cannot be worfe, and fo I'll e'en take Peggy."-B. "But have not nations been more populous at one period than another?"— 7. "Yes, Sir; but that has been owing to the people being lefs thinned at one period than another, whether by emigrations, war, or pestilence, not by their being more or less prolific. Births at all times bear the fame proportion to the fame number of people."-B. “But, to

confider

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confider the ftate of our own country; does not throwing a number of farms into one hand hurt population?-7. "Why no, Sir; the fame quantity of food being produced, will be confumed by the fame number of mouths, though the people may be difpofed of in different ways. We fee, if corn be dear, and butchers' meat cheap, the farmers all apply themselves to the raifing of corn, till it becomes plentiful and cheap, and then butchers' meat becomes dear; so that an equality is always preserved. No, Sir, let fanciful men do as they will, depend upon it, it is difficult to disturb the system of life."-B. But, Sir, is it not a very bad thing for landlords to opprefs their tenants, by raising their rents?"-7. "Very bad. But, Sir, it never can have any general influence; it may diftrefs fome individuals. For, confider this: landlords cannot do without tenants. Now tenants will not give more for land, than land is worth. If they can make more of their money by keeping a fhop, or any other way, they'll do it, and fo oblige landlords to let land come back to a reasonable rent, in order that they may get tenants. Land, in England, is an article of commerce. A tenant who pays his landlord his rent, thinks himself no more obliged to him than you think yourself obliged to a man in whofe fhop you buy a piece of

goods.

goods. He knows the landlord does not lef him have his land for lefs than he can get from others, in the fame manner as the fhopkeeper fells his goods. No fhopkeeper fells a yard of ribband for fixpence when fevenpence is the current price.-B. "But, Sir, is it not better that tenants fhould be dependent on landlords?. "Why, Sir, as there are many more tenants than landlords, perhaps, ftrictly speaking, we should with not. But if you please you may let your lands cheap, and so get the value, part in money and part in homage. I fhould agree with in that."-B. "So, Sir, you laugh at schemes of political improvement."7. "Why, Sir, moft fchemes of political improvement are very laughable things."

you

He ftrongly cenfured the licensed stews at Rome. Mr. Bofwell faid, "So then, Sir, you would allow of no irregular intercourse whatever between the fexes. -JOHNSON. "To be fure I would not, Sir.. I would punish it much more than it is done, and fo reftrain it. In all countries there has been fornication, as in all coun→ tries there has been theft; but there may be more or lefs of the one, as well as of the other, in proportion to the force of law. All men will naturally commit fornication, as all men will naturally fteal. And, Sir, it is very abfurd to argue, as has been often done, that proftitutes

are

are neceffary to prevent the violent effects of appetite from violating the decent order of life; nay, should be permitted, in order to preferve the chastity of our wives and daughters. Depend upon it, Sir, fevere laws, fteadily enforced, would be fufficient against thofe evils, and would promote marriage."

On another occafion Johnson faid, "It may be queftioned, whether there is not some miftake as to the methods of employing the poor, feemingly on a fuppofition that there is a certain portion of work left undone for want of perfons to do it; but if that is otherwife, and all the materials we have are actually worked up, or all the manufactures we can ufe or difpofe of are already executed, then what is given to the poor who are to be fet at work, must be taken from fome who now have it; as time must be taken for learning, according to Sir William Petty's obfervation, a certain part of those very materials that, as it is, are properly worked up, must be spoiled by the unfkilfulness of novices. We may apply to well-meaning, but misjudging perfons in particulars of this nature, what Giannone faid to a monk, who wanted what he called to convert him; Tu fei Santo, ma Tu non fei Filofofo.'-It is an unhappy circumstance, that one might give away five hundred pounds in a year to thofe that importune in the ftreets, and not do any good."

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