Of Mr. Wilkes Johnson one day faid, "Did we not hear fo much faid of Jack Wilkes, we fhould think more highly of his conversation. Jack has great variety of talk, Jack is a fcholar, and Jack has the manners of a gentleman. But after hearing his name founded from pole to pole, as the phoenix of convivial felicity, we are difappointed in his company. He has always been at me; but I would do Jack a kindness rather than not. The conteft is now over."

"The value of every ftory (he faid) depended on its being true. A fiory is a picture either of an individual or of human nature in general: if it be falfe, it is a picture of nothing. For inftance: fuppofe a man fhould tell that Johnson, before fetting out for Italy, as he had to cross the Alps, fat down to make himself wings. This many people would believe; but it would be a picture of nothing. ******* (naming a worthy friend of ours) used to think a story a ftory, till I fhewed him that truth was effential to it."

Queftioning (he once remarked) is not the mode of converfation among gentlemen. It is affuming a fuperiority, and it is particularly wrong to queftion a man concerning himself. There may be parts of his former life which he may not wish to be made known to other

perfons, or even brought to his own recollection."

Mr. Langton having repeated the anecdote of Addifon having diftinguifhed between his powers in conversation and in writing, by faying, "I have only nine-pence in my pocket; but I can draw for a thousand pounds, Johnfon faid, "He had not that retort ready, Sir; he had prepared it before hand."-LANGTON. (turning to Mr. Bofwell) "A fine furmife. Set a thief to catch a thief."

A gentleman who introduced his brother to Dr. Johnfon was earneft to recommend him to the Doctor's notice, which he did by faying, "When we have fat together fome time, you'll find my brother grow very entertaining."—" Si, (faid Johnfon) I can wait."

Mrs. Thrale one day gave high praise to a Mr. Long.-JOHNSON. "Nay, my dear Lady, don't talk fo. Mr. Long's character is very fhort. It is nothing. He fills a chair. He is a man of genteel appearance, and that is all. I know nobody who blafts by praife as you do ; for whenever there is exaggerated praife, every body is fet against a character. They are provoked to attack it. Now there is *****; you praised that man with fo much difproportion, that I was incited to leffen him, perhaps more than he deferves. His blood is upon your head. By the fame principle, your malice de

feats itself; for your cenfure is too violent. And yet (looking to her with a leering fmile) fhe is the first woman in the world, could fhe but reftrain that wicked tongue of hers ;-fhe would be the only woman, could fhe but command that little whirligig."

4

Mrs. Thrale mentioned a gentleman who had acquired a fortune of four thousand a ycar in trade, but was abfolutely miferable because he could not talk in company. "I am a moft unhappy man (faid he). I am invited to converfations; 1 go to conversations; but, alas! I have no converfation."-JOHNSON. "Man

commonly cannot be fuccefsful in different ways, This gentleman has spent, in getting four thoufand pounds a year, the time in which he might have learned to talk ; and now he cannot talk." Mr. Perkins made a droll remark: "If he had got his four thoufand a year as a mountebank, he might have learnt to talk at the fame time that he was getting his fortune."

Some other gentlemen came in. The converfation concerning the perfon whofe character Dr. Johnfon had treated fo flightingly, as he did not know his merit, was refumed, Mrs. Thrale faid "You think fo of him, Sir, because he is quict, and does not exert himself with force.You'll be faying the fame thing of Mr. ***** there, who fits as quiet-" This was not well

bred;

bred; and Johnson did not let it pafs without correction. "Nay, Madam (faid he), what right have you to talk thus ? and I have reason to take it ill.

Both Mr. *****

You may talk fo of Mr. *****, but why do you make me do it. Have I faid any thing against Mr. *****? You have fet him, that I might shoot him: but I have not shot him."

Mr. Beauclerk had such a propensity to satire, that at one time Johnson faid to him, "You never open your mouth but with intention to give pain; and you have often given me pain, not from the power of what you faid, but from fecing your intention." At another time applying to him, with a flight alteration, a line of Pope, he faid, "Thy love of folly, and thy fcorn of fools-Every thing thou doft fhews the one, and every thing thou fay'ft the other." At another time he faid to him, "Thy body is all vice, and thy mind all virtue."

Demofthenes Taylor, as he was called (that is, the Editor of Demofthenes)," faid Johnson, "was the most filent man, the mereft ftatue of a man that I have ever seen. I once dined in company with him, and all he faid during the whole time was no more than Richard. How a man fhould fay only Richard, it is not cafy to imagine. But it was thus: Dr. Douglas was talking of Dr. Zachary Grey, and afcribing

to him fomething that was written by Dr. Richard Grey; fo to correct him, Taylor faid (imitating his affected fententious emphasis and nod), Richard."

At another time, talking of oratory, Mr. Wilkes, who was of the party, described it as accompanied with all the charms of poetical expreffion. JOHNSON. "No, Sir; oratory is ; the power of beating down your adversary's arguments, and putting better in their place." WILKES. "But this does not move the paf"He must be a weak

fions."-JOHNSON.

man who is to be fo moved."-WILKES (naming a celebrated orator). "Amidst all the brilliancy of's imagination, and the exuberance of his wit, there is a strange want of tafte. It was obferved of Apelles's Venus, that her flesh feemed as if fhe had been nourifhed by rofes: his oratory would fometimes make one fufpect that he eats potatoes and drinks whisky."

"A celebrated wit being mentioned, Johnson faid, "One may fay of him as was faid of a French wit, Il n'a de l'efprit que contre Dieu. I have been feveral times in company with him, but never perceived any ftrong power of wit. He produces a general effect by various means; he has a cheerful countenance, and a gay voice. Befides, his trade is wit. It would be as wild

in