hour takes away part of the things that please us, and perhaps part of our difpofition to be pleased. When I came to Litchfield (faid he to Mr. Boswell), I found my old friend Harry Jackfon dead. It was a lofs, and a lofs not to be repaired, as he was one of the companions of my childhood. I hope we may long continue to gain friends, but the friends which merit or usefulness can procure us, are not able to supply the place of old acquaintance, with whom the days of youth may be retraced, and thofe images revived which gave the earlicft delight. If you and I live to be much older, we fhall take great delight in talking over the Hebridean Journey,"

At another time he faid, "Life is not long, and too much of it must not pass in idle deliberation how it shall be spent ; deliberation which those who begin it by prudence, and continue it with fubtilty, muft, after long expence of thought, conclude by chance. To prefer one future mode of life to another, upon just reasons, requires faculties which it has not pleased our Creator to give us.

"If therefore the profeffion you have chofen has fome unexpected inconveniencies, confole yourself by reflecting that no profeffion is without them; and that all the importunities and perplexities of business are softness and luxury,

compared

compared with the inceffant cravings of vacancy, and the unfatisfactory expedients of idlenefs."

Are

The Bishop of St. Afaph once obferved, that it appeared from Horace's writings that he was a cheerful contented man. JOHNSON. “ We have no reason to believe that, my Lord. we to think Pope was happy, because he says fo in his writings? We fec in his writings. what he wifhed the ftate of his mind to appear. Dr. Young, who pined for preferment, talks with contempt of it in his writings, and affects to defpife every thing that he did not defpife." -BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH. "He was, like other chaplains, looking for vacancies; but that is not peculiar to the clergy. I remember when I was in the army, after the battle of Lafeldt, the officers ferioufly grumbled that no general was killed."-Mr. Bofwell maintained, that Horace was wrong in placing happinefs in nil admirari; for that he thought admiration one of the most agreeable of all our feelings, and regretted that he had loft much of his difpofition to admire, which people generally do as they advance in life.-7. "Sir, as a man advances in life, he gets what is better than admiration-judgment to eftimate things at their true value."-I ftill infifted (fays Mr. Bofwell) that admiration was more pleafing

than

than judgment, as love is more pleafing than friendship. The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled with roaftbeef; love, like being enlivened with champagne. . "No, Sir; admiration and love are like being intoxicated with champagne; judgment and friendship like being enlivened. Waller has hit upon the fame thought with you; but I don't believe you have borrowed from Waller. I wish you would enable yourfelf to borrow more."

An ingenious gentleman was mentioned, concerning whom it was obferved, that he had a conftant firmnefs of mind; for after a laborious day, and amidft a multiplicity of cares and anxieties, he would fit down with his fifters, and be quite cheerful and good humoured. Such a difpofition, it was remarked, was a happy gift of nature.-JOHNSON. "I do

not think fo; a man has from nature a certain

portion of mind; the ufe he

makes of it de

That a man has

pends upon his own free will. always the fame firmnefs of mind I do not say, because every man feels his mind lefs firm at one time than at another; but I think a man's being in a good or bad humour depends upon

his will."

Dr. Johnfon on fome occafion talked with approbation of one who had attained to the ftate

- ftate of the philofophical wife man, that is, to

have no want of any thing.

Then, Sir (faid Mr. Bofwell), the favage is a wife man.""Sir (replied Johnfon), I do not mean fimply being without-but not having a want.""Mr. Bofwell maintained, against this propofition, that it was better to have fine clothes, for inftance, than not to feel the want of them. -JOHNSON." No, Sir; fine clothes are good only as they supply the want of other means of procuring respect. Was Charles the Twelfth, think you, lefs refpected for his coarfe blue coat and black ftock? And you find the King of Pruffia dreffes plain, because the dignity of his character is fufficient."

Mr. Bofwell at another time talked to him of mifery being the doom of man," in this life, as difplayed in his Vanity of Human Wishes; yet obferved, that things were done upon the fuppofition of happiness; grand houfes were built, fine gardens were made, fplendid places of public amufement were contrived, and crowded with company. "Alas, Sir (faid Johnson), thefe are only struggles for happiness. When I first entered Ranelagh, it gave an expanfion and gay fenfation to my mind, fuch as I never experienced any where elfe. But, as Xerxes wept when he viewed his immense army, and confidered that not one of

that

that great multitude would be alive a hundred years afterwards, fo it went to my heart to confider that there was not one in all that brilliant circle, that was not afraid to go home and think; but that the thoughts of each individual there would be diftreffing when alone *."

Mr. Bofwell fuggefted, that being in love and flattered with hopes of fuccefs, or having fome favourite scheme in view for the next day, might prevent that wretchedness of which they had been talking. Why, Sir, (faid Johnfon) it may fometimes be as you suppose; but my conclufion is in general but too true."

Mr. Bofwell tells us, that he once teized Johnson with fanciful apprehenfions of unhap pinefs. A moth having fluttered round the candle, and burnt itfelf, the Doctor laid hold of this little incident to admonifh him, faying, with a fly look, and in a folemn but quiet tone, "That creature was its own tormentor, and I believe its name was BoswELL."

One evening (fays Mr. B.) Dr. Johnson was engaged to fup with me at my lodgings in Downing-fireet, Weftminster. But on the

This reflection (fays Mr. Bofwell) was experimentally juft. The feeling of languor, which fucceeds the animation of gaiety, is itself a very fevere pain; and when the mind is then vacant, a thousand disappointments and vexations rush in and excruciate."

preceding