preceding night my landlord having behaved very rudely to me and fome company who were with me, I had refolved not to remain another night in his houfe. I was exceedingly uncafy at the awkward appearance I supposed I should make to Johnfon and the other gentlemen whom I had invited, not being able to receive them at home, and being obliged to order fupper at the Mitre. I went to Johnson in the morning, and talked of it as of a serious diftrefs." He laughed, and faid, "Confider, Sir, how infignificant this will appear a twelvemonth hence."-Were this confideration to be applied to most of the little vexatious incidents of life, by which our quiet is too often difturbed, it would prevent many painful sensations. I have tried it frequently, with good effect. "There is nothing (continued Johnfon) in this mighty misfortune; nay, we shall be better at the Mitre."-I told him that I had been at Sir John Fielding's office, complaining of my landlord, and had been informed, that though I had taken my lodgings for a year, I might, upon proof of his bad behaviour, quit them when I pleased, without being under an obligation to pay rent for any longer time than while I poffeffed them. The fertility of Johnfon's mind could fhew itself even upon fo finall a matter as this. Why, Sir (faid he), I

fuppofe

suppose this must be the law, fince you have been told fo in Bow-street. But if your landlord could hold you to your bargain, and the lodgings fhould be yours for a year, you may certainly use them as you think fit. So, Sir, you may quarter two life-guardmen upon. him ; or you may fend the greatest fcoundrel you can find into your apartments; or you may say that you want to make fome experiments in natural philofophy, and may burn a large quantity of affafoetida in his house."

A refpectable perfon was one day men tioned to Johnfon as of a very ftrong mind, but as having little of that tenderness which is common to human nature; as an inftance of which, when it was fuggefted to him that he fhould invite his fon, who had been fettled ten years in foreign parts, to come home and pay him a vifit, his answer was, "No, no, let him mind his business." Johnfon obferved, "I do not agree with him, Sir, in this. Getting money is not all a man's business; to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the bufincfs of life."

At another time the converfation turned on the prevailing practice of going to the East Indies in queft of wealth. "A man (faid Johnson) had better have ten thousand pounds at the end of ten years paffed in England,

than twenty thousand pounds at the end of ten years paffed in India, because you must compute what you give for money; and a man, who has lived ten years in India, has given up ten years of focial comfort, and all thofe advantages which arise from living in England. The ingenious Mr. Brown, diftinguished by the name of Capability Brown, told me, that he was once at the feat of Lord Clive, who had returned from India with great wealth; and that he fhewed him at the door of his bedchamber a large cheft, which he said he had once had full of gold; upon which Brown obferved, I am glad you can bear it so near your bed-chamber."

Goldsmith one day observed to Johnson, “ I think, Sir, you don't go to the theatres now. You give yourself no more concern about a new play, than if you had never had any thing to do with the ftage."-" Why, Sir (faid) Johnfon), our taftes greatly alter. The lad does not care for the child's rattle, and the old man does not care for the young man's miftrefs."-" GOLDSMITH. "Nay, Sir; but your mufe was not a miftrefs."-JOHNSON. "Sir, I do not think fhe was. But as we advance in the journey of life, we drop fome of the things which have pleafed us; whether it be that we are fatigued and don't choose to

carry fo many things any farther, or that we find other things which we like better."-Bos

WELL. But, Sir, why don't you give us fomething in fome other way?"-G. “Ay, Sir, we have a claim upon you."-J." No, Sir, I am not obliged to do any more. No man is obliged to do as much as he can do. A man is to have part of his life to himself. If a foldier has fought a good many campaigns, he is not to be blamed if he retires to ease and tranquillity. A physician who has practifed long in a great city may be excused if he retires to a small town, and takes lefs practice. Now, Sir, the good I can do by my converfation bears the fame proportion to the good I can do by my writings, that the practice of a phyfician retired to a fmall town does to his practice in a great city.”

To Mr. Boswell (who was about to leave London with regret) he faid, "I with you would a little correct or restrain your imagination, and imagine that happiness, such as life admits, may be had at other places as well as at London. Without afferting ftoicifm, it may be faid, that it is our bufinefs to exempt ourfelves as much as we can from the power of external things. There is but one folid bafis of happiness; and that is, the reasonable hope of a happy futurity. This may be had every

where.

where. I do not blame your preference of London to other places, for it is really to be preferred, if the choice is free; but few have the choice of their place, or their manner of life; and mere pleasure ought not to be the prime motive of action."

At another time he made this excellent obfervation" Life, to be worthy of a rational being, must be always in progreffion; we must always propose to do more or better than in time paft. The mind is enlarged and elevated by mere purposes, though they end, as they began, by airy contemplation. We compare and judge, though we do not practise."

Mr. Bofwell having mentioned Hume's notion, that all who are happy are equally happy, a little mifs with a new gown at a dancing-school ball, a general at the head of a victorious army, and an orator after having made an cloquent fpeech in a great affembly, Johnson faid, Sir, that all who are happy are equally happy, is not truc. A peafant and a philofopher may be equally fetisfied, but not equally happy. Happinefs confifts in the multiplicity of agreeable confcioufnefs. A peafant has not capacity for having equal happiness with a philofopher." This very question was once happily illuftrated in oppofition to Hums by the Reverend Mr. Robert Brown, at Q 3 Utrecht.