Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

He used to fay, that he made it a conftant rule to talk as well as he could, both as to fentiment and expreffion; by which means, what had been originally effort became familiar and easy.

Mr. Bofwell being about to embark for Holland, and taking leave of Johnson at Harwich, happened to say that it would be terrible if he fhould not find a fpeedy opportunity of returning to London, and be confined to fo dull a place.-JOHNSON. "Don't, Sir, accustom yourfelf to use big words for little matters. It would not be terrible though I were to be detained fome time here."

He found fault with one for ufing the phrafe to make money. "Don't you fee (faid he) the impropriety of it? To make money is to coin it : you fhould fay get money.' The phrafe, however, is pretty current. But Johnson was at all times jealous of infractions upon the genuine English language, and prompt to reprefs colloquial barbarifms; fuch as pledging myself for undertaking; line for department, or branch, as the civil line, the banking line. He was particularly indignant against the almost universal ufe of the word idea in the fenfe of notion or opinion, when it is clear that idea can only fignify fomething of which an image can be formed in the mind. We may have an idea or image of a mountain, a tree, a building; but we cannot

furely

furely have an idea or image of an argument or propofition. Yet we hear the fages of the law"delivering their ideas upon the question under confideration ;" and the first speakers in parliament "entirely coinciding in the idea which has been ably stated by an honourable member;" or "reprobating an idea unconftitutional, and fraught with the most dangerous confequences to a great and free country." Johnfon called this "modern cant."

He pronounced the word heard as if fpelt with a double e,beerd, instead of sounding it herd, as it is most usually done. He said his reason was, that if it was pronounced herd, there would be a fingle exception from the English pronunciation of the fyllable ear, and he thought it better not to have that exception.

Sir Joshua Reynolds having one day faid, that he took the altitude of a man's tafte by his ftories and his wit, and of his understanding by the remarks which he repeated; being always fure that he must be a weak man who quotes common things with an emphafis as if they were oracles; Johnfon agreed with him, and Sir Joshua having alfo obferved, that the real character of a man was found out by his amufements, Johnson added, "Yes, Sir; no man is a hypocrite in his pleasures."

Johnfon

Johnson had a kind of general averfion to a pun. “He once, however (1ays Mr. B.), endured one of mine. When we were talking of a numerous company in which he had diftinguifhed himself highly, I faid, 'Sir, you were a COD furrounded by fmelts.

Is not

this enough for you? at a time too when you were not fishing for a compliment?' He laughed at this with a complacent approbation. Old Mr. Sheridan observed, upon my mentioning it to him, 'He liked your compliment fo well, he was willing to take it with pun fauce.' For my own part (adds Mr. B.), I think no innocent fpecies of wit or pleafantry fhould be fuppreffed; and that a good pun may be admitted among the smaller excellencies of lively converfation."

The Reader will probably be furprised to hear, that the great Dr. Johnfon could amufe himself with fo flight and playful a fpecies of compofition as a Charade. The following, however, he made on Dr. Barnard, now Lord Bishop of Killaloe.

CHARADE

CHAR A D E.

"My firf fhuts out thieves from your house or your room,
"My Second expreffes a Syrian perfume.

"My whole3 is a man in whofe converse is shar'd
"The strength of a Bar and the sweetness of Nard.”

INDULGENCE IN WINE.

MR. BOSWELL one evening ventured to undertake the defence of convivial indulgence in wine. After urging the common plaufible topicks, he at laft had recourse to the maxim, in vino veritas; a man who is well warmed with wine will speak truth. "Why, Sir (faid Johnfon), that may be an argument for drinking, if you fuppofe men in general to be liars. But, Sir, I would not keep company with a fellow who lies as long as he is fober, and whom you must make drunk before you can get a word of truth out of him.”

He said, few people had intellectual resources fufficient to forego the pleasures of wine. They could not otherwise contrive how to fill the interval between dinner and fupper.

A gentleman having to fome of the ufual arguments for drinking added this:

"You

1

1 Ba

Nard.
D

3 Barnard,

kno w

know, Sir, drinking drives away care, and makes us forget whatever is difagreeable. Would not you allow a man to drink for that reafon ?"-" Yes, Sir (faid Johnson, with perhaps unneceflary feverity), if he fat next you."

In a party at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, the queftion was difcuffed, whether drinking improved converfation and benevolence. Sir Joshua maintained it did.-7. "No, Sir: before dinner men meet with great inequality of underftanding; and thofe who are confcious of their inferiority have the modefty not to talk. When they have drunk wine, every man feels himfelf happy, and lofes that modefty, and grows impudent and vociferous: but he is not improved; he is only not fenfible of his defects." Sir Joshua faid, the Doctor was talking of the effects of excefs in wine; but that a moderate glafs enlivened the mind, by giving a prope circulation to the blood.

"I am

(faid he) in very good fpirits when I get up in the morning. By dinner-time I am exhaufted; wine puts me in the fame ftate as when I got up; and I am fure that moderate drinking makes people talk better."-7. "No, Sir; wine gives not light, gay, ideal hilarity; but tumultuous, noify, clamorous merriment. I have heard none of those drunken,

« AnteriorContinuar »