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drunken,-nay, drunken is a coarse word,none of those vinous flights."-SIR JOSHUA. "Because you have fat by, quite sober, and felt an envy of the happiness of those who were drinking."-7. "Perhaps, contempt: And, Sir, it is not neceffary to be drunk one's felf, to relish the wit of drunkennefs. Do we not judge of the drunken wit of the dialogue between Iago and Caffio, the most excellent in it's kind, when we are quite fober? Wit is wit, by whatever means it is produced; and, if good, will appear fo at all times. I admit, that the fpirits are raised by drinking, as by the common participation of any pleasure : cock-fighting, or bear-baiting, will raise the spirits of a company, as drinking does, though furely they will not improve converfation. I alfo admit, that there are fome fluggish men who are improved by drinking; as there are fruits which are not good till they are rotten. There are fuch men, but they are medlars. I indeed allow that there have been a very few men of talents who were improved by drinking; but I maintain that I am right as to the effects of drinking in general; and let it be confidered, that there is no pofition, however false in its univerfality, which is not true of fome particular man."-Sir William Forbes faid, "Might not a man warmed with wine

be like a bottle of beer, which is made brisker by being fet before the fire?"-" Nay (faid Johnson, laughing), I cannot answer thatthat is too much for me."-Mr. Bofwell obferved, "that wine did fome people harm, by inflaming, confufing, and irritating their minds; but that the experience of mankind had declared in favour of moderate drink

ing."-7. "Sir, I do not fay it is wrong to produce felf-complacency by drinking; I only deny that it improves the mind. When I drank wine, I fcorned to drink it when in company. I have drunk many a bottle by myself; in the firft place, because I had need of it to raise my fpirits; in the fccond place, because I would have nobody to witness its effects upon me."

On another occafion, talking of the effects of drinking, he faid, "Drinking may be practifed with great prudence; a man who expofes himself when he is intoxicated has not the art of getting drunk; a fober man, who happens occafionally to get drunk, readily enough goes into a new company, which a man who has been drinking fhould never do. Such a man will undertake any thing; he is without skill in inebriation. I ufed to flink home when I had drunk too much. A man accustomed to felf-examination will be con

feious when he is drunk, though an habitual drunkard will not be confcious of it. I knew a physician who for twenty years was not fober; yet in a pamphlet which he wrote upon fevers he appealed to Garrick and me for his vindication from a charge of drunkennefs. A bookfeller (naming him) who got a large fortune by trade, was fo habitually and equably drunk, that his moft intimate friends never perceived that he was more fober at one time than another."

He once gave the following very judicious practical advice upon the fubject: "A man who has been drinking wine at all freely should never go into a new company. With those who have partaken of wine with him, he may be pretty well in unifon; but he will probably be offenfive, or appear ridiculous, to other people."

At another time being at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, Johnson harangued upon the qualities of different liquors; and fpoke with great contempt of claret, as fo weak, "that a man would be drowned by it before it made him drunk." He was perfuaded to drink one glass of it, that he might judge, not from recollection, which might be dim, but from immediate fenfation. He fhook his head, and faid, "Poor ftuff! No, Sir, claret is the liquor

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for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero (fmiling) muft drink brandy. In. the first place, the flavour of brandy is most grateful to the palate; and then brandy will do fooneft for a man what drinking can do for him. There are, indeed, few who are able to drink brandy. That is a power rather to be wished for than attained. And yet (proceeded he) as in all pleasure hope is a confiderable part, I know not but fruition comes too quick by brandy. Florence wine I think the worst; it is wine only to the eye; it is wine neither while you are drinking it, nor after you have drunk it; it neither pleafes the tafte, nor exhilarates the spirit." "I reminded him (fays Mr. B.) how heartily he and I used to drink wine together when we were first acquainted, and how I used to have a head-ache afterfitting up with him. He did not like to have this recalled, or perhaps, thinking that I boafted improperly, refolved to have a witty ftroke at me :-"Nay, Sir, it was not the wine that made your head ache, but the fenfe that I put into it."-B. "What, Sir, will fenfe make the head ache ?"-7. "Yes,

Sir (with a fmile), when it is not used to it." "No man (adds Mr. B.) who has a true relish of pleafantry could be offended at this; efpecially if Johnson in a long intimacy

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had given him repeated proofs of his regard and good estimation. I used to say, that as he had given me a thousand pounds in praise, he had a good right now and then to take a guinea from me."-J. I require wine only when I am alone. I have then often wished for it, and often taken it."— "What, (faid Mr. Spottiswoode, the Solicitor, who was prefent) by way of a companion, Sir?"-J. "To get rid of myself, to fend myself away. Wine gives great pleafure; and every pleafure is of itself a good. It is a good, unless counterbalanced by evil. A man may have a ftrong reafon not to drink wine; and that may be greater than the pleafure. Wine makes a man better pleased with himself. I do not fay that it makes him more pleafing to others. Sometimes it does. But the danger is, that while a man grows better pleased with himself, he may be growing less pleafing to others. Wine gives a man nothing. It neither gives him knowledge nor wit; 'it only animates a man, and enables him to bring out what a dread of the company has repreffed. It only puts in motion what has been locked up in froft. But this may be good, or it may be bad."-SPOTTISWOODE. 'So, Sir, wine is a key which opens a box; but this box may be either full or empty."-JOHN

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