Bofwell on the fubject of Mr. B.'s trying his fortune at the English bar. Being asked whether a very extenfive acquaintance in London, which was very valuable, and of great advantage to a man at large, might not be prejudicial to a lawyer, by preventing him from giving fufficient attention to his business, Johnfon faid, "Sir, you will attend to business as bufinefs lays hold of you. When not actually employed, you may fee your friends as much as you do now. You may dine at a club every day, and fup with one of the members every night; and you may be as much at public places as one who has feen them all would wish to be. But you must take care to attend conftantly in Westminster Hall; both to mind your business, as it is almoft all learnt there. (for nobody reads now); and to fhew that you want to have business. And you must not be too often seen at public places, that competitors may not have it to fay, He is always at the Playhouse or at Ranelagh, and never to be found at his chambers.' And, Sir, there must be a kind of folemnity in the manner of a profeffional man."

Concerning a private tranfaction, on which his opinion was afked, he made the following reflections, which are applicable on other occafions: "Nothing deferves more compaffion than wrong conduct with good meaning; than

lofs or obloquy fuffered by one who, as he is confcious only of good intentions, wonders why he lofes that kindnefs which he wishes to preferve; and not knowing his own fault, if, as may fometimes happen, nobody will tell him, gocs on to offend by his endeavours to please."

At another time he faid, "Never impofe tasks upon mortals. To require two things is the way to have them both undone. In the corrcspondence of your friends do not fancy that an intermiffion of writing is a decay of kindness. No man is always in a disposition to write; nor has any man at all times fomething to fay."

Being asked whether a man's being forward to make himself known to eminent people, and feeing as much of life, and getting as much information as he could in every way, was not leffening himfelf by his forwardnefs, he faid, "No, Sir; a man always makes himfelf greater as he increases his knowledge."

Talking of a court-martial that was fitting upon a yery momentous public occafion, he expreffed much doubt of an enlightened decifion; and faid, "That perhaps there was not a member of it who, in the whole course of his life, had ever spent an hour by himself in balancing probabilities."

He obferved, that "A principal fource of erroneous judgment was viewing things partially, and only on one fide; as for inftance,

fortune

fortune-hunters, when they contemplated the fortunes fingly and feparately it was a dazzling and tempting object; but when they came to poffefs the wives and their fortunes together, they began to fufpect that they had not made quite fo good a bargain."

He one day maintained, that a father had no right to control the inclinations of his daughters in marriage.

Talking of divorces, Mr. Bofwell afked it Othello's doctrine was not plausible?

"He that is robb'd, not wanting what is ftolen,
Let him not know it, and he's not robb'd at all.”

66

Dr. Johnfon and Mrs. Thrale joined againft this.-JOHNSON. "Afk any man if he'd wish not to know of fuch an injury."-BosWELL. Would you tell your friend to make him unhappy?"-" 7. "Perhaps, Sir, I fhould not; but that would be from prudence on my own account. A man would tell his father."-B. "Yes, because he would not have fpurious children to get any share of the family inheritance."-Mrs. THRALE. "Or he would tell his brother."-B. "Certainly his elder brother."-7. You would tell your friend of a woman's infamy to prevent his marrying a proftitute: there is the fame reafon to tell him of his wife's infidelity, when he is married, to prevent the consequences of

impofition. It is a breach of confidence not to tell a friend."

Talking of a point of delicate fcrupulofity of moral conduct, he faid to Mr. Langton, "Men of harder minds than ours will do many things from which you and I would fhrink; yet, Sir, they will perhaps do more good in life than we. But let us try to help one another. If there be a wrong twist it may be fet right. It is not probable that two people can be wrong the fame way."

He thus characterised the Duke of Devonfhire, grandfather of the prefent representative of that very respectable family: "He was not a man of fuperior abilities, but he was a man strictly faithful to his word. If, for inftance, he had promifed you an acorn, and none had grown that year in his woods, he would not have contented himself with that excufe; he would have fent to Denmark for it. So unconditional was he in keeping his word; fo high as to the point of honour."-" This (fays Mr, Bofwell) was a liberal teftimony from the Tory Johnson to the virtue of a great Whig nobleman."

The conflict of oppofite principles he defcribed as "The contention between pleafure and virtue, a ftruggle which will always be continued while the prefent fyftem of nature

hall

fhall fubfift: nor can history or poetry exhibit more than pleasure triumphing over virtue, and virtue fubjugating pleasure."

Speaking of a certain prelate who exerted himself very laudably in building churches and parfonage-houses, he faid, "I do not, however, find that he is esteemed a man of much profeffional learning, or a liberal patron of it; yet it is well where a man poffeffes any ftrong pofitive excellence. Few have all kinds of merit belonging to their character. muft not examine matters too deeply.-No, Sir, a fallible being will fail fomewhere."

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We

Colley Cibber (he faid) was by no means a blockhead; but by arrogating to himself too much, he was in danger of lofing that degree of eftimation to which he was entitled."

In a party at Mr. Thrale's, a gentleman attacked Garrick for being vain :-7. 66 No wonder, Sir, that he is vain; a man who is perpetually flattered in every mode that can be conceived. So many bellows have blown the fire, that one wonders he is not by this.. time become a cinder."-B. "And fuch bellows too. Lord Mansfield with his cheeks like to burft: Lord Chatham like an I have read fuch notes from them to him as were enough to turn his head."-7. "True. When he whom every body else flatters flatters

olus.

me,