MRS.KNOWLES.'But,Doctor,our Saviour had twelve Apostles,yet there was ONE whom he LOVED.John was called "the disciple whom JESUS loved."'JOHNSON.(with eyes sparkling benignantly,)'Very well,indeed,Madam.You have said very well.'BOSWELL.'A fine application.Pray,Sir,had you ever thought of it?'JOHNSON.'Ihad not,Sir.'
From this pleasing subject,he,I know not how or why,made a sudden transition to one upon which he was a violent aggressor;for he said,'I am willing to love all mankind,EXCEPT AN AMERICAN:'
and his inflammable corruption bursting into horrid fire,he 'breathed out threatenings and slaughter;'calling them,Rascals--Robbers--Pirates;'and exclaiming,he'd 'burn and destroy them.'
Miss Seward,looking to him with mild but steady astonishment,said,'Sir,this is an instance that we are always most violent against those whom we have injured.'He was irritated still more by this delicate and keen reproach;and roared out another tremendous volley,which one might fancy could be heard across the Atlantick.During this tempest I sat in great uneasiness,lamenting his heat of temper;till,by degrees,I diverted his attention to other topicks.
Talking of Miss ------,a literary lady,he said,'I was obliged to speak to Miss Reynolds,to let her know that I desired she would not flatter me so much.'Somebody now observed,'She flatters Garrick.'JOHNSON.'She is in the right to flatter Garrick.She is in the right for two reasons;first,because she has the world with her,who have been praising Garrick these thirty years;and secondly,because she is rewarded for it by Garrick.Why should she flatter ME?I can do nothing for her.Let her carry her praise to a better market.(Then turning to Mrs.Knowles.)You,Madam,have been flattering me all the evening;I wish you would give Boswell a little now.If you knew his merit as well as I do,you would say a great deal;he is the best travelling companion in the world.'
Somebody mentioned the Reverend Mr.Mason's prosecution of Mr.
Murray,the bookseller,for having inserted in a collection of Gray's Poems,only fifty lines,of which Mr.Mason had still the exclusive property,under the statute of Queen Anne;and that Mr.
Mason had persevered,notwithstanding his being requested to name his own terms of compensation.Johnson signified his displeasure at Mr.Mason's conduct very strongly;but added,by way of shewing that he was not surprized at it,'Mason's a Whig.'MRS.KNOWLES.
(not hearing distinctly,)'What!a Prig,Sir?'JOHNSON.'Worse,Madam;a Whig!But he is both.'
Of John Wesley,he said,'He can talk well on any subject.'
BOSWELL.'Pray,Sir,what has he made of his story of a ghost?'
JOHNSON.'Why,Sir,he believes it;but not on sufficient authority.He did not take time enough to examine the girl.It was at Newcastle,where the ghost was said to have appeared to a young woman several times,mentioning something about the right to an old house,advising application to be made to an attorney,which was done;and,at the same time,saying the attorneys would do nothing,which proved to be the fact."This (says John,)is a proof that a ghost knows our thoughts."Now (laughing,)it is not necessary to know our thoughts,to tell that an attorney will sometimes do nothing.Charles Wesley,who is a more stationary man,does not believe the story.I am sorry that John did not take more pains to inquire into the evidence for it.'MISS SEWARD,(with an incredulous smile,)'What,Sir!about a ghost?'JOHNSON.
(with solemn vehemence,)'Yes,Madam:this is a question which,after five thousand years,is yet undecided;a question,whether in theology or philosophy,one of the most important that can come before the human understanding.'
Mrs.Knowles mentioned,as a proselyte to Quakerism,Miss ------,a young lady well known to Dr.Johnson,for whom he had shewn much affection;while she ever had,and still retained,a great respect for him.Mrs.Knowles at the same time took an opportunity of letting him know 'that the amiable young creature was sorry at finding that he was offended at her leaving the Church of England and embracing a simpler faith;'and,in the gentlest and most persuasive manner,solicited his kind indulgence for what was sincerely a matter of conscience.JOHNSON.(frowning very angrily,)'Madam,she is an odious wench.She could not have any proper conviction that it was her duty to change her religion,which is the most important of all subjects,and should be studied with all care,and with all the helps we can get.She knew no more of the Church which she left,and that which she embraced,than she did of the difference between the Copernican and Ptolemaick systems.'MRS.KNOWLES.'She had the New Testament before her.'
JOHNSON.'Madam,she could not understand the New Testament,the most difficult book in the world,for which the study of a life is required.'MRS.KNOWLES.'It is clear as to essentials.'
JOHNSON.'But not as to controversial points.The heathens were easily converted,because they had nothing to give up;but we ought not,without very strong conviction indeed,to desert the religion in which we have been educated.That is the religion given you,the religion in which it may be said Providence has placed you.If you live conscientiously in that religion,you may be safe.But errour is dangerous indeed,if you err when you choose a religion for yourself.'MRS.KNOWLES.'Must we then go by implicit faith?'
JOHNSON.'Why,Madam,the greatest part of our knowledge is implicit faith;and as to religion,have we heard all that a disciple of Confucius,all that a Mahometan,can say for himself?'
He then rose again into passion,and attacked the young proselyte in the severest terms of reproach,so that both the ladies seemed to be much shocked.