'A gentleman who introduced his brother to Dr.Johnson was earnest to recommend him to the Doctor's notice,which he did by saying,"When we have sat together some time,you'll find my brother grow very entertaining."--"Sir,(said Johnson,)I can wait."'
'In the latter part of his life,in order to satisfy himself whether his mental faculties were impaired,he resolved that he would try to learn a new language,and fixed upon the Low Dutch,for that purpose,and this he continued till he had read about one half of Thomas a Kempis;and finding that there appeared no abatement of his power of acquisition,he then desisted,as thinking the experiment had been duly tried.'
'Mr.Langton and he having gone to see a Freemason's funeral procession,when they were at Rochester,and some solemn musick being played on French horns,he said,"This is the first time that I have ever been affected by musical sounds;"adding,"that the impression made upon him was of a melancholy kind."Mr.Langton saying,that this effect was a fine one,--JOHNSON."Yes,if it softens the mind,so as to prepare it for the reception of salutary feelings,it may be good:but inasmuch as it is melancholy per se,it is bad."'
'Goldsmith had long a visionary project,that some time or other when his circumstances should be easier,he would go to Aleppo,in order to acquire a knowledge as far as might be of any arts peculiar to the East,and introduce them into Britain.When this was talked of in Dr.Johnson's company,he said,"Of all men Goldsmith is the most unfit to go out upon such an inquiry;for he is utterly ignorant of such arts as we already possess,and consequently could not know what would be accessions to our present stock of mechanical knowledge.Sir,he would bring home a grinding barrow,which you see in every street in London,and think that he had furnished a wonderful improvement."'
'Greek,Sir,(said he,)is like lace;every man gets as much of it as he can.'
'Johnson one day gave high praise to Dr.Bentley's verses in Dodsley's Collection,which he recited with his usual energy.Dr.
Adam Smith,who was present,observed in his decisive professorial manner,"Very well--Very well."Johnson however added,"Yes,they ARE very well,Sir;but you may observe in what manner they are well.They are the forcible verses of a man of a strong mind,but not accustomed to write verse;for there is some uncouthness in the expression."'
'Drinking tea one day at Garrick's with Mr.Langton,he was questioned if he was not somewhat of a heretick as to Shakspeare;said Garrick,"I doubt he is a little of an infidel."--"Sir,(said Johnson,)I will stand by the lines I have written on Shakspeare in my Prologue at the opening of your Theatre."Mr.Langton suggested,that in the line "And panting Time toil'd after him in vain,"Johnson might have had in his eye the passage in The Tempest,where Prospero says of Miranda,"-----She will outstrip all praise,And make it halt behind her."Johnson said nothing.Garrick then ventured to observe,"I do not think that the happiest line in the praise of Shakspeare."Johnson exclaimed (smiling,)"Prosaical rogues!next time I write,I'll make both time and space pant."'
'It is well known that there was formerly a rude custom for those who were sailing upon the Thames,to accost each other as they passed,in the most abusive language they could invent,generally,however,with as much satirical humour as they were capable of producing.Addison gives a specimen of this ribaldry,in Number 383of The Spectator,when Sir Roger de Coverly and he are going to Spring-garden.Johnson was once eminently successful in this species of contest;a fellow having attacked him with some coarse raillery,Johnson answered him thus,"Sir,your wife,under pretence of keeping a bawdy-house,is a receiver of stolen goods."One evening when he and Mr.Burke and Mr.Langton were in company together,and the admirable scolding of Timon of Athens was mentioned,this instance of Johnson's was quoted,and thought to have at least equal excellence.'
'As Johnson always allowed the extraordinary talents of Mr.Burke,so Mr.Burke was fully sensible of the wonderful powers of Johnson.
Mr.Langton recollects having passed an evening with both of them,when Mr.Burke repeatedly entered upon topicks which it was evident he would have illustrated with extensive knowledge and richness of expression;but Johnson always seized upon the conversation,in which,however,he acquitted himself in a most masterly manner.As Mr.Burke and Mr.Langton were walking home,Mr.Burke observed that Johnson had been very great that night;Mr.Langton joined in this,but added,he could have wished to hear more from another person;(plainly intimating that he meant Mr.Burke.)"O,no (said Mr.Burke,)it is enough for me to have rung the bell to him."'
'Beauclerk having observed to him of one of their friends,that he was aukward at counting money,"Why,Sir,(said Johnson,)I am likewise aukward at counting money.But then,Sir,the reason is plain;I have had very little money to count."'
'Goldsmith,upon being visited by Johnson one day in the Temple,said to him with a little jealousy of the appearance of his accommodation,"I shall soon be in better chambers than these."Johnson at the same time checked him and paid him a handsome compliment,implying that a man of his talents should be above attention to such distinctions,--"Nay,Sir,never mind that.Nil te quaesiveris extra."'
'When Mr.Vesey was proposed as a member of The LITERARY CLUB,Mr.
Burke began by saying that he was a man of gentle manners."Sir,(said Johnson,)you need say no more.When you have said a man of gentle manners;you have said enough."'
'The late Mr.Fitzherbert told Mr.Langton that Johnson said to him,"Sir,a man has no more right to SAY an uncivil thing,than to ACT one;no more right to say a rude thing to another than to knock him down"'