第22章

feelaninclinationtodisdainandtreatwithsilentcontemptsofoolishanotionconcerningmyillustriousfriend，yetasIfindithasgainedground，itisnecessarytorefuteit。Therealfactthenis，thatJohnsonhadaveryphilosophicalmind，andsucharationalrespectfortestimony，astomakehimsubmithisunderstandingtowhatwasauthenticallyproved，thoughhecouldnotcomprehendwhyitwasso。Beingthusdisposed，hewaswillingtoinquireintothetruthofanyrelationofsupernaturalagency，ageneralbeliefofwhichhasprevailedinallnationsandages。Butsofarwashefrombeingthedupeofimplicitfaith，thatheexaminedthematterwithajealousattention，andnomanwasmorereadytorefuteitsfalsehoodwhenhehaddiscoveredit。

Churchill，inhispoementitledTheGhost，availedhimselfoftheabsurdcredulityimputedtoJohnson，anddrewacaricatureofhimunderthenameof’POMPOSO，’representinghimasoneofthebelieversofthestoryofaGhostinCock-lane，which，intheyear1762，hadgainedverygeneralcreditinLondon。Manyofmyreaders，Iamconvinced，aretothishourunderanimpressionthatJohnsonwasthusfoolishlydeceived。Itwillthereforesurprizethemagooddealwhentheyareinformeduponundoubtedauthority，thatJohnsonwasoneofthosebywhomtheimposturewasdetected。

Thestoryhadbecomesopopular，thathethoughtitshouldbeinvestigated；andinthisresearchhewasassistedbytheReverendDr。Douglas，nowBishopofSalisbury，thegreatdetectorofimpostures；whoinformsme，thatafterthegentlemenwhowentandexaminedintotheevidenceweresatisfiedofitsfalsity，Johnsonwroteintheirpresenceanaccountofit，whichwaspublishedinthenewspapersandGentleman’sMagazine，andundeceivedtheworld。

Ourconversationproceeded。’Sir，(saidhe)Iamafriendtosubordination，asmostconducivetothehappinessofsociety。

Thereisareciprocalpleasureingoverningandbeinggoverned。’

’Dr。Goldsmithisoneofthefirstmenwenowhaveasanauthour，andheisaveryworthymantoo。Hehasbeenlooseinhisprinciples，butheiscomingright。’

IcomplainedtohimthatIhadnotyetacquiredmuchknowledge，andaskedhisadviceastomystudies。Hesaid，’Don’ttalkofstudynow。Iwillgiveyouaplan；butitwillrequiresometimetoconsiderofit。’’Itisverygoodinyou(Ireplied，)toallowmetobewithyouthus。HaditbeenforetoldtomesomeyearsagothatIshouldpassaneveningwiththeauthourofTheRambler，howshouldIhaveexulted!’WhatIthenexpressed，wassincerelyfromtheheart。Hewassatisfiedthatitwas，andcordiallyanswered，’Sir，Iamgladwehavemet。Ihopeweshallpassmanyeveningsandmorningstoo，together。’Wefinishedacoupleofbottlesofport，andsattillbetweenoneandtwointhemorning。

AsDr。OliverGoldsmithwillfrequentlyappearinthisnarrative，I

shallendeavourtomakemyreadersinsomedegreeacquaintedwithhissingularcharacter。HewasanativeofIreland，andacontemporarywithMr。BurkeatTrinityCollege，Dublin，butdidnotthengivemuchpromiseoffuturecelebrity。He，however，observedtoMr。Malone，that’thoughhemadenogreatfigureinmathematicks，whichwasastudyinmuchreputethere，hecouldturnanOdeofHoraceintoEnglishbetterthananyofthem。’HeafterwardsstudiedphysickatEdinburgh，andupontheContinent；

andIhavebeeninformed，wasenabledtopursuehistravelsonfoot，partlybydemandingatUniversitiestoenterthelistsasadisputant，bywhich，accordingtothecustomofmanyofthem，hewasentitledtothepremiumofacrown，whenluckilyforhimhischallengewasnotaccepted；sothat，asIonceobservedtoDr。

Johnson，heDISPUTEDhispassagethroughEurope。HethencametoEngland，andwasemployedsuccessivelyinthecapacitiesofanushertoanacademy，acorrectorofthepress，areviewer，andawriterforanews-paper。Hehadsagacityenoughtocultivateassiduouslytheacquaintance

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