第25章

wouldbehavetoanoblemanasIshouldexpecthewouldbehavetome，wereIanoblemanandheSam。Johnson。Sir，thereisoneMrs。

Macaulay*inthistown，agreatrepublican。OnedaywhenIwasatherhouse，Iputonaverygravecountenance，andsaidtoher，“Madam，Iamnowbecomeaconverttoyourwayofthinking。Iamconvincedthatallmankindareuponanequalfooting；andtogiveyouanunquestionableproof，Madam，thatIaminearnest，hereisaverysensible，civil，well-behavedfellow-citizen，yourfootman；I

desirethathemaybeallowedtositdownanddinewithus。“I

thus，Sir，shewedhertheabsurdityofthelevellingdoctrine。Shehasneverlikedmesince。Sir，yourlevellerswishtolevelDOWN

asfarasthemselves；buttheycannotbearlevellingUPtothemselves。Theywouldallhavesomepeopleunderthem；whynotthenhavesomepeopleabovethem？’Imentionedacertainauthourwhodisgustedmebyhisforwardness，andbyshewingnodeferencetonoblemenintowhosecompanyhewasadmitted。JOHNSON。’Supposeashoemakershouldclaimanequalitywithhim，ashedoeswithaLord；howhewouldstare。“Why，Sir，doyoustare？(saystheshoemaker，)Idogreatservicetosociety。’TistrueIampaidfordoingit；butsoareyou，Sir：andIamsorrytosayit，paidbetterthanIam，fordoingsomethingnotsonecessary。Formankindcoulddobetterwithoutyourbooks，thanwithoutmyshoes。“

Thus，Sir，therewouldbeaperpetualstruggleforprecedence，weretherenofixedinvariablerulesforthedistinctionofrank，whichcreatesnojealousy，asitisallowedtobeaccidental。’

*ThisONEMrs。Macaulaywasthesamepersonagewhoafterwardsmadeherselfsomuchknownasthecelebratedfemalehistorian。’——

BOSWELL。

HesaidhewouldgototheHebrideswithme，whenIreturnedfrommytravels，unlesssomeverygoodcompanionshouldofferwhenIwasabsent，whichhedidnotthinkprobable；adding，’TherearefewpeopletowhomItakesomuchtoasyou。’AndwhenItalkedofmyleavingEngland，hesaidwithaveryaffectionateair，’MydearBoswell，Ishouldbeveryunhappyatparting，didIthinkwewerenottomeetagain。’Icannottoooftenremindmyreaders，thatalthoughsuchinstancesofhiskindnessaredoubtlessveryflatteringtome；yetIhopemyrecordingthemwillbeascribedtoabettermotivethantovanity；fortheyaffordunquestionableevidenceofhistendernessandcomplacency，whichsome，whiletheywereforcedtoacknowledgehisgreatpowers，havebeensostrenuoustodeny。

Hemaintainedthataboyatschoolwasthehappiestofhumanbeings。Isupportedadifferentopinion，fromwhichIhaveneveryetvaried，thatamanishappier；andIenlargedupontheanxietyandsufferingswhichareenduredatschool。JOHNSON。’Ah!Sir，aboy’sbeingfloggedisnotsosevereasaman’shavingthehissoftheworldagainsthim。’

OnTuesday，July26，IfoundMr。Johnsonalone。Itwasaverywetday，andIagaincomplainedofthedisagreeableeffectsofsuchweather。JOHNSON。’Sir，thisisallimagination，whichphysiciansencourage；formanlivesinair，asafishlivesinwater；sothatiftheatmospherepressheavyfromabove，thereisanequalresistancefrombelow。Tobesure，badweatherisharduponpeoplewhoareobligedtobeabroad；andmencannotlaboursowellintheopenairinbadweather，asingood：but，Sir，asmithorataylor，whoseworkiswithindoors，willsurelydoasmuchinrainyweather，asinfair。Someverydelicateframes，i

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