第41章

neversupposedthathehadadinnerathishouse；forIhadnotthenheardofanyoneofhisfriendshavingbeenentertainedathistable。Hetoldme，’IgenerallyhaveameatpyeonSunday：itisbakedatapublickoven，whichisveryproperlyallowed，becauseonemancanattendit；andthustheadvantageisobtainedofnotkeepingservantsfromchurchtodressdinners。’

April11，beingEaster-Sunday，afterhavingattendedDivineServiceatSt。Paul’s，IrepairedtoDr。Johnson’s。IhadgratifiedmycuriositymuchindiningwithJEANJAQUESROUSSEAU，whilehelivedinthewildsofNeufchatel：IhadasgreatacuriositytodinewithDR。SAMUELJOHNSON，intheduskyrecessofacourtinFleet-street。

Isupposedweshouldscarcelyhaveknivesandforks，andonlysomestrange，uncouth，ill-drestdish：butIfoundeverythinginverygoodorder。WehadnoothercompanybutMrs。WilliamsandayoungwomanwhomIdidnotknow。Asadinnerherewasconsideredasasingularphaenomenon，andasIwasfrequentlyinterrogatedonthesubject，myreadersmayperhapsbedesiroustoknowourbilloffare。Foote，Iremember，inallusiontoFrancis，theNEGRO，waswillingtosupposethatourrepastwasBLACKBROTH。Butthefactwas，thatwehadaverygoodsoup，aboiledlegoflambandspinach，avealpye，andaricepudding。

HeownedthathethoughtHawkesworthwasoneofhisimitators，buthedidnotthinkGoldsmithwas。Goldsmith，hesaid，hadgreatmerit。BOSWELL。’But，Sir，heismuchindebtedtoyouforhisgettingsohighinthepublickestimation。’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，hehasperhapsgotSOONERtoitbyhisintimacywithme。’

Goldsmith，thoughhisvanityoftenexcitedhimtooccasionalcompetition，hadaveryhighregardforJohnson，whichheatthistimeexpressedinthestrongestmannerintheDedicationofhiscomedy，entitled，SheStoopstoConquer。

Hetoldmethathehadtwelveorfourteentimesattemptedtokeepajournalofhislife，butnevercouldpersevere。Headvisedmetodoit。’Thegreatthingtoberecorded，(saidhe，)isthestateofyourownmind；andyoushouldwritedowneverythingthatyouremember，foryoucannotjudgeatfirstwhatisgoodorbad；andwriteimmediatelywhiletheimpressionisfresh，foritwillnotbethesameaweekafterwards。’

Iagainsolicitedhimtocommunicatetometheparticularsofhisearlylife。Hesaid，’Youshallhavethemallfortwo-pence。I

hopeyoushallknowagreatdealmoreofmebeforeyouwritemyLife。’Hementionedtomethisdaymanycircumstances，whichI

wrotedownwhenIwenthome，andhaveinterwovenintheformerpartofthisnarrative。

OnTuesday，April13，heandDr。GoldsmithandIdinedatGeneralOglethorpe’s。Goldsmithexpatiatedonthecommontopick，thattheraceofourpeoplewasdegenerated，andthatthiswasowingtoluxury。JOHNSON。’Sir，inthefirstplace，Idoubtthefact。I

believethereareasmanytallmeninEnglandnow，asevertherewere。But，secondly，supposingthestatureofourpeopletobediminished，thatisnotowingtoluxury；for，Sir，considertohowverysmallaproportionofourpeopleluxurycanreach。Oursoldiery，surely，arenotluxurious，wholiveonsixpenceaday；

andthesameremarkwillapplytoalmostalltheotherclasses。

Luxury，sofarasitreachesthepoor，willdogoodtotheraceofpeop

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