第43章

ThecharacterofMallethavingbeenintroduced，andspokenofslightinglybyGoldsmith；JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，Mallethadtalentsenoughtokeephisliteraryreputationaliveaslongashehimselflived；andthat，letmetellyou，isagooddeal。’GOLDSMITH。

’ButIcannotagreethatitwasso。Hisliteraryreputationwasdeadlongbeforehisnaturaldeath。Iconsideranauthour’sliteraryreputationtobealiveonlywhilehisnamewillensureagoodpriceforhiscopyfromthebooksellers。Iwillgetyou(toJohnson，)ahundredguineasforanythingwhateverthatyoushallwrite，ifyouputyournametoit。’

Dr。Goldsmith’snewplay，SheStoopstoConquer，beingmentioned；

JOHNSON。’Iknowofnocomedyformanyyearsthathassomuchexhilaratedanaudience，thathasansweredsomuchthegreatendofcomedy——makinganaudiencemerry。’

Goldsmithhavingsaid，thatGarrick’scomplimenttotheQueen，whichheintroducedintotheplayofTheChances，whichhehadalteredandrevisedthisyear，wasmeanandgrossflattery；

JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，IwouldnotWRITE，Iwouldnotgivesolemnlyundermyhand，acharacterbeyondwhatIthoughtreallytrue；butaspeechonthestage，letitflattereversoextravagantly，isformular。IthasalwaysbeenformulartoflatterKingsandQueens；

somuchso，thateveninourchurch-servicewehave“ourmostreligiousKing，“usedindiscriminately，whoeverisKing。Nay，theyevenflatterthemselves；——“wehavebeengraciouslypleasedtogrant。“Nomodernflattery，however，issogrossasthatoftheAugustanage，wheretheEmperourwasdeified。“ProesensDivushabebiturAugustus。“Andastomeanness，(risingintowarmth，)howisitmeaninaplayer，——ashowman，——afellowwhoexhibitshimselfforashilling，toflatterhisQueen？Theattempt，indeed，wasdangerous；forifithadmissed，whatbecameofGarrick，andwhatbecameoftheQueen？AsSirWilliamTemplesaysofagreatGeneral，itisnecessarynotonlythathisdesignsbeformedinamasterlymanner，butthattheyshouldbeattendedwithsuccess。

Sir，itisright，atatimewhentheRoyalFamilyisnotgenerallyliked，toletitbeseenthatthepeoplelikeatleastoneofthem。’SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’Idonotperceivewhytheprofessionofaplayershouldbedespised；forthegreatandultimateendofalltheemploymentsofmankindistoproduceamusement。Garrickproducesmoreamusementthananybody。’BOSWELL。’Yousay，Dr。

Johnson，thatGarrickexhibitshimselfforashilling。Inthisrespectheisonlyonafootingwithalawyerwhoexhibitshimselfforhisfee，andevenwillmaintainanynonsenseorabsurdity，ifthecaserequiresit。Garrickrefusesaplayorapartwhichhedoesnotlike；alawyerneverrefuses。’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，whatdoesthisprove？onlythatalawyerisworse。BoswellisnowlikeJackinTheTaleofaTub，who，whenheispuzzledbyanargument，hangshimself。HethinksIshallcuthimdown，butI’lllethimhang。’(laughingvociferously。)SIRJOSHUAREYNOLDS。’Mr。Boswellthinksthattheprofessionofalawyerbeingunquestionablyhonourable，ifhecanshowtheprofessionofaplayertobemorehonourable，heproveshisargument。’

OnFriday，April30，IdinedwithhimatMr。Beauclerk’s，wherewereLordCharlemont，SirJoshuaReynolds，andsomemoremembersoftheLITERARYCLUB，whomhehadobliginglyinvitedtomeetme，asI

wasthiseveningtobeballotedforascandidateforadmissionintothatdistinguishedsociety。Joh

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