第49章

asked，)isitthoughtdisgracefulforamannottofight，andnotdisgracefulnottospeakinpublick？’JOHNSON。’Becausetheremaybeotherreasonsforaman’snotspeakinginpublickthanwantofresolution：hemayhavenothingtosay，(laughing。)Whereas，Sir，youknowcourageisreckonedthegreatestofallvirtues；because，unlessamanhasthatvirtue，hehasnosecurityforpreservinganyother。’

OnThursday，April6，IdinedwithhimatMr。ThomasDavies’s，withMr。Hicky，thepainter，andmyoldacquaintanceMr。Moody，theplayer。

Dr。Johnson，asusual，spokecontemptuouslyofColleyCibber。’Itiswonderfulthataman，whoforfortyyearshadlivedwiththegreatandthewitty，shouldhaveacquiredsoillthetalentsofconversation：andhehadbuthalftofurnish；foronehalfofwhathesaidwasoaths。’He，however，allowedconsiderablemerittosomeofhiscomedies，andsaidtherewasnoreasontobelievethattheCarelessHusbandwasnotwrittenbyhimself。Daviessaid，hewasthefirstdramatickwriterwhointroducedgenteelladiesuponthestage。Johnsonrefutedthisobservationbyinstancingseveralsuchcharactersincomediesbeforehistime。DAVIES。(tryingtodefendhimselffromachargeofignorance，)’Imeangenteelmoralcharacters。’’Ithink(saidHicky，)gentilityandmoralityareinseparable。’BOSWELL。’Bynomeans，Sir。Thegenteelestcharactersareoftenthemostimmoral。DoesnotLordChesterfieldgivepreceptsforunitingwickednessandthegraces？Aman，indeed，isnotgenteelwhenhegetsdrunk；butmostvicesmaybecommittedverygenteelly：amanmaydebauchhisfriend’swifegenteelly：hemaycheatatcardsgenteelly。’HICKY。’IdonotthinkTHATisgenteel。’BOSWELL。’Sir，itmaynotbelikeagentleman，butitmaybegenteel。’JOHNSON。’Youaremeaningtwodifferentthings。Onemeansexteriourgrace；theotherhonour。Itiscertainthatamanmaybeveryimmoralwithexteriourgrace。

Lovelace，inClarissa，isaverygenteelandaverywickedcharacter。TomHervey，whodiedt’otherday，thoughaviciousman，wasoneofthegenteelestmenthateverlived。’TomDaviesinstancedCharlestheSecond。JOHNSON。(takingfireatanyattackuponthatPrince，forwhomhehadanextraordinarypartiality，)

’CharlestheSecondwaslicentiousinhispractice；buthealwayshadareverenceforwhatwasgood。CharlestheSecondknewhispeople，andrewardedmerit。TheChurchwasatnotimebetterfilledthaninhisreign。HewasthebestKingwehavehadfromhistimetillthereignofhispresentMajesty，exceptJamestheSecond，whowasaverygoodKing，butunhappilybelievedthatitwasnecessaryforthesalvationofhissubjectsthattheyshouldbeRomanCatholicks。HEhadthemeritofendeavouringtodowhathethoughtwasforthesalvationofthesoulsofhissubjects，tillhelostagreatEmpire。WE，whothoughtthatweshouldNOTbesavedifwewereRomanCatholicks，hadthemeritofmaintainingourreligion，attheexpenceofsubmittingourselvestothegovernmentofKingWilliam，(foritcouldnotbedoneotherwise，)——tothegovernmentofoneofthemostworthlessscoundrelsthateverexisted。No；CharlestheSecondwasnotsuchamanas——，(naminganotherKing)。Hedidnotdestroyhisfather’swill。Hetookmoney，indeed，fromFrance：buthedidnotbetraythoseoverwhomheruled：hedidnotlettheFrenchfleetpassours。GeorgetheFirstknewnothing，anddesiredtoknownothing；didnothing，anddesiredtodonothing：andtheonlygoodthingthatistoldofhimis，thathewishedtorestorethecrowntoitshereditarysuccessor。’HeroaredwithprodigiousviolenceagainstGeorgetheSecond。Whenheceased，Moodyinterjected，inanIrishtone，andwithacomicklook，’Ah!poorGeorgetheSecond。’

ImentionedthatDr。ThomasCampbellhadcomefromIrelandtoLondon，principallytoseeDr。Johnson。Heseemedangryatthisobservat

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