第59章

Acuriousincidenthappenedto-day，whileMr。ThraleandIsatwithhim。Francisannouncedthatalargepacketwasbroughttohimfromthepost-office，saidtohavecomefromLisbon，anditwaschargedSEVENPOUNDSTENSHILLINGS。Hewouldnotreceiveit，supposingittobesometrick，nordidheevenlookatit。Butuponenquiryafterwardshefoundthatitwasarealpacketforhim，fromthatveryfriendintheEastIndiesofwhomhehadbeenspeaking；andtheshipwhichcarriedithavingcometoPortugal，thispacket，withothers，hadbeenputintothepost-officeatLisbon。

Imentionedanewgaming-club，ofwhichMr。Beauclerkhadgivenmeanaccount，wherethemembersplayedtoadesperateextent。

JOHNSON。’Dependuponit，Sir，thisismeretalk。WHOisruinedbygaming？Youwillnotfindsixinstancesinanage。Thereisastrangeroutmadeaboutdeepplay：whereasyouhavemanymorepeopleruinedbyadventuroustrade，andyetwedonothearsuchanoutcryagainstit。’THRALE。’Theremaybefewpeopleabsolutelyruinedbydeepplay；butverymanyaremuchhurtintheircircumstancesbyit。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，andsoareverymanybyotherkindsofexpence。’Ihadheardhimtalkoncebeforeinthesamemanner；andatOxfordhesaid，’hewishedhehadlearnttoplayatcards。’Thetruth，however，is，thathelovedtodisplayhisingenuityinargument；andthereforewouldsometimesinconversationmaintainopinionswhichhewassensiblewerewrong，butinsupportingwhich，hisreasoningandwitwouldbemostconspicuous。Hewouldbeginthus：’Why，Sir，astothegoodorevilofcard-playing——’’Now，(saidGarrick，)heisthinkingwhichsideheshalltake。’Heappearedtohaveapleasureincontradiction，especiallywhenanyopinionwhateverwasdeliveredwithanairofconfidence；sothattherewashardlyanytopick，ifnotoneofthegreattruthsofReligionandMorality，thathemightnothavebeenincitedtoargue，eitherfororagainst。LordElibankhadthehighestadmirationofhispowers。Heonceobservedtome，’WhateveropinionJohnsonmaintains，Iwillnotsaythatheconvincesme；butheneverfailstoshewme，thathehasgoodreasonsforit。’IhaveheardJohnsonpayhisLordshipthishighcompliment：’IneverwasinLordElibank’scompanywithoutlearningsomething。’

Wesattogethertillitwastoolatefortheafternoonservice。

Thralesaidhehadcomewithintentiontogotochurchwithus。WewentatseventoeveningprayersatSt。Clement’schurch，afterhavingdrankcoffee；anindulgence，whichIunderstoodJohnsonyieldedtoonthisoccasion，incomplimenttoThrale。

OnSunday，April7，Easter-day，afterhavingbeenatSt。Paul’sCathedral，IcametoDr。Johnson，accordingtomyusualcustom。Itseemedtome，thattherewasalwayssomethingpeculiarlymildandplacidinhismanneruponthisholyfestival，thecommemorationofthemostjoyfuleventinthehistoryofourworld，theresurrectionofourLORDandSAVIOUR，who，havingtriumphedoverdeathandthegrave，proclaimedimmortalitytomankind。

Irepeatedtohimanargumentofaladyofmyacquaintance，whomaintained，thatherhusband’shavingbeenguiltyofnumberlessinfidelities，releasedherfromconjugalobligations，becausetheywerereciprocal。JOHNSON。’Thisismiserablestuff，Sir。Tothecontractofmarriage，besidesthemanandwife，thereisathirdparty——Society；andifitbeconsideredasavow——GOD：and，therefore，itcannotbedissolvedbytheirconsentalone。Lawsarenotmadeforparticularcases，butformeningeneral。Awomanmaybeunhappywithh

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