第68章

Johnsonadvisedmeto-nightnottoREFINEintheeducationofmychildren。’Life(saidhe，)willnotbearrefinement：youmustdoasotherpeopledo。’

AswedrovebacktoAshbourne，Dr。Johnsonrecommendedtome，ashehadoftendone，todrinkwateronly：’For(saidhe，)youarethensurenottogetdrunk；whereasifyoudrinkwineyouareneversure。’Isaid，drinkingwinewasapleasurewhichIwasunwillingtogiveup，’Why，Sir，(saidhe，)thereisnodoubtthatnottodrinkwineisagreatdeductionfromlife；butitmaybenecessary。’Hehoweverowned，thatinhisopinionafreeuseofwinedidnotshortenlife；andsaid，hewouldnotgivelessforthelifeofacertainScotchLord(whomhenamed)celebratedforharddrinking，thanforthatofasoberman。’Butstay，(saidhe，withhisusualintelligence，andaccuracyofenquiry，)doesittakemuchwinetomakehimdrunk？’Ianswered，’agreatdealeitherofwineorstrongpunch。’——’Then(saidhe，)thatistheworse。’Ipresumetoillustratemyfriend’sobservationthus：’Afortresswhichsoonsurrendershasitswallslessshatteredthanwhenalongandobstinateresistanceismade。’

IventuredtomentionapersonwhowasasviolentaScotsmanashewasanEnglishman；andliterallyhadthesamecontemptforanEnglishmancomparedwithaScotsman，thathehadforaScotsmancomparedwithanEnglishman；andthathewouldsayofDr。Johnson，’Damnedrascal!totalkashedoesoftheScotch。’Thisseemed，foramoment，’togivehimpause。’It，perhaps，presentedhisextremeprejudiceagainsttheScotchinapointofviewsomewhatnewtohim，bytheeffectofCONTRAST。

BythetimewhenwereturnedtoAshbourne，Dr。Taylorwasgonetobed。JohnsonandIsatupalongtimebyourselves。

OnSaturday，September20，afterbreakfast，whenTaylorwasgoneouttohisfarm，Dr。JohnsonandIhadaseriousconversationbyourselvesonmelancholyandmadness。

Weenteredseriouslyuponaquestionofmuchimportancetome，whichJohnsonwaspleasedtoconsiderwithfriendlyattention。I

hadlongcomplainedtohimthatIfeltmyselfdiscontentedinScotland，astoonarrowasphere，andthatIwishedtomakemychiefresidenceinLondon，thegreatsceneofambition，instruction，andamusement：ascene，whichwastome，comparativelyspeaking，aheavenuponearth。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，IneverknewanyonewhohadsuchaGUSTforLondonasyouhave：andIcannotblameyouforyourwishtolivethere：yet，Sir，wereIinyourfather’splace，Ishouldnotconsenttoyoursettlingthere；forI

havetheoldfeudalnotions，andIshouldbeafraidthatAuchinleckwouldbedeserted，asyouwouldsoonfinditmoredesirabletohaveacountry-seatinabetterclimate。’

Isuggestedadoubt，thatifIweretoresideinLondon，theexquisitezestwithwhichIrelisheditinoccasionalvisitsmightgooff，andImightgrowtiredofit。JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，youfindnoman，atallintellectual，whoiswillingtoleaveLondon。

No，Sir，whenamanistiredofLondon，heistiredoflife；forthereisinLondonallthatlifecanafford。’

Hesaid，’AcountrygentlemanshouldbringhisladytovisitLondonassoonashecan，thattheymayhaveagreeabletopicksforconversationwhentheyarebythemselves。’

Wetalkedofemploymentbeingabsolutelynecessarytopreservethemindfromwearyingandgrowingfretful，especiallyinthosewhohaveatendencytomelancholy；andImentionedtohimasayingwhichsomebodyhadrelatedofanAmerica

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节