第70章

HetoldmethatBaconwasafavouriteauthourwithhim；buthehadneverreadhisworkstillhewascompilingtheEnglishDictionary，inwhich，hesaid，ImightseeBaconveryoftenquoted。Mr。Sewardrecollectshishavingmentioned，thataDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguagemightbecompiledfromBacon’swritingsalone，andthathehadonceanintentionofgivinganeditionofBacon，atleastofhisEnglishworks，andwritingtheLifeofthatgreatman。Hadheexecutedthisintention，therecanbenodoubtthathewouldhavedoneitinamostmasterlymanner。

WishingtobesatisfiedwhatdegreeoftruththerewasinastorywhichafriendofJohnson’sandminehadtoldmetohisdisadvantage，Imentionedittohimindirectterms；anditwastothiseffect：thatagentlemanwhohadlivedingreatintimacywithhim，shewnhimmuchkindness，andevenrelievedhimfromaspunging-house，havingafterwardsfallenintobadcircumstances，wasoneday，whenJohnsonwasatdinnerwithhim，seizedfordebt，andcarriedtoprison；thatJohnsonsatstillundisturbed，andwentoneatinganddrinking；uponwhichthegentleman’ssister，whowaspresent，couldnotsuppressherindignation：’What，Sir，(saidshe，)areyousounfeeling，asnoteventooffertogotomybrotherinhisdistress；youwhohavebeensomuchobligedtohim？’

AndthatJohnsonanswered，’Madam，Iowehimnoobligation；whathedidformehewouldhavedoneforadog。’

Johnsonassuredme，thatthestorywasabsolutelyfalse：butlikeamanconsciousofbeingintheright，anddesirousofcompletelyvindicatinghimselffromsuchacharge，hedidnotarrogantlyrestonameredenial，andonhisgeneralcharacter，butproceededthus：——’Sir，Iwasveryintimatewiththatgentleman，andwasoncerelievedbyhimfromanarrest；butIneverwaspresentwhenhewasarrested，neverknewthathewasarrested，andIbelieveheneverwasindifficultiesafterthetimewhenherelievedme。Ilovedhimmuch；yet，intalkingofhisgeneralcharacter，Imayhavesaid，thoughIdonotrememberthatIeverdidsayso，thatashisgenerosityproceededfromnoprinciple，butwasapartofhisprofusion，hewoulddoforadogwhathewoulddoforafriend：butIneverappliedthisremarktoanyparticularinstance，andcertainlynottohiskindnesstome。Ifaprofuseman，whodoesnotvaluehismoney，andgivesalargesumtoawhore，giveshalfasmuch，oranequallylargesumtorelieveafriend，itcannotbeesteemedasvirtue。ThiswasallthatIcouldsayofthatgentleman；and，ifsaidatall，itmusthavebeensaidafterhisdeath。Sir，Iwouldhavegonetotheworld’sendtorelievehim。

Theremarkaboutthedog，ifmadebyme，wassuchasallyasmightescapeonewhenpaintingamanhighly。’

OnTuesday，September23，Johnsonwasremarkablycordialtome。ItbeingnecessaryformetoreturntoScotlandsoon，Ihadfixedonthenextdayformysettingout，andIfeltatenderconcernatthethoughtofpartingwithhim。Hehad，atthistime，franklycommunicatedtomemanyparticulars，whichareinsertedinthisworkintheirproperplaces；andonce，whenIhappenedtomentionthattheexpenceofmyjauntwouldcometomuchmorethanIhadcomputed，hesaid，’Why，Sir，iftheexpenceweretobeaninconvenience，youwouldhavereasontoregretit：but，ifyouhavehadthemoneytospend，Iknownotthatyoucouldhavepurchasedasmuchpleasurewithitinanyotherway。’

Iperceivedthathepronouncedthewordheard，asifspeltwithadoublee，heerd，insteadofsoundingitherd，asismostusuallydone。Hesaid，hisreasonwas，thatifitwaspronouncedherd，therewouldbeasingleexceptionfromtheEnglishpronunciationofthesyllableear，andhethoughtitbetternottohavethatexception。

Intheeveningourgentleman-farmer，andtw

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