第73章

Wetalkedoflivinginthecountry。JOHNSON。’Nowisemanwillgotoliveinthecountry，unlesshehassomethingtodowhichcanbebetterdoneinthecountry。Forinstance：ifheistoshuthimselfupforayeartostudyascience，itisbettertolookouttothefields，thantoanoppositewall。Then，ifamanwalksoutinthecountry，thereisnobodytokeephimfromwalkinginagain：butifamanwalksoutinLondon，heisnotsurewhenheshallwalkinagain。Agreatcityis，tobesure，theschoolforstudyinglife；

and“Theproperstudyofmankindisman，“asPopeobserves。’

BOSWELL。’IfancyLondonisthebestplaceforsociety；thoughI

haveheardthattheveryfirstsocietyofParisisstillbeyondanythingthatwehavehere。’JOHNSON。’Sir，IquestionifinParissuchacompanyasissittingroundthistablecouldbegottogetherinlessthanhalfayear。TheytalkinFranceofthefelicityofmenandwomenlivingtogether：thetruthis，thattherethemenarenothigherthanthewomen，theyknownomorethanthewomendo，andtheyarenothelddownintheirconversationbythepresenceofwomen。’

Wetalkedofoldage。Johnson(nowinhisseventiethyear，)said，’Itisaman’sownfault，itisfromwantofuse，ifhismindgrowstorpidinoldage。’TheBishopasked，ifanoldmandoesnotlosefasterthanhegets。JOHNSON。’Ithinknot，myLord，ifheexertshimself。’Oneofthecompanyrashlyobserved，thathethoughtitwashappyforanoldmanthatinsensibilitycomesuponhim。

JOHNSON。(withanobleelevationanddisdain，)’No，Sir，Ishouldneverbehappybybeinglessrational。’BISHOPOFST。ASAPH。

’Yourwishthen，Sir，is[Greektextomitted]。’JOHNSON。’Yes，myLord。’

ThisseasontherewasawhimsicalfashioninthenewspapersofapplyingShakspeare’swordstodescribelivingpersonswellknownintheworld；whichwasdoneunderthetitleofModernCharactersfromShakspeare；manyofwhichwereadmirablyadapted。Thefancytooksomuch，thattheywereafterwardscollectedintoapamphlet。

SomebodysaidtoJohnson，acrossthetable，thathehadnotbeeninthosecharacters。’Yes(saidhe，)Ihave。Ishouldhavebeensorrytobeleftout。’Hethenrepeatedwhathadbeenappliedtohim，’ImustborrowGARAGANTUA’Smouth。’

MissReynoldsnotperceivingatoncethemeaningofthis，hewasobligedtoexplainittoher，whichhadsomethingofanaukwardandludicrouseffect。’Why，Madam，ithasareferencetome，asusingbigwords，whichrequirethemouthofagianttopronouncethem。

GaragantuaisthenameofagiantinRabelais。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，thereisanotheramongstthemforyou：

“HewouldnotflatterNeptuneforhistrident，OrJoveforhispowertothunder。“’

JOHNSON。’Thereisnothingmarkedinthat。No，Sir，Garagantuaisthebest。’Notwithstandingthiseaseandgoodhumour，whenI，alittlewhileafterwards，repeatedhissarcasmonKenrick，whichwasreceivedwithapplause，heasked，’WHOsaidthat？’andonmysuddenlyanswering，Garagantua，helookedserious，whichwasasufficientindicationthathedidnotwishittobekeptup。

Whenwewenttothedrawing-roomtherewasarichassemblage。

Besidesthecompanywhohadbeenatdinner，therewereMr。Garrick，Mr。HarrisofSalisbury，Dr。Percy，Dr。Burney，HonourableMrs。

Cholmondeley，MissHannahMore，&c。&c。

Afterwanderingaboutinakindofpleasingdistractionforsometime，Igotin

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