第82章

Istaidallthisday*withhimatStreatham。Hetalkedagreatdeal，inverygoodhumour。

*Wednesday，May13——ED。

LookingatMessrs。Dilly’ssplendideditionofLordChesterfield’smiscellaneousworks，helaughed，andsaid，’Herenowaretwospeechesascribedtohim，bothofwhichwerewrittenbyme：andthebestofitis，theyhavefoundoutthatoneislikeDemosthenes，andtheotherlikeCicero。’

BOSWELL。’Isnotmodestynatural？’JOHNSON。’Icannotsay，Sir，aswefindnopeoplequiteinastateofnature；butIthinkthemoretheyaretaught，themoremodesttheyare。TheFrenchareagross，ill-bred，untaughtpeople；aladytherewillspitonthefloorandrubitwithherfoot。WhatIgainedbybeinginFrancewas，learningtobebettersatisfiedwithmyowncountry。Timemaybeemployedtomoreadvantagefromnineteentotwenty-fouralmostinanywaythanintravelling；whenyousettravellingagainstmerenegation，againstdoingnothing，itisbettertobesure；buthowmuchmorewouldayoungmanimprovewerehetostudyduringthoseyears。Indeed，ifayoungmaniswild，andmustrunafterwomenandbadcompany，itisbetterthisshouldbedoneabroad，as，onhisreturn，hecanbreakoffsuchconnections，andbeginathomeanewman，withacharactertoform，andacquaintancestomake。Howlittledoestravellingsupplytotheconversationofanymanwhohastravelled；howlittletoBeauclerk!’BOSWELL。’WhatsayyoutoLord——？’JOHNSON。’Ineverbutonceheardhimtalkofwhathehadseen，andthatwasofalargeserpentinoneofthePyramidsofEgypt。’BOSWELL。’Well，Ihappenedtohearhimtellthesamething，whichmademementionhim。’

Italkedofacountrylife。JOHNSON。’WereItoliveinthecountry，Iwouldnotdevotemyselftotheacquisitionofpopularity；Iwouldliveinamuchbetterway，muchmorehappily；I

wouldhavemytimeatmyowncommand。’BOSWELL。’But，Sir，isitnotasadthingtobeatadistancefromallourliteraryfriends？’

JOHNSON。’Sir，youwillbyandbyhaveenoughofthisconversation，whichnowdelightsyousomuch。’

Ashewasazealousfriendofsubordination，hewasatalltimeswatchfultorepressthevulgarcantagainstthemannersofthegreat；’Highpeople，Sir，(saidhe，)arethebest；takeahundredladiesofquality，you’llfindthembetterwives，bettermothers，morewillingtosacrificetheirownpleasuretotheirchildrenthanahundredotherwomen。Tradeswomen(Imeanthewivesoftradesmen)

inthecity，whoareworthfromtentofifteenthousandpounds，aretheworstcreaturesupontheearth，grosslyignorant，andthinkingviciousnessfashionable。Farmers，Ithink，areoftenworthlessfellows。Fewlordswillcheat；and，iftheydo，they’llbeashamedofit：farmerscheatandarenotashamedofit：theyhaveallthesensualvicestooofthenobility，withcheatingintothebargain。

Thereisasmuchfornicationandadulteryamongfarmersasamongstnoblemen。’BOSWELL。’Thenotionoftheworld，Sir，howeveris，thatthemoralsofwomenofqualityareworsethanthoseinlowerstations。’JOHNSON。’Yes，Sir，thelicentiousnessofonewomanofqualitymakesmorenoisethanthatofanumberofwomeninlowerstations；then，Sir，youaretoconsiderthemalignityofwomeninthecityagainstwomenofquality，whichwillmakethembelieveanythingofthem，suchasthattheycalltheircoachmentobed。No，Sir，sofarasIhaveobserved，thehigherinrank，thericherladiesare，theyarethebetterinstructedandthemorevirtuous。’

OnTuesday，May19，IwastosetoutforScotlandintheevening。

HewasengagedtodinewithmeatMr。Dilly’s，Iwaiteduponhimtoremindhimofhisappointmentandattendhimthither；hegavemesomesalutarycounsel，andrecommendedvigorousresolutionagainstanydeviationfrommoralduty。BOSWELL。’Butyouwouldnothavemetobindmyselfbyasolemnobligation？’JOHNSON。(muchagitated，)’What!avow——O，no，Sir，avowisahorriblething，itisasnareforsin。ThemanwhocannotgotoHeavenwithoutavow——

maygo——’Here，

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