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Nomanlovestobetreatedwithcontempt。’BEAUCLERK。(withapoliteinclinationtowardsJohnson，)’Sir，youhaveknownmetwentyyears，andhoweverImayhavetreatedothers，youmaybesureI

couldnevertreatyouwithcontempt。’JOHNSON。’Sir，youhavesaidmorethanwasnecessary。’Thusitended；andBeauclerk’scoachnothavingcomeforhimtillverylate，Dr。Johnsonandanothergentlemansatwithhimalongtimeaftertherestofthecompanyweregone；andheandIdinedatBeauclerk’sontheSaturdayse’nnightfollowing。

Afterthistempesthadsubsided，Irecollectthefollowingparticularsofhisconversation：——

’Iamalwaysforgettingaboyforwardinhislearning；forthatisasuregood。IwouldlethimatfirstreadANYEnglishbookwhichhappenstoengagehisattention；becauseyouhavedoneagreatdealwhenyouhavebroughthimtohaveentertainmentfromabook。He’llgetbetterbooksafterwards。’

’Tobecontradicted，inordertoforceyoutotalk，ismightyunpleasing。YouSHINE，indeed；butitisbybeingGROUND。’

OnSaturday，April24，IdinedwithhimatMr。Beauclerk’s，withSirJoshuaReynolds，Mr。Jones，(afterwardsSirWilliam，)Mr。

Langton，Mr。Steevens，Mr。Paradise，andDr。Higgins。ImentionedthatMr。WilkeshadattackedGarricktome，asamanwhohadnofriend。’Ibelieveheisright，Sir。[Greektextomitted]——Hehadfriends，butnofriend。Garrickwassodiffused，hehadnomantowhomhewishedtounbosomhimself。Hefoundpeoplealwaysreadytoapplaudhim，andthatalwaysforthesamething：sohesawlifewithgreatuniformity。’Itookuponme，foronce，tofightwithGoliath’sweapons，andplaythesophist——Garrickdidnotneedafriend，ashegotfromeverybodyallhewanted。Whatisafriend？

Onewhosupportsyouandcomfortsyou，whileothersdonot。

Friendship，youknow，Sir，isthecordialdrop，“tomakethenauseousdraughtoflifegodown：“butifthedraughtbenotnauseous，ifitbeallsweet，thereisnooccasionforthatdrop。’

JOHNSON。’Manymenwouldnotbecontenttoliveso。IhopeI

shouldnot。Theywouldwishtohaveanintimatefriend，withwhomtheymightcompareminds，andcherishprivatevirtues。OneofthecompanymentionedLordChesterfield，asamanwhohadnofriend。

JOHNSON。’ThereweremorematerialstomakefriendshipinGarrick，hadhenotbeensodiffused。’BOSWELL。’Garrickwaspuregold，butbeatouttothinleaf。LordChesterfieldwastinsel。’

JOHNSON。’Garrickwasaverygoodman，thecheerfullestmanofhisage；adecentliverinaprofessionwhichissupposedtogiveindulgencetolicentiousness；andamanwhogaveaway，freely，moneyacquiredbyhimself。Hebegantheworldwithagreathungerformoney；thesonofahalf-payofficer，bredinafamily，whosestudywastomakefour-pencedoasmuchasothersmadefour-pencehalfpennydo。But，whenhehadgotmoney，hewasveryliberal。’I

presumedtoanimadvertonhiseulogyonGarrick，inhisLivesofthePoets。’Yousay，Sir，hisdeatheclipsedthegaietyofnations。’JOHNSON。’Icouldnothavesaidmorenorless。Itisthetruth；ECLIPSED，notEXTINGUISHED；andhisdeathDIDeclipse；

itwaslikeastorm。’BOSWELL。’Butwhynations？Didhisgaietyextendfartherthanhisownnation？’JOHNSON。’Why，Sir，someexaggerationmustbeallowed。Besides，nationsmaybesaid——ifweallowtheScotchtobeanation，andtohavegaiety，——whichtheyhavenot。YOUareanexception，though。Come，gentlemen，letuscandidlyadmitthatthereisoneScotchmanwhoischeerful。’

BEAUCLERK。’ButheisaveryunnaturalScotchman。’I，however，continuedtothinkthecomplimenttoGarrickhyperbolicallyuntrue。

Hisactinghadceasedsometimebeforehisdeath；atanyratehehadactedinIrelandbutashorttime，atanearlyperiodofhislife，andneverinScotland。Iobjectedalsotowhatappearsananticlimaxofpraise，whencontrastedwiththeprecedingpanegyrick，——’anddiminishedthepublicstockofharmlesspleasure!’——’IsnotHARMLESSPLEASUREverytame？’JOHNSON。’Nay，Sir，ha

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