第89章

Thisboisterousvivacityentertainedus；butthetruthinmyopinionwas，thatthosewhocouldunderstandthebestwereagainsttheAmericanwar，asalmosteverymannowis，whenthequestionhasbeencoollyconsidered。

Mrs。ThralegavehighpraisetoMr。DudleyLong，(nowNorth)。

JOHNSON。’Nay，mydearlady，don’ttalkso。Mr。Long’scharacterisverySHORT。Itisnothing。Hefillsachair。Heisamanofgenteelappearance，andthatisall。Iknownobodywhoblastsbypraiseasyoudo：forwheneverthereisexaggeratedpraise，everybodyissetagainstacharacter。Theyareprovokedtoattackit。

NowthereisPepys；youpraisedthatmanwithsuchdisproportion，thatIwasincitedtolessenhim，perhapsmorethanhedeserves。

Hisbloodisuponyourhead。Bythesameprinciple，yourmalicedefeatsitself；foryourcensureistooviolent。Andyet，(lookingtoherwithaleeringsmile，)sheisthefirstwomanintheworld，couldshebutrestrainthatwickedtongueofhers；——shewouldbetheonlywoman，couldshebutcommandthatlittlewhirligig。’

UponthesubjectofexaggeratedpraiseItookthelibertytosay，thatIthoughttheremightbeveryhighpraisegiventoaknowncharacterwhichdeservedit，andthereforeitwouldnotbeexaggerated。Thus，onemightsayofMr。EdmundBurke，Heisaverywonderfulman。JOHNSON。’No，Sir，youwouldnotbesafeifanothermanhadamindperverselytocontradict。Hemightanswer，“Whereisallthewonder？Burkeis，tobesure，amanofuncommonabilities，withagreatquantityofmatterinhismind，andagreatfluencyoflanguageinhismouth。Butwearenottobestunnedandastonishedbyhim。“Soyousee，Sir，evenBurkewouldsuffer，notfromanyfaultofhisown，butfromyourfolly。’

Mrs。Thralementionedagentlemanwhohadacquiredafortuneoffourthousandayearintrade，butwasabsolutelymiserable，becausehecouldnottalkincompany；somiserable，thathewasimpelledtolamenthissituationinthestreetto******，whomhehates，andwhoheknowsdespiseshim。’Iamamostunhappyman，(saidhe)。Iaminvitedtoconversations。Igotoconversations；

but，alas!Ihavenoconversation。’JOHNSON。’Mancommonlycannotbesuccessfulindifferentways。Thisgentlemanhasspent，ingettingfourthousandpoundsayear，thetimeinwhichhemighthavelearnttotalk；andnowhecannottalk。’Mr。Perkinsmadeashrewdanddrollremark：’Ifhehadgothisfourthousandayearasamountebank，hemighthavelearnttotalkatthesametimethathewasgettinghisfortune。’

Someothergentlemencamein。TheconversationconcerningthepersonwhosecharacterDr。Johnsonhadtreatedsoslightingly，ashedidnotknowhismerit，wasresumed。Mrs。Thralesaid，’Youthinksoofhim，Sir，becauseheisquiet，anddoesnotexerthimselfwithforce。You’llbesayingthesamethingofMr。*****

there，whositsasquiet。’Thiswasnotwell-bred；andJohnsondidnotletitpasswithoutcorrection。’Nay，Madam，whatrighthaveyoutotalkthus？BothMr。*****andIhavereasontotakeitill。YoumaytalksoofMr。*****；butwhydoyoumakemedoit？

HaveIsaidanythingagainstMr。*****？Youhavesethim，thatI

mightshoothim：butIhavenotshothim。’

Oneofthegentlemensaid，hehadseenthreefoliovolumesofDr。

Johnson’ssayingscollectedbyme。’Imustputyouright，Sir，(saidI，)forIamveryexactinauthenticity。Youcouldnotseefoliovolumes，forIhavenone：youmighthaveseensomeinquartoandoctavo。Thisisinattentionwhichoneshouldguardagainst。’

JOHNSON。’Sir，itisawantofconcernaboutveracity。Hedoesnotknowthathesawanyvolumes。Ifhehadseenthemhecouldhaverememberedtheirsize。’

Mr。Thraleappearedverylethargickto-day。IsawhimagainonMondayevening，atwhichtimehewasnotthoughttobeinimmediatedanger；butearlyinthemorningofWednesday，the4th，heexpired。

Johnsonwasinthehouse，andthusmentionstheevent：’Ifeltalmostthelastflutterofhispulse，andlookedforthelasttimeuponthefacethatforfifteenyearshadneverbeen

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