第102章

IhavementionedJohnson’sgeneralaversiontoapun。Heonce，however，enduredoneofmine。Whenweweretalkingofanumerouscompanyinwhichhehaddistinguishedhimselfhighly，Isaid，’Sir，youwereaCODsurroundedbysmelts。Isnotthisenoughforyou？

atatimetoowhenyouwerenotFISHINGforacompliment？’Helaughedatthiswithacomplacentapprobation。OldMr。Sheridanobserved，uponmymentioningittohim，’Helikedyourcomplimentsowell，hewaswillingtotakeitwithPUNSAUCE。’Formyownpart，Ithinknoinnocentspeciesofwitorpleasantryshouldbesuppressed；andthatagoodpunmaybeadmittedamongthesmallerexcellenciesoflivelyconversation。

Mr。BurkeuniformlyshewedJohnsonthegreatestrespect；andwhenMr。Townshend，nowLordSydney，ataperiodwhenhewasconspicuousinopposition，threwoutsomereflectioninparliamentuponthegrantofapensiontoamanofsuchpoliticalprinciplesasJohnson；Mr。Burke，thoughthenofthesamepartywithMr。

Townshend，stoodwarmlyforthindefenceofhisfriend，towhom，hejustlyobserved，thepensionwasgrantedsolelyonaccountofhiseminentliterarymerit。Iamwellassured，thatMr。Townshend’sattackuponJohnsonwastheoccasionofhis’hitchinginarhyme；’

for，thatintheoriginalcopyofGoldsmith’scharacterofMr。

Burke，inhisRetaliation，anotherperson’snamestoodinthecoupletwhereMr。Townshendisnowintroduced：——

’Thoughfraughtwithalllearningkeptstraininghisthroat，TopersuadeTommyTownshendtolendhimavote。’

Itmaybeworthremarking，amongtheminutiaeofmycollection，thatJohnsonwasoncedrawntoserveinthemilitia，theTrainedBandsoftheCityofLondon，andthatMr。Rackstrow，oftheMuseuminFleet-street，washisColonel。Itmaybebelievedhedidnotserveinperson；buttheidea，withallitscircumstances，iscertainlylaughable。Heuponthatoccasionprovidedhimselfwithamusket，andwithaswordandbelt，whichIhaveseenhanginginhiscloset。

Anauthourofmostanxiousandrestlessvanitybeingmentioned，’Sir，(saidhe，)thereisnotayoungsaplinguponParnassusmoreseverelyblownaboutbyeverywindofcriticismthanthatpoorfellow。’

Thedifference，heobserved，betweenawell-bredandanill-bredmanisthis：’Oneimmediatelyattractsyourliking，theotheryouraversion。Youlovetheonetillyoufindreasontohatehim；youhatetheothertillyoufindreasontolovehim。’

AfoppishphysicianonceremindedJohnsonofhishavingbeenincompanywithhimonaformeroccasion；’Idonotrememberit，Sir。’

Thephysicianstillinsisted；addingthathethatdayworesofineacoatthatitmusthaveattractedhisnotice。’Sir，(saidJohnson，)hadyoubeendiptinPactolusIshouldnothavenoticedyou。’

Heseemedtotakeapleasureinspeakinginhisownstyle；forwhenhehadcarelesslymissedit，hewouldrepeatthethoughttranslatedintoit。TalkingoftheComedyofTheRehearsal，hesaid，’Ithasnotwitenoughtokeepitsweet。’Thiswaseasy；hethereforecaughthimself，andpronouncedamoreroundsentence；’Ithasnotvitalityenoughtopreserveitfromputrefaction。’

Thoughhehadnotasteforpainting，headmiredmuchthemannerinwhichSirJoshuaReynoldstreatedofhisart，inhisDiscoursestotheRoyalAcademy。Heobservedonedayofapassageinthem，’I

thinkImightaswellhavesaidthismyself：’andoncewhenMr。

Langtonwassittingbyhim，hereadoneofthemveryeagerly，andexpressedhimselfthus：——’Verywell，MasterReynolds；verywell，indeed。Butitwillnotbeunderstood。’

WhenIobservedtohimthatPaintingwassofarinferiourtoPoetry，thatthestoryorevenemblemwhichitcommunicatesmustbepreviouslyknown，andmentionedasanaturalandlaughableinstanceofthis，thatalittleMissonseeingapictureofJusticewiththescales，hadexclaimedtome，’See，there’sawomansellingsweetmeats；’hesaid，’Painting，Sir，canillustrate，butcannotinform。’

Nomanwasmorereadytomakeanapologywhenhehadcensuredunjustly，thanJohnson。Whenaproof-sheetofoneofhisworkswasbroughttohim，hefoundfaultwiththemodei

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