I was at this time myself a water-drinker,upon trial,by Johnson's recommendation.JOHNSON.'Boswell is a bolder combatant than Sir Joshua:he argues for wine without the help of wine;but Sir Joshua with it.'SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.'But to please one's company is a strong motive.'JOHNSON.(who,from drinking only water,supposed every body who drank wine to be elevated,)'I won't argue any more with you,Sir.You are too far gone.'SIR JOSHUA.'I should have thought so indeed,Sir,had I made such a speech as you have now done.'JOHNSON.(drawing himself in,and,I really thought blushing,)'Nay,don't be angry.I did not mean to offend you.'
SIR JOSHUA.'At first the taste of wine was disagreeable to me;but I brought myself to drink it,that I might be like other people.The pleasure of drinking wine is so connected with pleasing your company,that altogether there is something of social goodness in it.'JOHNSON.'Sir,this is only saying the same thing over again.'SIR JOSHUA.'No,this is new.'JOHNSON.'You put it in new words,but it is an old thought.This is one of the disadvantages of wine.It makes a man mistake words for thoughts.'
BOSWELL.'I think it is a new thought;at least,it is in a new ATTITUDE.'JOHNSON.'Nay,Sir,it is only in a new coat;or an old coat with a new facing.(Then laughing heartily,)It is the old dog in a new doublet.--An extraordinary instance however may occur where a man's patron will do nothing for him,unless he will drink:THERE may be a good reason for drinking.'
I mentioned a nobleman,who I believed was really uneasy if his company would not drink hard.JOHNSON.'That is from having had people about him whom he has been accustomed to command.'BOSWELL.
'Supposing I should be tete-a-tete with him at table.'JOHNSON.
'Sir,there is no more reason for your drinking with HIM,than his being sober with YOU.'BOSWELL.'Why,that is true;for it would do him less hurt to be sober,than it would do me to get drunk.'
JOHNSON.'Yes,Sir;and from what I have heard of him,one would not wish to sacrifice himself to such a man.If he must always have somebody to drink with him,he should buy a slave,and then he would be sure to have it.They who submit to drink as another pleases,make themselves his slaves.'Boswell.'But,Sir,you will surely make allowance for the duty of hospitality.Agentleman who loves drinking,comes to visit me.'JOHNSON.'Sir,a man knows whom he visits;he comes to the table of a sober man.'
BOSWELL.'But,Sir,you and I should not have been so well received in the Highlands and Hebrides,if I had not drunk with our worthy friends.Had I drunk water only as you did,they would not have been so cordial.'JOHNSON.'Sir William Temple mentions that in his travels through the Netherlands he had two or three gentlemen with him;and when a bumper was necessary,he put it on THEM.Were I to travel again through the islands,I would have Sir Joshua with me to take the bumpers.'BOSWELL.'But,Sir,let me put a case.Suppose Sir Joshua should take a jaunt into Scotland;he does me the honour to pay me a visit at my house in the country;I am overjoyed at seeing him;we are quite by ourselves,shall Iunsociably and churlishly let him sit drinking by himself?No,no,my dear Sir Joshua,you shall not be treated so,I WILL take a bottle with you.'
On Wednesday,April 29,I dined with him at Mr.Allan Ramsay's,where were Lord Binning,Dr.Robertson the historian,Sir Joshua Reynolds,and the Honourable Mrs.Boscawen,widow of the Admiral,and mother of the present Viscount Falmouth;of whom,if it be not presumptuous in me to praise her,I would say,that her manners are the most agreeable,and her conversation the best,of any lady with whom I ever had the happiness to be acquainted.Before Johnson came we talked a good deal of him;Ramsay said he had always found him a very polite man,and that he treated him with great respect,which he did very sincerely.I said I worshipped him.ROBERTSON.
'But some of you spoil him;you should not worship him;you should worship no man.'BOSWELL.'I cannot help worshipping him,he is so much superiour to other men.'ROBERTSON.In criticism,and in wit in conversation,he is no doubt very excellent;but in other respects he is not above other men;he will believe any thing,and will strenuously defend the most minute circumstance connected with the Church of England.'BOSWELL.'Believe me,Doctor,you are much mistaken as to this;for when you talk with him calmly in private,he is very liberal in his way of thinking.'ROBERTSON.
'He and I have been always very gracious;the first time I met him was one evening at Strahan's,when he had just had an unlucky altercation with Adam Smith,to whom he had been so rough,that Strahan,after Smith was gone,had remonstrated with him,and told him that I was coming soon,and that he was uneasy to think that he might behave in the same manner to me."No,no,Sir,(said Johnson,)I warrant you Robertson and I shall do very well."Accordingly he was gentle and good-humoured,and courteous with me the whole evening;and he has been so upon every occasion that we have met since.I have often said (laughing,)that I have been in a great measure indebted to Smith for my good reception.'BOSWELL.
'His power of reasoning is very strong,and he has a peculiar art of drawing characters,which is as rare as good portrait painting.'
SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.'He is undoubtedly admirable in this;but,in order to mark the characters which he draws,he overcharges them,and gives people more than they really have,whether of good or bad.'
No sooner did he,of whom we had been thus talking so easily,arrive,than we were all as quiet as a school upon the entrance of the head-master;and were very soon set down to a table covered with such variety of good things,as contributed not a little to dispose him to be pleased.
