On the subject of the right employment of wealth,Johnson observed,'A man cannot make a bad use of his money,so far as regards Society,if he does not hoard it;for if he either spends it or lends it out,Society has the benefit.It is in general better to spend money than to give it away;for industry is more promoted by spending money than by giving it away.A man who spends his money is sure he is doing good with it:he is not so sure when he gives it away.A man who spends ten thousand a year will do more good than a man who spends two thousand and gives away eight.'
In the evening I came to him again.He was somewhat fretful from his illness.A gentleman asked him,whether he had been abroad to-day.'Don't talk so childishly,(said he.)You may as well ask if I hanged myself to-day.'I mentioned politicks.JOHNSON.'Sir,I'd as soon have a man to break my bones as talk to me of publick affairs,internal or external.I have lived to see things all as bad as they can be.'
He said,'Goldsmith's blundering speech to Lord Shelburne,which has been so often mentioned,and which he really did make to him,was only a blunder in emphasis:"I wonder they should call your Lordship Malagrida,for Malagrida was a very good man;"meant,Iwonder they should use Malagrida as a term of reproach.'
Soon after this time I had an opportunity of seeing,by means of one of his friends,a proof that his talents,as well as his obliging service to authours,were ready as ever.He had revised The Village,an admirable poem,by the Reverend Mr.Crabbe.Its sentiments as to the false notions of rustick happiness and rustick virtue were quite congenial with his own;and he had taken the trouble not only to suggest slight corrections and variations,but to furnish some lines,when he thought he could give the writer's meaning better than in the words of the manu.
On Sunday,March 30,I found him at home in the evening,and had the pleasure to meet with Dr.Brocklesby,whose reading,and knowledge of life,and good spirits,supply him with a never-failing source of conversation.
I shall here insert a few of Johnson's sayings,without the formality of dates,as they have no reference to any particular time or place.
'The more a man extends and varies his acquaintance the better.'
This,however,was meant with a just restriction;for,he on another occasion said to me,'Sir,a man may be so much of every thing,that he is nothing of any thing.'
'It is a very good custom to keep a journal for a man's own use;he may write upon a card a day all that is necessary to be written,after he has had experience of life.At first there is a great deal to be written,because there is a great deal of novelty;but when once a man has settled his opinions,there is seldom much to be set down.'
Talking of an acquaintance of ours,whose narratives,which abounded in curious and interesting topicks,were unhappily found to be very fabulous;I mentioned Lord Mansfield's having said to me,'Suppose we believe one HALF of what he tells.'JOHNSON.'Ay;but we don't know WHICH half to believe.By his lying we lose not only our reverence for him,but all comfort in his conversation.'
BOSWELL.'May we not take it as amusing fiction?'JOHNSON.'Sir,the misfortune is,that you will insensibly believe as much of it as you incline to believe.'
It is remarkable,that notwithstanding their congeniality in politicks,he never was acquainted with a late eminent noble judge,whom I have heard speak of him as a writer,with great respect.
Johnson,I know not upon what degree of investigation,entertained no exalted opinion of his Lordship's intellectual character.
Talking of him to me one day,he said,'It is wonderful,Sir,with how little real superiority of mind men can make an eminent figure in publick life.'He expressed himself to the same purpose concerning another law-Lord,who,it seems,once took a fancy to associate with the wits of London;but with so little success,that Foote said,'What can he mean by coming among us?He is not only dull himself,but the cause of dullness in others.'Trying him by the test of his colloquial powers,Johnson had found him very defective.He once said to Sir Joshua Reynolds,'This man now has been ten years about town,and has made nothing of it;'meaning as a companion.He said to me,'I never heard any thing from him in company that was at all striking;and depend upon it,Sir,it is when you come close to a man in conversation,that you discover what his real abilities are;to make a speech in a publick assembly is a knack.Now I honour Thurlow,Sir;Thurlow is a fine fellow;he fairly puts his mind to yours.'
After repeating to him some of his pointed,lively sayings,I said,'It is a pity,Sir,you don't always remember your own good things,that you may have a laugh when you will.'JOHNSON.'Nay,Sir,it is better that I forget them,that I may be reminded of them,and have a laugh on their being brought to my recollection.'
When I recalled to him his having said as we sailed up Loch-lomond,'That if he wore any thing fine,it should be VERY fine;'Iobserved that all his thoughts were upon a great scale.JOHNSON.
'Depend upon it,Sir,every man will have as fine a thing as he can get;as a large diamond for his ring.'BOSWELL.'Pardon me,Sir:
a man of a narrow mind will not think of it,a slight trinket will satisfy him:
"Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera gemmae."'
I told him I should send him some Essays which I had written,which I hoped he would be so good as to read,and pick out the good ones.
JOHNSON.'Nay,Sir,send me only the good ones;don't make ME pick them.'
As a small proof of his kindliness and delicacy of feeling,the following circumstance may be mentioned:One evening when we were in the street together,and I told him I was going to sup at Mr.
Beauclerk's,he said,'I'll go with you.'After having walked part of the way,seeming to recollect something,he suddenly stopped and said,'I cannot go,--but I do not love Beauclerk the less.'
