trade, he might have grown rich; but he has neither spirit to spend, nor refolution to fpare. He does not spend faft enough to have pleasure from it; he has the crime of prodigality, and the wretchedness of parfimony. If a man is killed in a duel, he is killed as many a one has been killed; but it is a fad thing for a man to lie down and die; to bleed to death, because he has not fortitude enough to fear the wound, or even to stitch it up."

Once when checking Mr. Bofwell for boasting too frequently of himself in company, he faid, “ Bofwell, you often vaunt so much as to provoke ridicule. You put me in mind of a man who was ftanding in the kitchen of an inn with his back to the fire, and thus accofted the perfon next him: Do you know, Sir, who I am?' No, Sir (faid the other), I have not that advantage.'-" Sir (faid he), I am the great Twalmley who invented the New Floodgate box-iron." The Bishop of Killaloe on hearing the story defended Twalmley, by observing, that he was entitled to the epithet of great; for Virgil in his groupe of worthies in the Elyfian fields

Hic manus ob patriam pugnando vulnera paffi, &c.

Mr. Bofwell mentioned a young man who was going to Jamaica with his wife and children, in expectation of being provided for by two of her brothers fettled in that ifland, one a clergyman, and the other a phyfician. "It is (faid Johnson) a wild scheme, Sir, unless he has a pofitive and deliberate invitation. There was a poor girl, who used to come about me, who had a coufin in Barbadoes, that, in a letter to her, expreffed a wifh fhe would come out to that Island, and expatiated on the comforts and happiness of her fituation. The poor girl went out her cousin was much furprised, and asked her how she could think of coming. Because (faid the) you invited me.'-' Not I,' anfwered the coufin. The letter was then produced. 'I fee it is true (faid she) that I did invite you: but I did not think you would come.' They lodged her in an out-house, where the paffed her time miferably and as soon as the had an opportunity, the returned to England. Always tell this, when you hear of people going abroad to relations, upon a notion of being well received. In the cafe which you mention, it is probable the clergyman spends all he gets, and the phyfician does not know how much he is to get.

On another occafion Johnfon obferved, "A man is very apt to complain of the ingratitude

of

of those who have rifen far above him. A man when he gets into a higher fphere, into other habits of life, cannot keep up all his former connections. Then, Sir, those who knew him formerly upon a level with themselves, may think that they ought still to be treated as on a level, which cannot be; and an acquaintance in a former fituation may bring out things which it would be very difagrecable to have mentioned before higher company, though, perhaps, every body knows of them."He placed this fubject in a new light, and fhewed that a man who has rifen in the world muft not be condemned too harshly for being diftant to former acquaintance, even though he may have been much obliged to them. It is, no doubt, to be wifhed (as Mr. B. juftly remarks) that a proper degree of attention should be fhewn by great men to their early friends; but if either from obtufe infenfibility to difference of fituation, or prefumptuous forwardness, which will not fubmit even to an exterior ob fervance of it, the dignity of high place cannot be preferved, when they are admitted into the company of those raised above the state in which they once were, encroachment must be repelled, and the kinder feelings facrificed.

A queftion was ftarted, how far people who difagree in a capital point can live in friendship together. Johnson faid they might.

Gold

fmith faid they could not, as they had not the idem velle atque idem nolle-the fame likings and the fame averfions.-7. "Why, Sir, you must fhun the subject as to which you difagree. For inftance, I can live very well with Burke; I love his knowledge, his genius, his diffufion, and affluence of converfation; but I would not talk to him of the Rockingham party."-G." But, Sir, when people live together who have something as to which they difagree, and which they want to fhun, they will be in the fituation mentioned in the ftory of Bluebeard, you may look into all the chambers but one;' but we should have the greatest inclination to look into that chamber; to talk of that fubject."-7. (with a loud voice) "Sir, I am not faying that you could live in friendship with a man from whom you differ as to fome point; I am only faying that I could do it."

On the cafuiftical queftion, whether it was allowable at any time to depart from Truth? Johnson observed, "The general rule is, that Truth fhould never be violated, because it is of the utmost importance to the comfort of life, that we should have a full fecurity by mutual faith; and occafional inconveniencies fhould be willingly fuffered that we may preserve it. There muft, however, be fome exceptions.If, for inftance, a murderer should ask you which way a man is gone, you may tell him

what

what is not true, because you are under a previous obligation not to betray a man to a murderer."-BOSWELL. "Suppofing the perfon who wrote Junius were asked whether he was the author, might he deny it ?"—J. “I don't know what to say to this. If you were fure that he wrote Junius, would you, if he denied it, think as well of him afterwards? Yet it may be urged, that what a man has no right to ask, you may refuse to communicate; and there is no other effectual mode of preferving a fecret, and an important fecret, the discovery of which may be very hurtful to you, but by a flat denial; for if you are filent, or hesitate, or evade, it will be held equivalent to a confeffion. But stay, Sir here is another cafe. Supposing the author had told me confidentially that he had written Junius, and I were afked if he had, I fhould hold myself at liberty to deny it, as being under a previous promise, express or implied, to conceal it. Now what I ought to do for the author, may I not do for myself? But I deny the lawfulness of telling a lie to a fick man, for fear of alarming him. You have no business with confequences; you are to tell the truth. Befides, you are not fure what effect your telling him that he is in danger may have. It may bring his diftemper to a crifis, and that may cure him. all lying, I have the greatest abhorrence of this,

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because