and that they exchanged vifits. Mr. B. objected to treating an infidel writer with smooth civility. "Where there is a controverfy concerning a paffage in a claffic author, or concerning a queftion in antiquities, or any other fubject in which human happiness is not deeply interested (Mr. B. argues), a man may treat his antagonist with politenefs and even refpect; but where the controverfy is concerning the truth of religion, it is of fuch vaft importance to him who maintains it to obtain the victory, that the perfon of an opponent ought not to be spared. If a man firmly believes that religion is an invaluable treasure, he will confider a writer who endeavours to deprive mankind of it as a robber; he will look upon him as odious, though the infidel might think himfelf in the right. A robber who reasons as the gang do in the Beggar's Opera,' who call themfelves practical philofophers, and may have as much fincerity as pernicious fpeculative philofophers, is not the lefs an object of just indignation. An abandoned profligate may think that it is not wrong to debauch my wife; but fhall I therefore not deteft him? and if I catch him in making an attempt, fhall I treat him with politenefs? No, I will kick him down ftairs, or run him through the body; that is, if I really love my wife, or have a truc

rational

rational notion of honour. An infidel then fhould not be treated handfomely by a Chriftian, merely becaufe he endeavours to rob with ingenuity. I do declare, however, that I am exceedingly unwilling to be provoked to anger; and could I be perfuaded that truth would not fuffer from a cool moderation in its defenders, I fhould with to preferve good humour, at leaft, in every controverfy; nor indeed do I fee why a man fhould lofe his temper while he does all he can to refute an opponent. I think ridicule may be fairly ufed against an infidel; for inftance, if he be an ugly fellow, and yet abfurdly vain of his perfon, we may contraft his appearance with Cicero's beautiful image of Virtue, could the be feen. Johnfon coincided with me and faid, When a man voluntarily engages in an important controverfy, he is to do all he can to leffen his antagonist, because authority from perfonal refpect has much weight with most people, and often more than reasoning. If my antagonist writes bad language, though that may not be effential to the queftion, I will attack him for his bad language.' -ADAMS. "You would not jofile a chimney-fweeper."-JOHNSON." Yes, Sir, if it were neceffary to joftle him down."

He cenfured Lord Kaimes's Sketches of the Hiftory of Man,' for mifreprefenting Cla

rendon's

rendon's account of the appearance of Sir George Villiers's ghoft, as if Clarendon were weakly credulous; when the truth is, that Clarendon only fays, that the ftory was upon a better foundation of credit than usually fuch difcourfes are founded upon; nay fpeaks thus of the perfon who was reported to have feen the vifion, "the poor man, if he had been at all waking" which Lord Kaimes has omitted. He added," in this book it is maintained that virtue is natural to man, and that if we would but confult our own hearts we fhould be virNow after confulting our own hearts all we can, and with all the helps we have, we find how few of us are virtuous. This is faying a thing which all mankind know not to be true."

"The Elements of Criticifin,' (faid he), is a pretty effay, and deferves to be held in fome eftimation, though much of it is chimerical." He proceeded: "The Scotchman has taken the right method in his Elements of Criticifm.' I do not mean that he has taught us any thing; but he has told us old things in a new way."-MURPHY. "He feems to have read a great deal of French criticifin, and wants to make it his own; as if he had been for years anatomifing the heart of man, and peeping into every cranny of it."-GOLDSMITH.

" It

is

is easier to write that book, than to read it."JOHNSON. "We have an example of true criticism in Burke's Effay on the Sublime and Beautiful'; and if I recollect there is alfo Du Bos; and Bouhours, who fhews all beauty to depend on truth. There is no great merit in telling how many plays have ghofts in them, and how this Ghoft is better than that. You muft fhew how terror is impreffed on the human heart. In the defeription of night in Macbeth, the beetle and the bat detract from the general idea of darkness,-infpiflated gloom."

Johnson told Mr. B. that he was glad that he had by General Oglethorpe's means become acquainted with Dr. Shebbeare. Indeed (fays Mr. B.) that gentleman, whatever objections were made to him, had knowledge and abilities. much above the class of ordinary writers, and deferves to be remembered as a refpectable name in literature, were it only for his admirable Letters on the English Nation,' under the name of Battista Angeloni, a Jefuit.'

Johnfon and Shebbeare were frequently named together, as having in former reigns had no predilection for the family of Hanover. The author of the celebrated Heroick Epiftle to Sir William Chambers' introduces them in one line, in a lift of thofe who "tafted the

fweets

fweets of his prefent Majefty's reign." Such was Johnson's candid relifh of the merit of that fatire, that he allowed Dr. Goldfmith, as he told Mr. Bofwell, to read it to him from beginning to end, and did not refuse his praise to its execution.

66

Mr. Bofwell mentioned the very liberal payment which had been received for reviewing; and, as evidence of this, that it had been proved in a trial, that Dr. Shebbeare had received fix guineas a fheet for that kind of literary labour.-JOHNSON. "Sir, he might get fix guincas for a particular thect, but not communibus fbectibus."-BOSWELL. Pray, Sir, by a fheet of review is it meant that it fhall be all of the writer's own compofition? or are extracts, made from the book reviewed, deducted?"-7. "No, Sir; it is a fheet, no matter of what."-B. "I think that is not reafonable."-." Yes, Sir, it is. A man will more cafily write a fheet all his own, than read an octavo volume to get extracts." To one of Johnson's wonderful fertility of mind, perhaps, writing was really cafier than reading and extracting; but with ordinary men the cafe is very different. A great deal, indeed, will depend upon the care and judgment with which the extracts are made. We can (obferves Mr. B.) fuppofe the operation to be tedious and difficult; but in many inftances we muft obferve crude morfels