do it in moderation. I found myself apt to go to excess in it, and therefore, after having been for fome time without it on account of illness, I thought it better not to return to it. Every man is to judge for himfelf according to the effects which he experiences. One of the fathers tells us, he found fafting made him fo peevish that he did not practise it."

. Though he often enlarged upon the evil of intoxication he was by no means harsh and unforgiving to thofe who indulged in occafional excefs in wine. One of his friends came to fup at a tavern with him and fome other gentlemen, and too plainly difcovered that he had drunk too much at dinner. When one who loved mifchief, thinking to produce a fevere cenfure, afked Johnson, a few days afterwards, "Well, Sir, what did your friend say to you as an apology for being in fuch a fituation?"- Johnfon anfwered, "Sir, he faid all that a man should fay-he faid he was forry for it."

"I was at one time (fays Mr. B.) myself a water-drinker upon trial by Johnson's recommendation; and my friend obferved, "Bofwell is a bolder combatant than Sir Joshua: he argues for wine without the help of wine; but Sir Joshua with it."-SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS (who was of the party), " But to please one's

company

J.

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company is a ftrong motive."-7. (who from drinking only water fuppofed 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 fhould have thought fo indeed, Sir, had I made fuch a speech as you have now done."-JOHNSON. (drawing himself in, and blushing), Nay, don't be angry. I did not mean to offend you."-SIR "At first the tafte of wine was difagreeable to me; but I brought myself to drink it that I might be like other people. The pleafure of drinking wine is fo connected with pleafing your company, that altogether there is fomething of focial goodness in it."-7. "Sir, this is only faying the fame thing over again."-Sir J. "No, this is new."-7. "You put it in new words, but it is an old thought. This is one of the difadvantages of wine. It makes a man miftake words for thoughts."-B. "I think it is a new thought, at leaft it is in a new attitude."-7. ." Nay, Sir, it is only in a new coat; or an old coat with a new facing. It is (laughing beartily), 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."

Mr.

Mr. Bofwell mentioned a nobleman who he believed was really uneafy if his company would not drink hard.-JOHNSON. "That is from having had people about him whom he has been accuftomed to command."-BosWELL. "Suppofing I fhould be tête-à-tête with him at table."-7. Sir, there is no more reafon for your drinking with him, than his being fober with you."-B. Why that is true; for it would do him lefs hurt to be fober than it would do me to get drunk."7. "Yes, Sir; and from what I have heard of him one would not wifh to facrifice himfelf to fuch a man. If he must always have fomebody to drink with him he should buy a flave, and then he would be fure to have it. They who fubmit to drink as another pleafes make themfelves his flaves."- B. "But, Sir, you will furely make allowance for the duty of hospitality.-A gentleman who loves drinking comes to vifit me."-7. "Sir, a man knows whom he vifits; he comes to the table of a fober man."-B. "But, Sir, you and I should not have been fo 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 fo cordial."-7." Sir William Temple mentions,

mentions, that in his travels through the Netherlands he had two or three gentlemen with him, and when a bumper was neceffary he put it on them. it on them. Were I to travel again through the islands I would have Sir Joshua with me to take the bumpers."-B. "But, Sir, let me put a cafe: Suppose Sir Joshua fhould take a jaunt into Scotland; he does me the honour to pay me a vifit at my house in the country; I am overjoyed at seeing him; we are quite by ourselves; fhall I unfociably and churlishly let him fit drinking by himfelf? No, no, my dear Sir Joshua, you shall not be treated fo, I will take a bottle with you."

MARRIAGE.

- To Mr. Bofwell on the eve of marriage Johnfon faid, "Now that you are going to marry, do not expect more from life than life will afford. You may often find yourself out of humour, and you may often think your wife not ftudious enough to pleafe you; and yet you may have reafon to consider yourself as upon the whole very happily married.”

Of

Of marriage in general, he observed, "Our marriage service is too refined: It is calculated only for the best kind of marriages; whereas we should have a form for matches of convenience, of which there are many."

At General Paoli's, a queftion was one day ftarted, whether the state of marriage was natural to man. JOHNSON. "Sir, it is fo far from being natural for a man and woman to live in a ftate of marriage, that we find all the motives which they have for remaining in that connection, and the restraints which civilized fociety imposes to prevent separation, are hardly fufficient to keep them together." The General faid, that in a state of nature a man and woman uniting together, would form a ftrong and conftant affection, by the mutual pleasure each would receive; and that the fame caufes of diffention would not arife between them, as occur between hufband and wife in a civilized ftate.--7. "Sir, they would have diffentions enough, though of another kind. One would choose to go a hunting in this wood, the other in that; one would choose to go a fishing in this lake, the other in that; or, perhaps, one would choose to go a hunting when the other would choose to go a fishing; and so they would part. Befides, Sir, a favage man and a savage woman meet by chance; and when the man fees