He one day obferved, "All knowledge is of itself of fome value. There is nothing fo minute or inconfiderable, that I would not rather know it than not. In the fame manner, all

power, of whatever

fort, is of itself defirable.

A man would not submit to hem a ruffle of his wife, or his wife's maid; but if a mere wish could obtain it, he would rather wish to be able to hem a ruffle."

he

To Mr. Bofwell (while ftudying at Utrecht) the following advice:

gave

"You will, perhaps, wish to afk what study I would recommend. I fhall not speak of theology, because it ought not to be confidered as a queftion whether you fhall endeavour to know the will of GoD. I fhall, therefore, confider only fuch ftudies as we are at liberty to purfuc or to neglect; and of these I know not how you will make a better choice, than by studying the civil law, as your father advises, and the ancient languages, as you had determined for yourself; at least resolve, while you remain in any fettled refidence, to fpend a certain number of hours every day amongst your books. The diffipation of thought of which you complain, is nothing more than the vacillation of a mind fufpended between different motives, and changing its direction as any motive gains or loses strength. If you can

but

but kindle in your mind any ftrong defire, if you can but keep predominant any wish for fome particular excellence or attainment, the gufts of imagination will break away without any effect upon your conduct, and commonly without any traces left upon the memory.

"There lurks, perhaps, in every human heart a defire of dictinction, which inclines every man first to hope, and then to believe, that Nature has given him fomething peculiar to himself. This vanity makes one mind nurse averfions, and another actuate defires, till they rife by art much above their original state of power; and as affectation, in time, improves to habit, they at last tyrannise over him who at first encouraged them only for fhow. Every defire is a viper in the bofom, who, while he was chill, was harmless; but when warmth gave him ftrength, exerted it in poifon. You know a gentleman, who, when firft he fet his foot in the gay world, as he prepared himself to whirl in the vortex of pleasure, imagined a total indifference and univerfal negligence to be the most agreeable concomitants of youth, and the strongest indication of an airy temper and a quick apprehenfion. Vacant to every object, and fenfible of every impulfe, he thought that all appearance of diligence would deduct fomething from the reputation of genius; and hoped

G

hoped that he should appear to attain, amidst all the cafe of careleffuefs, and all the tumult of diverfion, that knowledge and those accomplishments which mortals of the common fabrick obtain only by mute abftraction and folitary drudgery. He tried this fcheme of life awhile, was made weary of it by his fenfe and his virtue; he then wifhed to return to his ftudies; and finding long habits of idleness and pleasure harder to be cured than he expected, ftill willing to retain his claim to fome extraordinary prerogatives, refolved the common confequences of irregularity into an unalterable decree of deftiny, and concluded that Nature had originally formed him incapable of rational employment.

"Let all fuch fancies, illufive and deftructive, be banished henceforward from your thoughts for ever. Refolve, and keep your refolution; choose, and pursue your choice. If you spend this day in ftudy, you will find yourself ftill more able to study to-morrow; not that you are to expect that you fhall at once obtain a complete victory. Depravity is not very cafily Overcome. Refolution will fometimes relax, and diligence will fometimes be interrupted; but let no accidental furprife or deviation, whether fhort or long, difpofe you to defpondency. Confider thefe failings as incident to

all

all mankind. Begin again where you left off, and endeavour to avoid the feducements that prevailed over you before."

CONDUCT.

"I BELIEVE (faid Johnson) it is beft to throw life into a method, that every hour may bring its employment, and every employment have its hour. Xenophon obferves, in his Treatife of Economy,' that if every thing be kept in a certain place, when any thing is worn out or confumed, the vacuity which it leaves will fhew what is wanting; fo if every part of time has its duty, the hour will call into remembrance its proper engagement."

He obferved, that "it was a moft mortifying reflection for any man to confider what he bad done, compared with what he might have

done."

He would allow no fettled indulgence o idleness upon principle, and always repelled every attempt to urge excufes for it. A friend one day fuggefted, that it was not wholesome to ftudy foon after dinner. "Ah, Sir, (faid Johnfon) don't give way to fuch a fancy. At one time of my life I had taken it into my head

that it was not wholefome to ftudy between breakfast and dinner.”

Mr. Bofwell one day told him, that he had been to fee a man ride upon three horses. "Such a man, Sir, (faid he) should be encouraged; for his performances fhew the extent of the human powers in one inftance, and thus tend to raise our opinion of the faculties of man. He fhews what may be attained by perfevering application; fo that every man may hope, that by giving as much application, although perhaps he may never ride three horfes at a time, or dance upon a wire, yet he may be equally expert in whatever profeffion he has chofen to purfue."

At one time he faid, "The more a man extends and varies his acquaintance the better." This, however, was meant with a juft reftriction; for on another occafion he obferved, "A man may be fo much of every thing, that he is nothing of any thing."

At a late period of his life he said to Sir Jofhua Reynolds, "If a man does not make new acquaintance as he advances through life, he will foon find himfelf left alone. A man, Sir, fhould keep his friendship in conftant repair."

During a vifit at Oxford, the following converfation paffed between the Doctor and Mr.

Bofwell