356 A Biographical Sketch of Dr. Johnson
Not so fast, great satirist for he had now no friends at Rome. In the sport of conversation, he would sometimes take the wrong side of a question, to try his hearers, or for his own exertions r . But this may do mischief sometimes. ' For, 1 without aiming at ludicrous quotation, 'he could dispute on both sides, and con fute 2 .' Among those he could trust himself with, he would enter into imaginary combat with the whigs, and has now and then shook the principles of a sturdy revolutionist 3 . All ingenious men can find arguments for and against every thing : and if their hearts are not good, they may do mischief with their heads. On all occasions he pressed his antagonist with so strong a front of argument, that he generally prevented his retreat. ' Every body/ said an eminent detector of imposters 4 , ' must be cautious how they enter the lists with Dr. Johnson.' He wrote many political tracts since his pension. Perhaps he would not have written at all, unless impelled by gratitude 5 . But he wrote his genuine thoughts, and imagined himself contending on the right side. A great parliamentary character seems to resolve all his
��1 Ante, i. 390, 452.
2 ' He could distinguish and divide
A hair 'twixt south and south west side ;
On either which he would dispute,
Confute, change hands, and still confute.'
Hudibras, i. I. 67.
3 Revolutionist was one who up held the principles of 'the glorious Revolution.' The Revolution Society was * a Club which had a yearly festival [on November 4, the birth day of the Prince of Orange] in commemoration of the events of 1688.' Stanhope's Life of Pitt, ii. 65.
In the Scots Magazine, 1773, p. there was a general meeting of the members of the Revolution club in Edinburgh, when several constitu tional and patriotic toasts were given,
��suitable to the occasion. His ex cellency, Sir Adolphus Oughton [the Commander in Chief in Scotland] proposed that the members should for the future on Nov. 15 meet early, and walk in procession to church, where a sermon should be preached on Revolution principles. The pro posal was unanimously agreed to.' Nov. 15 was the same as Nov. 4, Old Style.
4 Dr. Douglas, * the scourge of im postors, the terror of quacks,' as Goldsmith calls him in Retaliation. Life, i. 229.
5 * He complained to a Right Hon ourable friend, that his pension hav ing been given to him as a literary character, he had been applied to by administration to write political pam phlets ; and he was even so much irritated, that he declared his resolu tion to resign his pension.' Ib. ii. 317. See ante, i. 418.
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