Davis's pamphlet, nor would he give him any answer as to Gibbon ; but, if the ' confederate doctors,' as they were termed, had really made such mistakes as he had alluded to, they were blockheads. Dr. Percy talked on in the most careless style possible, but in a very lofty tone T ; and Johnson appeared to be excessively angry. I only wished to get released : for, if Dr. Percy had proceeded to inform him that he had lately intro duced Mr. Hume to dine at the King's chaplains' table, there must have been an explosion 2 .
Afterwards Percy rather loftily mentioned that he knew that the Duke of Northumberland would have a pleasure in lending him any books from his library. 'And if the offer is made, Sir,' Johnson only coldly replied, ' from a good motive it is very well ; ' and some time after, turning to me, said with a sigh : ' Many offer me crusts now, but I have no teeth to bite them.'
With all my partiality for Johnson, I freely declare, that I think Dr. Percy received very great cause to take real offence at one, who, by a ludicrous parody on a stanza in the Hermit of Warkwortk, had rendered him contemptible. It was urged,
1 If this story is true a strange and while Boswell wrote of him : ' He sudden change had come over Percy. is an ugly, affected, disgusting fellow, It was less than a year earlier that and poisons our Literary Club to Boswell's ' friendly scheme ' obtained me.' Life, iv. 73. Malone, writing for him from Johnson a letter of ex- on Feb. 20, 1794, about the loss of planation of which he said : * I would Gibbon to the club by death, says : rather have this than degrees from ' Independent of his literary merit, all the Universities in Europe.' In as a companion Gibbon was un it Johnson wrote : ' Percy is a man commonly agreeable. He had an whom I never knew to offend any immense fund of anecdote and of one.' Life, iii. 276, 278. erudition of various kinds, both
2 Gibbon's Vindication is dated ancient and modern ; and had ac- Feb. 3, 1779; Hume died on Aug. quired such a facility and elegance of 2 5> 1776. Percy, writing to Hume talk that I had always great pleasure in 1772, describes himself 'as not in listening to him. The manner and unknown to you when you resided voice, though they were peculiar, in London.' Letters of Eminent and I believe artificial at first, did Persons to David Hume, p. 317. not at all offend, for they had become
Gibbon, who belonged to the so appropriated as to appear natural.' Literary Club, was disliked by John- Hist. MSS. Com., Thirteenth Report, son and Boswell. ' Johnson talked App. viii. 230. with some disgust of his ugliness ' ;
F 2 that
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