346 A necdotes.
��book for twenty times perhaps, the very act of reading it being more than half the business, and every period being at every reading better understood ; while a mind more active or more skilful to comprehend its meaning is made sincerely z sick at the second perusal ; so a soul like his, acute to discern the truth, vigorous to embrace, and powerful to retain it, soon sees enough of the world's dull prospect, which at first, like that of the sea, pleases by its extent, but soon, like that too, fatigues from its uniformity ; a calm and a storm being the only variations that the nature of either will admit.
Of Mr. Johnson's erudition the world has been the judge, and we who produce each a score of his sayings, as proofs of that wit which in him was inexhaustible, resemble travellers who having visited Delhi or Golconda, bring home each a handful of Oriental pearl to evince the riches of the Great Mogul. May the Public condescend to accept my ill-strung selection with patience at least, remembering only that they are relics of him who was great on all occasions, and, like a cube in architecture, you beheld him on each side, and his size still appeared undiminished.
As his purse was ever open to almsgiving 2 , so was his heart tender to those who wanted relief, and his soul susceptible of gratitude, and of every kind impression; yet though he had refined his sensibility, he had not endangered his quiet, by encouraging in himself a solicitude about trifles, which he treated with the contempt they deserve.
It was well enough known before these sheets were published, that Mr. Johnson had a roughness in his manner which subdued the saucy, and terrified the meek 3 : this was, when I knew him, the prominent part of a character which few durst venture to approach so nearly; and which was for that reason in many respects grossly and frequently mistaken ; and it was perhaps peculiar to him, that the lofty consciousness of his own
1 I know no other instance of this young, he never attacked the un- strange use of sincerely. assuming, nor meant to terrify the
2 Ante, p. 204. diffident.' iMme. D'Arblay's Diary t
3 ' He was always indulgent to the ii. 343.
superiority^
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