to Johnson, * Nay,' said he, * do not let him be thankful, for he was right, and I was wrong.' Like his uncle Andrew, in the ring at Smithfield, Johnson, in a circle of disputants, was deter mined neither to be thrown nor conquered 1 . Notwithstanding all his piety, self-government, or the command of his passions in conversation, does not seem to have been among his attainments. Whenever he thought the contention was for superiority, he has been known to break out with violence, and even ferocity. When the fray was over, he generally softened into repentance, and, by conciliating measures, took care that no animosity should be left rankling in the breast of his antagonist 2 . Of this defect he seems to have been conscious. In a letter to Mrs. Thrale 3 , he says, ' Poor Baretti ! do not quarrel with him ; to neglect him a little will be sufficient. He means only to be frank and manly, and independent, and, perhaps, as you say, a little wise. To be frank, he thinks, is to be cynical ; and to be independent, is to be rude. Forgive him, dearest lady, the rather, because of his misbehaviour I am afraid he learned part of me. I hope to set him hereafter a better example.' For his own intolerant and overbearing spirit he apologized by observing, that it had done some good ; obscenity and impiety were re pressed in his company 4 .
It was late in life before he had the habit of mixing, otherwise than occasionally, with polite company 5 . At Mr. Thrale's he
1 Ante, p. 49. 3 Letters, i. 350.
8 * Goldsmith sat silently brood- 4 Life, iv. 295.
ing over Johnson's reprimand to him 5 'Before his arrival in town he
after dinner. Johnson perceived this, was but little accustomed to free
and said aside to some of us, " I'll conversation with his superiors.'
make Goldsmith forgive me;" and Hawkins, p. 164. Boswell, speaking
then called to him in a loud voice, of the best families at Lichfield,
" Dr. Goldsmith, something passed says : ' In these families he passed
to-day where you and I dined ; I ask much time in his early years. In
your pardon." Goldsmith answered most of them he was in the company
placidly, " It must be much from you, of ladies ... so that the notion which
Sir, that I take ill." And so at once has been industriously circulated and
the difference was over.' Z*/*, ii. 256. believed that he never was in good
See post, in Miss Reynolds's Recol- company till late in life ... is wholly
lections, and in Sir Joshua Reynolds's without foundation.' Life, i. 82.
Character of Johnson. See post, in Percy's Anecdotes.
saw
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