394 Minor Anecdotes of Dr. Johnson.
acquainted with the Doctor knew how harsh his features in general were ; but, upon this occasion, to use the language of Scripture, 'his face was almost as if it had been the face of an angel V
Soon after Garrick's purchase at Hampton Court 2 he was showing Dr. Johnson the grounds, the house, Shakespeare's temple &c. ; and concluded by asking him, ' Well, Doctor, how do you like all this? 1 'Why, it is pleasant enough,' growled the Doctor, ' for the present ; but all these things, David, make death very terrible.'
At the same time on Garrick's showing him a magnificent library, full of books in most elegant bindings, the Doctor began running over the volumes in his usual coarse and negligent manner ; which was by opening the book so wide as almost to break the back of it, and then flung them down one by one on the floor with contempt 3 . * Zounds ! ' said Garrick, who was in torture all this time, ' why, what are you about there ? you'll spoil all my books/ ' No, Sir/ cried Johnson, ' I have done nothing but treat a pack of silly plays in fops' dresses just as they deserve ; but I see no books!
��FROM THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE*.
Boswell was a man of excellent natural parts, on which he had engrafted a great deal of general knowledge 5 . His talents as a man of company were much heightened by his extreme
1 Acts, vi. 15. inspires was foreign to his heart/
2 'Here he received the visits of Murphy's Life of Garrick, p. 345. the nobility, of the ablest scholars, 3 Life, ii. 192.
and the men of genius in every branch 4 European Magazine, 1798, p.
of literature. He lived in an elegant 376.
style, and to the luxuries of the table 5 When he was twenty-five years
added his wit and the polished old Johnson said to him :' Your
manner of one who had enjoyed the general mass of knowledge of books
best company. His behaviour was and men renders you very capable to
modest and unassuming ; he gave make, yourself master of any science,
himself no superior airs, and the or fit yourself for any profession.'
pride which a large fortune often Life, ii. 9.
cheerfulness
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