performed to Dr. Johnson, by Dr. Watson, afterwards Bishop of Llandaff, and then Professor of Chemistry, &c. T After having spent the morning in seeing all that was worthy of notice, the sage dined at his conductor's table, which was sur rounded by various persons, all anxious to see so remarkable a character, but the moment was not favourable ; he had been wearied by his previous exertions, and would not talk. After the party had dispersed, he said, ' I was tired, and would not take the trouble, or I could have set them right upon several subjects, Sir ; for instance, the gentleman who said he could not imagine how any pleasure could be derived from hunting, the reason is, because man feels his own vacuity 2 less in action than when at rest.'
Mr. Williams, the rector of Wellesbourne, in Warwickshire, mentioned having once, when a young man, performed a stage coach journey with Dr. Johnson, who took his place in the vehicle, provided with a little book, which his companion soon discovered to be Lucian 3 : he occasionally threw it aside, if struck by any remark made by his fellow-travellers, and poured forth his knowledge and eloquence in a full stream, to the delight and astonishment of his auditors. Accidentally, the first subject which attracted him was the digestive faculties of dogs, from whence he branched off as to the powers of digestion in various species of animals, discovering such stores of information, that this particular point might have been supposed to have formed his especial study, and so it was with every other subject started. The strength of his memory was not less astonishing than his eloquence ; he quoted from various authors, either in support of his own argument or to confute those of his companions, as readily, and apparently as accurately, as if the works had been in his hands. The coach halted, as usual, for dinner, which seemed to be a deeply interesting business to Johnson, who
1 For Johnson's visit to Cambridge, neither business nor pleasure.' Ante, see Life, i. 487, 517 ; Letters, i. 183 n. i. 88.
Watson was a Fellow of Trinity 3 Johnson in the Harwich stage- College. See ante, i. 307 n. coach read Pomponius Mela de Situ
2 ' I am now to review the last year, Orbis, and in the Oxford stage-coach and find little but dismal vacuity, Euripides. Life, i. 465 ; iv. 311.
vehemently
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