426 Minor Anecdotes of Dr. Johnson.
in the United States, vol. i. p. 181. This work is not in the British Museum. Stuart studied under West in 1778.]
Dr. Johnson called one morning on Mr. West [the painter] to converse with him on American affairs. After some time Mr. West said that he had a young American [Gilbert Stuart] living with him, from whom he might derive some information, and introduced Stuart. The conversation continued (Stuart being thus invited to take a part in it,) when the Doctor observed to Mr. West that the young man spoke very good English ; and turning to Stuart rudely asked him where he had learned it. Stuart very promptly replied, ( Sir, I can better tell you where I did not learn it it was not from your dictionary.' Johnson seemed aware of his own abruptness, and was not offended.
��BY THE REV. RICHARD WARNER.
[From Warner's Tour through the Northern Counties, published in 1802, vol. i. p. 105.]
During the last visit which the Doctor made to Lichfield r , the friends with whom he was staying missed him one morning at the breakfast-table. On inquiring after him of the servants, they understood he had set off from Lichfield at a very early hour, without mentioning to any of the family whither he was going. The day passed without the return of the illustrious guest, and the party began to be very uneasy on his account, when, just before the supper-hour, the door opened, and the Doctor stalked into the room. A solemn silence of a few minutes ensued, nobody daring to inquire the cause of his absence, which was at length relieved by Johnson addressing
1 Johnson, during his last visit to Johnson's schoolmaster, Hunter, who Lichfield, told the Rev. Henry White married Lucy Porter, sister of Henry that what is here recounted had Porter, Mrs. Johnson's first husband, happened a few years earlier. Life, Nichols, Lit. Hist. vii. 362. iv. 372. White was the grandson of
the
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