without any apparent alteration, and once in the company with whom I dined this day, he said, pray Mr. Thrale give us another
>ttle V It is ridiculous to pry so nearly into the movements of such men, yet Boswell carrys it to a degree of superstition. The Doctor it appears has a custom of putting the peel of oranges into his pocket, and he asked the Doctor what use he made of them, the Doctor's reply was, that his dearest friend should not know that 2 . This has made poor Boswell unhappy, and I verily think he is as anxious to know the secret as a green sick girl. N.B. The book wherewith Johnson presented the highland lady was Cocker's Arithmetic 3 .
Murphy gave it (on Garrick's authority) that when it was asked what was the greatest pleasure, Johnson answered * * But Garrick is his most intimate friend, they came to London together and he 4 is very correct both in his conduct and language ; as a proof of this, they all agreed in a story of him and Dr. James 5 , who is, it seems, a very lewd fellow, both verbo et facto. James, it seems, in a coach with his whoor, took up Johnson, and set him down at a given place Johnson hearing afterwards what the lady was attacked James, when next he met him, for carrying him about in such company. James apologised by saying * * . ' Damn the rascal 6 ,' says Johnson, * he is past sixty the * .'
Boswell desirous of setting his native country off to the best advantage expatiated upon the beauty of a certain prospect, particularly upon a view of the sea. * O Sir,' says Johnson, * the sea is the same everywhere V
1 * Talking of drinking wine John- were neither uttered by Johnson, nor son said, " I did not leave off wine reported of him at a table where his because I could not bear it; I have a version to profanity was known; nor drunk three bottles of port without is it at all likely that he uttered any- being the worse for it. University thing which the editor of Dr. Camp- College has witnessed this." ' Life, bell's Diary could not have printed, iii. 245. Reynolds, who knew him so well,
3 It was on the morning of this said that ' he would never suffer the same day that Boswell received this least immorality or indecency of con- reply. Id. ii. 330. See also Letters, versation to proceed without a severe i. 49. check.' Post in Sir J. Reynolds's
3 Life, v. 138. Anecdotes ; ante, ii. 17.
4 Johnson, not Garrick, is meant. 7 Life, v. 54.
5 Ib. i. 8l, 159; iii. 389, n. 2. Johnson, in a letter as printed by
6 These words, we may be sure, Mrs. Piozzi, wrote : ' I am glad that
Dr.
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