Page:Johnsonian Miscellanies I.djvu/271

 Anecdotes.

��town. * What was the subject, Madam (says Dr. Johnson) ? ' Friendship, Sir (replied I). 'Why now, is it not strange that a wise man, like our dear little Evans J, should take it in his head to preach on such a subject, in a place where no one can be thinking of it ? ' Why, what are they thinking upon, Sir (said I) ? women are thinking of their mops.'
 * Why, the. men are thinking on their money I suppose, and the

Dr. Johnson's knowledge and esteem of what we call low or coarse life was indeed prodigious ; and he did not like that the upper ranks should be dignified with the name of the world. Sir Joshua Reynolds said one day, that nobody wore laced coats now 2 ; and that once every body wore them. * See now (says Johnson) how absurd that is ; as if the bulk of mankind consisted of fine gentlemen that came to him to sit for their pictures. If every man who wears a laced coat (that he can pay for) was extirpated, who would miss them ? ' With all this haughty con tempt of gentility, no praise was more welcome to Dr. Johnson

��1 Miss Hawkins (Memoirs, i. 65), mentions ' the Rev. Mr. Evans, who having the living of St. Olave's, Tooley Street, was frequently a guest at Mrs. Thrale's table.'

2 ' Greek, Sir (said Johnson), is like lace ; every man gets as much of it as he can.' Life, iv. 23. When, in 1 749, his Irene was acted ' he appeared in one of the side boxes in a scarlet waistcoat, with rich gold lace, and a gold-laced hat.' Ib. i. 200. Ruddiman, the Scotch gram marian and Librarian of the Faculty of Advocates, is thus described in 1747: 'His coat was of cloth and of a mixed orange colour ; his waist coat of scarlet-cloth and decorated with broad gold lace. His shirt was ornamented with very deep ruffles.' Chalmers's Life of Ruddiman, p. 274. to his son, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen, says: 'If I am rightly in

��formed, I am now writing to a fine Gentleman in a scarlet coat laced with gold, a brocade waistcoat, and all other suitable ornaments.' Letters to his Son, i. 261.

When Joseph Andrews had to choose a dress from the wardrobe of his new brother-in-law, Squire Booby, 'the plainest he could find was a blue coat and breeches, with a gold edging, and a red waistcoat with the same.' Joseph Andrews, Bk. iv. ch. 4.

Bentham, writing of about the year 1756, says : 'At dinner [at the Duke of Leeds'] my attention was excited by a Mr. Trimmer, an humble dependant of the family, who sat at the bottom of the table and wore gold lace like the rest ; for every body wore gold lace then ; but narrow was the gold lace worn by Mr. Trimmer.' Bentham's Works, x. 31.

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