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 ��attention to the capacity of his hearers, and a prudent resolution not to lessen the influence of his learning and virtue, by casual freaks of humour, and irregular starts of ill-managed merriment. He did not wish to confound, but to inform his auditors x ; and though he did not appear to solicit benevolence, he always wished to retain authority, and leave his company impressed with the idea, that it was his to teach in this world, and theirs to learn. What wonder then that all should receive with docility from Johnson those doctrines, which propagated by Collier they drove away from them with shouts ! Dr. Johnson was not grave however because he knew not how to be merry. No man loved laughing better, and his vein of humour was rich, and apparently inexhaustible 2 ; Though Dr. Goldsmith said once to him, We should change companions oftener, we exhaust one another, and shall soon be both of us worn out 3. Poor Goldsmith was to him indeed like the earthen pot to the iron one in Fontaine's fables ; it had been better for him perhaps, that they had changed companions oftener ; yet no experience of his antagonist's strength hindered him from continuing the contest 4. He used to remind me always of that verse in Berni,

// pover uomo che non sen' Zra accorto, Andava combattendo ed era morto.

Mr. Johnson made him a comical answer one day, when seem ing to repine at the success of Beattie's Essay on Truth 5 ' Here's such a stir (said he) about a fellow that has written one book,

1 Ante, p. 213. Johnson seemed a little angry, and

2 ' In the talent of humour,' writes said, " Sir, you have not travelled Hawkins, 'there hardly ever was over my mind, I promise you."' Johnson's equal, except perhaps Life, iv. 183.

among the old comedians.' Haw- 4 Boswell speaks of that 'vanity

kins's Johnson, p. 139. See post, which often excited Goldsmith to oc-

pp. 287, 345. casional competition ' with Johnson.

3 'Dr. Goldsmith said once to Dr. Ib. i. 417 ; ii. 216, 257. He admits, Johnson, that he wished for some however, that 'he was often very additional members to the LITERARY fortunate in his witty contests, even CLUB, to give it an agreeable variety; when he entered the lists with John- for (said he,) there can now be son himself.' Ib. ii. 231.

nothing new among us ; we have 5 Ib. ii. 201 ; Letters of Hume to travelled over one another's minds. Strahan, p. 269.

and

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