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 292 Anecdotes.

��When he spoke of negroes 1, he always appeared to think them of a race naturally inferior, and made few exceptions in favour of his own ; yet whenever disputes arose in his household among the many odd inhabitants of which it consisted, he always sided with Francis against the others, whom he suspected (not unjustly, I believe) of greater malignity. It seems at once vexatious and comical to reflect, that the dissentions those people chose to live constantly in, distressed and mortified him exceed ingly. He really was oftentimes afraid of going home, because he was so sure to be met at the door with numberless com plaints 2 ; and he used to lament pathetically to me, and to Mr. Sastres 3 the Italian master, who was much his favourite, that they made his life miserable from the impossibility he found of making theirs happy, when every favour he bestowed on one was wormwood to the rest. If, however, I ventured to blame their ingratitude, and condemn their conduct, he would instantly set about softening the one and justifying the other ; and finished commonly by telling me, that I knew not how to make allow ances for situations I never experienced.

To thee no reason who know'st only good, But evil hast not try'd. MILTON*.

Dr. Johnson knew how to be merry with mean people too, as well as to be sad with them; he loved the lower ranks of humanity with a real affection : and though his talents and learning kept him always in the sphere of upper life, yet he never lost sight of the time when he and they shared pain and pleasure in common 5. A borough election 6 once shewed me

1 Life, ii. 478. as I to be fastidious, bear it better,

2 Ib. iii. 461 ; Letters, ii. 74-5, by having mixed more with different 77, 122, 128; ante, p. 205 ; post, in sorts of men. You would think that Percy's Anecdotes. I have mixed pretty well too." ' Life,

3 Letters^ ii. 414. v. 307.

4 Paradise Lost, iv. 895. 6 Mrs. Piozzi means no doubt an

5 ' In our Tour, I observed that election in the Borough of Southwark he was disgusted whenever he met for which Mr. Thrale was member with coarse manners. He said to from Dec. 1765, to the dissolution me, "I know not how it is, but I of 1780. Mr. Matthews, stationer, of cannot bear low life : and I find St. Giles', Oxford, showed me a frag- others, who have as good a right ment of a MS. with the following

his

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