Page:Johnsonian Miscellanies II.djvu/24

 16 Apophthegms, Sentiments

To one who wished him to drink some wine and be jolly, adding, ; You know Sir, in vino veritas! ' Sir,' answered he, ' this is a good recommendation to a man who is apt to lie when sober 1 /

When he was first introduced to General Paoli, he was much struck with his reception of him ; he said he had very much the air of a man who had been at the head of a nation : he was par ticularly pleased with his manner of receiving a stranger at his own house, and said it had dignity and affability joined together 2.

Johnson said, he had once seen Mr. Stanhope, Lord Chester field's son. at Dodsley's shop, and was so much struck with his awkward manners and appearance, that he could not help asking Mr. Dodsley who he was 3.

Speaking one day of tea, he said, What a delightful beverage must that be, that pleases all palates, at a time when they can

To his censure of fear in general, he made however one exception, with respect to the fear of death, timorum maximus ; he thought that the best of us were but unprofitable servants, and had much reason to fear 5.

Johnson thought very well of Lord Kames's Elements of Criticism ; of other of his writings he thought very indifferently, and laughed much at his opinion, that war was a good thing occasionally, as so much valour and virtue were exhibited in it 6. A fire, says Johnson, might as well be thought a good thing ; there is the bravery and address of the firemen employed in

what was really said see Life, i. 392, rosity and disinterestedness, which

and ante, i. 427. are always attended with conscious-

1 Ante, i. 321 ; Life, ii. 188. ness of merit and dignity.' Sketches

2 ' General Paoli (he said) had the of the History of Man, ed. 1819, ii. loftiest port of any man he had ever 74. Tennyson, when he wrote Maud, seen.' Ib. ii. 82. thought with him. For Johnson's

3 Ib. iv. 333. See my Introduction estimate of The Elements of Criti- (p. 43) to the Worldly Wisdom of cism see Life, i. 393 ; ii. 89. ' Adam Lord Chesterfield. Smith, on being complimented on

4 Ante, i. 414. the group of great writers who were

5 Ante, i. 330, 445 ; Life, iv. 299. then reflecting glory on Scotland,

6 Kames, speaking of the 'less said, "Yes, but we must every one savage aspect ' of modern wars, of us acknowledge Kames for our says :' Such wars give exercise to master."' Life of Adam Smith by the elevated virtues of courage, gene- John Rae, p. 31.

extinguishing

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