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 292 Recollections of Dr. Johnson

Races, that all the Jockies wore the same colour coat dye he said ' that was like Johnson's remarks, he could not see.' But it was observed that he could enquire. ' Yes, it was by the answers he received that he was misled/ for he ask'd, * what did the first greens were all different greens, and very easily distinguished. Johnson was perpetually making mistakes; so, on going to Fountainblue \sic\ when we were about three-fourths of the way, he exclaimed with amazement that now we were between Paris and the King of France's Court, and yet we had not mett \sic\ one carriage coming from thense \sic\ t or seen one going thither ! on which all the company in the coach burst out laughing, and immediately cry*d out, look, look, there is a coach gon [sic] by, there is a chariot, there is a post-chaise. I dare say we saw a hundred carriages at least, that were going to, or coming from, Fountainblue/
 * What the third ? ' * Green ; ' which was true ; but then the

It was mention'd with surprise to Mr. Barretti that Dr. Johnson should not have seen any Play but that one he saw at Fountain- blue x. ' Oh yes, he was at two or three/ ( Indeed, he said he had not, and we know that he never tells an untruth.' B. * Yes, I very well remember that he straddled over the Benches to come near some person, a la Comedie Frangaise.'

Baretti on his return from France seem'd full of animosity against Johnson, merely, I believe, from a false conceit of his own importance.

[Here follows a narrative which has nothing to do with Johnson.]

I believe there never subsisted any cordial Friendship between Dr. Johnson and Barretti after their journey to Paris 2 ; and what perhaps intirely extinguished it, was a most mendacious falsehood that he told Johnson of his having beaten Omai 3 at Chess, both times that he play'd with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds's, for the very reverse was true !

1 Johnson recorded in his Journal: 2 Johnson wrote sarcastically of 'At night we went to a comedy. I Baretti a few months before this neither saw nor heard.' Life, ii. journey. Letters, i. 350. 394. 3 Life, iii. 8.

4 Do

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