Lordship's manner was not impreffive, and I learnt afterwards that Johnfon did not find out that the perfon who talked to him was a Prelate; if he had, I doubt not that he would have treated him with more refpect; for once talking of George Pfalmanazar, whom he reverenced for his piety, he faid, I fhould as foon think of contradicting a Bishop.' One of the company provoked him greatly by doing what he could leaft of all bear, which was queting fomething of his own writing, against what he then maintained. "What, Sir (cried the gentleman), do you fay to The busy day, the peaceful night, Unfelt, uncounted, glided by?' Johnfon having thus had himself prefented as giving an inftance of a man who had lived without uneafinefs, was much offended, for he looked upon fuch quotation as unfair. His anger burst out in an unjustifiable retort, infinuating that the gentleman's remark was a fally of ebriety; Sir, there is one pat on I would advife you to command. When you have drunk out that glafs, don't drink another.' Here was exemplified what Goldfmith faid of him, with the aid of a very witty image from one of Cibber's Comedies, There is no arguing with Johnton; for if his piftol mifles fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it."-Another, when a gentleman of eminence in the literary world was violently cenfured for attacking people by anonymeus paragraphs in newippers; he, from the pint of contrad Ction, as I thought, took up his defence, and faid, 'Come, come, this is not fo terrible a crime; he means only to vex them a little. I do not fay that I fhould do it; but there is a great difference between him and me; what is fit for He phrition is not fit for Alexander.'-Another, when I told him that a young and handfome Counters had faid to me, • I should think that to be praised by Dr. Johnion would make one a fool all one's life; and that I answered, Madam, I fhall make him a fool to-day, by repeating this to him,' he said, I am too old to be made a fool; but if you fay I am, I fall not deny it. I am much pleafed with a compliment, especially from a pretty woman.” Sn after this period Johnfon and Delwell paid a vilit to Oxford, where they were one day entertained with great hoi pitality by Dr. Adams. After dinner, when one of us talked of there being a great enmity between Whig and Tory, JOHNSON. Why not fo much, I think, unlefs when they come into competition with each other. There is none when they are only common acquaintance, none when they are of different fexes. A Tory will marry into a Whig family, and a Whig into a Tory family, without any reluctance. But indeed in a matter of much more concern than political tenets, and that is religion, men and women do not concern themfelves much about difference of opinion. And ladies fet no value on the moral character of men who pay their addreffes to them; the greatest profligate will be as well received as the man of the greatest virtue, and this by a very good woman-by a woman who fays her prayers three times a day.' Our ladies endeavoured to defend their fex from this charge; but he roared them down! No, no; a lady will take Jonathan Wild as readily as St. Austin, if he has threepence more; and, what is worse, her parents will give her to him. Women have a perpetual envy of our vices; they are lefs vicious than we, not from choice, but be caufe we reftrict them; they are the flaves of order and fashion; their virtue is of more confequence to us than our own, fo far as concerns this world.' "Mifs Adams mentioned a gentleman of licentious character, and faid, 'Suppofe I had a mind to marry that gentle man, Would my parents confent?' JOHNSON. Yes, they'd confent, and you'd go. You'd go though they did not content,' MISS ADAMS. Perhaps their oppofing might make me go.' JOHNSON. · O, very well; you'd take one whom you think a bad man, to have the pleature of vexing your parents. You put me in mind of Dr. Barrowby the physician, who was very fond of twine's fleth. One. day when he was cating it, he said, I wish I was Jew. Why fo (faid fomebody)? the Jews are not allowed to eat your favourite meat.'- Becaufe (faid he) I fhould then have the gust of eating it, with the pleature of finning. He then proceeded in his declamation. ་ "Mifs Adams foon afterwards made an obfervation that I do not recolle&t, which pleafed him much; he faid, with a good-humoured finile, "That there fhould be to much excellence united with fo much depravity, is ftrange." Many other very curious and entertaining anecdotes are related of this extraordinary character in this part of the work, both during his ftay at Oxford, and after his return to London. The winter was now fast approaching, and the interval of convalefcence which johnfon had enjoyed during the fummer, induced him to exprefs a wish to vifit Italy. Upon this fubject, however, his withes had been anticipated by the anxiety of his friends to preferve his health; and in order to procure the means of defraying the expences of the expedition, application was made to the Minifter, unknown to Dr. Johnson, for an increase of his penfion from Government. In confequence of this application, Mr. Bolwell had the honour to receive from the Lord Chancellor the folJowing Letter: "TO JAMES BOSWELL, ESQ; 66 SIR, "I fhould have anfwered your Letter immediately, if (being much engaged when I received it) I had not put it in my pocket, and forgot to open it till this morning. "I am much obliged to you for the fuggeftion; and I will adopt and prefs it as far as I can. The beft argument, I am fure, and I hope it is not likely to fail, is Dr. Johnton's merit.-But it will be ne. ceffary, if I should be fo unfortunate as to mifs feeing you, to converfe with Sir Joshua on the fum it will be proper to ask in fhort, upon the means of fetting him out. It would he a reflection on us all, if fuch a man should perifh for want of the means to take care of his health. "Your's, &c. "THURLOW." "This Letter gave me a very high fatisfaction; I next day went and fhewed it to Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was exceedingly pleafed with it. He thought that I fhould now communicate the nego ciation to Dr. Johnson, who might afterwards complain, if the attention with which it had been honoured fhould be to long concealed from him. I intended to fet out for Scotland next morning, but Sir Joshua cordially infifted that I should ftay another day, that Johnfon and I might dine with him-that we three might talk of his Italian Tour, and, as Sir Joshua expreffed himfelf, "have it all out." I haftened to Johnson, and was told by him that he was rather better today. BoSWELL." I am very anxious about you, Sir, and particularly that you fhould go to Italy for the winter, which I believe is your own wish." JOHNSON. "It is, Sir." BOSWELL. "You have no objection, I prefume, but the money it would require." JOHNSON. "Why' no, Sir." Upon which I gave him a particular account of what had been done, and read to him the Lord Chancellor's letter. He listened with much attention; then warmly faid, "This is taking pro"O! Sir digious pains about a man." (faid I, with molt fincere affection), your friends would do every thing for you.". He paused-grew more and more agitated-till tears started into his eyes, and he exclaimed with fervent emotion, "God blefs you all!" I was fo affected that I alfo fhed tears.-After a fhort filence, he renewed and extended his grateful benediction, "God bless you all, for Jefus Chrift's fake." We both remained for fome time unable to speak.-He rofe fuddenly and quitted the room, quite melted in tenderness. He ftayed but a short time, till he had recovered his firmness. Soon after he returned I left him, having firft engaged him to dine at Sir Joshua Reynolds's next day.I never was again under that roof which I had fo long reverenced." (To be continued.) A Sequel to the printed Paper lately circulated in Warwickshire. By the Rev. Mr. Charles Curtis, Brother of Alderman Curtis, à Birmingham Rector, &c. 8vo. 4s. Dilly. 1793. (Concluded from Page 31. ) Dr. Thomfon's Letter on the fubOF ject of the prefent Commotions and Difputes refpecting the Nature and End of Civil Society and Government, Dr. Parr fays: "Upon this fubje&t I have been favoured by my learned Correfpondent Dr. William Thomson with fome remarks, which he has permitted me to infert in this pamphlet, and which, for depth of thought and energy of style, deferve the attention of my reader." It was our intention to have given this Let ter at full length, but that intention is neceffarily fuperfeded by that uncommon influx of both matter of fact and obfervation of high importance, which the afpect of the prefent times prefents. The following is a brief analysis of it.-Dr. T. after fome compliments to Mr. Mackintosh, the adverfary of Mr. Burke, who had done him the honour of quoting him twice in his book, declares his opinion, "that there is in his, as in most of the books of Reformation that he had seen, too too bold an air of innovation. For," fays he," in all moral changes, the remote and unforeseen confequences are of much more importance than the immediate effect. A catalogue of great events produced by trifling caufes, forms one of the most interesting and inftructive little works (if a leffon of great humility may be deemed instruction), to be found in any language. "An Archite&t builds a houfe in the moft perfect fymmetry, because he has to do with dead things; with wood, and ftones, and other inert and paffive materials but the fouls of men, with which the Statefman has to do, are living fpirits. Thefe are materials which are to be treated with infinite delicacy. In tranfpofing thefe, we muft proceed gently, and by flow degrees, left we move more than we can wield. In the moral world a small spark oft-times kindles a mighty flame, which neither reafon nor eloquence can fublue. When fhall natural philofophers arrive at the art of moving the marble from the folid rock into arches and pillars, and other forms of architecture, by means of the projectile force of gunpowder? Scarcely is it lefs difficult for the moral philofopher to combine the awakened propenfities and difcordant views of millions, in one harmonious and permanent political fyftem. But if the momentum of thofe propenfities and views be not calculated with due exactnefs, the powder of paflion, instead of raifing a goodly political fabric, will cover the fair face of Nature with volcanic ashes. Poets have afcribed certain edifices to the divine power of mutic; but the concord of fweet founds is radically and effentially diffrent from the angry paffions. Harmony is creative! Ditcord deftructive!" Dr. Thomion proceeds to fhew from the Will of God, or the Economy of the Supreme Mind, manifetted in the courfe of Nature, of Providence, and of Grace, that the great and comprehenfive deligns which govern, or rather embrace, all the palling icenes in the univerfe, are carried into execution by means gradual, flow, and, to the narrowness of human views, even dilatory and tardy. He thews, agreeably to the doctrine of the Platonic and mot fublime and rational Interpretation of Scripture, that in the Chriftian Difpenfation there are feveral claffes or conditions of Difciples, correfponding to their different tages of proficiency in moral wildom and virtue, from the Baptifin of John, reaching only to outward inpurițies, to the unttion of the Holy Spirit of Truth, penetrating the very effence of the heart and foul as by living fire, and forming a fublime fyftem of action, in which perfect love cafteth out fear, and Virtue and Holine's are purfued on their own account, as well as for His fake in whom they were confummated, and who is at once their Patron.-But the Doctor does not feem to confine his admiration to one fyftem of Religion, but to entertain an opinion, that in different fyitems of Religion there may be great moral excellence as well as profound knowledge, and even somewhat of divine origin. In the Hindoo Religion there is a Trinity of Deities, BRAMAH, CHIVEN, and VICHENOU; the firtt reprefenting the power of creation, the fecond that of diffolution and deftruction, the third that of prefervation. In the allotment of one of thofe three grand departments, into which the univerfe is divided, to the God of Deftruction, do we not fee the profoundelt wifdom? All things, exiting in individuality, pafs away. Diffolution precedes re-production: both of these enter equally into the plan of the Almighty Ruler. Nor is it intended that there fhould be any thing violent or painful in the former, any more than in the latter. Such is the benign wifdom of HIM with whom a thousand years are as one day, and one day as a thousand years. While certain grand objects are advancing to their just completion, other inferior objects, which ferve as fteps to thofe, are alfo going on to theirs. The narrowness of our views, and the precipitancy of our spirits, hurry us into rash and violent action; but in the order of nature, all is gradual and ferene. Creative bounty is not more folicitous to raise new beings into life, than to lay thofe it has raifed gently down, like ripe fruit, into their mother's lap, without pain. The cave of Death is more terrible at the entrance than within. The laft ftage of gradual diffolution is not more painful than thofe imperceptible changes that went before it. A tree grows up to maturity in a certain space of time, flourishes in full ftrength for an equal period, and in an equal, or nearly equal, finks down in total decay. An animal, in like manner, grows, flourithes, and decays by imperceptible degrees. Nature is flow, and, as it were, reluctant wholly to diffolve whatever the has formed. The withered branches and trunks of trees, the skeletons and bones of animals bleaching for many a year in the open air, mouldering towers preferving thet heir forms for centuries after they ceafe to be inhabited; thefe ftriking objects declare that gentle and divine gradation which Nature evidently affects in all her external works. "The moral world moves in a higher order than the natural, but in a fimilar ratio; one reafon governing both. States, kingdoms, and empires, have their growth, ftrength, and decay; and, while they pafs on, like natural bodies, from form to form, it is the duty of Legislators, in imitation of Divine Wisdom, to be as tenderly concerned for their last stage as for their firit. "It does not feem to be the part of wife Statesmen to create, fo much as to improve, Governments. As there are various feeds profusely scattered over the external face of nature, fo there are various fources of civil and political focieties. And as the husbandman only pretends to cultivate, not to create the feeds of vegetables, fo in like manner it is for the intereft of human focieties, that Statefmen, instead of forming, at once, the very itamina or elsence of new Governments, by a procefs fudden and violent, fhould make the most of the old in the mean time, and affimilate them, according to the general œconomy of nature, by flow de grees, to the most approved forms that even metaphyfical policy can devife. Such forms may ferve Legiflators in the fame manner that mariners are benefited by the polar ftar; by which they are directed, but to which they never can approach." and Metaphyfician as Mr. Locke, that if we Dr. T. obferves, that it has been found on trial, that it is almoft as difficult for the Legillator to form à priorì a happy conftitution of Government, as it would be abfurd for a gardener, or husbandman, to attempt, by a mixture of natural elements, to form an apple or an acorn. "As the nature of a feed is beft difcovered by its developement into an herb, farub, or tree, fo the principles of Government are best understood when they are contemplated in action, effect, and full expansion."-He proceeds to evince the foily of all attempts to establish new fyitems of Government without the gui. dance of experience, by the failure of the famous Mr. Locke's political plans in Carolina, and of the attempts of the prefent Empress and the Grand Duke of Ruflia to abolith flavery, and to intro. duce, at once, Liberty among their Peafants. It has been replied to Dr. Thomfon's argument taken from the overthrow of the abstract plans of fo great a Logician ularity, on the fide of Abolition: yet we cannot help thinking that if fuch reafoning as what follows in the Letter under review had been urged in the House of Commons, the triumph of popu lar oratory would not have been fo great. That all men are equal by nature, is a fiction that may be innocent enough, fo long as it is not made a lever for fubverting Constitutions that have actually grown up and flourished in inequality. It would be more philofophical to fay, that "the law is equal for all men," than that "all men are equal by nature;" for laws are abftracted or ideal things, which alone, as every Metaphylician and every Geometri ian knows, are fufceptible of perfect equality; whereas men and all other naural objects exift in individuals. It may be faid, that if all men are not equal in fact, yet they ought to be confidered as equal, or at leaft as poffeffing equal rights. But neither is this doctrine even morally or metaphyfically true. Sound policy often can recognize no other right than that of long and uninterrupted occupancy. But if a nicer and more general foundation of property exifts, on what is it founded? If it be faid, Providence, equally concerned for all his children, beftows equal rights and privileges on all, it is moft obvious to anfwer, that neither are equal rights and privileges, in fact, extended to all men; nor human happiness greatly, if at all, affected by the circumfance of difparity of rank in life. Shall it be faid, after all, that men ought to have equal privileges? I reply, that there can be no reafon given why there fhould not be diverfities of itations, as well as there are diverfities of orders, or fpecies of beings. There are different degrees of liberty and property enjoyed by different nations, and in the fame nation, by dif ferent individuals. But there is no human tate in which a certain degree of enjoy. ment is not found; none in which there is not room for the exercife of virtue; mone that is entirely excluded from hope, the greatest balm of life, either in the lowell or the most exalted stations. "Diftinction of rank and fituation arifes out of human nature, and redounds to human happiness and grandeur. Were He who can turn the hearts of men like Areams of water, to pour the fouls of a whole nation into one fmooth and limpid pool, the even tranquillity of the aggregate mafs could not, without a continued miracle, be lafting. Winds and ftorms of paffion would foon agitate the face of the troubled waters. Foreign invafions and domeftic injuries would call forth t virtues of courage and juftice: and the Hero, the Legiflator, and the Judge, attract the gratitude, the esteem, and the reverence of his countrymen. The facred fhade of admiration, which accompanies the benefactors of mankind during their life, is extended, in the imaginations and hearts of men, to their polterity. All other circumstances being equal, or but nearly equal, the fon of the good and great an, even in the rudeft tribes, caries the votes over the defcendant of the undiftinguished barbarian. As fociety advances towards civilization, the advantege of regular government, and heredi tary fucceffion to various offices and int munities, over tumultuary elections and fudden decifions, becomes more and more apparent. Divers orders, claffes, or cafts of men are formed, and the moral world is varied by fuch a waving line as that which, winding horizontally, or rifing and falling along mountains and vales, conducts and diftributes the influences of Heaven, and variegates the whole afpect of external nature. It is, happily, fuch a waving line, and not the parallelograms and acute angles of Dutch parterres, that is still the REIGNING tafte in ENGLISH GARDENING. 66 By this happy conftitution of nature (for that it is the conftitution of nature all history bears witnefs), different stations are allotted to different people. A fenfe of honour animates the man of birth to honourable atchievements; the hope of diftinction, the plebeian to diftinguished actions the convulfions incident to democracy are controuled; and the fabric of government, on which depends all that gives comfort, elegance, and dignity to life, is confolidated and ftrengthened. Instead, therefore, of wholly fubverting Monarchy, it becomes us to co operate with the gracious will of Providence, the only folid bafis of moral obligation-it becomes us to cherish a spirit of reverence of the laws among the people, and to temperate the authority of Kings by knowledge, by fentiments, by manners, and the gradual introduction of counterchecks in the exercife of government. "Some people are fo zealous in the work of political alteration, that they make no account of the prefent genera tion, but are intent folely on the convenience and comfort of pofterity. I do not, with the honeft Irishman, aík, What good ever pofterity did to us? but this I fay, that we fee only a fhort way into futurity. Evils, as well as bleflings, await pofterity, that we little think of. Let us chiefly mind the matters that are immediately before us. Let us encounter the labour and the danger of removing prefentand preffing calamities. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. I am not an enemy to political reformation: God forbid ! But all political reforms fhould be progreffive and gradual. And it is furprising in how thort a time the steady and comprehenfive eye of political pru dence accomplishes her defigns, by watching and improving fituations, occalions, and conjunctures. The city of London contains many dirty clofes and Janes; but it also con |