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yield to fuperior numbers, and kept them all at bay, until the watch came up and carried him and his antagonifts to the watchhouse. In his drefs he was fingular and flovenly; and though he improved fomewhat under the lectures of Mrs. Thrale, during his long refidence at Streatham, yet he was never able completely to furmount particularity. He never wore a watch till he was fixty years of age, and then caufed one to be made for him by Mudge and Dutton, which coft him feventeen guineas, with this infcription on the dial-plate, "For the night cometh." He was fond of good company, and of good living; and, to the laft, he knew of no method of regulating his appetites, but abfolute restraint or unlimited indulgence. "Many a day," fays Mr. Bofwell, “did he faft; many a year refrain from wine: but when he did eat, it was voraciously; when he did drink wine, it was copioufly. He could practise abfli

nence, but not temperance." In converfation, he was rude, intemperate, overbearing, and impatient of contradiction. Addicted to argument, and greedy of victory, he was equally regardless of truth and fair reafoning in his approaches to conqueft.

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is no arguing with him," faid Goldsmith, alluding to a speech in one of Cibber's plays; "for if his piftol miffes fire, he knocks you down with the butt end of it." In the early part of his life, he had been too much depreffed; in his latter years, too lavishly indulged. His temper had at first been foured by disappointment and penury, and his petulance was afterwards flattered by universal fubmiffion. In his converfation and goodness of heart, his friends met with a recompenfe for that fubmiffion which the fovereignty of his genius challenged, and his temper exacted from them to the uttermoft. To great powers, he united a perpetual and ardent desire to ex

cel; and even in an argument on the most indifferent subject, he generally engaged with the whole force and energy of his great abilities. Of his converfation, it is true, all that has been retained by Mr. Bofwell, does not seem to be worth recording. Judging of it most favourably, it is not much distinguished by the flashes of wit, or the strokes of humour. Where he appears ferious, we are not always fure that he speaks the fentiments of his conviction. Mr. Bofwell allows that he often talked for victory, and fometimes took up the weaker fide, as the most ingenious things could be faid on it. Truth, and the ableft defences of truth, are mixed with error, and the most ingenious gloffes which ingenuity/could invent, or addrefs enforce. Authors are exalted, or depreciated, as the moment of hilarity or gloom was connected with the fubject, or as the opinion of the speaker was adverfe; and the whole is given as the fen

timent of Johnfon. But for the inferiority of his converfation, to our opinion of the man, he has himself made a prophetic apology, in his first interview with his biogra pher, who was destined to retail it. " People may be taken in once, who imagine that an author is greater in private life than another man. Uncommon parts require uncommon opportunities for their exertions."

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With thefe defects, there was, however, fcarcely a virtue of which he was not in principle poffeffed. He was humane, charitable, affectionate, and generous. moft intemperate fallies were the effects of an irrritable habit; he offended only to repent. To the warm and active benevolence of his heart, all his friends have borne teftimony. "He had nothing," fays Goldfmith, "of the bear, but his fkin." Misfortune had only to form her claim, in order to found her right to the use of his

purse, or the exercise of his talents. His house was an afylum for the unhappy, beyond what a regard to perfonal convenience would have allowed; and his income was diftributed in the fupport of his inmates, to an extent greater than general prudence would have permitted. The most honourable teftimony to his moral and focial character, is the cordial esteem of his friends and acquaintances. He was known by no man by whom his lofs was not regretted. Another great feature of his mind, was the love of independence. While he felt the strength of his own powers, he despised, except in one inftance, pecuniary aid. His penfion has been often mentioned, and fubjected him to fevere imputations. But let thofe, who, like Johnson, had no patrimony, who were not always willing to labour, and felt the constant recurrence of neceffities, reject, without an adequate reafon, an independent income,

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