I am now to record a very curious incident in Dr. Johnson's life which
fell under my own observation; of which _pars magna fui_, and which I
am persuaded will, with the liberal-minded, be much to his credit.
My desire of being acquainted with celebrated men of every description
had made me, much about the same time, obtain an introduction to Dr.
Samuel Johnson and to John Wilkes, Esq. Two men more different could
perhaps not be selected out of all mankind. They had even attacked one
another with some asperity in their writings; yet I lived in habits of
friendship with both. I could fully relish the excellence of each; for
I have ever delighted in that intellectual chemistry which can
separate good qualities from evil in the same person.
My worthy booksellers and friends, Messieurs Dilly in the Poultry, at
whose hospitable and well-covered table I have seen a greater number
of literary men than at any other except that of Sir Joshua Reynolds,
had invited me to meet Mr. Wilkes and some more gentlemen on
Wednesday, May 15th. "Pray" (said I), "let us have Dr. Johnson."
"What, with Mr. Wilkes? not for the world" (said Mr. Edward Dilly):
"Dr. Johnson would never forgive me." "Come" (said I), "if you'll let
me negotiate for you, I will be answerable that all shall go well."
_Dilly_: Nay, if you will take it upon you, I am sure I shall be very
happy to see them both here.
Notwithstanding the high veneration which I entertained for Dr.
Johnson, I was sensible that he was sometimes a little actuated by the
spirit of contradiction, and by means of that I hoped I should gain my
point. I was persuaded that if I had come upon him with a direct
proposal, "Sir, will you dine in company with Jack Wilkes?" he would
have flown into a passion, and would probably have answered, "Dine
with Jack Wilkes, sir! I'd as soon dine with Jack Ketch." I therefore,
while we were sitting quietly by ourselves at his house in an evening,
took occasion to open my plan thus:
"Mr. Dilly, sir, sends his respectful compliments to you, and would be
happy if you would do him the honor to dine with him on Wednesday next
along with me, as I must soon go to Scotland."
_Johnson_: Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Dilly. I will wait upon him--
_Boswell_: Provided, sir, I suppose, that the company which he is to
have is agreeable to you.
_Johnson_: What do you mean, sir? What do you take me for? Do you
think I am so ignorant of the world as to imagine that I am to
prescribe to a gentleman what company he is to have at his table?
_Boswell_: I beg your pardon, sir, for wishing to prevent you from
meeting people whom you might not like. Perhaps he may have some of
what he calls his patriotic friends with him.
_Johnson_: Well, sir, and what then? What care I for his _patriotic
friends_? Poh!
_Boswell_: I should not be surprized to find Jack Wilkes there.
_Johnson_: And if Jack Wilkes _should_ be there, what is that to _me_,
sir? My dear friend, let us have no more of this. I am sorry to be
angry with you; but really it is treating me strangely to talk to me
as if I could not meet any company whatever, occasionally.
_Boswell_: Pray forgive me, sir: I meant well. But you shall meet
whoever comes, for me.
Thus I secured him, and told Dilly that he would find him very well
pleased to be one of his guests on the day appointed.
Upon the much-expected Wednesday I called on him about half an hour
before dinner, as I often did when we were to dine out together, to
see that he was ready in time, and to accompany him. I found him
buffeting his books, as upon a former occasion, covered with dust, and
making no preparation for going abroad. "How is this, sir?" (said I).
"Don't you recollect that you are to dine at Mr. Dilly's?"
_Johnson_: Sir, I did not think of going to Dilly's: it went out of my
head. I have ordered dinner at home with Mrs. Williams.
_Boswell_: But, my dear sir, you know you were engaged to Mr. Dilly,
and I told him so. He will expect you, and will be much disappointed
if you don't come.
_Johnson_: You must talk to Mrs. Williams about this.
Here was a sad dilemma. I feared that what I was so confident I had
secured, would yet be frustrated. He had accustomed himself to show
Mrs. Williams such a degree of humane attention as frequently imposed
some restraint upon him; and I knew that if she should be obstinate,
he would not stir. I hastened down-stairs to the blind lady's room,
and told her I was in great uneasiness, for Dr. Johnson had engaged to
me to dine this day at Mr. Dilly's, but that he had told me he had
forgotten his engagement, and had ordered dinner at home. "Yes, sir"
(said she, pretty peevishly), "Dr. Johnson is to dine at home."
"Madam" (said I), "his respect for you is such that I know he will not
leave you, unless you absolutely desire it. But as you have so much of
his company, I hope you will be good enough to forego it for a day; as
Mr. Dilly is a very worthy man, has frequently had agreeable parties
at his house for Dr. Johnson, and will be vexed if the Doctor neglects
him to-day. And then, madam, be pleased to consider my situation: I
carried the message, and I assured Mr. Dilly that Dr. Johnson was to
come; and no doubt he has made a dinner, and invited a company, and
boasted of the honor he expected to have. I shall be quite disgraced
if the Doctor is not there."
She gradually softened to my solicitations, which were certainly as
earnest as most entreaties to ladies upon any occasion, and was
graciously pleased to empower me to tell Dr. Johnson "that, all things
considered, she thought he should certainly go." I flew back to him,
still in dust, and careless of what should be the event, "indifferent
in his choice to go or stay"; but as soon as I had announced to him
Mrs. Williams's consent, he roared, "Frank, a clean shirt," and was
very soon drest. When I had him fairly seated in a hackney-coach with
me, I exulted as much as a fortune-hunter who has got an heiress into
a post-chaise with him to set out for Gretna Green.
When we entered Mr. Dilly's drawing-room, he found himself in the
midst of a company he did not know. I kept myself snug and silent,
watching how he would conduct himself. I observed him whispering to
Mr. Dilly, "Who is that gentleman, sir?" "Mr. Arthur Lee." _Johnson_:
"Too, too, too" (under his breath), which was one of his habitual
mutterings. Mr. Arthur Lee could not but be very obnoxious to Johnson,
for he was not only a _patriot_ but an _American_. He was afterward
minister from the United States at the court of Madrid. "And who is
the gentleman in lace?" "Mr. Wilkes, sir." This information confounded
him still more; he had some difficulty to restrain himself, and taking
up a book, sat down upon a window-seat and read, or at least kept his
eye upon it intently for some time, till he composed himself. His
feelings, I dare say, were awkward enough. But he no doubt recollected
his having rated me for supposing that he could be at all disconcerted
by any company, and he therefore resolutely set himself to behave
quite as an easy man of the World, who could adapt himself at once to
the disposition and manners of those whom he might chance to meet.
The cheering sound of "Dinner is upon the table" dissolved his
reverie, and we all sat down without any symptom of ill-humor. There
were present, besides Mr. Wilkes, and Mr. Arthur Lee, who was an old
companion of mine when he studied physics at Edinburgh, Mr. (now Sir
John) Miller, Dr. Lettson, and Mr. Slater the druggist. Mr. Wilkes
placed himself next to Dr. Johnson, and behaved to him with so much
attention and politeness that he gained upon him insensibly. No man
ate more heartily than Johnson, or loved better what was nice and
delicate. Mr. Wilkes was very assiduous in helping him to some fine
veal. "Pray give me leave, sir--It is better here--A little of the
brown--Some fat, sir--A little of the stuffing--Some gravy--Let me
have the pleasure of giving you some butter--Allow me to recommend a
squeeze of this orange; or the lemon, perhaps, may have more zest."
"Sir, sir, I am obliged to you, sir," cried Johnson, bowing, and
turning his head to him with a look for some time of "surly virtue,"
but in a short while of complacency.