Literary men, and the advantages of learning, being the subject of
conversation when JOHNSON was present, he enforced and closed the
observations in the following celebrated sentence of Lactantius---
“Eruditio inter prospera ornamentum, inter adversa refugium.”
Professor Richardson’s observation, that men judge of objects according
to their peculiar habits, and that a beautiful lawn, which excites
pastoral ideas in the poet’s mind, suggests the value of the land to the
miser, is exemplified by the following:
An old Epicure, walking one fine morning, in the meadows on the banks of
a river, exclaimed with rapture at the sight of a lamb that was frisking
about “pretty innocent creature, how deliciously thou wouldst eat with
carrots or cauliflowers.”
Sir John Salter, who died in 1605, and was a generous benefactor to the
worshipful company of Salters, ordered, in his last will and testament,
the beadles and servants of the company, to go to the church of St.
Magnus, the first week of every October, and knock upon his grave stone,
with sticks and staves three times each person, and say, “How do you do
brother Salter? I hope you are well.”
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