Mrs Thrale tells another story of one of the portraits:
"When Reynolds painted his portrait looking into the slit of his pen
and holding it almost close to his eye, as was his custom, he felt
displeased, and told me he would not be known by posterity for his
_defects_ only, let Sir Joshua do his worst. I said that the picture in
the room where we were talking represented Sir Joshua holding his ear
in his hand to catch the sound. 'He may paint himself as deaf, if he
chooses,' replied Johnson, 'but I will not be _blinking Sam_.'"
Every year Reynolds used to deliver an address to the Royal Academy.
These were collected into a book with the title _Discourses on
Painting_ and the author of them freely owned his debt to Johnson: "He
may be said to have formed my mind, and to have brushed from it a great
deal of rubbish."
"Reynolds" said Edmund Burke "owed much to the writings and
conversation of Johnson; and nothing shews more the greatness of Sir
Joshua's parts than his taking advantage of both, and making some
application of them to his profession, when Johnson neither understood
nor desired to understand anything of painting."
But Johnson could understand his friend's writing:
"Though he had no taste for painting, he admired much the manner in
which Sir Joshua Reynolds treated of his art, in his _Discourses to
the Royal Academy_. He observed one day of a passage in them 'I think
I might as well have said this myself:' and once when Mr Langton was
sitting by him, he read one of them very eagerly, and expressed himself
thus:--'Very well, Master Reynolds; very well, indeed. But it will not
be understood.'"
Sir Joshua, as we have seen, was the founder of the Literary Club and
was "very constant" in his attendance. Boswell records, too, many a
dinner-party where Johnson and he enjoyed good fare and good talk
together, but most of the talk recorded is, naturally, Johnson's:
"On Tuesday, April 18, [1775] he and I were engaged to go with Sir
Joshua Reynolds to dine with Mr Cambridge, at his beautiful villa
on the banks of the Thames, near Twickenham. Dr Johnson's tardiness
was such, that Sir Joshua, who had an appointment at Richmond, early
in the day, was obliged to go by himself on horseback, leaving his
coach to Johnson and me. Johnson was in such good spirits, that every
thing seemed to please him as we drove along. Our conversation turned
on a variety of subjects. He thought portrait-painting an improper
employment for a woman. 'Publick practice of any art (he observed,) and
staring in men's faces, is very indelicate in a female'.... No sooner
had we made our bow to Mr Cambridge, in his library, than Johnson ran
eagerly to one side of the room, intent on poring over the backs of the
books. Sir Joshua observed, (aside,) 'He runs to the books, as I do
to the pictures: but I have the advantage. I can see much more of the
pictures than he can of the books.'"
Johnson and Reynolds often rallied each other on the subject of
drinking. Reynolds reminded his friend once that he had had eleven cups
of tea. "Sir," replied Johnson "I did not count your glasses of wine,
why should you number up my cups of tea?"
For long periods of his life, as we have seen, Johnson abstained from
wine altogether; at such times he was liable to be overbearing, not to
say rude, in discussing the social benefits of drinking:
"BOSWELL. 'The great difficulty of resisting wine is from benevolence.
For instance, a good worthy man asks you to taste his wine, which he
has had twenty years in his cellar.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, all this notion
about benevolence arises from a man's imagining himself to be of more
importance to others, than he really is. They don't care a farthing
whether he drinks or not.' SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 'Yes, they do for the
time'.... I was at this time myself a water-drinker, upon trial, by
Johnson's recommendation. JOHNSON. 'Boswell is a bolder combatant than
Sir Joshua: he argues for wine without the help of wine; but Sir Joshua
with it.' SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 'But to please one's company is a strong
motive.' JOHNSON (who, from drinking only water, supposed every body
who drank wine to be elevated,) 'I won't argue any more with you, Sir.
You are too far gone.' SIR JOSHUA. 'I should have thought so indeed,
Sir, had I made such a speech as you have now done.' JOHNSON (drawing
himself in, and, I really thought blushing,). 'Nay, don't be angry. I
did not mean to offend you.'"
This is said to be the only known instance of Johnson having blushed.
Few, indeed, would have rebuked him so neatly or so gently as the
courteous Sir Joshua.
But all Johnson's quarrels with his friends were momentary. In 1782,
after Reynolds had been ill, we find him writing:
"Your country has been in danger of losing one of its brightest
ornaments, and I of losing one of my oldest and kindest friends: but
I hope you will still live long, for the honour of the nation: and
that more enjoyment of your elegance, your intelligence, and your
benevolence, is still reserved for, dear Sir, your most affectionate,
&c.