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Article SPECIMEN OF MODERN BIOGRAPHY, Page 1 of 2 →
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Specimen Of Modern Biography,
SPECIMEN OF MODERN BIOGRAPHY ,
IN A SHEET SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN OMITTED IN MR . B . 's LIFE OF DR . JOHNSON .
A PRIL the 20 th I dined with him at Sir J . R 's . I regret jt \ that I have preserved but few minutes of his conversation on that day , though he was less talkative , and fuller of capriciousness and contradictions than usual , as the following dialogue may shewwhilst at the same time it proves , that there is no question so entirely barren of matter or argument which could not furnish him an
occasion of displaying the powers of his mi ghty mind . We talked of public places , and one gentleman spoke warmly in praise of Sadler ' s Wells . Mr . C . who had been so unfortunate as to displease Dr . Johnson , and wished to reinstate himself in his good opinion , thought he could not do it more effectually than by decrying such light amusements as those of tumbling and rope-dancing ; in particular he assertedthat
, ' a rope-dancer was , in his opinion , the most despicable of human beings . ' Johnson ( awfull y rolling himself as he prepared to speak , and bursting out into a thundering tone ) , ' Sir , you might as well say that St . Paul was the most despicable of human beings . Let us beware 1 IO \ . we petulantly and ignor ' antly traduce a character which puts all other characters to shame . Sir , a rope-dancer concentres in himself all the cardinal virtues . ' Well as I was by this time acquainted with the souhisticaf talents
of my illustrious friend , and often as I had listened to him in wonder , while he c made the worse appear the better reason , ' I could not but suppose that , for once , he had been betrayed by his violence into an assertion which he could not support . Urged by my curiosity , and perhaps rather wickedl y desirous of leading him into a contest , I ventured , leaning briskly towards him across my friend the Duke of ' chairto
s , say , in a sportive familiar manner , which he sometimes indulgently permitted me to use , < Indeed ! Dr . Johnson , did I hear you right ? A rope-dancer concentre in himself all the cardinal virtues ? ' The answer was ready ,. —Johnson , < Why , yes , sir , deny it who dare . I say , in a rope-dancer there is temperance , and faith , and hope , and charity , and justice , and prudence , and fortitude' Still not
. I was satisfied ; and , desirous to hear his proofs at full length—Boswell , ' Why , to be sure , sir , fortitude I can easily conceive . '—Johnson ( interrupting me ) , 'Sir , if you cannot conceive the rest , sir , if is to no purpose that you conceive the seventh . But to those who cannot comprehend " it is necessary to explain . Why thensirwe will begin with temperanceSirif the
, , . , joys of the bottle entice him one inch beyond the line of sobriety his life or his limbs must pay the forfeit of his excess . Then , sir there is faith : without unshaken confidence in his own powers and ' VOL . IV . 3 E
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Specimen Of Modern Biography,
SPECIMEN OF MODERN BIOGRAPHY ,
IN A SHEET SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN OMITTED IN MR . B . 's LIFE OF DR . JOHNSON .
A PRIL the 20 th I dined with him at Sir J . R 's . I regret jt \ that I have preserved but few minutes of his conversation on that day , though he was less talkative , and fuller of capriciousness and contradictions than usual , as the following dialogue may shewwhilst at the same time it proves , that there is no question so entirely barren of matter or argument which could not furnish him an
occasion of displaying the powers of his mi ghty mind . We talked of public places , and one gentleman spoke warmly in praise of Sadler ' s Wells . Mr . C . who had been so unfortunate as to displease Dr . Johnson , and wished to reinstate himself in his good opinion , thought he could not do it more effectually than by decrying such light amusements as those of tumbling and rope-dancing ; in particular he assertedthat
, ' a rope-dancer was , in his opinion , the most despicable of human beings . ' Johnson ( awfull y rolling himself as he prepared to speak , and bursting out into a thundering tone ) , ' Sir , you might as well say that St . Paul was the most despicable of human beings . Let us beware 1 IO \ . we petulantly and ignor ' antly traduce a character which puts all other characters to shame . Sir , a rope-dancer concentres in himself all the cardinal virtues . ' Well as I was by this time acquainted with the souhisticaf talents
of my illustrious friend , and often as I had listened to him in wonder , while he c made the worse appear the better reason , ' I could not but suppose that , for once , he had been betrayed by his violence into an assertion which he could not support . Urged by my curiosity , and perhaps rather wickedl y desirous of leading him into a contest , I ventured , leaning briskly towards him across my friend the Duke of ' chairto
s , say , in a sportive familiar manner , which he sometimes indulgently permitted me to use , < Indeed ! Dr . Johnson , did I hear you right ? A rope-dancer concentre in himself all the cardinal virtues ? ' The answer was ready ,. —Johnson , < Why , yes , sir , deny it who dare . I say , in a rope-dancer there is temperance , and faith , and hope , and charity , and justice , and prudence , and fortitude' Still not
. I was satisfied ; and , desirous to hear his proofs at full length—Boswell , ' Why , to be sure , sir , fortitude I can easily conceive . '—Johnson ( interrupting me ) , 'Sir , if you cannot conceive the rest , sir , if is to no purpose that you conceive the seventh . But to those who cannot comprehend " it is necessary to explain . Why thensirwe will begin with temperanceSirif the
, , . , joys of the bottle entice him one inch beyond the line of sobriety his life or his limbs must pay the forfeit of his excess . Then , sir there is faith : without unshaken confidence in his own powers and ' VOL . IV . 3 E