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ling was contrary to the laws of Christianity. Johnson immediately entered on the subject, and treated it in a masterly manner; and so far as I have been able to recollect, his thoughts were these: Sir, as men become in a high degree refined, various causes of offence arise; which are considered to be of such importance, that life must be staked to atone for them, though in reality they are not so. A body that has received a very fine polish may be easily hurt. Before men arrive at this artificial refinement, if one tells his neighbour-he lies, his neighbour tells him— he lies; if one gives his neighbour a blow, his neighbour gives him a blow; but in a state of highly polished society, an affront is held to be a serious injury. It must, therefore, be resented, or rather a duel must be fought upon it; as men have agreed to banish from society one who puts up with an affront without fighting a duel. Now, Sir, it is never unlawful to fight in self-defence. He, then, who fights a duel, does not fight from passion against his antagonist, but out of self-defence; to avert the stigma of the world, and to prevent himself from being driven out of society. I could wish there was not that superfluity of refinement; but while such notions prevail, no doubt a man may lawfully fight a duel."

"Let it be remembered, that this justification is applicable only to the person who receives an affront. All mankind must condemn the aggressor."

The General told us, that, when he was a very young, man, I think only fifteen, serving under Prince Eugene of Savoy, he was sitting in a company at table with a prince of Wirtemberg. The prince took up a glass of wine, and, by a fillip, made some of it fly in Oglethorpe's face. Here was a nice dilemma. To have challenged him instantly, might have fixed a quarrelsome character upon the young soldier: to have taken no notice of it, might have been considered as cowardice. Oglethorpe, therefore, keeping

1 The frequent disquisitions on this subject bring painfully to recollection the death of Mr. Boswell's eldest son, Sir Alexander, who was killed in a duel, arising from a political dispute, on the 26th of March, 1822, by Mr. Stuart, of Dunearn.-Croker.

This conversation on duelling was quoted on Mr. Stuart's trial by his counsel, Mr. Jeffrey, afterwards Lord Jeffrey.-Lockhart.

his eye upon the prince, and smiling all the time, as if he took what his highness had done in jest, said “ Mon Prince," (I forget the French words he used; the purport however was) "That's a good joke; but we do it much better in England;" and threw a whole glass of wine in the prince's face. An old general, who sat by, said, “Il a bien fait, mon prince, vous l'avez commencé : and thus all ended in good humour.

Dr. Johnson said, "Pray, General, give us an account of the siege of Belgrade." Upon which the general, pouring a little wine upon the table, described every thing with a wet finger: Here we were; here were the Turks," &c. &c.

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Johnson listened with the closest attention.

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A question was started, how far people who disagree in a capital point can live in friendship together. Johnson said they might. Goldsmith said they could not, as they had not the idem velle atque idem nolle—the same likings and the same aversions. JOHNSON. " Why, Sir, you must shun the subject as to which you disagree. For instance, I can live very well with Burke: I love his knowledge, his genius, his diffusion and affluence of conversation; but I would not talk to him of the Rockingham party." GOLDSMITH. But, Sir, when people live together who have something as to which they disagree, and which they want to shun, they will be in the situation mentioned in the story of Bluebeard: 'You may look into all the chambers but one.' But we should have the greatest inclination to look into that chamber, to talk of that subject." JOHNSON (with a loud voice). "Sir, I am not saying that you could live in friendship with a man from whom you differ as to some point; I am only saying that I could do it. You put me in mind of Sappho in Ovid."

Oglethorpe, when a young man, was a volunteer in the army of Prince Eugene, and was present with Eugene's army at the operations against the Turks, which resulted (1717) in the capitulation of Belgrade. -Editor.

2 Mr. Boswell's note being here rather short, as taken at the time, with a view, perhaps, to future revision, Johnson's remark is obscure, and requires to be a little opened. What he said probably was, You seem to think that two friends, to live well together, must be in perfect harmony with each other; that each should be to the other what Sappho boasts she was to her lover, and uniformly agree in every particular;

ot yet reached, and he was killed Cecil, who took possession of his pocket-book the following solemn Sir John Friend

ery day on which he was killed was ast had been connected with Sir xecuted for high treason. General as with Colonel Cecil, when Pope the truth of this story, which made me, and was then confirmed by the

1, he appointed me to come to him he should be at leisure to give me defence of Hastie, the schoolmaster hom I was to appear in the House ne, I found him unwilling to exert n to write down his thoughts upon "There's no occasion for my writHe was, however, at last prevailed ile I wrote.

e has used immoderate and cruel correcis not cruel; children, being not reasonby fear. To impress this fear is, thereof those who have the care of children. and has never been thought inconsistent It is the duty of a master, who is in

may be filled up thus:-" was told by an ng probably uncertain whether he was nd was impressed with the solemn presentiafterwards happened so wonderfully to

tary at War, informed me, that it appears endergast, of the twenty-second foot, was 1, 1709; but no trace can be found of any that period. The well-known Jacobite, is sent to the Tower in 1744, could hardly ge, rank, and station which Oglethorpe's t not very strange, if this story made so

of it no where else? and, as so much paper should not have been preserved, or, o be mentioned by some other witness?—

1

Goldsmith told us, that he was now busy in writing a Natural History; and, that he might have full leisure for it, he had taken lodgings at a farmer's house, near to the six mile-stone, on the Edgeware-road, and had carried down his books in two returned post-chaises. He said, he believed the farmer's family thought him an odd character, similar to that in which the "Spectator" appeared to his landlady and her children: he was "The Gentleman." Mr. Mickle, the translator of "The Lusiad," and I, went to visit him at this place a few days afterwards. He was not at home; but, having a curiosity to see his apartment, we went in, and found curious scraps of descriptions of animals, scrawled upon the wall with a black-lead pencil.

2

The subject of ghosts being introduced, Johnson repeated what he had told me of a friend of his [Cave], an honest man, and a man of sense, having asserted to him that he had seen an apparition. Goldsmith told us, he was assured by his brother, the Reverend Mr. Goldsmith, that he also had seen one. General Oglethorpe told us, that Prendergast, an officer in the Duke of Marlborough's army, had mentioned to many of his friends, that he should die on a particular day. That upon that day a battle took place with the French; that after it was over, and Prendergast was still alive, his brother officers, while they were yet in the field, jestingly asked him, where was his prophecy now? Prendergast gravely answered, "I shall die, notwithstanding what you see." Soon afterwards, there came a shot from a French battery, to which the orders for a but this is by no means necessary, &c. The words of Sappho alluded Omnique a parte placebam."

to are

Ovid. Epist. Sapph. ad Phaonem, 1. 45.—Malone. Published, in 1774, in eight volumes, 8vo., under the title of a History of the Earth and Animated Nature. Printed for J. Nourse.Editor.

2 William Julius Mickle, the son of a Scotch clergyman, was born at Langholme, Dumfriesshire, in 1734. He lived the life that poets lived in those days; that is, in difficulties and distress, till 1779, when, being appointed secretary to Commodore Johnson, he realised by prize agencies a moderate competence. He retired to Forest Hill, near Oxford, where he died in 1788. His translation of the Lusiad is still in some repute: and his ballad of "Cumnor Hall" suggested "Kenilworth" to Scott; but his other works are almost all forgotten.-Croker.