Star.
London, England, 1831-08-05 00:00:00

cation to see it hung up at a print shop as the'
greatest curiosity ever exhibited.
JOHNSON'S GESTICULATIONS.-4 believe DO
one has described his extraordinary gestures or
antics with his hands and feet, particularly when
passing over the threshold of a door, or rather be-
fore be would venture to pass through any door-
way. On entering Sir Joshua's house with poor
Mrs. Williams, a blind lady who lived with him, he
would quit her hand, or else whirl her about on the
steps as he whirled and twisted to perform his ges-
ticulations ; and as soon as he had finished he
would give a sudden spring, and make such an
extensive stride over the threshold, as if be was
trying for a wager how far he could stride, Mrs.
Williams standing groping about outside the door,
unless the servant took hold of her hand to conduct
her in. leaving Dr. Johnson to peribrm at the par-
lour door much the same exercise over again.—
But it was not only at the entrance of a door that
be exhibited such strange manceuvres, but across a
room, or in the street with company, he has stopped
on a sudden, as if he had recollected his task, and
began to perform it there, gathering a mob round
him ; and when he had finished would hasten to
his companion (who probably had walked on before)
with an air of great satisfaction that he had done
his duty ! One Sunday morning, as I was walk-
ing with him in Twickenham meadows, he began
his antics, both with his feet and hands, with the
latter as if he was holding the reins of a horse like
a jockey en full speed. But to describe the strange
positions of his feet would be a difficult task ;
sometimes he would make the back part of his heels
to touch, sometimes his toes, as if he was aiming
at making the form of a triangle, at least the two
sides of one. Though, indeed, whether these were
his gestures on this particular occasion in Twicken-
ham meadows, I do not recollect, it is so long
since ; but I well remember that they were so ex-
traordinary that men, women, and children ga-
thered round him, laughing. At last we sat down
on some logs of wood by the river aide, ind they
nearly dispersed ; when he pulled out of his pocket
" Grotius de Veritate Religionis," over which be
see-sawed at such a violent rate as to excite the
curiosity of some people at a distance to come and
see what was the matter with him.

JOHNSON AND ADAM SMITH.—Mr. Boswell
has chosen to omit, for reasons which will be pre-
sently obvious, that Johnson and Adam Smith met
at Glasgow ; but I have been assured by professor
John Miller that they did so, and that Smith,
leaving the party in which he bad met Johnson, hap-
pened to come to another company where Miller was.
Knowing that Smith had been in Johnson's society
they were anxious to know what had passed, and
the more so as Dr. Smith's temper seemed much
ruffled. At first Smith would only answer—' He's
a brute—he's a brute ;' but on closer examination
it appeared that Johnson no sooner saw Smith than
he attacked him for some point of his famous letter
on the death of Hume. Smith vindicated the truth
his statement. What did Johnson say ?' was
the universal inquiry. Why, he said, replied
Smith, with the deepest impression of resentment.
• he said, you lie !' And what did you reply ?'
• I said, you are a son of a . On such
terms did these two great moralists meet and part ;
and such was the classical dialogue between two
great teachers cf philosophy.
QUARREL BETWEEN JOHNSON AND Boa-
WELL..--Boswell, one day at Sir Joshua's table,
chose to pronounce a high-flown panegyric on the
wits of Queen Anne's reign, and exclaimed, " How
delightful it must have been to have lived in the
society of Pope, Swift, Arbuthnot, Gay, and Bo-
lingbroke ! We have no such society in our days."
Sir Joshua, " I think, Mr. Boswell, you might be
satisfied with your great friend's conversation."—
Johnson, " Nay, Sir, Boswell is right; every man
wishes for preferment, and if Boswell had lived in
these days he would have obtained promotion."—
Sir Joshua, " How so, Sir ?" Johnson, " Sir,
he would have had a high place in the Dunciad."
This anecdote Lord Wellesley heard from Mr. T.
Sydenhani, who received it from Mr. Knight, on
the authority of Sir Joshua Reynolds himself.
GOLDSMITH'S TRAVELLER.—Of Goldsmith's
Traveller he used to speak in terms of the highest
commendation. A lady, I remember, who had the
pleasure of hearing Dr. Johnson read it from the
beginning to the end on its first coming out, to
testify her admiration of it exclaimed, " I never
more shall think Dr. Goldsmith ugly." In having
thcught so, however, she was by no means sin-
. gular : an instance of which I am rather inclined
to mention, because it involves a remarkable one
; of Dr. Johnson's ready wit : for this lady, one
evening being in a largo party, was called upon
after supper far her toast, and seeming embarrassed,
, she was desired to give the ugliest man she knew;
I and she immediately named Dr. Goldsmith, on
which a lady on the other side of the table rose up
; and reached across to shake hands with her, ex-
; pressing some desire of being better acquainted
with her, it being the first time they had met ; on
• which Dr. Johnson said, " Thus the ancients, on
I the commencement of their friendships, used to
I sacrifice a beast betwixt them."

SHEEP'S HEAD.—Begging pardon of the doc-
tor and his conductor, I have often seen and
partaken of cold sheep's head at as good breakfast
tables as ever they sat at. This protest is some-
thing in the manner of the late Culrossie, who
fought a duel for the honour of Aberdeen butter.
I have passed over all the doctor's other reproaches
upon cotland, but the sheep's head I will defend
tons veribus. Dr. Johnson himself must have for-
given my zeal on this occasion ; for if, as ho says,
dinner be the thing of which a man thinks oftenest
during the day, breakfast must be that of which he
thinks first in the morning.
DOSWELL AND JOllNsoN.—Boswell himself
was callous to the contacts of Dr. Johnson ; and
when telling them, always reminded one of a joc-
key receiving a kick from the horse which he is
showing off to a customer, and is grinning with
pain while he is crying out—" pretty rogue—no
vice—all fun." To him Johnson's rudeness was
only " pretty Fanny's way." Dr. Robertson had
a sense of good-breeding, which inclined him ra-
ther to forego the benefit of Johnson's conversa-
tion than awaken his rudeness.

JOHNSON IN SCOTLAND.—Lord Elibank made
a Lappy retort on Doctor Johnson's definition of
oats, as the food of horses in England, and of men
in Scotland. Yes,' said he, and whero else
will you find such horses and such meu?' Lord

Stowell recollects that .Johnson was treated by the
Scottish literati with a degree of deference border
ing on pusillanimity; but he excepts from that ob-
servation Mr. Crosbie, whom he characterizes •as

This takes in the lay tithe, u well as the clericaL
To know the clerical tithe, you must abstract oat-third
at least. For the rectories (or livings where the cler-
gyman has the great tithe) are not quite half the
whole number of livings. In the other half the whole
number of living. In the other half, a layman has the great
tithe ; the clergyman, the small only. Nay, in
one thousand parishes he has not even that, but
a fixed allowance. Now where the layman has the great
tithe, and a clergyman the small, the layman gets at Jesse
two-thirds, that is the laymen have two-thirds of half the
tithes in England. That is, they have one-third of the
whole. So that thtwhole tithe paid to the clergy, when
wheat was 61. Bs. per quarter, was 1,722,4481. Ils. 4d. or
somewhat more than one million and a half The whole
paid to them, when it was M. lbs. 2d. (far higher than it is
now.) was 1,426,6271. or less than one million and a half!!
Many more ezaggeradons are made as to the income of the
clergy; for the present the above =psi must stake; but
we shall return to the subject.

On Thursday afternoon, three labourers at Alke, neat
Beverley, were struck down by lightning, and one of them
could not be recovered.

Mr. Martin's matchless picture of the fall of Nineveh Is
now exhibiting with eclat in Toth.

THE Minsvan..—Some of the tabernacle work has been
erected in the choir, and has a very light and plush)! ap-
pointee. The pulpit is put up. and we think it w►ll be
found too low; it is nearly two feet lower than the old one.
As the period approaches for the opening of this sacred edi-
fice, some anxiety is felt as to the regulations which will be
adopted, with regard *to obtaining seats. Fees to the ver-
gers used to be the only means of procuring accommodation;
and we hope this nuisance will be abolished.

THE SCIENTIFIC MEETING IN Yoax.--The coun-
cil of the Philosophical Society meets daily to forward the
arrangements for the reception of the strangers who are ex-
pected here in September next. From letters that have
been received we understand the attendance is likely to be
extremely numerous. The novelty of such a meeting in
this country will doubtless do much to raise curiosity, in
the first instance ; but we mistake, if its utility, and the
benefits it will be found to confer on science, do not in fu.
ture prove more attractive than even mere curiosity. We are
informed, that considerable additions are making to the
Museum ! several new cases have been put up, and the
whole of the society's valuable collection will be arranged
before the meeting. The library is also undergoing altera-
tions, with a view to procure greater accommodation for the
members.

A bill is now before Parliament, entitled An Act to
consolidate and amend the laws relating to Highways, in that
part of Great Britain called England," to which bill the
notice of the committee of the York Association for the Pro-
tection of ancient Footpaths in the vicinity of this City, was
specially called by a communication from London, and the
secretary, James Richardson, Esq. has since been in active
correspondence with several members of Parliament upon
the subject. This bill, after repealing several Acts of Par-
liament, and amongst others, the particularly obnoxious
Act of Geo. 111. c.. dB, immediately reenacts all the clauses
of the latter, one of which—giving power to any two ma•
gistraten, at theln4jeuretiner,,ge stop up say wide foot.
path, and the only remedy to the public being an appeal to
the Quarter Seasions—has always been considered particu-
larly objectionable, as an arbitrary power is vested in two
magistrates in the first Instance; and their act is seldom re-
versed on an appeal made to a tribunal of which they are
members. Another hardship is, that if an order is appealed
against, and after the appellant has been put to considerable
trouble and expense in preparing his appeal, and in taking
his witnesses to the Quarter Sessions, the order may be, and
frequently is, suddenly withdrawn to be brought forward
again when a more favourable opportunity occurs ; and the
public-spirited individual wbo has been the means of pre-
serving to the public their rights, is subjected to an expense
of 101. or 201. which he cannot recover, as the Court has no
power to grant costa.

To remedy this evil, the introduction of clauses has been
proposed, fOr, enacting, in the Ant place, that appeals
against the decision of two magistrates in the case of atop.
ping up'a footpath, should be decided by a jury.
Secondly,—That if the appeal is allowed, it should be
Imperative for the Court to allow the appellant his costs.
Thirdly,--That when an order is made fors ping up a
footpath, the person at whose instance it is obtained, shall
enter into no:NW:sues to pay the costs which may be in.
curred by any party appealing against the order; and that
he shell -not be allowed to withdraw the order at his plea.
sure, after putting parties both to inconvenience and ex-
pense in preparing an appeal. without paying all the costs
incurred.
CIUELTY TO AwlxaLa.—Oa Thursday week, David
Botterill, a Hull end Bendy carrier, was convicted before
the Mayor and Magistrates of Hull, in the penalty of lOs.
and Bs. costs, fer unn cruelty his hone. It appeared
from the evidence adduced, that having loosed the bons from
the cart, while the animal vs. passing through the Blue
Dell entry to the sable, the unfeeling brute, without the
slightest shadow of reason, beat it in a most unmerciful
manner with a heavy whip..