Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-09
DR.. Samuel johnson.


in his mind and in his body, in his wisdom
and in his prcjudiccs, in his learning and
in his superstitions, in his plcty and in his
bigotry; there was nothing ordinary about
him, all descriptions OF INN are nearly
alike, all impressions much the same.
However excellent or mean the artist or
there is no mistakng the great lexico.
lgrapher- the imperial thlker; the man
and the character stand before you.
He has beel well described us 81 robust
genius, born 10 grapple with whole H.
braries." When child in pettcoats he got
by heart the collect for the day from the
Common Prayer-5ook, and repeated it dis
tinctly, though he had read it but twice.
While yet boy, during the first inter
view with tutor in the presence OF grave
professors, he quottd Macrobius, to the
astonishment of the company. About the
same time, after II violent attack of his
disorder. he communicated the state of his
case to his physician in Latin, who was
struck with the " extraordinary acuteness,
research and eloquence' Of the paper.
1t is easy for us to see him, as he has
been described to us, ut the table. " lie
was totally absorbed in the business OF the
moment; his looks seemed riveted to his
plate; nor would he, unless in very high
company, say one word, or even pay the
least attention to what was said by Others,
till he had satisfied bis appetite, which was
so fierce, and INDUCED with such intense
ness, that while in the act Of eating the
veins OF his forehead sweIled, and general
ly Il strong perspiration was visible. In
eating and drinking he could refrain, but
he could not use moderately" Everything
about his character and manners, said
Boswell, was forcibIe and violent; there
never was any moderation; many day
did he fast, many year did he refrain
from wine; but when he did eat it was
voraciously; when he drank wine, it was
copiously He could practice abstinence
but not temperance. lie told Boswell that
he had tasted two days without inconven-
ience, and that he had never been hungry
but once. " Early in life" he said to Ed
wards. Il drank wine but for many years
| drank none. then, for several years,
drank "a great deal.n " Some hogsheads,
| warrant yuu," responded Edwards, dar-
inplv, and was uncontradcted. 9 | did
not, he said, on another occasion, " leave
off wine because could not bear it,
have drank three bottles of port without
being he worse for it y We all know how
copi0usly he drank tea at lhrale S Six
teen cups, WASH it, that he drank at IL
sitting?
His personal courage WAS prodigous
lie would beat large dogs that wer9 fight
inc till they separated. 10 prove that 1t
Gun would not burst if charged with many
balls, he put in six or seven and fired 1t
AGAINST a wall. One night he WAS attack
ed in the street by four .Aen, all of whom
he kent at bnv till relieved by the watch
A man having taken possession OF his seat
between the side scenes. and refusing to
oive il up, was tossed by the mad phIoso-
pher. chair and ali, inlO the pit Fuotr
had resolved to rldcule him On he Stag,
bu chanUed his mind when he heard int
Johnson had been inquring OF rom Davis
the bookseller, the plicc OF oak sticks. 81
am told that Foote means to take me off,
nS he calls it, and am determined the
fellow shall not do it with impunity." lie
had sometime before knocked down Us
borne with II folio and put his foot ON his
neck. "Sir, he was mpertinent to me,
and beat him. His defiant letter to
Macpherson shows how utterly impossible
it was TO intimidate him.
Such. we are told, was the heat and r-
ri,abiIitv of his blood, that he pared his
nails to the quick and scraped the joints of
his fingers with penknile Till they ere red
and raw. "Generally when he had conclud-
ed period, in the course of dispute, by
which time he was good deal exhausted
by violence and vocileration, he used to
blow out his breath like IL whale. "Thtre
is no arguing with Johnson were the
words of Cibber in one of his comedies,
put, YOU remember, into the mouth OF
Goldsmith: =" For when his pistol misses
fire he knocks YOU down with the butt Of
it," His laugh, too, was tremendous; not
like the laugh of any other man. " He
laughs" says Davis, like II rhnoCeros
When llogarth first saw him he thought
he was an IDIOT; but when he heard HIM
speak, he thought him inspired. Galrick
said of his superlatve powers of wit:
:" R,belais and NIL the other wits are moth
ino compared with him. You may be di-
ycrted bv them; but johnson gives YOU II
iorcible hug, and shakes laughter ont Of
Won. whether YOU will or no."
That was an interesting view that Max
wnlI h,d of Johnson. when two Young wo-
men visited him to consult on the subject
of AIeihodism. to which they were inclined.
II shows graphically another side Of the