Dr. Samuel Johnson

D: SAMUEL JOHNSON.

JOHNSONIANA;

OR, A
COLLECTION

OF
BON MOTS, &c.

By Dr. JOHNSON, and OTHERS.

TOGETHER
With the CHOICE SENTENCES

OF
PUBLIUS SYRUS,

Now firft TRANSLATED into ENGLISH.

LONDON:

Printed for J. RIDLEY, St. James's-Street; W. SHARP-
SHIRE, in New Bond-Street; W. DAVIS, in Picca-
dilly; T. EVANS, in the Strand; G. KEARSLY, in
Fleet-Street; WALLIS and STONEHOUSE, in Lud-
gate-Street; RICHARDSON and URQUHART, at the
Royal-Exchange, and W. Flexney, in Holborn,
MDCCLXXVI.

Entered at Stationers Hall.

## INTRODUCTION.

THOUGH the editor thinks it unnecessary to make any apology for giving to the public a *Collection of Bon Mots*, a species of writing not only adopted by some of the greatest characters of their times *, but held in estimation

* Julius Cæsar, Plutarch, lord Bacon, &c. &c.

a 2

by

## ii INTRODUCTION.

by all civilized nations, yet he
thinks something necessary to be
said to preclude this Collection from
the crowd of dull things which
pals under similar titles.

There is no Publication, even
in this publishing age, oftener
obtruded on the town than a
*Jeff Book*: scarce a year does
not produce one or more, and
scarce a man of wit in this coun-
try, that has not only one of
them called after his name, but
a number of rickety children
fathered on him, which would
disgrace any man to beget. The
following short account, there-
fore,

## INTRODUCTION. iii

fore, of this book, it is to be
hoped, will cover it from the
imputation of its being one of
those numerous successors to Joe
Miller, as well as recommend
it as an object of some curio-
sity.

Most of these Bon Mots were
collected by a person of fashion
and sense, lately deceased, at his
leisure hours. As he was, in the
limited sense, a bon vivant, they
were, for the most part, the pro-
duce of his own circle, which
was composed of men of the
first wit and conversation. Being
a great admirer of doctor John-
son,

3

son,

iv INTRODUCTION.

son, whom he looked up to as
a man of deep learning; strong
sense, and general observation, he
was particularly anxious in col-
lecting all his *Bon Mots*, which
he arranged under the head of
“ JOHNSONIANA.” What future
use he intended by this collec-
tion, his sudden death, which
happened some time since, pre-
vented from being known.

In this state the editor re-
ceived them; but, finding there
were not a sufficient number
of doctor Johnson's to make a
volume, he adopted the title, and
added such others as he could
collect,

INTRODUCTION. v

collect, which he thought would
not disgrace it. In this collec-
tion he has carefully avoided that
vulgar track of pilfering from other
books on the same subject, which,
as Sterne observes, is like the apo-
thecaries making out a composition
from several phials; nay, so cauti-
ous was he, in this respect, that he
read all the modern best books,
French and English in his reach,
merely to avoid it. He does not
indeed deny but that the reader,
here and there, may find a *Bon
Mot* which has already appeared
in the newspapers; but he flat-
ters himself a judicious selection
from such fugitive publications,
which

vi INTRODUCTION.

which in general do not out-
live the laugh of the day, will
rather merit public countenance
than reprehension.

The little fragment of Publius
Syrus attached to this volume,
the editor flatters himself cannot
be deemed unbelonging to the
general subject, whilst wit and
wisdom are held to be compatible
characters.

JOHN-

[ i ]

JOHNSONIANA;

OR, A

COLLECTION

OF

BON MOTS, &c.

UPON the publication of lord Bo-
lingbroke's Philosophical Works,
by David Mallet, Dr. Johnson was asKed
his opinion of the author and publifher.
"Why Sir," fays Johnson, "I look upon
them both to be a couple of atheifti-
cal highwaymen : my lord for load-
ing the piece up to the muzzle againft
the peace and happineſs of ſociety ; and
Mallet for drawing the trigger."

B

Doctor

[ 2 ]

Doctor Johnson being one night at Drury-Lane theatre, to see Mr. Garrick in Macbeth, in one of the most interesting scenes of that interesting piece, he, and the whole company in the box where he sat, was interrupted by the impertinence of a young man of fashion, who inflected on having a place, though none was kept for him: this interruption continued until the end of the act, when the doctor turning about with great contempt, replied, “Pishaw! Sir, how can you be so mistaken? Your place lies in the shilling gallery.”

Some years ago doctor Johnson being in company with Foote, the emigration of the Scotch to London became the subject of conversation; Foote inflected that the emigrants were as numerous in the former, as in the present reign; the

[ 3 ]

the doctor the contrary: this dispute continued with a friendly warmth for some time, when Johnson called out, “You are certainly wrong, Sam; but I see how you are deceived; you cannot distinguish them now as formerly; for the fellows all come breeched to the capital of late years.”

The above wits at another time having a conversation about national learning, Foote observed, however deficient the Scotch were in genius and humour, he believed them to be one of the most learned nations in Europe. “Oh! Sir,” says Johnson, “you are very much mistaken upon that point: I grant you they have all a mouthful of learning, but not one of them a bellyful.”

B 2

A