424 Essay on
��conversation, and the goodness of his heart made him a sincere friend. That he was the patron of Johnson, is an honour to his memory.
In petty disputes with contemporary writers, or the wits of the age, Johnson was seldom entangled. A single incident of that kind may not be unworthy of notice, since it happened with a man of great celebrity in his time. A number of friends dined with Garrick on a Christmas day x . Foote was then in Ireland. It was said at table, that the modern Aristophanes (so Foote was called) had been horse-whipped by a Dublin apothecary, for mimicking him on the stage. ' I wonder,' said Garrick, ' that any man should shew so much resentment to Foote ; he has a patent for such liberties ; nobody ever thought it worth his while to quarrel with him in London.' ' I am glad,' said Johnson, ' to find that the man is rising in the world.' The expression was afterwards reported to Foote ; who, in return, gave out, that he would produce the Caliban of literature 2 on the stage. Being informed of this design, Johnson sent word to Foote, ' That the theatre being intended for the reformation of vice, he would step from the boxes on the stage, and correct him before the audience V Foote knew the intrepidity of his antagonist, and abandoned the design. No ill-will ensued. Johnson used to say, 4 That, for broad-faced mirth, Foote had not his equal V
Dr. Johnson's fame excited the curiosity of the King. His Majesty expressed a desire to see a man of whom extraordinary
numerous advocates, in a nation Burney, ii. 256, n. 2.
where men are every day starting up x Murphy, who tells this story in
from obscurity to wealth. To refute the Monthly Review, vol. 76, p. 374,
them is needless. The general sense places it in 1760.
of mankind cries out, with irresistible 2 ' Being told that Gilbert Cooper
force, " Un gentilhomme est toujours called him the Caliban of literature,
gentilhomtne" ' Life, i. 491. " Well, (said Johnson) I must dub
Johnson described Thrale as 'a him the Punchinello." ' Life, ii. 129.
regular scholar.' Ib. p. 494. Miss Cooper ' was the last of the bene-
Burney, on first seeing him, wrote : volists or sentimentalists.' Ib, iii.
'He is a very tall, well-looking 149, n. 2.
man, very well-bred, but shy and 3 Ib. ii. 95, 299.
reserved.' Early Diary of Frances 4 Ante, p. 265.
things
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