294 Recollections of Dr. Johnson
Every person that understood latin seem'd much pleased with it. But Dr. Goldsmith, for what reason I know not, paid him no compliment, and only said on hearing it, ' Ay, but this is in latin z .' { 'Tis in latin, to be sure,' reply'd Dr. Johnson. I do not remember what follow'd, but I could not forget the striking proof that Dr. Johnson gave of his abilities on this occasion, nor of Dr. Goldsmith's unwillingness to be pleased with it, apparently confused, and not knowing what to say. I did not hear him express any desire to have the epitaph in english, either before or after Dr. Johnson composed it. However he soon after wrote one himself in english, and it is, I believe, inscribed on Dr. Parnel's Tomb 2 .
That Mr. Boswell has sullied his very entertaining and most extraordinary work with his many acrimonious animadversions ^ on the works, the talents, the conduct, &c. of the most respectable characters, must, I imagine, be allow'd by all who have read it, especially if they have remark'd that the evidence which he produces to substantiate his allegations rather prove their futility.
That many are repetitions of the words of another admits of no extenuation of his fault, but on the contrary, I think, doubly augment \sic\ its turpitude.
[I here omit an unimportant passage.]
He has antidated [sic] the commencement of Sir Joshua Reynolds's acquaintance with Dr. Johnson by at least five years 3 , and has mistaken the place where they first met, with some other immaterial errors, respecting him and place, &c. The other erro neous date was March 28 [1776] which engaged my attention in consequence of Mr. Boswell's assertion that Mrs. and Miss Thrale set out for Bath in that Day, as it reminded me of a letter from Doctor Johnson that mention'd that incident ; it is dated April
1 For Johnson's contempt of English Goldsmith, makes no mention of this epitaphs for learned men, see Life, epitaph.
iii. 84; v. 154, 366. 3 Boswell places it in 1752. Life,
2 'Parnell was buried in Trinity 1.245, n - I - Reynolds wrote, ante, Church in Chester, without any ii. 219, that he had had 'thirty years' monument to mark the place of his intimacy with Johnson,' which places interment.' Goldsmith's Misc. Works, it not later than 1754.
iv. 3. Mr. Forster, in his Life of
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