always talked his best to the ladies. But, indeed, that was his
usual custom to every person who would furnish him with a
subject worthy of his discussion J ; for, what was very singular in
him, he would rarely, if ever, begin any subject himself, but
/ would sit silent till something was particularly addressed to him 2 ,
l and if that happened to lead to any scientific or moral inquiry,
\ his benevolence, I believe, more immediately prompted him to
\ expatiate on it for the edification of the ignorant than from any
other motive whatever.
One day, on a lady's telling him that she had read Parnell's Hermit with dissatisfaction, for she could not help thinking that thieves and murderers, who were such immediate ministers from heaven of good to man, did not deserve such punishments as our laws inflict 3 , Dr. Johnson made such an eloquent oration, and with such energy, as indeed afforded a most striking instance of the truth of Baretti's observation, but of which, to my great regret, I can give no corroborating proof, my memory furnishing me with nothing more than barely the general tendency of his arguments, which were to prove, that though it might be said that wicked men, as well as the good, were ministers of God, because in the moral sphere the good we enjoy and the evil We suffer are administered to us by man, yet, as infinite goodness could not inspire or influence man to act wickedly, but, on the contrary, it was his divine property to produce good out of evil, and as man was endowed with free-will to act, or refrain from
1 Speaking of his talk 'he told . . . 'through all depends
Sir Joshua that he had early laid it On using second means to work
down as a fixed rule to do his best his ends,'
on every occasion.' Life, i. 204. See and shows that out of each one of these
ib. iii. 193, n. 3, for 'his phrase, 'strange events 'good came. The lady,
" they talked their best." ' applying this pious fable, said that
2 Ante, i. 289. thieves and murderers who are but
3 In Parnell's poem an angel, dis- ' second means ' are hardly dealt with guised as a youth, in the hermit's when they were sent to the gallows, sight steals a golden goblet from She ought, after seeing them hanged a generous but too lavish host ; at Tyburn, to have stifled her doubts, gives it to a miser ; strangles a vir- and to have imitated the hermit, who tuous man's only child, and drowns . . . ' gladly turning sought his a servant who is guiding them ancient place,
across a river. He explains how And pass'd a life of piety and Providence peace.'
acting
�� �
