13, -76, in which he says we are going to Bath this morning. Such mistakes indeed are of little, or no importance z ; but it is owing to a contrary supposition that I mention the following. I read the passage in Mr. Boswell's book relating to the dial plate of Dr. Johnson's watch with much surprise, and indeed concern. I was surprised to find that the inscription on it was in Greek, having heard from Dr. Johnson's own mouth that it was in Latin. I will not say that I read the words, it was so long since ; but I believe I did, having his watch in my hand, when he repeated them to me, which he was shewing me in consequence of its being a new and valuable acquisition from Mr. Mudge 2 . They were, Nox enim veniet, and I was indeed concerned, for the honour of Dr. Johnson's character, which I thought not a little degraded by Mr. Boswell's assertion, that he had the plate taken out for fear it should be deemed ostentatious 3 . How Mr. Boswell could have supposed it to be consistent with Dr. Johnson's principles to have divested himself of a holy memento from the fear of what any man might think is very strange. Nor can I indeed conceive how it could be consistent with any man's principles, who at first had chosen such an in scription, to have been at all solicitous to discard it, as no one could inspect it without the concurrence of the owner, and less frequently did Dr. Johnson afford any person an opportunity of inspecting even the outside case of his watch than perhaps most men, being remarkably remiss in noticing the hour, even the
1 The mistake is Miss Reynolds's, Miss Reynolds applies the word and shows the carelessness with artist to a watchmaker. Her brother which she read Boswell, who states she would have called a painter. that on March 28 Mrs. and Miss For Thomas Mudge, the watch- Thrale and Baretti went to Bath, maker, see ante, ii. 117.
and that Johnson soon after April 12 3 Boswell quotes Johnson's own
went there with Mr. and Mrs. Thrale. words. * He sometime afterwards
Life, iii. 6, 44. Mrs. Thrale had in laid aside this dial-plate ; and when
the interval returned to London, for I asked him the reason, he said,
she was at her own house on the loth. " It might do very well upon a clock
J&' P- 33' which a man keeps in his closet ;
2 ' An artist of great reputation, not but to have it upon his watch which only in England but in foreign he carries about with him, and which countries. The King of Spain had is often looked at by others, might a watch of his making set in the be censured as ostentatious." ' Life, head of his cane.' Miss REYNOLDS, ii. 57. See also ante, i. 123 n.
midnight
�� �
