not easy to turn him from them ; but who would wish it ? If a man wanted to show himself off by getting up and riding upon him, he was sure to run restive and kick him off; you might as safely have backed Bucephalus, before Alexander had lunged 1 him. Neither did he always like to be over-fondled ; when a certain gentleman out-acted his part in this way, he is said to have demanded of him * What provokes your risibility, Sir ? Have I said anything that you understand? Then I ask pardon of the rest of the company ' But this is Henderson's anecdote of him, and I won't swear he did not make it himself 2 . The following apology however I myself drew from him, when speak ing of his tour I observed to him upon some passages as rather too sharp upon a country and people who had entertained him so handsomely 'Do you think so, Cumbey 3 ?' he replied. ( Then I give you leave to say, and you may quote me for it, that there are more gentlemen in Scotland than there are shoes V
The expanse of matter, which Johnson had found room for in his intellectual storehouse, the correctness with which he had assorted it, and the readiness with which he could turn to any article that he wanted to make present use of 5 were the pro perties in him which I contemplated with the most admiration. Some have called him a savage ; they were only so far right in the resemblance, as that, like the savage, he never came into suspicious company without his spear in his hand and his bow and quiver at his back. In quickness of intellect few ever equalled him, in profundity of erudition many have surpassed him. I do not think he had a pure and classical taste, nor was apt to be best pleased with the best authors 6 , but as a general
1 To lunge is not in Johnson's great proportion of the people are Dictionary. barefoot.' Letters, i. 239.
2 Cumberland tells it also in his 5 ' Sir Joshua observed to me the Observer, No. 25. See Life, iv. 64, extraordinary promptitude with which n. 2. John Henderson, the actor, Johnson flew upon an argument.' no doubt is meant, who, as a mimic, Life, ii. 365.
1 did not represent Johnson correctly.' 6 Mrs. Carter's father wrote to her
Life, ii. 326, n. 5. of Johnson in 1738 : ' 1 a little sus-
3 For Johnson's abbreviations of pect his judgment if he is very fond his friends' names see Life, ii. 258. of Martial.' Pennington's Carter,
4 At Elgin he noted that ' a very i. 39.
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