JOHNSON.
'Sir, I had an uncle who died so; but such attention requires great
leisure, and great firmness of mind. If one was to think constantly of
death, the business of life would stand still. I am no friend to making
religion appear too hard. Many good people have done harm by giving
severe notions of it. In the same way, as to learning: I never frighten
young people with difficulties; on the contrary, I tell them that they
may very easily get as much as will do very well. I do not indeed tell
them that they will be _Bentleys_!
The night we rode to Col's house, I said, 'Lord Elibank is probably
wondering what is become of us.' JOHNSON. 'No, no; he is not thinking of
us.' BOSWELL. 'But recollect the warmth with which he wrote[853]. Are we
not to believe a man, when he says he has a great desire to see another?
Don't you believe that I was very impatient for your coming to
Scotland?' JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir; I believe you were; and I was impatient
to come to you. A young man feels so, but seldom an old man.' I however
convinced him that Lord Elibank, who has much of the spirit of a young
man, might feel so. He asked me if our jaunt had answered expectation. I
said it had much exceeded it. I expected much difficulty with him, and
had not found it. 'And (he added) wherever we have come, we have been
received like princes in their progress.
Pages:
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374