The Best of the Worlds Classics, Vol. V - Great Britain and Ireland III | Page 6

certainly
would have pointed out and illustrated many circumstances of
advantage, from being in a situation where the powers of the mind are
at once excited to vigorous exertion and tempered by reverential awe.

III
THE MEETING OF DR. JOHNSON AND JOHN WILKES[4]
I am now to record a very curious incident in Dr. Johnson's life which
fell under my own observation; of which pars magna fui, and which I
am persuaded will, with the liberal-minded, be much to his credit.
My desire of being acquainted with celebrated men of every description
had made me, much about the same time, obtain an introduction to Dr.
Samuel Johnson and to John Wilkes, Esq. Two men more different
could perhaps not be selected out of all mankind. They had even
attacked one another with some asperity in their writings; yet I lived in
habits of friendship with both. I could fully relish the excellence of
each; for I have ever delighted in that intellectual chemistry which can
separate good qualities from evil in the same person.
My worthy booksellers and friends, Messieurs Dilly in the Poultry, at
whose hospitable and well-covered table I have seen a greater number
of literary men than at any other except that of Sir Joshua Reynolds,
had invited me to meet Mr. Wilkes and some more gentlemen on
Wednesday, May 15th. "Pray" (said I), "let us have Dr. Johnson."

"What, with Mr. Wilkes? not for the world" (said Mr. Edward Dilly):
"Dr. Johnson would never forgive me." "Come" (said I), "if you'll let
me negotiate for you, I will be answerable that all shall go well."
Dilly: Nay, if you will take it upon you, I am sure I shall be very happy
to see them both here.
Notwithstanding the high veneration which I entertained for Dr.
Johnson, I was sensible that he was sometimes a little actuated by the
spirit of contradiction, and by means of that I hoped I should gain my
point. I was persuaded that if I had come upon him with a direct
proposal, "Sir, will you dine in company with Jack Wilkes?" he would
have flown into a passion, and would probably have answered, "Dine
with Jack Wilkes, sir! I'd as soon dine with Jack Ketch." I therefore,
while we were sitting quietly by ourselves at his house in an evening,
took occasion to open my plan thus:
"Mr. Dilly, sir, sends his respectful compliments to you, and would be
happy if you would do him the honor to dine with him on Wednesday
next along with me, as I must soon go to Scotland."
Johnson: Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Dilly. I will wait upon him--
Boswell: Provided, sir, I suppose, that the company which he is to have
is agreeable to you.
Johnson: What do you mean, sir? What do you take me for? Do you
think I am so ignorant of the world as to imagine that I am to prescribe
to a gentleman what company he is to have at his table?
Boswell: I beg your pardon, sir, for wishing to prevent you from
meeting people whom you might not like. Perhaps he may have some
of what he calls his patriotic friends with him.
Johnson: Well, sir, and what then? What care I for his patriotic friends?
Poh!
Boswell: I should not be surprized to find Jack Wilkes there.

Johnson: And if Jack Wilkes should be there, what is that to me, sir?
My dear friend, let us have no more of this. I am sorry to be angry with
you; but really it is treating me strangely to talk to me as if I could not
meet any company whatever, occasionally.
Boswell: Pray forgive me, sir: I meant well. But you shall meet
whoever comes, for me.
Thus I secured him, and told Dilly that he would find him very well
pleased to be one of his guests on the day appointed.
Upon the much-expected Wednesday I called on him about half an hour
before dinner, as I often did when we were to dine out together, to see
that he was ready in time, and to accompany him. I found him buffeting
his books, as upon a former occasion, covered with dust, and making
no preparation for going abroad. "How is this, sir?" (said I). "Don't you
recollect that you are to dine at Mr. Dilly's?"
Johnson: Sir, I did not think of going to Dilly's: it went out of my head.
I have ordered dinner at home with Mrs. Williams.
Boswell: But, my dear sir, you know you were engaged to Mr. Dilly,
and I told him so. He will expect you, and will be much disappointed if
you don't come.
Johnson: You must talk to Mrs. Williams about this.
Here was a