’A gentleman, by no means deficient in literature, having discovered less acquaintance with one of the Classicks than Johnson expected, when the gentleman left the room, he observed, “You see, now, how little any body reads.”  Mr. Langton happening to mention his having read a good deal in Clenardus’s Greek Grammar, “Why, Sir, (said he,) who is there in this town who knows any thing of Clenardus but you and I?” And upon Mr. Langton’s mentioning that he had taken the pains to learn by heart the Epistle of St. Basil, which is given in that Grammar as a praxis, “Sir, (said he,) I never made such an effort to attain Greek[68]."’

’Of Dodsley’s Publick Virtue, a Poem, he said, “It was fine blank (meaning to express his usual contempt for blank verse[69]); however, this miserable poem did not sell, and my poor friend Doddy said, Publick Virtue was not a subject to interest the age."’

’Mr. Langton, when a very young man, read Dodsley’s Cleone a Tragedy[70], to him, not aware of his extreme impatience to be read to.  As it went on he turned his face to the back of his chair, and put himself into various attitudes, which marked his uneasiness.  At the end of an act, however, he said, “Come let’s have some more, let’s go into the slaughter-house again, Lanky.  But I am afraid there is more blood than brains.”  Yet he afterwards said, “When I heard you read it, I thought higher of its power of language:  when I read it myself, I was more sensible of its pathetick effect;” and then he paid it a compliment which many will think very extravagant.  “Sir, (said he,) if Otway had written this play, no other of his pieces would have been remembered.”  Dodsley himself, upon this being repeated to him, said, “It was too much:”  it must be remembered, that Johnson always appeared not to be sufficiently sensible of the merit of Otway[71].’

’Snatches of reading (said he) will not make a Bentley or a Clarke.  They are, however, in a certain degree advantageous.  I would put a child into a library (where no unfit books are) and let him read at his choice.  A child should not be discouraged from reading any thing that he takes a liking to, from a notion that it is above his reach.  If that be the case, the child will soon find it out and desist; if not, he of course gains the instruction; which is so much the more likely to come, from the inclination with which he takes up the study[72].’

’Though he used to censure carelessness with great vehemence, he owned, that he once, to avoid the trouble of locking up five guineas, hid them, he forgot where, so that he could not find them.’

’A gentleman who introduced his brother to Dr. Johnson was earnest to recommend him to the Doctor’s notice, which he did by saying, “When we have sat together some time, you’ll find my brother grow very entertaining.”—­“Sir, (said Johnson,) I can wait."’

’When the rumour was strong that we should have a war, because the French would assist the Americans, he rebuked a friend with some asperity for supposing it, saying, “No, Sir, national faith is not yet sunk so low."’