’When in good humour he would talk of his own writings with a wonderful frankness and candour, and would even criticise them with the closest severity.  One day, having read over one of his Ramblers, Mr. Langton asked him, how he liked that paper; he shook his head, and answered, “too wordy.”  At another time, when one was reading his tragedy of Irene to a company at a house in the country, he left the room; and somebody having asked him the reason of this, he replied, Sir, I thought it had been better[13].’

’Talking of a point of delicate scrupulosity[14] of moral conduct, he said to Mr. Langton, “Men of harder minds than ours will do many things from which you and I would shrink; yet, Sir, they will perhaps do more good in life than we.  But let us try to help one another.  If there be a wrong twist it may be set right.  It is not probable that two people can be wrong the same way."’

’Of the Preface to Capel’s Shakspeare, he said, “If the man would have come to me, I would have endeavoured to endow his purposes with words; for as it is, he doth gabble monstrously[15]."’

’He related, that he had once in a dream a contest of wit with some other person, and that he was very much mortified by imagining that his opponent had the better of him.  “Now, (said he,) one may mark here the effect of sleep in weakening the power of reflection; for had not my judgement failed me, I should have seen, that the wit of this supposed antagonist, by whose superiority I felt myself depressed, was as much furnished by me, as that which I thought I had been uttering in my own character."’

’One evening in company, an ingenious and learned gentleman read to him a letter of compliment which he had received from one of the Professors of a foreign University.  Johnson, in an irritable fit, thinking there was too much ostentation, said, “I never receive any of these tributes of applause from abroad.  One instance I recollect of a foreign publication, in which mention is made of l’illustre Lockman[16]."’

’Of Sir Joshua Reynolds, he said, “Sir, I know no man who has passed through life with more observation than Reynolds."’

’He repeated to Mr. Langton, with great energy, in the Greek, our SAVIOUR’S gracious expression concerning the forgiveness of Mary Magdalen, “[Greek:  Ae pistis sou sesoke se poreuou eis eiraeuaeu.] Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace[17].”  He said, “the manner of this dismission is exceedingly affecting."’

’He thus defined the difference between physical and moral truth; “Physical truth, is, when you tell a thing as it actually is.  Moral truth, is, when you tell a thing sincerely and precisely as it appears to you.  I say such a one walked across the street; if he really did so, I told a physical truth.  If I thought so, though I should have been mistaken, I told a moral truth."’