down you who are gentlemen from your places, and saying, “We will be gentlemen in our turn?” Now, Sir, that respect for authority is much more easily granted to a man whose father has had it, than to an upstart, and so Society is more easily supported.’  Boswell.  ’At present, Sir, I think riches seem to gain most respect.’  Johnson.  ’No, Sir, riches do not gain hearty respect; they only procure external attention.  A very rich man, from low beginnings, may buy his election in a borough; but, coeteris paribus, a man of family will be preferred.  People will prefer a man for whose father their fathers have voted, though they should get no more money, or even less.  That shows that the respect for family is not merely fanciful, but has an actual operation.  If gentlemen of family would allow the rich upstarts to spend their money profusely, which they are ready enough to do, and not vie with them in expence, the upstarts would soon be at an end, and the gentlemen would remain:  but if the gentlemen will vie in expence with the upstarts, which is very foolish, they must be ruined.’

On Monday, March 23, I found him busy, preparing a fourth edition of his folio Dictionary.  Mr. Peyton, one of his original amanuenses, was writing for him.

He seemed also to be intent on some sort of chymical operation.  I was entertained by observing how he contrived to send Mr. Peyton on an errand, without seeming to degrade him.  ’Mr. Peyton,—­Mr. Peyton, will you be so good as to take a walk to Temple-Bar?  You will there see a chymist’s shop; at which you will be pleased to buy for me an ounce of oil of vitriol; not spirit of vitriol, but oil of vitriol.  It will cost three half-pence.’  Peyton immediately went, and returned with it, and told him it cost but a penny.

On Saturday, March 27, I introduced to him Sir Alexander Macdonald, with whom he had expressed a wish to be acquainted.  He received him very courteously.

Sir A.  ’I think, Sir, almost all great lawyers, such at least as have written upon law, have known only law, and nothing else.’  Johnson.  ’Why no, Sir; Judge Hale was a great lawyer, and wrote upon law; and yet he knew a great many other things; and has written upon other things.  Selden too.’  Sir A.  ’Very true, Sir; and Lord Bacon.  But was not Lord Coke a mere lawyer?’ Johnson.  ’Why, I am afraid he was; but he would have taken it very ill if you had told him so.  He would have prosecuted you for scandal.’  Boswell.  ’Lord Mansfield is not a mere lawyer.  Johnson.  ’No, Sir.  I never was in Lord Mansfield’s company; but Lord Mansfield was distinguished at the University.  Lord Mansfield, when he first came to town, “drank champagne with the wits,” as Prior says.  He was the friend of Pope.’  Sir A.  ’Barristers, I believe, are not so abusive now as they were formerly.  I fancy they had less law long ago, and so were obliged to take to abuse, to fill up the time.  Now they have