As a curious instance how little a man knows, or wishes to know, his own character in the world, or, rather, as a convincing proof that Johnson’s roughness was only external, and did not proceed from his heart, I insert the following dialogue.  Johnson.  ’It is wonderful, Sir, how rare a quality good humour is in life.  We meet with very few good humoured men.’  I mentioned four of our friends, none of whom he would allow to be good humoured.  One was acid, another was muddy, and to the others he had objections which have escaped me.  Then, shaking his head and stretching himself at ease in the coach, and smiling with much complacency, he turned to me and said, ‘I look upon myself as a good humoured fellow.’  The epithet fellow, applied to the great Lexicographer, the stately Moralist, the masterly critick, as if he had been Sam Johnson, a mere pleasant companion, was highly diverting; and this light notion of himself struck me with wonder.  I answered, also smiling, ’No, no, Sir; that will not do.  You are good natured, but not good humoured:  you are irascible.  You have not patience with folly and absurdity.  I believe you would pardon them, if there were time to deprecate your vengeance; but punishment follows so quick after sentence, that they cannot escape.

I had brought with me a great bundle of Scotch magazines and news-papers, in which his Journey to the Western Islands was attacked in every mode; and I read a great part of them to him, knowing they would afford him entertainment.  I wish the writers of them had been present:  they would have been sufficiently vexed.  One ludicrous imitation of his style, by Mr. Maclaurin, now one of the Scotch Judges, with the title of Lord Dreghorn, was distinguished by him from the rude mass.  ’This (said he,) is the best.  But I could caricature my own style much better myself.’  He defended his remark upon the general insufficiency of education in Scotland; and confirmed to me the authenticity of his witty saying on the learning of the Scotch;—­’Their learning is like bread in a besieged town:  every man gets a little, but no man gets a full meal.’  ’There is (said he,) in Scotland, a diffusion of learning, a certain portion of it widely and thinly spread.  A merchant there has as much learning as one of their clergy.

No sooner had we made our bow to Mr. Cambridge, in his library, than Johnson ran eagerly to one side of the room, intent on poring over the backs of the books.  Sir Joshua observed, (aside,) ’He runs to the books, as I do to the pictures:  but I have the advantage.  I can see much more of the pictures than he can of the books.’  Mr. Cambridge, upon this, politely said, ’Dr. Johnson, I am going, with your pardon, to accuse myself, for I have the same custom which I perceive you have.  But it seems odd that one should have such a desire to look at the backs of books.’  Johnson, ever ready for contest, instantly started from his