Talking of Rochester’s Poems, he said, he had given them to Mr. Steevens to castrate for the edition of the poets, to which he was to write Prefaces.  Dr. Taylor (the only time I ever heard him say any thing witty) observed, that if Rochester had been castrated himself, his exceptionable poems would not have been written.’  I asked if Burnet had not given a good Life of Rochester.  Johnson.  ’We have a good Death:  there is not much Life.’  I asked whether Prior’s Poems were to be printed entire:  Johnson said they were.  I mentioned Lord Hailes’s censure of Prior, in his Preface to a collection of Sacred Poems, by various hands, published by him at Edinburgh a great many years ago, where he mentions, ’those impure tales which will be the eternal opprobrium of their ingenious authour.’  Johnson.  ’Sir, Lord Hailes has forgot.  There is nothing in Prior that will excite to lewdness.  If Lord Hailes thinks there is, he must be more combustible than other people.’  I instanced the tale of Paulo Purganti and his Wife.  Johnson.  Sir, there is nothing there, but that his wife wanted to be kissed when poor Paulo was out of pocket.  No, Sir, Prior is a lady’s book.  No lady is ashamed to have it standing in her library.’

The hypochondriack disorder being mentioned, Dr. Johnson did not think it so common as I supposed.  ’Dr. Taylor (said he,) is the same one day as another.  Burke and Reynolds are the same; Beauclerk, except when in pain, is the same.  I am not so myself; but this I do not mention commonly.’

Dr. Johnson advised me to-day, to have as many books about me as I could; that I might read upon any subject upon which I had a desire for instruction at the time.  ’What you read then (said he,) you will remember; but if you have not a book immediately ready, and the subject moulds in your mind, it is a chance if you again have a desire to study it.’  He added, ’If a man never has an eager desire for instruction, he should prescribe a task for himself.  But it is better when a man reads from immediate inclination.’

He repeated a good many lines of Horace’s Odes, while we were in the chaise.  I remember particularly the Ode Eheu fugaces.

He told me that Bacon was a favourite authour with him; but he had never read his works till he was compiling the English Dictionary, in which, he said, I might see Bacon very often quoted.  Mr. Seward recollects his having mentioned, that a Dictionary of the English Language might be compiled from Bacon’s writings alone, and that he had once an intention of giving an edition of Bacon, at least of his English works, and writing the Life of that great man.  Had he executed this intention, there can be no doubt that he would have done it in a most masterly manner.