Thrale’s carriage not having come for him, as he expected, I accompanied him some part of the way home to his own house.  I told him, that I had talked of him to Mr. Dunning a few days before, and had said, that in his company we did not so much interchange conversation, as listen to him; and that Dunning observed, upon this, ’One is always willing to listen to Dr. Johnson:’  to which I answered, ’That is a great deal from you, Sir.’—­’Yes, Sir, (said Johnson,) a great deal indeed.  Here is a man willing to listen, to whom the world is listening all the rest of the year.’  Boswell.  ’I think, Sir, it is right to tell one man of such a handsome thing, which has been said of him by another.  It tends to increase benevolence.’  Johnson.  ‘Undoubtedly it is right, Sir.’

On Tuesday, April 7, I breakfasted with him at his house.  He said, ‘nobody was content.’  I mentioned to him a respectable person in Scotland whom he knew; and I asserted, that I really believed he was always content.  Johnson.  ’No, Sir, he is not content with the present; he has always some new scheme, some new plantation, something which is future.  You know he was not content as a widower; for he married again.’  Boswell.  ‘But he is not restless.’  Johnson.  ’Sir, he is only locally at rest.  A chymist is locally at rest; but his mind is hard at work.  This gentleman has done with external exertions.  It is too late for him to engage in distant projects.’  Boswell.  ’He seems to amuse himself quite well; to have his attention fixed, and his tranquillity preserved by very small matters.  I have tried this; but it would not do with me.’  Johnson. (laughing,) ’No, Sir; it must be born with a man to be contented to take up with little things.  Women have a great advantage that they may take up with little things, without disgracing themselves:  a man cannot, except with fiddling.  Had I learnt to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.’  Boswell.  ’Pray, Sir, did you ever play on any musical instrument?’ Johnson.  ’No, Sir.  I once bought me a flagelet; but I never made out a tune.’  Boswell.  ’A flagelet, Sir!—­so small an instrument?  I should have liked to hear you play on the violoncello.  That should have been your instrument.’  Johnson.  ’Sir, I might as well have played on the violoncello as another; but I should have done nothing else.  No, Sir; a man would never undertake great things, could he be amused with small.  I once tried knotting.  Dempster’s sister undertook to teach me; but I could not learn it.’  Boswell.  ’So, Sir; it will be related in pompous narrative, “Once for his amusement he tried knotting; nor did this Hercules disdain the distaff."’ Johnson.  ’Knitting of stockings is a good amusement.  As a freeman of Aberdeen I should be a knitter of stockings.’  He asked me to go down with him and dine at Mr. Thrale’s at Streatham, to which I agreed.  I had lent him An Account of