This season there was a whimsical fashion in the newspapers of applying Shakspeare’s words to describe living persons well known in the world; which was done under the title of Modern Characters from Shakspeare; many of which were admirably adapted.  The fancy took so much, that they were afterwards collected into a pamphlet.  Somebody said to Johnson, across the table, that he had not been in those characters.  ’Yes (said he,) I have.  I should have been sorry to be left out.’  He then repeated what had been applied to him,

‘I must borrow GARAGANTUA’S mouth.’

Miss Reynolds not perceiving at once the meaning of this, he was obliged to explain it to her, which had something of an aukward and ludicrous effect.  ’Why, Madam, it has a reference to me, as using big words, which require the mouth of a giant to pronounce them.  Garagantua is the name of a giant in Rabelais.’  Boswell.  ’But, Sir, there is another amongst them for you: 

     “He would not flatter Neptune for his trident,
     Or Jove for his power to thunder."’

Johnson.  ’There is nothing marked in that.  No, Sir, Garagantua is the best.’  Notwithstanding this ease and good humour, when I, a little while afterwards, repeated his sarcasm on Kenrick, which was received with applause, he asked, ‘who said that?’ and on my suddenly answering, Garagantua, he looked serious, which was a sufficient indication that he did not wish it to be kept up.

When we went to the drawing-room there was a rich assemblage.  Besides the company who had been at dinner, there were Mr. Garrick, Mr. Harris of Salisbury, Dr. Percy, Dr. Burney, Honourable Mrs. Cholmondeley, Miss Hannah More, &c. &c.

After wandering about in a kind of pleasing distraction for some time, I got into a corner, with Johnson, Garrick, and Harris.  Garrick. (to Harris,) ‘Pray, Sir, have you read Potter’s Aeschylus?’ Harris.  ’Yes; and think it pretty.’  Garrick. (to Johnson,) ’And what think you, Sir, of it?’ Johnson.  ’I thought what I read of it verbiage:  but upon Mr. Harris’s recommendation, I will read a play. (To Mr. Harris,) Don’t prescribe two.’  Mr. Harris suggested one, I do not remember which.  Johnson.  ’We must try its effect as an English poem; that is the way to judge of the merit of a translation.  Translations are, in general, for people who cannot read the original.’  I mentioned the vulgar saying, that Pope’s Homer was not a good representation of the original.  Johnson.  ’Sir, it is the greatest work of the kind that has ever been produced.’  Boswell.  ’The truth is, it is impossible perfectly to translate poetry.  In a different language it may be the same tune, but it has not the same tone.  Homer plays it on a bassoon; Pope on a flagelet.’  Harris.  ’I think Heroick poetry is best in blank verse; yet it appears that rhyme is essential to English poetry, from our deficiency in metrical quantities.  In my opinion, the chief excellence of our language is numerous prose.’  Johnson.  ’Sir William Temple was the first writer who gave cadence to English prose.  Before his time they were careless of arrangement, and did not mind whether a sentence ended with an important word or an insignificant word, or with what part of speech it was concluded.’