two men ride on a horse, one must ride behind."’ Dilly.  ’I suppose, Sir, Mrs. Knowles would have them to ride in panniers, one on each side.’  Johnson.  ’Then, Sir, the horse would throw them both.’  Mrs. Knowles.  ’Well, I hope that in another world the sexes will be equal.’  Boswell.  ’That is being too ambitious, Madam.  We might as well desire to be equal with the angels.  We shall all, I hope, be happy in a future state, but we must not expect to be all happy in the same degree.  It is enough if we be happy according to our several capacities.  A worthy carman will get to heaven as well as Sir Isaac Newton.  Yet, though equally good, they will not have the same degrees of happiness.’  Johnson.  ‘Probably not.’

Dr. Mayo having asked Johnson’s opinion of Soame Jenyns’s View of the Internal Evidence of the Christian Religion;—­Johnson.  ’I think it a pretty book; not very theological indeed; and there seems to be an affectation of ease and carelessness, as if it were not suitable to his character to be very serious about the matter.’  Boswell.  ’He may have intended this to introduce his book the better among genteel people, who might be unwilling to read too grave a treatise.  There is a general levity in the age.  We have physicians now with bag-wigs; may we not have airy divines, at least somewhat less solemn in their appearance than they used to be?’ Johnson.  ‘Jenyns might mean as you say.’  Boswell.  ’You should like his book, Mrs. Knowles, as it maintains, as you friends do, that courage is not a Christian virtue.’  Mrs. Knowles.  ’Yes, indeed, I like him there; but I cannot agree with him, that friendship is not a Christian virtue.’  Johnson.  ’Why, Madam, strictly speaking, he is right.  All friendship is preferring the interest of a friend, to the neglect, or, perhaps, against the interest of others; so that an old Greek said, “He that has friends has no friend.”  Now Christianity recommends universal benevolence, to consider all men as our brethren, which is contrary to the virtue of friendship, as described by the ancient philosophers.  Surely, Madam, your sect must approve of this; for, you call all men friends.’  Mrs. Knowles.  ’We are commanded to do good to all men, “but especially to them who are of the household of Faith."’ Johnson.  ‘Well, Madam.  The household of Faith is wide enough.’  Mrs. Knowles.  ’But, Doctor, our Saviour had twelve Apostles, yet there was one whom he loved. John was called “the disciple whom Jesus loved."’ Johnson. (with eyes sparkling benignantly,) ’Very well, indeed, Madam.  You have said very well.’  Boswell.  ’A fine application.  Pray, Sir, had you ever thought of it?’ Johnson.  ‘I had not, Sir.’