From this pleasing subject, he, I know not how or why, made a sudden transition to one upon which he was a violent aggressor; for he said, ’I am willing to love all mankind, except an American:’  and his inflammable corruption bursting into horrid fire, he ’breathed out threatenings and slaughter;’ calling them, Rascals—­Robbers—­Pirates;’ and exclaiming, he’d ‘burn and destroy them.’  Miss Seward, looking to him with mild but steady astonishment, said, ’Sir, this is an instance that we are always most violent against those whom we have injured.’  He was irritated still more by this delicate and keen reproach; and roared out another tremendous volley, which one might fancy could be heard across the Atlantick.  During this tempest I sat in great uneasiness, lamenting his heat of temper; till, by degrees, I diverted his attention to other topicks.

Talking of Miss ------, a literary lady, he said, ’I was obliged to
speak to Miss Reynolds, to let her know that I desired she would not
flatter me so much.’  Somebody now observed, ‘She flatters Garrick.’ 
Johnson.  ’She is in the right to flatter Garrick.  She is in the right
for two reasons; first, because she has the world with her, who have
been praising Garrick these thirty years; and secondly, because she is
rewarded for it by Garrick.  Why should she flatter me?  I can do nothing
for her.  Let her carry her praise to a better market. (Then turning to
Mrs. Knowles.) You, Madam, have been flattering me all the evening; I
wish you would give Boswell a little now.  If you knew his merit as well
as I do, you would say a great deal; he is the best travelling companion
in the world.’

Somebody mentioned the Reverend Mr. Mason’s prosecution of Mr. Murray, the bookseller, for having inserted in a collection of Gray’s Poems, only fifty lines, of which Mr. Mason had still the exclusive property, under the statute of Queen Anne; and that Mr. Mason had persevered, notwithstanding his being requested to name his own terms of compensation.  Johnson signified his displeasure at Mr. Mason’s conduct very strongly; but added, by way of shewing that he was not surprized at it, ‘Mason’s a Whig.’  Mrs. Knowles. (not hearing distinctly,) ’What! a Prig, Sir?’ Johnson.  ‘Worse, Madam; a Whig!  But he is both.’

Of John Wesley, he said, ‘He can talk well on any subject.’  Boswell.  ‘Pray, Sir, what has he made of his story of a ghost?’ Johnson.  ’Why, Sir, he believes it; but not on sufficient authority.  He did not take time enough to examine the girl.  It was at Newcastle, where the ghost was said to have appeared to a young woman several times, mentioning something about the right to an old house, advising application to be made to an attorney, which was done; and, at the same time, saying the attorneys would do nothing, which proved to be the fact.  “This (says John,) is a proof that a ghost knows our thoughts.”