Mr. Langton having repeated the anecdote of Addison having distinguished between his powers in conversation and in writing, by saying ’I have only nine-pence in my pocket; but I can draw for a thousand pounds;’—­Johnson.  ’He had not that retort ready, Sir; he had prepared it before-hand.’  Langton. (turning to me,) ’A fine surmise.  Set a thief to catch a thief.’

Johnson.  ‘I shall be at home to-morrow.’  Boswell.  ’Then let us dine by ourselves at the Mitre, to keep up the old custom, “the custom of the manor,” the custom of the mitre.’  Johnson.  ‘Sir, so it shall be.’

On Saturday, May 9, we fulfilled our purpose of dining by ourselves at the Mitre, according to old custom.  There was, on these occasions, a little circumstance of kind attention to Mrs. Williams, which must not be omitted.  Before coming out, and leaving her to dine alone, he gave her her choice of a chicken, a sweetbread, or any other little nice thing, which was carefully sent to her from the tavern, ready-drest.

On Tuesday, May 12, I waited on the Earl of Marchmont, to know if his Lordship would favour Dr. Johnson with information concerning Pope, whose Life he was about to write.  Johnson had not flattered himself with the hopes of receiving any civility from this nobleman; for he said to me, when I mentioned Lord Marchmont as one who could tell him a great deal about Pope,—­’Sir, he will tell me nothing.’  I had the honour of being known to his Lordship, and applied to him of myself, without being commissioned by Johnson.  His Lordship behaved in the most polite and obliging manner, promised to tell all he recollected about Pope, and was so very courteous as to say, ’Tell Dr. Johnson I have a great respect for him, and am ready to shew it in any way I can.  I am to be in the city to-morrow, and will call at his house as I return.’  His Lordship however asked, ’Will he write the Lives of the Poets impartially?  He was the first that brought Whig and Tory into a Dictionary.  And what do you think of his definition of Excise?  Do you know the history of his aversion to the word transpire?’ Then taking down the folio Dictionary, he shewed it with this censure on its secondary sense:  ’"To escape from secrecy to notice; a sense lately innovated from France, without necessity.”  The truth was Lord Bolingbroke, who left the Jacobites, first used it; therefore, it was to be condemned.  He should have shewn what word would do for it, if it was unnecessary.’  I afterwards put the question to Johnson:  ‘Why, Sir, (said he,) get abroad.’  Boswell.  ’That, Sir, is using two words.’  Johnson.  ’Sir, there is no end of this.  You may as well insist to have a word for old age.’  Boswell.  ’Well, Sir, Senectus.’  Johnson.  ’Nay, Sir, to insist always that there should be one word to express a thing in English, because there is one in another language, is to change the language.’