��be put in an easy way of obtaining it. Johnson recommended the university : ' for you read Latin, Sir, with facility V I read it a little to be sure, Sir. 'But do you read it with facility, I say ? ' Upon my word, Sir, I do not very well know, but I rather believe not. Mr. Johnson now began to recommend other branches of science, when he found languages at such an immeasurable distance, and advising him to study natural history, there arose some talk about animals, and their divisions into oviparous and viviparous ; And the cat here, Sir, said the youth who wished for instruction, pray in which class is she ? Our doctor's patience and desire of doing good began now to give way to the natural roughness of his temper. ' You would do well (said he) to look for some person to be always about you, Sir, who is capable of explaining such matters, and not come to us (there were some literary friends present as I recol lect) to know whether the cat lays eggs or not : get a discreet man to keep you company, there are so many who would be glad of your table and fifty pounds a year.' The young gentle man retired, and in less than a week informed his friends that he had fixed on a preceptor to whom no objections could be made ; but when he named as such one of the most distinguished characters in our age or nation, Mr. Johnson fairly gave himself up to an honest burst of laughter; and seeing this youth at such a surprising distance from common knowledge of the world, or of any thing in it, desired to see his visitor no more.
He had not much better luck with two boys that he used to tell of, to whom he had taught the classics, * so that (he saidj they were no incompetent or mean scholars : ' it was necessary however that something more familiar should be known, and he bid them read the history of England. After a few months had elapsed he asked them, ' If they could recollect who first destroyed the monasteries in our island ? ' One modestly replied, that he did not know ; the other said, Jesus Christ*.
1 Windham records ' Johnson's make it pleasurable.' Letters, ii.
opinion that I could not name above 440.
five of my college acquaintance who 2 Hawkins (p. 471) tells a similar
read Latin with sufficient ease to story.
Of
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