��read, while a gentleman of no small distinction for his birth and elegance, suddenly rode up to the carriage, and paying us all his proper compliments, was desirous not to neglect Dr. Johnson ; but observing that he did not see him, tapt him gently on the shoulder "Pis Mr. Ch 1m ley, says my husband; 'Well, Sir ! and what if it is Mr. Ch 1m ley ! ' says the other sternly, just lifting his eyes a moment from his book, and returning to it again with renewed avidity x .
He had sometimes fits of reading very violent ; and when he was in earnest about getting through some particular pages, for I have heard him say he never read but one book, which he did not consider as obligatory, through in his whole life 2 (and Lady Mary Wortley's Letters 3 was the book) ; he would be quite lost to company, and withdraw all his attention to what he was reading, without the smallest knowledge or care about the noise made round him. His deafness made such conduct less odd and less difficult to him than it would have been to another man ; but his advising others to take the same method, and pull a little book out when they were not entertained with what was going forward in society, seemed more likely to advance the growth of science than of polished manners, for which he always pretended extreme veneration 4 .
'.For BoswelPs comment on this the Memoirs of Captain Carleton sent
story see Life, iv. 345. to him when ' he was going to bed,
2 * Mr. Elphinston talked of a new he sat up till he had read it through.'
book that was much admired, and Zz/<?, iv. 334. A year earlier he said :
asked Dr. Johnson if he had read it. ' I have this year read all Virgil
JOHNSON. "I have looked into it." through. I readabookofthey#/V/
" What (said Elphinston,) have you every night, so it was done in twelve
not read it through ?" Johnson, nights, and I had great delight in it.'
offended at being thus pressed, and Ib. iv. 218. so obliged to own his cursory mode 3 First published in 1763.
of reading, answered tartly, "No, 4 'Before dinner Dr. Johnson seized
Sir, do you read books throitght"' upon Mr. Charles Sheridan's Account
Ib. ii. 226. of the late Revolution in Sweden,
He read Amelia through without and seemed to read it ravenously, as
stopping (Ib. iii. 43), and rejoiced at if he devoured it, which was to all
finding that Clarissa was not to be appearance his method of studying.'
curtailed. Letters, i. 21. A few Ib. iii. 284. months before his death, having had
Mr.
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