among the Scots, like bread in a besieged town, to every man a mouthful, to no man a bellyful[1].' This story he likewise acknowledged, and said besides, 'that some officious friend had carried it to Lord Bute, who only answered – 'Well, well! never mind what he says – he will have the pension all one.'
Another famous reply to a Scotsman who commended the beauty and dignity of Glasgow, till Mr. Johnson stopped him by observing, 'that he probably had never yet seen Brentford[2],' was one of the jokes he owned: and said himself, 'that when a gentleman of that country once mentioned the lovely prospects common in his nation, he could not help telling him, that the view of the London road was the prospect in which every Scotsman most naturally and most rationally delighted[3].'
Mrs. Brook received an answer not unlike this, when expatiating on the accumulation of sublime and beautiful objects, which form the fine prospect up the river St. Lawrence in North America; 'Come Madam (says Dr. Johnson), confess that nothing ever equalled your pleasure in seeing that sight reversed; and finding yourself looking at the happy prospect down the river St. Lawrence[4].' The truth is, he hated to hear about
- ↑ 'Their learning is like bread in a besieged town: every man gets a little, but no man gets a full meal.' Life, ii. 363.
- ↑ 'I once reminded him that when Dr. Adam Smith was expatiating on the beauty of Glasgow, he had cut him short by saying, "Pray, Sir, have you ever seen Brentford?" and I took the liberty to add, "My dear Sir, surely that was shocking." "Why then, Sir (he replied), you have never seen Brentford." Ib. iv. 186; v. 369.
- ↑ For the correct version of this story see ib. i. 425.
- ↑ Frances Brooke. Life, iii. 259, n. 1. Her husband, Rev. John Brooke, D.D., was chaplain to the garrison at Quebec, whither they went soon after their marriage, about 1756. Dict. Nat. Biog.
'The evening before her departure to Canada some friends met at her apartments to take their farewell, Miss Hannah More, Miss Seward, Mr. Keate, Dr. Johnson and Mr. Boswell were among her visitors. As Dr. Johnson was obliged to leave the company early he rose, and wishing her health and happiness went seemingly away. In a few minutes a servant came to acquaint her that a gentleman in the parlour wished to speak with her. She accordingly went down stairs, where she found the Doctor, who said to her, "Madam, I sent for you down stairs that I might kiss you, which I did not choose to do before so much com-
