he loved exceedingly, told him on some occasion notwithstanding, that his wife's sister was really happy, and called upon the lady to confirm his assertion, which she did somewhat roundly as we say. and with an accent and manner capable of offending Mr. Johnson, if her position had not been sufficient, without any thing more, to put him in very ill humour. ' If your sister-in- law is really the contented being she professes herself Sir (said he), her life gives the lie to every research of humanity ; for she is happy without health, without beauty, without money, and without understanding.' This story he told me himself; and when I expressed something of the horror I felt, 'The same stupidity (said he) which prompted her to extol felicity she never felt, hindered her from feeling what shocks you on repe tition. I tell you, the woman is ugly, and sickly, and foolish, and poor ; and would it not make a man hang himself to hear such a creature say, it was happy ? '
' The life of a sailor was also a continued scene of danger and exertion (he said) ; and the manner in which time was spent on shipboard would make all who saw a cabin envy a gaol V The roughness of the language used on board a man of war, where he passed a week on a visit to Capt. Knight, disgusted him terribly. He asked an officer what some place was called, and received for answer, that it was where the loplolly man kept his loplolly 2 : a reply he considered, not unjustly, as disrespectful,
of beings, combining to counterfeit lin's Works, ed. 1889, iv. 73. Yet
happiness which they do not feel.' even their lot was better than the
Works, iv. 120. See Life, ii. 350; soldiers'. 'The son of a creditable
Hi. 53. labourer or artificer may frequently
1 'He said, "No man will be a go to sea with his father's consent;
sailor who has contrivance enough but if he inlists as a soldier it is
to get himself into a jail ; for being always without it.' Wealth of Na-
in a ship is being in a jail, with the tions, ed. 1811, i. 148.
chance of being drowned." And at 2 Johnson and Reynolds visited
another time, "A man in a jail has Plymouth in 1762. Life, i. 378. Mr.
more room, better food, and com- Croker says that Captain Knight of
monly better company."' Life, i. the Belleisle lay for a couple of
348. months in 1762 in Plymouth Sound.
'There is no slavery worse than Croker's Bosiuell, p. 480. It seems
that sailors are subjected to.' Frank- unlikely that Johnson passed a whole
gross,
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