he rest. If, however, I ventured to
blame their ingratitude, and condemn their conduct, he would instantly
set about softening the one and justifying the other; and finished
commonly by telling me, that I knew not how to make allowances for
situations I never experienced.

"To thee no reason who know'st only good,
But evil hast not tried."

MILTON.

Dr. Johnson knew how to be merry with mean people, too, as well as to be
sad with them; he loved the lower ranks of humanity with a real
affection: and though his talents and learning kept him always in the
sphere of upper life, yet he never lost sight of the time when he and
they shared pain and pleasure in common. A borough election once showed
me his toleration of boisterous mirth, and his content in the company of
people whom one would have thought at first sight little calculated for
his society. A rough fellow one day on such an occasion, a hatter by
trade, seeing Mr. Johnson's beaver in a state of decay, seized it
suddenly with one hand, and clapping him on the back with the other, "Ah,
Master Johnson," says he, "this is no time to be thinking about _hats_."
"No, no, sir," replied our Doctor in a cheerful tone, "hats are of no use
now, as you say, except to throw up in the air and huzza with,"
accompanying his words with a true election halloo.

But it was never against people of coarse life that his contempt was
expressed, while poverty of sentiment in men who considered themselves to
be company for _the parlour_, as he called it, was what he could not
bear. A very ignorant young fellow, who had plagued us all for nine or
ten months, died at last consumptive. "I think," said Mr. Johnson, when
he heard the news, "I am afraid I should have been more concerned for the
death of the _dog_; but--" (hesitating a while) "I am not wrong now in
all this, for the dog acted up to his character on every occasion that we
know; but that dunce of a fellow helped forward the general disgrace of
humanity." "Why, dear sir," said I, "how odd you are! you have often
said the lad was not capable of receiving further instruction." "He
was," replied the Doctor, "like a corked bottle, with a drop of dirty
water in it, to be sure; one might pump upon it for ever without the
smallest effect; but when every method to open and clean it had been
tried, you would not have me grieve that the bottle was broke at last."

This was the same youth who told us he had been reading "Lu