you ever play on any musical instrument?"

_Dr. Johnson._--"No, Sir; I once bought a flageolet, but I never made
out a tune."

_Boswell._--"A flageolet, Sir! So small an instrument? I should have
liked to hear you play on the violoncello. _That_ should have been
your instrument."

_Dr. Johnson._--"Sir, I might as well have played on the violoncello
as another; but I should have done nothing else. No, Sir; a man would
never undertake great things could he be amused with small. I once
tried knotting; Dempster's sister undertook to teach me, but _I could
not learn it_."

_Boswell._--"So, Sir; it will be related in pompous narrative, 'once
for his amusement he tried knotting, nor did this Hercules disdain the
distaff.'"

_Dr. Johnson._--"Knitting of stockings is a good amusement. As a
freeman of Aberdeen, I should be a knitter of stockings."

Nor was Dr. Johnson singular in his high appreciation of the value of
some sort of stitchery to his own half of the human race, if their
intellects unfortunately had not been too obtuse for its acquisition.
The great censor of the public morals and manners a century ago, the
Spectator, recommends the same thing, though with his usual policy he
feigns merely to be the medium of another's advice.

"Mr. Spectator,--You are always ready to receive any useful hint or
proposal, and such, I believe, you will think one that may put you in
a way to employ the most idle part of the kingdom; I mean that part of
mankind who are known by the name of the women's men, beaux, &c. Mr.
Spectator, you are sensible these pretty gentlemen are not made for
any manly employments, and for want of business are often as much in
the vapours as the ladies. Now what I propose is this, that since
knotting is again in fashion, which has been found a very pretty
amusement, that you will recommend it to these gentlemen as something
that may make them useful to the ladies they admire. And since it is
not inconsistent with any game or other diversion, for it may be done
in the playhouse, in their coaches, at the tea-table, and, in short,
in all places where they come for the sake of the ladies (except at
church, be pleased to forbid it there to prevent mistakes), it will be
easily complied with. It is besides an employment that allows, as we
see by the fair sex, of many graces, which will make the beaux more
readily come into it; and it shows a white hand and a diamond ring to
great advantage; it leaves the ey