dence of Mr.
Thrale's brewery, with a salary of five hundred pounds a year. Sir
Philip had the appearance of a gentleman of ancient family, well
advanced in life. He wore his own white hair in a bag of goodly size,
a black velvet coat, with an embroidered waistcoat, and very rich laced
ruffles; which Mrs. Thrale said were old fashioned, but which, for that
reason, I thought the more respectable, more like a Tory; yet Sir Philip
was then in Opposition in Parliament. 'Ah, Sir, (said Johnson,) ancient
ruffles and modern principles do not agree.' Sir Philip defended the
Opposition to the American war ably and with temper, and I joined him.
He said, the majority of the nation was against the ministry. JOHNSON.
'I, Sir, am against the ministry; but it is for having too little of
that, of which Opposition thinks they have too much. Were I minister, if
any man wagged his finger against me, he should be turned out; for that
which it is in the power of Government to give at pleasure to one or to
another, should be given to the supporters of Government. If you will
not oppose at the expence of losing your place, your opposition will
not be honest, you will feel no serious grievance; and the present
opposition is only a contest to get what others have. Sir Robert Walpole
acted as I would do. As to the American war, the SENSE of the nation is
WITH the ministry. The majority of those who can UNDERSTAND is with it;
the majority of those who can only HEAR, is against it; and as those
who can only hear are more numerous than those who can understand,
and Opposition is always loudest, a majority of the rabble will be for
Opposition.'

This boisterous vivacity entertained us; but the truth in my opinion
was, that those who could understand the best were against the American
war, as almost every man now is, when the question has been coolly
considered.

Mrs. Thrale gave high praise to Mr. Dudley Long, (now North). JOHNSON.
'Nay, my dear lady, don't talk so. Mr. Long's character is very SHORT.
It is nothing. He fills a chair. He is a man of genteel appearance, and
that is all. I know nobody who blasts by praise as you do: for whenever
there is exaggerated praise, every body is set against a character. They
are provoked to attack it. Now there is Pepys; you praised that man with
such disproportion, that I was incited to lessen him, perhaps more than
he deserves. His blood is upon your head. By the same principle,
your malice defeats itself