s continually the case; and that
he was always obliged to TRANSLATE the Justice's swelling diction,
(smiling,) so as that his meaning might be understood by the vulgar,
from whom information was to be obtained.

Sir Joshua once observed to him, that he had talked above the capacity
of some people with whom they had been in company together. 'No matter,
Sir, (said Johnson;) they consider it as a compliment to be talked to,
as if they were wiser than they are. So true is this, Sir, that Baxter
made it a rule in every sermon that he preached, to say something that
was above the capacity of his audience.'

Johnson's dexterity in retort, when he seemed to be driven to an
extremity by his adversary, was very remarkable. Of his power in this
respect, our common friend, Mr. Windham of Norfolk, has been pleased to
furnish me with an eminent instance. However unfavourable to Scotland,
he uniformly gave liberal praise to George Buchanan, as a writer. In
a conversation concerning the literary merits of the two countries,
in which Buchanan was introduced, a Scotchman, imagining that on this
ground he should have an undoubted triumph over him, exclaimed, 'Ah,
Dr. Johnson, what would you have said of Buchanan, had he been an
Englishman?' 'Why, Sir, (said Johnson, after a little pause,) I should
NOT have said of Buchanan, had he been an ENGLISHMAN, what I will now
say of him as a SCOTCHMAN,--that he was the only man of genius his
country ever produced.'

Though his usual phrase for conversation was TALK, yet he made a
distinction; for when he once told me that he dined the day before at a
friend's house, with 'a very pretty company;' and I asked him if there
was good conversation, he answered, 'No, Sir; we had TALK enough, but no
CONVERSATION; there was nothing DISCUSSED.'

Such was his sensibility, and so much was he affected by pathetick
poetry, that, when he was reading Dr. Beattie's Hermit in my presence,
it brought tears into his eyes.

Mr. Hoole told him, he was born in Moorfields, and had received part of
his early instruction in Grub-street. 'Sir, (said Johnson, smiling,) you
have been REGULARLY educated.' Having asked who was his instructor, and
Mr. Hoole having answered, 'My uncle, Sir, who was a taylor;' Johnson,
recollecting himself, said, 'Sir, I knew him; we called him the
metaphysical taylor. He was of a club in Old-street, with me and George
Psalmanazar, and some others: but pray, Sir, was he a good taylor?' Mr.
H