right. She had lived with him many years in great
confidence, and they had mingled minds; I do not think he could have
found any wife that would have made him so happy. The woman was very
attentive and civil to me; she pressed me to fix a day for dining with
them, and to say what I liked, and she would be sure to get it for me.
Poor Sack! He is very ill, indeed. We parted as never to meet again.
It has quite broke me down.' This pathetic narrative was strangely
diversified with the grave and earnest defence of a man's having married
his maid. I could not but feel it as in some degree ludicrous.

In the morning of Tuesday, June 15, while we sat at Dr. Adams's, we
talked of a printed letter from the Reverend Herbert Croft, to a young
gentleman who had been his pupil, in which he advised him to read to the
end of whatever books he should begin to read. JOHNSON. 'This is surely
a strange advice; you may as well resolve that whatever men you happen
to get acquainted with, you are to keep to them for life. A book may be
good for nothing; or there may be only one thing in it worth knowing;
are we to read it all through? These Voyages, (pointing to the three
large volumes of Voyages to the South Sea, which were just come out) WHO
will read them through? A man had better work his way before the mast,
than read them through; they will be eaten by rats and mice, before they
are read through. There can be little entertainment in such books; one
set of Savages is like another.' BOSWELL. 'I do not think the people of
Otaheite can be reckoned Savages.' JOHNSON. 'Don't cant in defence of
Savages.' BOSWELL. 'They have the art of navigation.' JOHNSON. 'A dog or
a cat can swim.' BOSWELL. 'They carve very ingeniously.' JOHNSON. 'A cat
can scratch, and a child with a nail can scratch.' I perceived this was
none of the mollia tempora fandi; so desisted.

Upon his mentioning that when he came to College he wrote his first
exercise twice over; but never did so afterwards; MISS ADAMS. 'I
suppose, Sir, you could not make them better?' JOHNSON. 'Yes, Madam, to
be sure, I could make them better. Thought is better than no thought.'
MISS ADAMS. 'Do you think, Sir, you could make your Ramblers better?'
JOHNSON. 'Certainly I could.' BOSWELL. 'I'll lay a bet, Sir, you
cannot.' JOHNSON. 'But I will, Sir, if I choose. I shall make the best
of them you shall pick out, better.' BOSWELL. 'But you may add to them.
I will not allow of that.' JOHNSON. 'Nay, S