obliged to Mr. Davies, and the Reverend Mr.
John Ogilvie, who was desirous of being in company with my illustrious
friend, while I, in my turn, was proud to have the honour of shewing one
of my countrymen upon what easy terms Johnson permitted me to live with
him.

Goldsmith, as usual, endeavoured, with too much eagerness, to SHINE, and
disputed very warmly with Johnson against the well-known maxim of the
British constitution, 'the King can do no wrong;' affirming, that 'what
was morally false could not be politically true; and as the King might,
in the exercise of his regal power, command and cause the doing of what
was wrong, it certainly might be said, in sense and in reason, that
he could do wrong.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, you are to consider, that in our
constitution, according to its true principles, the King is the head; he
is supreme; he is above every thing, and there is no power by which he
can be tried. Therefore, it is, Sir, that we hold the King can do no
wrong; that whatever may happen to be wrong in government may not be
above our reach, by being ascribed to Majesty. Redress is always to be
had against oppression, by punishing the immediate agents. The King,
though he should command, cannot force a Judge to condemn a man
unjustly; therefore it is the Judge whom we prosecute and punish.
Political institutions are formed upon the consideration of what will
most frequently tend to the good of the whole, although now and then
exceptions may occur. Thus it is better in general that a nation should
have a supreme legislative power, although it may at times be abused.
And then, Sir, there is this consideration, that if the abuse be
enormous, Nature will rise up, and claiming her original rights,
overturn a corrupt political system.' I mark this animated sentence with
peculiar pleasure, as a noble instance of that truly dignified spirit
of freedom which ever glowed in his heart, though he was charged with
slavish tenets by superficial observers; because he was at all times
indignant against that false patriotism, that pretended love of
freedom, that unruly restlessness, which is inconsistent with the stable
authority of any good government.

'Bayle's Dictionary is a very useful work for those to consult who love
the biographical part of literature, which is what I love most.'

Talking of the eminent writers in Queen Anne's reign, he observed, 'I
think Dr. Arbuthnot the first man among them. He was the most universal
ge