* in this
town, a great republican. One day when I was at her house, I put on
a very grave countenance, and said to her, "Madam, I am now become a
convert to your way of thinking. I am convinced that all mankind are
upon an equal footing; and to give you an unquestionable proof, Madam,
that I am in earnest, here is a very sensible, civil, well-behaved
fellow-citizen, your footman; I desire that he may be allowed to sit
down and dine with us." I thus, Sir, shewed her the absurdity of the
levelling doctrine. She has never liked me since. Sir, your levellers
wish to level DOWN as far as themselves; but they cannot bear levelling
UP to themselves. They would all have some people under them; why not
then have some people above them?' I mentioned a certain authour who
disgusted me by his forwardness, and by shewing no deference to noblemen
into whose company he was admitted. JOHNSON. 'Suppose a shoemaker should
claim an equality with him, as he does with a Lord; how he would stare.
"Why, Sir, do you stare? (says the shoemaker,) I do great service to
society. 'Tis true I am paid for doing it; but so are you, Sir: and I
am sorry to say it, paid better than I am, for doing something not so
necessary. For mankind could do better without your books, than
without my shoes." Thus, Sir, there would be a perpetual struggle for
precedence, were there no fixed invariable rules for the distinction of
rank, which creates no jealousy, as it is allowed to be accidental.'

* This ONE Mrs. Macaulay was the same personage who
afterwards made herself so much known as the celebrated
female historian.'--BOSWELL.

He said he would go to the Hebrides with me, when I returned from my
travels, unless some very good companion should offer when I was absent,
which he did not think probable; adding, 'There are few people to whom
I take so much to as you.' And when I talked of my leaving England, he
said with a very affectionate air, 'My dear Boswell, I should be very
unhappy at parting, did I think we were not to meet again.' I cannot too
often remind my readers, that although such instances of his kindness
are doubtless very flattering to me; yet I hope my recording them
will be ascribed to a better motive than to vanity; for they afford
unquestionable evidence of his tenderness and complacency, which some,
while they were forced to acknowledge his great powers, have been so
strenuous to deny.

He maintained that a boy at school was t