ke, I consider that in no government
power can be abused long. Mankind will not bear it. If a sovereign
oppresses his people to a great degree, they will rise and cut off his
head. There is a remedy in human nature against tyranny, that will keep
us safe under every form of government. Had not the people of France
thought themselves honoured as sharing in the brilliant actions of Lewis
XIV, they would not have endured him; and we may say the same of the
King of Prussia's people.' Sir Adam introduced the ancient Greeks and
Romans. JOHNSON. 'Sir, the mass of both of them were barbarians. The
mass of every people must be barbarous where there is no printing, and
consequently knowledge is not generally diffused. Knowledge is diffused
among our people by the news-papers.' Sir Adam mentioned the orators,
poets, and artists of Greece. JOHNSON. 'Sir, I am talking of the mass
of the people. We see even what the boasted Athenians were. The little
effect which Demosthenes's orations had upon them, shews that they were
barbarians.'

On Sunday, April 5, after attending divine service at St. Paul's church,
I found him alone.

He said, he went more frequently to church when there were prayers
only, than when there was also a sermon, as the people required more
an example for the one than the other; it being much easier for them to
hear a sermon, than to fix their minds on prayer.

On Monday, April 6, I dined with him at Sir Alexander Macdonald's, where
was a young officer in the regimentals of the Scots Royal, who talked
with a vivacity, fluency, and precision so uncommon, that he attracted
particular attention. He proved to be the Honourable Thomas Erskine,
youngest brother to the Earl of Buchan, who has since risen into such
brilliant reputation at the bar in Westminster-hall.

Fielding being mentioned, Johnson exclaimed, 'he was a blockhead;' and
upon my expressing my astonishment at so strange an assertion, he said,
'What I mean by his being a blockhead is that he was a barren rascal.'
BOSWELL. 'Will you not allow, Sir, that he draws very natural pictures
of human life?' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, it is of very low life. Richardson
used to say, that had he not known who Fielding was, he should have
believed he was an ostler. Sir, there is more knowledge of the heart in
one letter of Richardson's, than in all Tom Jones. I, indeed, never read
Joseph Andrews.' ERSKINE. 'Surely, Sir, Richardson is very tedious.'
JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, if yo