Sir, he is much indebted to you for his getting so high
in the publick estimation.' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, he has perhaps got
SOONER to it by his intimacy with me.'

Goldsmith, though his vanity often excited him to occasional
competition, had a very high regard for Johnson, which he at this time
expressed in the strongest manner in the Dedication of his comedy,
entitled, She Stoops to Conquer.

He told me that he had twelve or fourteen times attempted to keep a
journal of his life, but never could persevere. He advised me to do it.
'The great thing to be recorded, (said he,) is the state of your own
mind; and you should write down every thing that you remember, for you
cannot judge at first what is good or bad; and write immediately while
the impression is fresh, for it will not be the same a week afterwards.'

I again solicited him to communicate to me the particulars of his early
life. He said, 'You shall have them all for two-pence. I hope you shall
know a great deal more of me before you write my Life.' He mentioned to
me this day many circumstances, which I wrote down when I went home, and
have interwoven in the former part of this narrative.

On Tuesday, April 13, he and Dr. Goldsmith and I dined at General
Oglethorpe's. Goldsmith expatiated on the common topick, that the
race of our people was degenerated, and that this was owing to luxury.
JOHNSON. 'Sir, in the first place, I doubt the fact. I believe there
are as many tall men in England now, as ever there were. But, secondly,
supposing the stature of our people to be diminished, that is not owing
to luxury; for, Sir, consider to how very small a proportion of our
people luxury can reach. Our soldiery, surely, are not luxurious, who
live on sixpence a day; and the same remark will apply to almost all the
other classes. Luxury, so far as it reaches the poor, will do good to
the race of people; it will strengthen and multiply them. Sir, no nation
was ever hurt by luxury; for, as I said before, it can reach but to a
very few. I admit that the great increase of commerce and manufactures
hurts the military spirit of a people; because it produces a competition
for something else than martial honours,--a competition for riches. It
also hurts the bodies of the people; for you will observe, there is no
man who works at any particular trade, but you may know him from his
appearance to do so. One part or other of his body being more used than
the rest, he is in some deg