my friends, Messieurs Edward
and Charles Dilly, booksellers in the Poultry: there were present, their
elder brother Mr. Dilly of Bedfordshire, Dr. Goldsmith, Mr. Langton,
Mr. Claxton, Reverend Dr. Mayo a dissenting minister, the Reverend Mr.
Toplady, and my friend the Reverend Mr. Temple.

BOSWELL. 'I am well assured that the people of Otaheite who have the
bread tree, the fruit of which serves them for bread, laughed heartily
when they were informed of the tedious process necessary with us to
have bread;--plowing, sowing, harrowing, reaping, threshing, grinding,
baking.' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, all ignorant savages will laugh when they
are told of the advantages of civilized life. Were you to tell men
who live without houses, how we pile brick upon brick, and rafter upon
rafter, and that after a house is raised to a certain height, a man
tumbles off a scaffold, and breaks his neck; he would laugh heartily
at our folly in building; but it does not follow that men are better
without houses. No, Sir, (holding up a slice of a good loaf,) this is
better than the bread tree.'

I introduced the subject of toleration. JOHNSON. 'Every society has
a right to preserve publick peace and order, and therefore has a good
right to prohibit the propagation of opinions which have a dangerous
tendency. To say the MAGISTRATE has this right, is using an inadequate
word: it is the SOCIETY for which the magistrate is agent. He may
be morally or theologically wrong in restraining the propagation of
opinions which he thinks dangerous, but he is politically right.'
MAYO. 'I am of opinion, Sir, that every man is entitled to liberty of
conscience in religion; and that the magistrate cannot restrain that
right.' JOHNSON. 'Sir, I agree with you. Every man has a right to
liberty of conscience, and with that the magistrate cannot interfere.
People confound liberty of thinking with liberty of talking; nay, with
liberty of preaching. Every man has a physical right to think as he
pleases; for it cannot be discovered how he thinks. He has not a moral
right, for he ought to inform himself, and think justly. But, Sir, no
member of a society has a right to TEACH any doctrine contrary to what
the society holds to be true. The magistrate, I say, may be wrong in
what he thinks: but while he thinks himself right, he may and ought to
enforce what he thinks.' MAYO. 'Then, Sir, we are to remain always in
errour, and truth never can prevail; and the magistrate was ri