cork it up.'

I found his Journey the common topick of conversation in London at
this time, wherever I happened to be. At one of Lord Mansfield's formal
Sunday evening conversations, strangely called Levees, his Lordship
addressed me, 'We have all been reading your travels, Mr. Boswell.' I
answered, 'I was but the humble attendant of Dr. Johnson.' The Chief
Justice replied, with that air and manner which none, who ever saw and
heard him, can forget, 'He speaks ill of nobody but Ossian.'

Johnson was in high spirits this evening at the club, and talked with
great animation and success. He attacked Swift, as he used to do upon
all occasions. The Tale of a Tub is so much superiour to his other
writings, that one can hardly believe he was the authour of it: 'there
is in it such a vigour of mind, such a swarm of thoughts, so much of
nature, and art, and life.' I wondered to hear him say of Gulliver's
Travels, 'When once you have thought of big men and little men, it is
very easy to do all the rest.' I endeavoured to make a stand for Swift,
and tried to rouse those who were much more able to defend him; but in
vain. Johnson at last, of his own accord, allowed very great merit
to the inventory of articles found in the pocket of the Man Mountain,
particularly the description of his watch, which it was conjectured was
his God; as he consulted it upon all occasions. He observed, that 'Swift
put his name to but two things, (after he had a name to put,) The Plan
for the Improvement of the English Language, and the last Drapier's
Letter.'

From Swift, there was an easy transition to Mr. Thomas
Sheridan--JOHNSON. 'Sheridan is a wonderful admirer of the tragedy of
Douglas, and presented its authour with a gold medal. Some years ago, at
a coffee-house in Oxford, I called to him, "Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Sheridan,
how came you to give a gold medal to Home, for writing that foolish
play?" This you see, was wanton and insolent; but I MEANT to be wanton
and insolent. A medal has no value but as a stamp of merit. And was
Sheridan to assume to himself the right of giving that stamp? If
Sheridan was magnificent enough to bestow a gold medal as an honorary
reward of dramatick excellence, he should have requested one of the
Universities to choose the person on whom it should be conferred.
Sheridan had no right to give a stamp of merit: it was counterfeiting
Apollo's coin.'

On Monday, March 27, I breakfasted with him at Mr Strahan's. He told us,