General,) at his chambers in the Temple, nobody else there. The
company being small, Johnson was not in such spirits as he had been the
preceding day, and for a considerable time little was said.

Talking of fame, for which there is so great a desire, I observed how
little there is of it in reality, compared with the other objects of
human attention. 'Let every man recollect, and he will be sensible
how small a part of his time is employed in talking or thinking of
Shakspeare, Voltaire, or any of the most celebrated men that have ever
lived, or are now supposed to occupy the attention and admiration of the
world. Let this be extracted and compressed; into what a narrow space
will it go!' I then slily introduced Mr. Garrick's fame, and his
assuming the airs of a great man. JOHNSON. 'Sir, it is wonderful how
LITTLE Garrick assumes. No, Sir, Garrick fortunam reverenter habet.
Consider, Sir: celebrated men, such as you have mentioned, have had
their applause at a distance; but Garrick had it dashed in his face,
sounded in his ears, and went home every night with the plaudits of a
thousand in his CRANIUM. Then, Sir, Garrick did not FIND, but MADE his
way to the tables, the levees, and almost the bed-chambers of the great.
Then, Sir, Garrick had under him a numerous body of people; who, from
fear of his power, and hopes of his favour, and admiration of his
talents, were constantly submissive to him. And here is a man who has
advanced the dignity of his profession. Garrick has made a player a
higher character.' SCOTT. 'And he is a very sprightly writer too.'
JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir; and all this supported by great wealth of his own
acquisition. If all this had happened to me, I should have had a couple
of fellows with long poles walking before me, to knock down every body
that stood in the way. Consider, if all this had happened to Cibber
or Quin, they'd have jumped over the moon--Yet Garrick speaks to US.'
(smiling.) BOSWELL. 'And Garrick is a very good man, a charitable man.'
JOHNSON. 'Sir, a liberal man. He has given away more money than any man
in England. There may be a little vanity mixed; but he has shewn, that
money is not his first object.' BOSWELL. 'Yet Foote used to say of
him, that he walked out with an intention to do a generous action; but,
turning the corner of a street, he met with the ghost of a half-penny,
which frightened him.' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, that is very true, too; for
I never knew a man of whom it could be