rtance to
others, than he really is. They don't care a farthing whether he drinks
wine or not.' SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 'Yes, they do for the time.' JOHNSON.
'For the time!--If they care this minute, they forget it the next. And
as for the good worthy man; how do you know he is good and worthy? No
good and worthy man will insist upon another man's drinking wine. As to
the wine twenty years in the cellar,--of ten men, three say this, merely
because they must say something;--three are telling a lie, when they
say they have had the wine twenty years;--three would rather save the
wine;--one, perhaps, cares. I allow it is something to please one's
company: and people are always pleased with those who partake pleasure
with them. But after a man has brought himself to relinquish the
great personal pleasure which arises from drinking wine, any other
consideration is a trifle. To please others by drinking wine, is
something only, if there be nothing against it. I should, however, be
sorry to offend worthy men:--

"Curst be the verse, how well so e'er it flow,
That tends to make one worthy man my foe."'

BOSWELL. 'Curst be the SPRING, the WATER.' JOHNSON. 'But let us consider
what a sad thing it would be, if we were obliged to drink or do any
thing else that may happen to be agreeable to the company where we are.'
LANGTON. 'By the same rule you must join with a gang of cut-purses.'
JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir: but yet we must do justice to wine; we must allow it
the power it possesses. To make a man pleased with himself, let me tell
you, is doing a very great thing;

"Si patriae volumus, si Nobis vivere cari."'

I was at this time myself a water-drinker, upon trial, by Johnson's
recommendation. JOHNSON. 'Boswell is a bolder combatant than Sir Joshua:
he argues for wine without the help of wine; but Sir Joshua with it.'
SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 'But to please one's company is a strong motive.'
JOHNSON. (who, from drinking only water, supposed every body who drank
wine to be elevated,) 'I won't argue any more with you, Sir. You are too
far gone.' SIR JOSHUA. 'I should have thought so indeed, Sir, had I made
such a speech as you have now done.' JOHNSON. (drawing himself in, and,
I really thought blushing,) 'Nay, don't be angry. I did not mean to
offend you.' SIR JOSHUA. 'At first the taste of wine was disagreeable to
me; but I brought myself to drink it, that I might be like other
people. The pleasure of drinking wine is so connec