w read to acquire more knowledge. The King, as it should seem with a
view to urge him to rely on his own stores as an original writer, and
to continue his labors, then said, "I do not think you borrow much
from anybody."

Johnson said he thought he had already done his part as a writer. "I
should have thought so too" (said the King), "if you had not written
so well." Johnson observed to me, upon this, that "No man could have
paid a handsomer compliment; and it was fit for a king to pay. It was
decisive." When asked by another friend, at Sir Joshua Reynolds's,
whether he made any reply to this high compliment, he answered, "No,
sir. When the King had said it, it was to be so. It was not for me to
bandy civilities with my Sovereign." Perhaps no man who had spent his
whole life in courts could have shown a more nice and dignified sense
of true politeness than Johnson did in this instance.

His Majesty having observed to him that he supposed he must have read
a good deal, Johnson answered that he thought more than he read; that
he had read a great deal in the early part of his life, but having
fallen into ill health, he had not been able to read much compared
with others: for instance, he said, he had not read much compared with
Dr. Warburton. Upon which the King said that he heard Dr. Warburton
was a man of much general knowledge; that you could scarce talk with
him on any subject on which he was not qualified to speak: and that
his learning resembled Garrick's acting in its universality. His
Majesty then talked of the controversy between Warburton and Lowth,
which he seemed to have read, and asked Johnson what he thought of it.
Johnson answered, "Warburton has the most general, most scholastic
learning; Lowth is the more correct scholar. I do not know which of
them calls names best." The King was pleased to say he was of the same
opinion: adding, "You do not think then, Dr. Johnson, that there was
much argument in the case?" Johnson said he did not think there was.
"Why, truly" (said the King), "when once it comes to calling names,
argument is pretty well at an end."

His Majesty then asked him what he thought of Lord Lyttelton's
history, which was just then published. Johnson said he thought his
style pretty good, but that he had blamed Henry the Second rather too
much. "Why" (said the King), "they seldom do these things by halves."
"No, sir" (answered Johnson), "not to kings." But fearing to be
misunderstood, he proc