companion; and his literary performances have no
inconsiderable share of merit. He was a friendly and very hospitable
man. Both he and his wife (who has been celebrated for her beauty),
though upon the stage for many years, maintained an uniform decency of
character; and Johnson esteemed them, and lived in an as easy an
intimacy with them, as with any family which he used to visit. Mr
Davies recollected several of Johnson's remarkable sayings, and was one
of the best of the many imitators of his voice and manner, while
relating them. He increased my impatience more and more to see the
{98} extraordinary man whose works I highly valued, and whose
conversation was reported to be so peculiarly excellent.

At last, on Monday the 16th of May, when I was sitting in Mr Davies's
back-parlour, after having drunk tea with him and Mrs Davies, Johnson
unexpectedly came into the shop; and Mr Davies having perceived him
through the glass door in the room in which we were sitting, advancing
towards us,--he announced his aweful approach to me, somewhat in the
manner of an actor in the part of Horatio, when he addresses Hamlet on
the appearance of his father's ghost, "Look, my lord, it comes." I
found that I had a very perfect idea of Johnson's figure, from the
portrait of him painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds soon after he had
published his _Dictionary_, in the attitude of sitting in his easy
chair in deep meditation, which was the first picture his friend did
for him, which Sir Joshua very kindly presented to me, and from which
an engraving has been made for this work. Mr Davies mentioned my name,
and respectfully introduced me to him. I was much agitated; and
recollecting his prejudice against the Scotch, of which I had heard
much, I said to Davies, "Don't tell where I come from."--"From
Scotland," cried Davies, roguishly. "Mr Johnson (said I) I do indeed
come from Scotland, but I cannot help it." I am willing to flatter
myself that I meant this as light pleasantry to soothe and conciliate
him, and not as an humiliating abasement at the expense of my country.
But however that might be, this speech was somewhat unlucky; for with
that quickness of wit for which he was so remarkable, he {99} seized
the expression "come from Scotland," which I used in the sense of being
of that country; and, as if I had said that I had come away from it, or
left it, retorted, "That, Sir, I find, is what a very great many of
your countrymen cannot