He was a diligent justice of the peace,and presided over the town of Ashbourne,to the inhabitants of which I was told he was very liberal;and as a proof of this it was mentioned to me,he had the preceding winter distributed two hundred pounds among such of them as stood in need of his assistance.He had consequently a considerable political interest in the county of Derby,which he employed to support the Devonshire family;for though the schoolfellow and friend of Johnson,he was a Whig.I could not perceive in his character much congeniality of any sort with that of Johnson,who,however,said to me,'Sir,he has a very strong understanding.'His size,and figure,and countenance,and manner,were that of a hearty English 'Squire,with the parson super-induced:and I took particular notice of his upper servant,Mr.
Peters,a decent grave man,in purple clothes,and a large white wig,like the butler or major domo of a Bishop.
Dr.Johnson and Dr.Taylor met with great cordiality;and Johnson soon gave him the same sad account of their school-fellow,Congreve,that he had given to Mr.Hector;adding a remark of such moment to the rational conduct of a man in the decline of life,that it deserves to be imprinted upon every mind:'There is nothing against which an old man should be so much upon his guard as putting himself to nurse.Innumerable have been the melancholy instances of men once distinguished for firmness,resolution,and spirit,who in their latter days have been governed like children,by interested female artifice.
Dr.Taylor commended a physician who was known to him and Dr.
Johnson,and said,'I fight many battles for him,as many people in the country dislike him.'JOHNSON.'But you should consider,Sir,that by every one of your victories he is a loser;for,every man of whom you get the better,will be very angry,and resolve not to employ him;whereas if people get the better of you in argument about him,they'll think,"We'll send for Dr.nevertheless."'This was an observation deep and sure in human nature.
Next day,as Dr.Johnson had acquainted Dr.Taylor of the reason for his returning speedily to London,it was resolved that we should set out after dinner.A few of Dr.Taylor's neighbours were his guests that day.
Dr.Johnson talked with approbation of one who had attained to the state of the philosophical wise man,that is to have no want of any thing.'Then,Sir,(said I,)the savage is a wise man.''Sir,(said he,)I do not mean simply being without,--but not having a want.'I maintained,against this proposition,that it was better to have fine clothes,for instance,than not to feel the want of them.JOHNSON.'No,Sir;fine clothes are good only as they supply the want of other means of procuring respect.Was Charles the Twelfth,think you,less respected for his coarse blue coat and black stock?And you find the King of Prussia dresses plain,because the dignity of his character is sufficient.'I here brought myself into a scrape,for I heedlessly said,'Would not YOU,Sir,be the better for velvet and embroidery?'JOHNSON.
'Sir,you put an end to all argument when you introduce your opponent himself.Have you no better manners?There is YOURWANT.'I apologised by saying,I had mentioned him as an instance of one who wanted as little as any man in the world,and yet,perhaps,might receive some additional lustre from dress.
Having left Ashbourne in the evening,we stopped to change horses at Derby,and availed ourselves of a moment to enjoy the conversation of my countryman,Dr.Butter,then physician there.
He was in great indignation because Lord Mountstuart's bill for a Scotch militia had been lost.Dr.Johnson was as violent against it.'I am glad,(said he,)that Parliament has had the spirit to throw it out.You wanted to take advantage of the timidity of our scoundrels;'(meaning,I suppose,the ministry).It may be observed,that he used the epithet scoundrel very commonly not quite in the sense in which it is generally understood,but as a strong term of disapprobation;as when he abruptly answered Mrs.
Thrale,who had asked him how he did,'Ready to become a scoundrel,Madam;with a little more spoiling you will,I think,make me a complete rascal:'he meant,easy to become a capricious and self-indulgent valetudinarian;a character for which I have heard him express great disgust.We lay this night at Loughborough.
On Thursday,March 28,we pursued our journey.He said,'It is commonly a weak man who marries for love.'We then talked of marrying women of fortune;and I mentioned a common remark,that a man may be,upon the whole,richer by marrying a woman with a very small portion,because a woman of fortune will be proportionally expensive;whereas a woman who brings none will be very moderate in expenses.JOHNSON.'Depend upon it,Sir,this is not true.Awoman of fortune being used to the handling of money,spends it judiciously:but a woman who gets the command of money for the first time upon her marriage,has such a gust in spending it,that she throws it away with great profusion.'
He praised the ladies of the present age,insisting that they were more faithful to their husbands,and more virtuous in every respect,than in former times,because their understandings were better cultivated.
