' BOSWELL. 'At present, Sir, I think riches seem
to gain most respect.' JOHNSON. 'No, Sir, riches do not gain hearty
respect; they only procure external attention. A very rich man, from low
beginnings, may buy his election in a borough; but, coeteris paribus,
a man of family will be preferred. People will prefer a man for whose
father their fathers have voted, though they should get no more money,
or even less. That shows that the respect for family is not merely
fanciful, but has an actual operation. If gentlemen of family would
allow the rich upstarts to spend their money profusely, which they are
ready enough to do, and not vie with them in expence, the upstarts would
soon be at an end, and the gentlemen would remain: but if the gentlemen
will vie in expence with the upstarts, which is very foolish, they must
be ruined.'
On Monday, March 23, I found him busy, preparing a fourth edition of
his folio Dictionary. Mr. Peyton, one of his original amanuenses, was
writing for him.
Pages:
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398