He proved to be the Honourable Thomas Erskine,
youngest brother to the Earl of Buchan, who has since risen into such
brilliant reputation at the bar in Westminster-hall.
Fielding being mentioned, Johnson exclaimed, 'he was a blockhead;' and
upon my expressing my astonishment at so strange an assertion, he said,
'What I mean by his being a blockhead is that he was a barren rascal.'
BOSWELL. 'Will you not allow, Sir, that he draws very natural pictures
of human life?' JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, it is of very low life. Richardson
used to say, that had he not known who Fielding was, he should have
believed he was an ostler. Sir, there is more knowledge of the heart in
one letter of Richardson's, than in all Tom Jones. I, indeed, never read
Joseph Andrews.' ERSKINE. 'Surely, Sir, Richardson is very tedious.'
JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, if you were to read Richardson for the story, your
impatience would be so much fretted that you would hang yourself. But
you must read him for the sentiment, and consider the story as only
giving occasion to the sentiment.
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