' He asked me to go down with him and
dine at Mr. Thrale's at Streatham, to which I agreed. I had lent him An
Account of Scotland, in 1702, written by a man of various enquiry, an
English chaplain to a regiment stationed there. JOHNSON. 'It is sad
stuff, Sir, miserably written, as books in general then were. There is
now an elegance of style universally diffused. No man now writes so ill
as Martin's Account of the Hebrides is written. A man could not write so
ill, if he should try. Set a merchant's clerk now to write, and he'll do
better.'
He talked to me with serious concern of a certain female friend's
'laxity of narration, and inattention to truth.'--'I am as much vexed
(said he,) at the ease with which she hears it mentioned to her, as at
the thing itself. I told her, "Madam, you are contented to hear every
day said to you, what the highest of mankind have died for, rather than
bear."--You know, Sir, the highest of mankind have died rather than
bear to be told they had uttered a falsehood.
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