LANGTON. 'There is not one bad line in that
poem; not one of Dryden's careless verses. SIR JOSHUA. 'I was glad to
hear Charles Fox say, it was one of the finest poems in the English
language.' LANGTON. 'Why was you glad? You surely had no doubt of
this before.' JOHNSON. 'No; the merit of The Traveller is so well
established, that Mr. Fox's praise cannot augment it, nor his censure
diminish it.' SIR JOSHUA. 'But his friends may suspect they had too
great a partiality for him.' JOHNSON. Nay, Sir, the partiality of his
friends was always against him. It was with difficulty we could give
him a hearing. Goldsmith had no settled notions upon any subject; so
he talked always at random. It seemed to be his intention to blurt out
whatever was in his mind, and see what would become of it. He was angry
too, when catched in an absurdity; but it did not prevent him from
falling into another the next minute. I remember Chamier, after talking
with him for some time, said, "Well, I do believe he wrote this poem
himself: and, let me tell you, that is believing a great deal.
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