' PERCY.
(resuming the former subject,) 'Pennant complains that the helmet is not
hung out to invite to the hall of hospitality. Now I never heard that it
was a custom to hang out a HELMET.' JOHNSON. 'Hang him up, hang him up.'
BOSWELL. (humouring the joke,) 'Hang out his skull instead of a helmet,
and you may drink ale out of it in your hall of Odin, as he is your
enemy; that will be truly ancient. THERE will be Northern Antiquities.'
JOHNSON. 'He's a WHIG, Sir; a SAD DOG. (smiling at his own violent
expressions, merely for political difference of opinion.) But he's the
best traveller I ever read; he observes more things than any one else
does.'
On Monday, April 13, I dined with Johnson at Mr. Langton's, where were
Dr. Porteus, then Bishop of Chester, now of London, and Dr. Stinton. He
was at first in a very silent mood. Before dinner he said nothing but
'Pretty baby,' to one of the children. Langton said very well to me
afterwards, that he could repeat Johnson's conversation before dinner,
as Johnson had said that he could repeat a complete chapter of The
Natural History of Iceland, from the Danish of Horrebow, the whole of
which was exactly thus:--
'CHAP.
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