Levett, in concert
with whom it was made out; and Johnson, who heard all this, did not
contradict it. But when I shewed a copy of this list to him, and
mentioned the evidence for its exactness, he laughed, and said, 'I was
willing to let them go on as they pleased, and never interfered.' Upon
which I read it to him, article by article, and got him positively to
own or refuse; and then, having obtained certainty so far, I got some
other articles confirmed by him directly; and afterwards, from time to
time, made additions under his sanction.
The conversation having turned on Bon-Mots, be quoted, from one of the
Ana, an exquisite instance of flattery in a maid of honour in France,
who being asked by the Queen what o'clock it was, answered, 'What your
Majesty pleases.' He admitted that Mr. Burke's classical pun upon Mr.
Wilkes's being carried on the shoulders of the mob,--
'-------------Numerisque fertur
Lege solutus,'
was admirable; and though he was strangely unwilling to allow to that
extraordinary man the talent of wit, he also laughed with approbation at
another of his playful conceits; which was, that 'Horace has in one line
given a description of a good desirable manour:--
"Est modus in rebus, sunt certi denique fines;"
that is to say, a modus as to the tithes and certain fines.
Pages:
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820