"'
'John Gilbert Cooper related, that soon after the publication of his
Dictionary, Garrick being asked by Johnson what people said of it, told
him, that among other animadversions, it was objected that he cited
authorities which were beneath the dignity of such a work, and mentioned
Richardson. "Nay, (said Johnson,) I have done worse than that: I have
cited THEE, David."'
'When in good humour he would talk of his own writings with a wonderful
frankness and candour, and would even criticise them with the closest
severity. One day, having read over one of his Ramblers, Mr. Langton
asked him, how he liked that paper; he shook his head, and answered,
"too wordy." At another time, when one was reading his tragedy of Irene
to a company at a house in the country, he left the room; and somebody
having asked him the reason of this, he replied, "Sir, I thought it had
been better."'
'He related, that he had once in a dream a contest of wit with some
other person, and that he was very much mortified by imagining that his
opponent had the better of him.
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