While I remained in London this year, Johnson and I dined together at
several places. I recollect a placid day at Dr. Butter's, who had
now removed from Derby to Lower Grosvenor-street, London; but of his
conversation on that and other occasions during this period, I neglected
to keep any regular record, and shall therefore insert here some
miscellaneous articles which I find in my Johnsonian notes.
His disorderly habits, when 'making provision for the day that was
passing over him,' appear from the following anecdote, communicated to
me by Mr. John Nichols:--'In the year 1763, a young bookseller, who was
an apprentice to Mr. Whiston, waited on him with a subscription to his
Shakspeare: and observing that the Doctor made no entry in any book of
the subscriber's name, ventured diffidently to ask, whether he would
please to have the gentleman's address, that it might be properly
inserted in the printed list of subscribers. "I shall print no list
of subscribers;" said Johnson, with great abruptness: but almost
immediately recollecting himself, added, very complacently, "Sir, I have
two very cogent reasons for not printing any list of subscribers;--one,
that I have lost all the names,--the other, that I have spent all the
money.
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