"
Johnson could not brook appearing to be worsted in argument, even when
he had taken the wrong side, to shew the force and dexterity of his
talents. When, therefore, he perceived that his opponent gained ground,
he had recourse to some sudden mode of robust sophistry. Once when I was
pressing upon him with visible advantage, he stopped me thus:--'My dear
Boswell, let's have no more of this; you'll make nothing of it. I'd
rather have you whistle a Scotch tune.'
Care, however, must be taken to distinguish between Johnson when he
'talked for victory,' and Johnson when he had no desire but to inform
and illustrate. 'One of Johnson s principal talents (says an eminent
friend of his) was shewn in maintaining the wrong side of an argument,
and in a splendid perversion of the truth. If you could contrive to
have his fair opinion on a subject, and without any bias from personal
prejudice, or from a wish to be victorious in argument, it was wisdom
itself, not only convincing, but overpowering.
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