Such was the heat and irritability of his blood, that not only did he
pare his nails to the quick; but scraped the joints of his fingers with
a pen-knife, till they seemed quite red and raw.
The heterogeneous composition of human nature was remarkably exemplified
in Johnson. His liberality in giving his money to persons in distress
was extraordinary. Yet there lurked about him a propensity to paultry
saving. One day I owned to him that 'I was occasionally troubled with
a fit of NARROWNESS.' 'Why, Sir, (said he,) so am I. BUT I DO NOT TELL
IT.' He has now and then borrowed a shilling of me; and when I asked for
it again, seemed to be rather out of humour. A droll little circumstance
once occurred: as if he meant to reprimand my minute exactness as a
creditor, he thus addressed me;--'Boswell, LEND me sixpence--NOT TO BE
REPAID.'
This great man's attention to small things was very remarkable. As an
instance of it, he one day said to me, 'Sir, when you get silver in
change for a guinea, look carefully at it; you may find some curious
piece of coin.
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