1831.] Johnsnti, Bosrvell, and Croker. 143 



" He particularly piqued himself upon his nice observance of ceremonious 

 punctilios towards ladies. A remarkable instance of this was his never suffer- 

 ing any lady to walk from his house to her carriage, through Bolt Court, un- 

 attended by himself, to hand her into it (at least, I have reason to suppose it to 

 be his general custom, from his constant performance of it to those with whom 

 he was most intimately acquainted) ; and if any obstacle prevented it from 

 driving off, there he would stand by the door of it, and gather a mob around 

 him ; indeed, they would begin to gather the moment he appeared handing the 

 lady down the steps into Fleet-street. But to describe his appearance — his im- 

 portant air — that, indeed, cannot be described ; and his morning habiliments 

 would excite the utmost astonishment in any reader, that a man in his senses 

 could think of stepping outside his door in them, or even to be seen at home ! 

 Sometimes he exhibited himself at the distance of eight or ten doors from Bolt- 

 court, to get at the carriage, to the no small diversion of the populace. And I 

 am certain, to those who love laughing, a description of his dress from head to 

 foot would be highly acceptable, and in general, I believe, be thought the most 

 curious part of my book ; but I forbear, out of respect to his memory, to give 

 more than this slight intimation of it ; for, having written a minute description 

 of his figure, from his wig to his slippers, a thought occurred that it might pro- 

 bably excite some person to delineate it, and I might have the mortification to 

 see it hung up at a print shop as the greatest curiosity ever exhibited." 



Goldsmith's eccentricities were well-known, and of course, played 

 on by his club ; the following anecdote places Burke in the new light 

 of a pleasant mystifier : — 



He and IMalone were walking together, to dine at Sir Joshua's, when 

 they saw Goldsmith looking up, with a crowd, who had gathered before 

 a house in Leicester Square : — 



" ' Now,' said Burke to his friend, ' mark what I shall do with Goldsmith.' 

 He went up to him, said something, and passed on. They reached Sir Joshua's 

 before Goldsmith, who came soon after, and Mr. Burke affected to receive him 

 very coolly. This seemed to vex poor Goldsmith, who begged Mr. Burke would 

 tell him how he had the misfortune to offend him. Burke appeared very 

 reluctant to speak, but, after a good deal of prefacing, said, ' That he was 

 really ashamed to keep up an intimacy with a man, who could be guilty of 

 such monstrous indiscretions, as Goldsmith had just exhibited in the 

 square.' Goldsmith, with great earnestness, protested he was unconscious of 

 what he meant ; ' Why,' said Burke, ' did you not exclaim, as you were look- 

 ing up at those women, what stupid beasts the crowd must be, for staring with 

 such admiration at those painted Jezebels, while a man of your talents passed 

 by unnoticed ?' Goldsmith was horror-struck, and said, ' Surely, surely, my 

 dear friend, I did not say so ?' ' Nay,' replied Burke, ' if you had not said so, 

 how should I have known it?' That's true,' answered Goldsmith, with great 

 humility : ' I am very sorry — it was very foolish — / do recollect that something of 

 the kind passed through my mind, hut I. did not think I had uttered if.' " 



" Johnson's Manner. — Sir James Mackintosh remembers, that while spending the 

 Christmas of 1797, at Breconfield, Mr. Burke said to him, 'Johnson shewed 

 more power of mind in company than in his writings ; but he argued only for 

 victory ; and when he had neither a paradox to defend, nor an antagonist to 

 crush, he would preface his assent with, ' ichy no, Sir.' " 



" Johnson and Hugh Kelly. — Hugh Kelly, the dramatic author, who died in 

 Gough-square, in 1777, at 38 — his first introduction to Johnson was not likely 

 to have pleased a person of ' predominant vanity.' After having sat a short 

 time, he got up to take his leave, saying, that he feared a longer visit might be 

 troublesome. ' Not in the least. Sir,' Johnson is said to have replied, ' I had 

 forgotten you were in the room.' " 



