217 



transfer his thoughts from one thing 

 to another with the most accommo- 

 dating facility. He had the art, 

 /for which Locke was famous, of 

 leading people to talk of their favour- 

 ite subjects, and on what they 

 know best. By this he acquired a 

 great deal of information. "What 

 he once learned he rarely forgot. 

 They gave him their best conver- 

 sation, and he generally made them 

 pleased with themselves for endea- 

 vouring to please him. 



Poet Smart used to relate, " that 

 his first conversation with Johnson 

 was of such variety and length, that 

 it began with poetry and ended in 

 fluxions." He always talked as if 

 he was talking upon oath. He was 

 the wisest person, and had the most 

 knowledge in ready cash, that I 

 ever had the honour to be acquain- 

 ted with. Johnson's advice was 

 consulted on all occasions. He was 

 known to be a good casuist, and 

 therefore had many cases submitted 

 for his judgment. His conversa- 

 tion, in the judgment of several, 

 was thought to be equal to his cor- 

 rect writings. Perhaps the tongue 

 will throw out more animated ex- 

 pressions than the pen. He said 

 the most common things in the 

 newest manner. He always com- 

 manded attention and regard. 



DOCTOR BIRCH. 



Of Dr. Birch, Johnson was used 

 to speak in this manner : " Tom is 

 a lively rogue ; he remembers a 

 great deal, and can tell many plea- 

 sant stories ; but a pen is to Tom a 

 torpedo ; the touch of it benumbs 

 his hand and his brain. Tom can 

 talk ; but he is no writer." 



COLERIDGE'S TALK. 



Dr. Dibdin has given an anima- 

 ted description of Coleridge's lec- 

 turing and conversation, which 

 concurs with the universal opinion. 



" I once came from Kensington, 

 in a snow-storm, to hear Mr. Cole- 



ridge lecture on Shakspeare. I 

 might have sat as wisely, and more 

 comfortably, by my own fireside, 

 for no Coleridge appeared. I shall 

 never forget the effect his conver- 

 sation made upon me at the first 

 meeting at a dinner-party. It struck 

 me not only as something quite out 

 of the ordinary course of things, but 

 as an intellectual exhibition alto- 

 gether matchless. The viands were 

 unusually costly, and the banquet 

 was at once rich and varied ; but 

 there seemed to be no dish like 

 Coleridge's conversation to feed 

 upon, and no information so instruc- 

 tive as his own. The orator rolled 

 himself up, as it were, in his chair, 

 and gave the most unrestrained 

 indulgence to his speech ; and how 

 fraught with acuteness and origin- 

 ality was that speech, and in what 

 copious and eloquent periods did it 

 flow! The auditors seemed rapt in 

 wonder and delight, as one conver- 

 sation, more profound or clothed in 

 more forcible language than another, 

 fell from his tongue. He spoke for 

 nearly two hours with unhesitating 

 and uninterrupted fluency. As I 

 returned homewards to Kensing- 

 ton, I thought a second Johnson 

 had visited the earth, to make wise 

 the sons of men, and regretted that 

 I could not exercise the powers of 

 a second Boswell, to record the 

 wisdom and the eloquence that fell 

 from the orator's lips. 



"The manner of Coleridge was 

 emphatic rather than dogmatic, and 

 thus he was generally and satisfac- 

 torily listened to. It might be said 

 of Coleridge, as Cowper has so hap- 

 pily said of Sir Philip Sidney, that 

 he was the 'warbler of poetic prose.' 

 There was always this characteristic 

 feature in his multifarious conver- 

 sation it was always delicate, re- 

 verent, and courteous. The chastest 

 ear could drink in no startling 

 sound; the most serious believer 

 never had his bosom ruffled by 

 one sceptical or reckless assertion. 



