48 JOHNSON. 



cherished prepossessions little examined, or by all the 

 various forms which the cant of custom or of sentiment 

 is wont to assume. 



Out of this natural bent of his understanding arose, as 

 naturally, the constant habit of referring all matters, 

 whether for argument or for opinion, to the decision of 

 plain common sense. His reasonings were short ; his 

 topics were homely ; his way to the conclusion lay in a 

 straight line, the shortest between any two points; and 

 though he would not deviate from it so as to lose himself, 

 he was well disposed to look on either side, that he might 

 gather food for his contemptuous and somewhat sarcastic 

 disposition, laughing at those whom he saw bewildered, 

 rather than pitying their errors. 



To the desire of short and easy proof and the love 

 of accuracy when it could be obtained, and to which he 

 sometimes sacrificed truth by striving after exact reason- 

 ing on subjects that admit not of it, we may ascribe his 

 great fondness for common arithmetic, one of the very 

 few sciences with which he was acquainted. 



With the vices of such an understanding and such a 

 disposition he was sufficiently imbued, as well as with its 

 excellencies. He was very dogmatical very confident, 

 even presumptuous ; not very tolerant. He was also apt 

 to deal in truisms, and often inclined, when he saw 

 through them himself, to break down an argument, some- 

 times overwhelming it with the might of loud assertion, 

 sometimes cutting it short by the edge of a sneer. 

 Seeing very clearly within somewhat narrow limits, 

 he easily believed there was nothing beyond them to 

 see ; and, fond of reducing each argument to its sim- 

 plest terms and shortest statement, he frequently applied 



