Johnsoniana : or, Supplement to Boswell : being anecdotes and sayings of Dr Johnson / collected by Piozzi, Hawkins, Tyers .. [et al.]. . ries, — Distresses of Friends, While Dr. Johnson possessed, however, the strongestcompassion for poverty or illness, he did not even pretendto feel for those who lamented the loss of a child, aparent, or a friend. These are the distresses of senti-ment, he would reply, which a man who is really tobe pitied has no leisure to feel. The sight of people whowant food and raiment is so common in great cities, thata surly fellow like me has no compassion to spare fo
Johnsoniana : or, Supplement to Boswell : being anecdotes and sayings of Dr Johnson / collected by Piozzi, Hawkins, Tyers .. [et al.]. . ries, — Distresses of Friends, While Dr. Johnson possessed, however, the strongestcompassion for poverty or illness, he did not even pretendto feel for those who lamented the loss of a child, aparent, or a friend. These are the distresses of senti-ment, he would reply, which a man who is really tobe pitied has no leisure to feel. The sight of people whowant food and raiment is so common in great cities, thata surly fellow like me has no compassion to spare forwounds given only to vanity or softness. No man,therefore, who smarted from the ingratitude of his friendsfound any sympathy from our philosopher. Let himdo good on higher motives next time, would be theanswer ; he will then be sure of his reward. It iseasy to observe, that the justice of such sentences madethem offensive ; but we must be careful how we condemna man for saying what we know to be true, only becauseit is so. Few things which pass well enough with others woulddo with him : he had been a great reader of Mandeville,. L)rai\7L X- Eni. piozzi. 2y and was ever on the watch to spy out those stains oforiginal corruption, so easily discovered by a penetratingobserver, even in the purest minds. I mentioned anevent, which if it had happened would greatly have in-jured Mr. Thrale and his family—and then, dear Sir,said I, how sorry you would have been ! I hope,replied he, after a long pause, I should have been verysorry;—but remember Rochefoucaults Iwould rather, answered I, remember Priors verses,and ask, What need of books these truths to tell,Which folks perceive that cannot spell ?And must we spectacles apply,To see what hurts our naked eye ? — Will any bodys mind bear this eternal microscope thatyou place upon your own so*? I never, replied he, saw one that would, except that of my dear MissReynolds — and hers is very near to purity itself. Of slighter
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