pofed. Talking of it one day to Mr. Kemble, he said, "Are you, Sir, one of those enthufiafts who believe yourself transformed into the very character you represent?" Upon Mr. Kemble's anfwering that he had never felt so strong a perfuafion himself; "To be sure not, Sir (faid Johnson); the thing is impoffible. And if Garrick really believed himself to be that monster Richard the Third, he deserved to be hanged every time he performed it."

He gave the following as his opinion upon the merits of fome of the principal performers whom he remembered to have seen upon the stage: "Mrs. Porter, in the vehemence of rage, and Mrs. Clive in the sprightliness of humour, I have never feen equalled. What Clive did best, she did better than Garrick; but could not do half. fo many things well; she was a better romp than any I ever saw in nature."

Mrs. Pritchard being mentioned, he said, "Her playing was quite mechanical. It is wonderful how little mind she had. Sir, she had never read the tragedy of Macbeth all through. She no more thought of the play out of which her part was taken, than a fhoemaker thinks of the skin out of which the piece of leather, of which he is making a pair of shoes, is cut. Pritchard, in common life, was a vulgar idiot; she would talk of her gownd; but, when

when the appeared upon the stage, seemed to be inspired by gentility and understanding." He thought Colley Cibber ignorant of the principles of his art.

"Colley Cibber (faid he) once consulted me as to one of his birth-day Odes, a long time before it was wanted. I objected very freely to several passages. Cibber loft patience, and would not read his Ode to an end. When we had done with criticism, we walked over to Richardson's, the author of 'Clariffa,' and I wondered to find Richardson displeased that I ' did not treat Cibber with more refpest.' Now, Sir, to talk of respect for a player!" (fmiling disdainfully).-BOSWELL. "There, Sir, you are always heretical; you never will allow merit to a player."-JOHNSON. Merit, Sir; what merit? Do you respect a rope-dancer, or a ballad-finger?"-B. "No, Sir; but we respect a great player, as a man who can conceive lofty sentiments, and can express them gracefully."-7. What, Sir, a fellow who claps a hump on his back, and a lump on his leg, and eries, I am Richard the Third?' Nay, Sir, a ballad-finger is a higher man, for he does two things; he repeats and he fings; there is both recitation and musick in his performance: the player only recites." -B. "My dear Sir! you may turn any thing into ridicule. I allow

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I allow that a player of farce is not entitled to respect; he does a little thing: but he who can reprefent exalted characters, and touch the noblest paffions, has very refpectable powers; and mankind have agreed in admiring great talents for the stage. We must confider, too, that a great player does what very few are capable of doing; his art is a very rare faculty. Who can repeat Hamlet's foliloquy, To be, or not to be,' as Garrick does it ?"-7. " Any body may. Jemmy there (a boy about eight years old, who was in the room) will do it as well in a week."-B. "No, no, Sir; and as a proof of the merit of great acting, and of the value which mankind fet upon it, Garrick has got a hundred thousand pounds."-7. "Is getting a hundred thousand pounds a proof of excellence? That has been done by a scoundrel commissary. Garrick was no declaimer; there was not one of his own scene shifters who could not have spoken To be, or not to be,' better than he did; yet he was the only actor I ever faw whom I could call a master both in tragedy and comedy; though I liked him best in comedy. A true conception of character, and natural expreffion of it, were his diftinguishing excellencies." Having expatiated with his ufual force and eloquence on Garrick's extraordinary eminence as an actor, he concluded

!

with this compliment to his social talents : " And after all, I thought him less to be envied on the stage than at the head of a table."

MUSICK.

JOHNSON once, in a musical party, defired to have Let Ambition fire thy Mind' played over again, and appeared to give a patient attention to it; though he owned that he was very insensible to the power of musick. told him (fays Mr. Bofwell), that it affected me to such a degree, as often to agitate my nerves painfully, producing in my mind alternate sensations of pathetic dejection, so that I was ready to shed tears; and of daring refolution, so that I was inclined to rush into the thickest part of the battle. "Sir (faid he), I should never hear it, if it made me fuch a fool."

Another time, after having talked flightingly of musick, he was observed to listen very attentively while Miss Thrale played on the harpfichord, and with eagerness he called to her, "Why don't you dash away like Burney?" Dr. Burney upon this faid to him, " I believe, Sir, we shall make a musician of you at last." Johnfon with candid complacency replied, " Sir,

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"Sir, I shall be glad to have a new fense given to me."

Mr. Langton and Johnson having gone to see a Freemason's funeral proceffion at Rochester, and some folemn mufick being played on French horns, he faid, "This is the first time that I have ever been affected by musical founds; adding that the impreffion made upon him was of a melancholy kind." Mr. Langton faid, that this effect was a fine one.-JoHNSON. Yes, if it foftens the mind so as to prepare it for the reception of falutary feelings, it may be good; but inasmuch as it is melancholy per fe it is bad."

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Talking of founds, a gentleman in the conrpany faid there was no beauty in a fimple found, but only in an harmonious compofition of founds. Mr. Boswell differed from this opinion, and mentioned the soft and sweet found of a fine woman's voice. JOHNSON. No, Sir, if a ferpent or a toad uttered it, you would think it ugly."-BoSWELL. you would think, Sir, were a beautiful tune to be uttered by one of those animals."-7. " No,

"So

Sir, it would be admired. We have seen fire fidlers whom we liked as little as toad's (laughing).

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LONDON