updated_at,id,text,theme,metaphor,work_id,reviewed_on,provenance,created_at,comments,context,dictionary
2014-04-29 02:19:35 UTC,15363,"I proceeded: ""What do you think, Sir, of Purgatory, as believed by the Roman Catholicks?"" JOHNSON. Why, Sir, it is a very harmless doctrine. They are of opinion that the generality of mankind are neither so obstinately wicked as to deserve everlasting punishment, nor so good as to merit being admitted into the society of blessed spirits; and therefore that GOD is graciously pleased to allow of a middle state, where they may be purified by certain degrees of suffering. You see, Sir, there is nothing unreasonable in this."" BOSWELL. ""But then, Sir, their masses for the dead?"" JOHNSON. ""Why, Sir, if it be once established that there are souls in purgatory, it is as proper to pray for them, as for our brethren of mankind who are yet in this life."" BOSWELL. ""The idolatry of the Mass?"" --JOHNSON. ""Sir, there is no idolatry in the Mass. They believe GOD to be there, and they adore him."" BOSWELL. ""The worship of Saints?"" --JOHNSON. ""Sir, they do not worship saints; they invoke them; they only ask their prayers. I am talking all this time of the doctrines of the church of Rome. I grant you that in practice, Purgatory is made a lucrative imposition, and that the people do become idolatrous as they recommend themselves to the tutelary protection of particular saints. I think their giving the sacrament only in one kind is criminal, because it is contrary to the express institution of CHRIST, and I wonder how the Council of Trent admitted it."" BOSWELL. ""Confession?"" --JOHNSON. ""Why, I don't know but that is a good thing. The scripture says, 'Confess your faults one to another;' and the priests confess as well as the laity. Then it must be considered that their absolution is only upon repentance, and often upon penance also. You think your sins may be forgiven without penance, upon repentance alone.""
I thus ventured to mention all the common objections against the Roman Catholick Church, that I might hear so great a man upon them. What he said is here accurately recorded. But it is not improbable that if one had taken the other side, he might have reasoned differently.
I must however mention, that he had a respect for ""the old religion,"" as the mild Melancthon called that of the Roman Catholick Church, even while he was exerting himself for its reformation in some particulars. Sir William Scott informs me, that he heard Johnson say, ""A man who is converted from Protestantism to Popery, may be sincere: he parts with nothing: he is only superadding to what he already had. But a convert from Popery to Protestantism, gives up so much of what he has held as sacred as any thing that he retains; there is so much laceration of mind in such a conversion, that it can hardly be sincere and lasting."" The truth of this reflection may be confirmed by many and eminent instances, some of which will occur to most of my readers.
(I, pp. 328-9); cf. p. 379 in Everyman and 314 in Penguin )","","""But a convert from Popery to Protestantism, gives up so much of what he has held as sacred as any thing that he retains; there is so much laceration of mind in such a conversion, that it can hardly be sincere and lasting""",5767,2014-04-28,Reading; confirmed in ECCO-TCP,2005-09-19 00:00:00 UTC,"","A.D. 1769, Aetat. 60",""
2016-03-15 04:17:02 UTC,15367,"""Johnson was much attached to London: he observed, that a man stored his mind better there, than any where else; and that in remote situations a man's body might be feasted, but his mind was starved, and his faculties apt to degenerate, from want of exercise and competition. No place, he said, cured a man's vanity or arrogance, so well as London; for as no man was either great or good per se, but as compared with others not so good or great, he was sure to find in the metropolis many his equals, and some his superiours. He observed, that a man in London was in less danger of falling in love indiscreetly, than any where else; for there the difficulty of deciding between the conflicting pretensions of a vast variety of objects, kept him safe. He told me, that he had frequently been offered country preferment, if he would consent to take orders; but he could not leave the improved society of the capital, or consent to exchange the exhilarating joys and splendid decorations of publick life, for the obscurity, insipidity, and uniformity of remote situations.
(I, p. 339; p. 323 in Penguin)","","""Johnson was much attached to London: he observed, that a man stored his mind better there, than any where else; and that in remote situations a man's body might be feasted, but his mind was starved, and his faculties apt to degenerate, from want of exercise and competition.""",5767,2016-03-15,Reading,2005-09-19 00:00:00 UTC,Orig. citing abridged? (p. 390),"A.D. 1770, Aetat. 61",""
2011-03-24 20:17:50 UTC,15388,"He entered upon a curious discussion of the difference between intuition and sagacity; one being immediate in its effect, the other requiring a circuitous process; one he observed was the eye of the mind, the other the nose of the mind.
A young gentleman present took up the argument against him, and maintained that no man ever thinks of the nose of the mind, not adverting that though that figurative sense seems strange to us, as very unusual, it is truly not more forced than Hamlet's 'In my mind's eye, Horatio.' He persisted much too long, and appeared to Johnson as putting himself forward as his antagonist with too much presumption; upon which he called to him in a loud tone, 'What is it you are contending for, if you be contending?--And afterwards imagining that the gentleman retorted upon him with a kind of smart drollery, he said, 'Mr. ***** it does not become you to talk so to me. Besides, ridicule is not your talent; you have there neither intuition nor sagacity.' The gentleman protested that he had intended no improper freedom, but had the greatest respect for Dr. Johnson. After a short pause, during which we were somewhat uneasy,--JOHNSON. 'Give me your hand, Sir. You were too tedious, and I was too short.' Mr. *****. 'Sir, I am honoured by your attention in any way.' JOHNSON. 'Come, Sir, let's have no more of it. We offended one another by our contention; let us not offend the company by our compliments.'
(p. 1171)",Mind's Eye,"""He [Johnson] entered upon a curious discussion of the difference between intuition and sagacity; one being immediate in its effect, the other requiring a circuitous process; one he observed was the eye of the mind, the other the nose of the mind.""",5767,,"Reading Alwin Thaler's ""In My Mind's Eye, Horatio."" Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol. 7, No. 4 (Autumn, 1965), p. 353.",2006-04-19 00:00:00 UTC,"","A.D. 1784, Aetat. 75",Eye
2011-03-24 20:18:35 UTC,15389,"He entered upon a curious discussion of the difference between intuition and sagacity; one being immediate in its effect, the other requiring a circuitous process; one he observed was the eye of the mind, the other the nose of the mind.
A young gentleman present took up the argument against him, and maintained that no man ever thinks of the nose of the mind, not adverting that though that figurative sense seems strange to us, as very unusual, it is truly not more forced than Hamlet's 'In my mind's eye, Horatio.' He persisted much too long, and appeared to Johnson as putting himself forward as his antagonist with too much presumption; upon which he called to him in a loud tone, 'What is it you are contending for, if you be contending?--And afterwards imagining that the gentleman retorted upon him with a kind of smart drollery, he said, 'Mr. ***** it does not become you to talk so to me. Besides, ridicule is not your talent; you have there neither intuition nor sagacity.' The gentleman protested that he had intended no improper freedom, but had the greatest respect for Dr. Johnson. After a short pause, during which we were somewhat uneasy,--JOHNSON. 'Give me your hand, Sir. You were too tedious, and I was too short.' Mr. *****. 'Sir, I am honoured by your attention in any way.' JOHNSON. 'Come, Sir, let's have no more of it. We offended one another by our contention; let us not offend the company by our compliments.'
(p. 1171)","","""A young gentleman present took up the argument against him, and maintained that no man ever thinks of the nose of the mind, not adverting that though that figurative sense seems strange to us, as very unusual, it is truly not more forced than Hamlet's 'In my mind's eye, Horatio.'""",5767,2011-03-24,"Reading Alwin Thaler's ""In My Mind's Eye, Horatio."" Shakespeare Quarterly. Vol. 7, No. 4 (Autumn, 1965), p. 353.",2006-04-20 00:00:00 UTC,•I've included twice: Nose and Mind,"A.D. 1784, Aetat. 75",""
2011-02-10 17:43:33 UTC,18132,"In estimating the progress of his mind during these two years, as well as in future periods of his life, we must not regard his own hasty confession of idleness; for we see, when he explains himself, that he was acquiring various stores; and, indeed he himself concluded the account, with saying, ""I would not have you think I was doing nothing then."" He might, perhaps, have studied more assiduously; but it may be doubted, whether such a mind as his was not more enriched by roaming at large in the fields of literature, than if it had been confined to any single spot. The analogy between body and mind is very general, and the parallel will hold as to their food, as well as any other particular. The flesh of animals who feed excursively, is allowed to have a higher flavour than that of those who are cooped up. May there not be the same difference between men who read as their taste prompts, and men who are confined in cells and colleges to stated tasks?
(pp. 30-1)","","""The analogy between body and mind is very general, and the parallel will hold as to their food, as well as any other particular.""",5767,,Reading,2011-02-10 17:13:57 UTC,"","A.D. 1709-1727, Early Years",""
2011-03-24 20:25:20 UTC,18133,"It is a common effect of low spirits or melancholy, to make those who are afflicted with it imagine that they are actually suffering those evils which happen to be most strongly presented to their minds. Some have fancied themselves to be deprived of the use of their limbs, some to labour under acute diseases, others to be in extreme poverty; when, in truth, there was not the least reality in any of the suppositions; so that when the vapours were dispelled, they were convinced of the delusion. To Johnson, whose supreme enjoyment was the exercise of his reason, the disturbance or obscuration of that faculty was the evil most to be dreaded. Insanity, therefore, was the object of his most dismal apprehension; and he fancied himself seized by it, or approaching to it, at the very time when he was giving proofs of a more than ordinary soundness and vigour of judgement. That his own diseased imagination should have so far deceived him, is strange; but it is stranger still that some of his friends should have given credit to his groundless opinion, when they had such undoubted proofs that it was totally fallacious; though it is by no means surprising that those who wish to depreciate him, should, since his death, have laid hold of this circumstance, and insisted upon it with very unfair aggravation.
(p. 35)","","""That his own diseased imagination should have so far deceived him, is strange; but it is stranger still that some of his friends should have given credit to his groundless opinion, when they had such undoubted proofs that it was totally fallacious; though it is by no means surprising that those who wish to depreciate him, should, since his death, have laid hold of this circumstance, and insisted upon it with very unfair aggravation.""",5767,,Reading,2011-02-10 19:53:24 UTC,"","A.D. 1729, Aetat. 20",""
2011-03-24 20:33:17 UTC,18251,"Concerning this unfortunate poet, Christopher Smart, who was confined in a mad-house, he had, at another time, the following conversation with Dr. Burney. -- BURNEY. ""How does poor Smart do, Sir; is he likely to recover?"" JOHNSON. ""It seems as if his mind had ceased to struggle with the disease; for he grows fat upon it."" BURNEY. ""Perhaps, Sir, that may be from want of exercise."" JOHNSON. ""No, Sir; he has partly as much exercise as he used to have, for he digs in the garden. Indeed, before his confinement, he used for exercise to walk to the alehouse; but he was carried back again. I did not think he ought to be shut up. His infirmities were not noxious to society. He insisted on people praying with him; and I'd as lief pray with Kit Smart as any one else. Another charge was, that he did not love clean linen; and I have no passion for it.""
(p. 250)","","""It seems as if his mind had ceased to struggle with the disease; for he grows fat upon it.""",5767,,Reading,2011-03-24 20:33:17 UTC,"","A.D. 1763, Aetat. 54",""
2011-03-24 20:53:42 UTC,18253,"On Monday, March 25, we breakfasted at Mrs. Lucy Porter's. Johnson had sent an express to Dr. Taylor's, acquainting him of our being at Lichfield, and Taylor had returned an answer that his post-chaise should come for us this day. While we sat at breakfast, Dr. Johnson received a letter by the post, which seemed to agitate him very much. When he had read it, he exclaimed, ""One of the most dreadful things that has happened in my time."" The phrase my time, like the word age, is usually understood to refer to an event of a publick or general nature. I imagined something like an assassination of the King--like a gunpowder plot carried into execution--or like another fire of London. When asked, ""What is it, Sir?"" he answered, ""Mr. Thrale has lost his only son!"" This was, no doubt, a very great affliction to Mr. and Mrs. Thrale, which their friends would consider accordingly; but from the manner in which the intelligence of it was communicated by Johnson, it appeared for the moment to be comparatively small. I, however, soon felt a sincere concern, and was curious to observe, how Dr. Johnson would be affected. He said, ""This is a total extinction to their family, as much as if they were sold into captivity."" Upon my mentioning that Mr. Thrale had daughters, who might inherit his wealth;--""Daughters, (said Johnson, warmly,) he'll no more value his daughters than--"" I was going to speak.--""Sir, (said he,) don't you know how you yourself think? Sir, he wishes to propagate his name."" In short, I saw male succession strong in his mind, even where there was no name, no family of any long standing. I said, it was lucky he was not present when this misfortune happened. Johnson. ""It is lucky for me. People in distress never think that you feel enough."" Boswell. ""And Sir, they will have the hope of seeing you, which will be a relief in the mean time; and when you get to them, the pain will be so far abated, that they will be capable of being consoled by you, which, in the first violence of it, I believe, would not be the case."" Johnson. ""No, Sir; violent pain of mind, like violent pain of body, must be severely felt."" Boswell. ""I own, Sir, I have not so much feeling for the distress of others, as some people have, or pretend to have: but I know this, that I would do all in my power to relieve them."" Johnson. ""Sir, it is affectation to pretend to feel the distress of others, as much as they do themselves. It is equally so, as if one should pretend to feel as much pain while a friend's leg is cutting off, as he does. No, Sir; you have expressed the rational and just nature of sympathy. I would have gone to the extremity of the earth to have preserved this boy.""
(p. 624-5)","","""No, Sir; violent pain of mind, like violent pain of body, must be severely felt.""",5767,,Reading,2011-03-24 20:53:42 UTC,"","A.D. 1776, Aetat. 67",""
2011-03-24 20:58:02 UTC,18254,"On Wednesday, April 10, I dined with him at Mr. Thrale's, where were Mr. Murphy and some other company. Before dinner, Dr. Johnson and I passed some time by ourselves. I was sorry to find it was now resolved that the proposed journey to Italy should not take place this year. He said, ""I am disappointed, to be sure; but it is not a great disappointment."" I wondered to see him bear, with a philosophical calmness, what would have made most people peevish and fretful. I perceived, however, that he had so warmly cherished the hope of enjoying classical scenes, that he could not easily part with the scheme; for he said, ""I shall probably contrive to get to Italy some other way. But I won't mention it to Mr. and Mrs. Thrale, as it might vex them."" I suggested, that going to Italy might have done Mr. and Mrs. Thrale good. JOHNSON. ""I rather believe not, Sir. While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till grief be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it.""
(pp. 646-7)","","""While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till grief be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it.""",5767,,Reading,2011-03-24 20:57:18 UTC,"","A.D. 1776, Aetat. 67",""
2013-03-21 05:14:10 UTC,19981,"""What do you say to Taxation no Tyranny now, after Lord North's declaration, or confession, or whatever else his conciliatory speech should be called? I never differed from you on politicks but upon two points--the Middlesex Election, and the Taxation of the Americans by the British Houses of Representatives. There is a charm in the word Parliament, so I avoid it. As I am a steady and a warm Tory, I regret that the King does not see it to be better for him to receive constitutional supplies from his American subjects by the voice of their own assemblies, where his Royal Person is represented, than through the medium of his British subjects. I am persuaded that the power of the Crown, which I wish to increase, would be greater when in contact with all its dominions, than if 'the rays of regal bounty' were to 'shine' upon America, through that dense and troubled body--a modern British Parliament. But, enough of this subject; for your angry voice at Ashbourne upon it, still sounds aweful ""in my mind's ears."" I ever am, my dear Sir,
""Your most affectionate humble servant,
""James Boswell.""
(II, p. 184-5; Penguin, 643)","","""But, enough of this subject; for your angry voice at Ashbourne upon it, still sounds aweful 'in my mind's ears.'""",5767,,Reading,2013-03-21 05:13:48 UTC,"",Aetat 69,""