Lord Hailes had sent him a present of a curious little printed poem, on repairing the University of Aberdeen, by David Malloch, which he thought would please Johnson, as affording clear evidence that Mallet had appeared even as a literary character by the name of Malloch; his changing which to one of softer sound, had given Johnson occasion to introduce him into his Dictionary, under the article Alias[667].  This piece was, I suppose, one of Mallet’s first essays.  It is preserved in his works, with several variations.  Johnson having read aloud, from the beginning of it, where there were some common-place assertions as to the superiority of ancient times;—­’How false (said he) is all this, to say that in ancient times learning was not a disgrace to a Peer as it is now.  In ancient times a Peer was as ignorant as any one else.  He would have been angry to have it thought he could write his name[668].  Men in ancient times dared to stand forth with a degree of ignorance with which nobody would dare now to stand forth.  I am always angry when I hear ancient times praised at the expence of modern times.  There is now a great deal more learning in the world than there was formerly; for it is universally diffused.  You have, perhaps, no man who knows as much Greek and Latin as Bentley[669]; no man who knows as much mathematicks as Newton:  but you have many more men who know Greek and Latin, and who know mathematicks[670].’

On Thursday, May 1, I visited him in the evening along with young Mr. Burke.  He said, ’It is strange that there should be so little reading in the world, and so much writing.  People in general do not willingly read, if they can have any thing else to amuse them[671].  There must be an external impulse; emulation, or vanity, or avarice.  The progress which the understanding makes through a book, has more pain than pleasure in it.  Language is scanty, and inadequate to express the nice gradations and mixtures of our feelings.  No man reads a book of science from pure inclination.  The books that we do read with pleasure are light compositions, which contain a quick succession of events.  However, I have this year read all Virgil through[672].  I read a book of the Aeneid every night, so it was done in twelve nights, and I had great delight in it.  The Georgicks did not give me so much pleasure, except the fourth book.  The Eclogues I have almost all by heart.  I do not think the story of the Aeneid interesting.  I like the story of the Odyssey much better[673]; and this not on account of the wonderful things which it contains; for there are wonderful things enough in the Aeneid;—­the ships of the Trojans turned to sea-nymphs,—­the tree at Polydorus’s tomb dropping blood.  The story of the Odyssey is interesting, as a great part of it is domestick.  It has been said, there is pleasure in writing, particularly in writing verses.  I allow you may have pleasure from writing, after it is over, if you have written well; but you don’t go willingly to it again[674].  I know when I have been writing verses, I have run my finger down the margin, to see how many I had made, and how few I had to make[675].’