On Tuesday, May 18, I saw him for a short time in the morning.  I told him that the mob had called out, as the King passed[862], ’No Fox—­No Fox,’ which I did not like.  He said, ‘They were right, Sir.’  I said, I thought not; for it seemed to be making Mr. Fox the King’s competitor[863].  There being no audience, so that there could be no triumph in a victory, he fairly agreed with me[864].  I said it might do very well, if explained thus:—­’Let us have no Fox;’ understanding it as a prayer to his Majesty not to appoint that gentleman minister.

On Wednesday, May 19, I sat a part of the evening with him, by ourselves.  I observed, that the death of our friends might be a consolation against the fear of our own dissolution, because we might have more friends in the other world than in this.  He perhaps felt this as a reflection upon his apprehension as to death; and said, with heat, ’How can a man know where his departed friends are, or whether they will be his friends in the other world[865]?  How many friendships have you known formed upon principles of virtue?  Most friendships are formed by caprice or by chance, mere confederacies in vice or leagues in folly.’

We talked of our worthy friend Mr. Langton.  He said, ’I know not who will go to Heaven if Langton does not.  Sir, I could almost say, Sit anima mea cum Langtono’ I mentioned a very eminent friend[866] a virtuous man.  JOHNSON.  ’Yes, Sir; but ——­ has not the evangelical virtue of Langton. ——­, I am afraid, would not scruple to pick up a wench.’

He however charged Mr. Langton with what he thought want of judgement upon an interesting occasion.  ’When I was ill, (said he) I desired he would tell me sincerely in what he thought my life was faulty.  Sir, he brought me a sheet of paper, on which he had written down several texts of Scripture, recommending christian charity.  And when I questioned him what occasion I had given for such an animadversion, all that he could say amounted to this,—­that I sometimes contradicted people in conversation.  Now what harm does it do to any man to be contradicted?’ BOSWELL.  ’I suppose he meant the manner of doing it; roughly,—­and harshly.’  JOHNSON.  ‘And who is the worse for that?’ BOSWELL.  ’It hurts people of weak nerves.’  JOHNSON.  ’I know no such weak-nerved people[867].’  Mr. Burke, to whom I related this conference, said, ’It is well, if when a man comes to die, he has nothing heavier upon his conscience than having been a little rough in conversation.’

Johnson, at the time when the paper was presented to him, though at first pleased with the attention of his friend, whom he thanked in an earnest manner, soon exclaimed, in a loud and angry tone, ’What is your drift, Sir?’ Sir Joshua Reynolds pleasantly observed, that it was a scene for a comedy, to see a penitent get into a violent passion and belabour his confessor[868].