himself at the siege of Derry[1031].  He was an officer; and, what was rare at that time, had some knowledge of engineering[1032].’  Johnson said, he had never heard of the book.  Lord Eliot had it at Port Eliot; but, after a good deal of enquiry, procured a copy in London, and sent it to Johnson, who told Sir Joshua Reynolds that he was going to bed when it came, but was so much pleased with it, that he sat up till he had read it through[1033], and found in it such an air of truth, that he could not doubt of its authenticity[1034]; adding, with a smile, (in allusion to Lord Eliot’s having recently been raised to the peerage,) ’I did not think a young Lord could have mentioned to me a book in the English history that was not known to me[1035].’

An addition to our company came after we went up to the drawing-room; Dr. Johnson seemed to rise in spirits as his audience increased.  He said, ’He wished Lord Orford’s pictures[1036], and Sir Ashton Lever’s Museum[1037], might be purchased by the publick, because both the money, and the pictures, and the curiosities, would remain in the country; whereas, if they were sold into another kingdom, the nation would indeed get some money, but would lose the pictures and curiosities, which it would be desirable we should have, for improvement in taste and natural history.  The only question was, as the nation was much in want of money, whether it would not be better to take a large price from a foreign State?’

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[1038].

A young gentleman[1039] 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[1040].’  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.’