On Wednesday, March 31, when I visited him, and confessed an excess of which I had very seldom been guilty; that I had spent a whole night in playing at cards, and that I could not look back on it with satisfaction; instead of a harsh animadversion, he mildly said, ’Alas, Sir, on how few things can we look back with satisfaction.’

On Friday, April 2, being Good-Friday, I visited him in the morning as usual; and finding that we insensibly fell into a train of ridicule upon the foibles of one of our friends, a very worthy man, I, by way of a check, quoted some good admonition from The Government of the Tongue, that very pious book.  It happened also remarkably enough, that the subject of the sermon preached to us to-day by Dr. Burrows, the rector of St. Clement Danes, was the certainty that at the last day we must give an account of ‘the deeds done in the body;’ and, amongst various acts of culpability he mentioned evil-speaking.  As we were moving slowly along in the crowd from church, Johnson jogged my elbow, and said, ’Did you attend to the sermon?’ ’Yes, Sir, (said I,) it was very applicable to us.’  He, however, stood upon the defensive.  ’Why, Sir, the sense of ridicule is given us, and may be lawfully used.  The authour of The Government of the Tongue would have us treat all men alike.’

In the interval between morning and evening service, he endeavoured to employ himself earnestly in devotional exercises; and as he has mentioned in his Prayers and Meditations, gave me Les Pensees de Paschal, that I might not interrupt him.  I preserve the book with reverence.  His presenting it to me is marked upon it with his own hand, and I have found in it a truly divine unction.  We went to church again in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, April 7, I dined with him at Sir Joshua Reynolds’s.  I have not marked what company was there.  Johnson harangued upon the qualities of different liquors; and spoke with great contempt of claret, as so weak, that a man would be drowned by it before it made him drunk.’  He was persuaded to drink one glass of it, that he might judge, not from recollection, which might be dim, but from immediate sensation.  He shook his head, and said, ’Poor stuff!  No, Sir, claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero (smiling), must drink brandy.  In the first place, the flavour of brandy is most grateful to the palate; and then brandy will do soonest for a man what drinking can do for him.  There are, indeed, few who are able to drink brandy.  That is a power rather to be wished for than attained.  And yet, (proceeded he,) as in all pleasure hope is a considerable part, I know not but fruition comes too quick by brandy.  Florence wine I think the worst; it is wine only to the eye; it is wine neither while you are drinking it, nor after you have drunk it; it neither pleases the taste, nor exhilarates the spirits.’  I reminded him how heartily he and I used to drink