It is remarkable, that notwithstanding their congeniality in politicks, he never was acquainted with a late eminent noble judge, whom I have heard speak of him as a writer, with great respect.  Johnson, I know not upon what degree of investigation, entertained no exalted opinion of his Lordship’s intellectual character.  Talking of him to me one day, he said, ’It is wonderful, Sir, with how little real superiority of mind men can make an eminent figure in publick life.’  He expressed himself to the same purpose concerning another law-Lord, who, it seems, once took a fancy to associate with the wits of London; but with so little success, that Foote said, ’What can he mean by coming among us?  He is not only dull himself, but the cause of dullness in others.’  Trying him by the test of his colloquial powers, Johnson had found him very defective.  He once said to Sir Joshua Reynolds, ’This man now has been ten years about town, and has made nothing of it;’ meaning as a companion.  He said to me, ’I never heard any thing from him in company that was at all striking; and depend upon it, Sir, it is when you come close to a man in conversation, that you discover what his real abilities are; to make a speech in a publick assembly is a knack.  Now I honour Thurlow, Sir; Thurlow is a fine fellow; he fairly puts his mind to yours.’

After repeating to him some of his pointed, lively sayings, I said, ’It is a pity, Sir, you don’t always remember your own good things, that you may have a laugh when you will.’  Johnson.  ’Nay, Sir, it is better that I forget them, that I may be reminded of them, and have a laugh on their being brought to my recollection.’

When I recalled to him his having said as we sailed up Loch-lomond, ‘That if he wore any thing fine, it should be very fine;’ I observed that all his thoughts were upon a great scale.  Johnson.  ’Depend upon it, Sir, every man will have as fine a thing as he can get; as a large diamond for his ring.’  Boswell.  ’Pardon me, Sir:  a man of a narrow mind will not think of it, a slight trinket will satisfy him: 

“Nec sufferre queat majoris pondera gemmae."’

I told him I should send him some Essays which I had written, which I hoped he would be so good as to read, and pick out the good ones.  Johnson.  ’Nay, Sir, send me only the good ones; don’t make me pick them.’

As a small proof of his kindliness and delicacy of feeling, the following circumstance may be mentioned:  One evening when we were in the street together, and I told him I was going to sup at Mr. Beauclerk’s, he said, ‘I’ll go with you.’  After having walked part of the way, seeming to recollect something, he suddenly stopped and said, ’I cannot go,—­but I do not love Beauclerk the less.’

On the frame of his portrait, Mr. Beauclerk had inscribed,—­

’-------- Ingenium ingens
Inculto latet hoc sub corpore.’

After Mr. Beauclerk’s death, when it became Mr. Langton’s property, he made the inscription be defaced.  Johnson said complacently, ’It was kind in you to take it off;’ and then after a short pause, added, ’and not unkind in him to put it on.’