TheLifeofJohnsonisassuredlyagreat，averygreatwork。
Homerisnotmoredecidedlythefirstofheroicpoets，Shakspeareisnotmoredecidedlythefirstofdramatists，Demosthenesisnotmoredecidedlythefirstoforators，thanBoswellisthefirstofbiographers。Hehasnosecond。Hehasdistancedallhiscompetitorssodecidedlythatitisnotworthwhiletoplacethem。Eclipseisfirst，andtherestnowhere。
Wearenotsurethatthereisinthewholehistoryofthehumanintellectsostrangeaphaenomenonasthisbook。Manyofthegreatestmenthateverlivedhavewrittenbiography。Boswellwasoneofthesmallestmenthateverlived，andhehasbeatenthemall。Hewas，ifwearetogiveanycredittohisownaccountortotheunitedtestimonyofallwhoknewhim，amanofthemeanestandfeeblestintellect。JohnsondescribedhimasafellowwhohadmissedhisonlychanceofimmortalitybynothavingbeenalivewhentheDunciadwaswritten。Beauclerkusedhisnameasaproverbialexpressionforabore。Hewasthelaughing—stockofthewholeofthatbrilliantsocietywhichhasowedtohimthegreaterpartofitsfame。Hewasalwayslayinghimselfatthefeetofsomeeminentman，andbeggingtobespituponandtrampledupon。Hewasalwaysearningsomeridiculousnickname，andthen\"bindingitasacrownuntohim，\"notmerelyinmetaphor，butliterally。Heexhibitedhimself，attheShakspeareJubilee，toallthecrowdwhichfilledStratford—on—Avon，withaplacardroundhishatbearingtheinscriptionofCorsicaBoswell。
InhisTour，heproclaimedtoalltheworldthatatEdinburghhewasknownbytheappellationofPaoliBoswell。Servileandimpertinent，shallowandpedantic，abigotandasot，bloatedwithfamilypride，andeternallyblusteringaboutthedignityofaborngentleman，yetstoopingtobeatalebearer，aneavesdropper，acommonbuttinthetavernsofLondon，socurioustoknoweverybodywhowastalkedabout，that，ToryandHighChurchmanashewas，hemanoeuvred，wehavebeentold，foranintroductiontoTomPaine，sovainofthemostchildishdistinctions，thatwhenhehadbeentoCourt，hedrovetotheofficewherehisbookwasprintingwithoutchanginghisclothes，andsummonedalltheprinter’sdevilstoadmirehisnewrufflesandsword;suchwasthisman，andsuchhewascontentandproudtobe。Everythingwhichanothermanwouldhavehidden，everythingthepublicationofwhichwouldhavemadeanothermanhanghimself，wasmatterofgayandclamorousexultationtohisweakanddiseasedmind。Whatsillythingshesaid，whatbitterretortsheprovoked，howatoneplacehewastroubledwithevilpresentimentswhichcametonothing，howatanotherplace，onwakingfromadrunkendoze，hereadtheprayer—bookandtookahairofthedogthathadbittenhim，howhewenttoseemenhangedandcameawaymaudlin，howheaddedfivehundredpoundstothefortuneofoneofhisbabiesbecauseshewasnotscaredatJohnson’suglyface，howwasfrightenedoutofhiswitsatsea，andhowthesailorsquietedhimastheywouldhavequietedachild，howtipsyhewasatLadyCork’soneeveningandhowmuchhismerrimentannoyedtheladies，howimpertinenthewastotheDuchessofArgyllandwithwhatstatelycontemptsheputdownhisimpertinence，howColonelMacleodsneeredtohisfaceathisimpudentobtrusiveness，howhisfatherandtheverywifeofhisbosomlaughedandfrettedathisfooleries;allthesethingsheproclaimedtoalltheworld，asiftheyhadbeensubjectsforprideandostentatiousrejoicing。Allthecapricesofhistemper，alltheillusionsofhisvanity，allhishypochondriacwhimsies，allhiscastlesintheair，hedisplayedwithacoolself—
complacency，aperfectunconsciousnessthathewasmakingafoolofhimself，towhichitisimpossibletofindaparallelinthewholehistoryofmankind。Hehasusedmanypeopleill;butassuredlyhehasusednobodysoillashimself。