asked，isitthoughtdisgracefulforamannottofight，andnotdisgracefulnottospeakinpublick？’JOHNSON。’Becausetheremaybeotherreasonsforaman’snotspeakinginpublickthanwantofresolution：hemayhavenothingtosay，laughing。Whereas，Sir，youknowcourageisreckonedthegreatestofallvirtues；because，unlessamanhasthatvirtue，hehasnosecurityforpreservinganyother。’
OnThursday，April6，IdinedwithhimatMr。ThomasDavies’s，withMr。Hicky，thepainter，andmyoldacquaintanceMr。Moody，theplayer。
Dr。Johnson，asusual，spokecontemptuouslyofColleyCibber。’Itiswonderfulthataman，whoforfortyyearshadlivedwiththegreatandthewitty，shouldhaveacquiredsoillthetalentsofconversation：andhehadbuthalftofurnish；foronehalfofwhathesaidwasoaths。’He，however，allowedconsiderablemerittosomeofhiscomedies，andsaidtherewasnoreasontobelievethattheCarelessHusbandwasnotwrittenbyhimself。Daviessaid，hewasthefirstdramatickwriterwhointroducedgenteelladiesuponthestage。Johnsonrefutedthisobservationbyinstancingseveralsuchcharactersincomediesbeforehistime。DAVIES。tryingtodefendhimselffromachargeofignorance，’Imeangenteelmoralcharacters。’’IthinksaidHicky，gentilityandmoralityareinseparable。’BOSWELL。’Bynomeans，Sir。Thegenteelestcharactersareoftenthemostimmoral。DoesnotLordChesterfieldgivepreceptsforunitingwickednessandthegraces？Aman，indeed，isnotgenteelwhenhegetsdrunk；butmostvicesmaybecommittedverygenteelly：amanmaydebauchhisfriend’swifegenteelly：hemaycheatatcardsgenteelly。’HICKY。’IdonotthinkTHATisgenteel。’BOSWELL。’Sir，itmaynotbelikeagentleman，butitmaybegenteel。’JOHNSON。’Youaremeaningtwodifferentthings。Onemeansexteriourgrace；theotherhonour。Itiscertainthatamanmaybeveryimmoralwithexteriourgrace。
Lovelace，inClarissa，isaverygenteelandaverywickedcharacter。TomHervey，whodiedt’otherday，thoughaviciousman，wasoneofthegenteelestmenthateverlived。’TomDaviesinstancedCharlestheSecond。JOHNSON。takingfireatanyattackuponthatPrince，forwhomhehadanextraordinarypartiality，
’CharlestheSecondwaslicentiousinhispractice；buthealwayshadareverenceforwhatwasgood。CharlestheSecondknewhispeople，andrewardedmerit。TheChurchwasatnotimebetterfilledthaninhisreign。HewasthebestKingwehavehadfromhistimetillthereignofhispresentMajesty，exceptJamestheSecond，whowasaverygoodKing，butunhappilybelievedthatitwasnecessaryforthesalvationofhissubjectsthattheyshouldbeRomanCatholicks。HEhadthemeritofendeavouringtodowhathethoughtwasforthesalvationofthesoulsofhissubjects，tillhelostagreatEmpire。WE，whothoughtthatweshouldNOTbesavedifwewereRomanCatholicks，hadthemeritofmaintainingourreligion，attheexpenceofsubmittingourselvestothegovernmentofKingWilliam，foritcouldnotbedoneotherwise，——tothegovernmentofoneofthemostworthlessscoundrelsthateverexisted。No；CharlestheSecondwasnotsuchamanas——，naminganotherKing。Hedidnotdestroyhisfather’swill。Hetookmoney，indeed，fromFrance：buthedidnotbetraythoseoverwhomheruled：hedidnotlettheFrenchfleetpassours。GeorgetheFirstknewnothing，anddesiredtoknownothing；didnothing，anddesiredtodonothing：andtheonlygoodthingthatistoldofhimis，thathewishedtorestorethecrowntoitshereditarysuccessor。’HeroaredwithprodigiousviolenceagainstGeorgetheSecond。Whenheceased，Moodyinterjected，inanIrishtone，andwithacomicklook，’Ah!poorGeorgetheSecond。’