Isawhere，forthefirsttime，oatale；andoatcakesnothardasinScotland，butsoftlikeaYorkshirecake，wereservedatbreakfast。Itwaspleasanttometofind，thatOats，thefoodofhorses，weresomuchusedasthefoodofthepeopleinDr。
Johnson’sowntown。HeexpatiatedinpraiseofLichfieldanditsinhabitants，who，hesaid，were’themostsober，decentpeopleinEngland，thegenteelestinproportiontotheirwealth，andspokethepurestEnglish。’Idoubtedastothelastarticleofthiseulogy：fortheyhadseveralprovincialsounds；asTHERE，pronouncedlikeFEAR，insteadoflikeFAIR；ONCEpronouncedWOONSE，insteadofWUNSE，orWONSE。Johnsonhimselfnevergotentirelyfreeofthoseprovincialaccents。Garricksometimesusedtotakehimoff，squeezingalemonintoapunch-bowl，withuncouthgesticulations，lookingroundthecompany，andcallingout，’Who’sforPOONSH？’
VerylittlebusinessappearedtobegoingforwardinLichfield。I
foundhowevertwostrangemanufacturesforsoinlandaplace，sail-
clothandstreamersforships；andIobservedthemmakingsomesaddle-cloths，anddressingsheepskins：butuponthewhole，thebusyhandofindustryseemedtobequiteslackened。’Surely，Sir，saidI，youareanidlesetofpeople。’’Sir，saidJohnson，weareacityofphilosophers，weworkwithourheads，andmaketheboobiesofBirminghamworkforuswiththeirhands。’