reat felicities of female life was the general consent of the world
that they might amuse themselves with petty occupations, which
contributed to the lengthening their lives, and preserving their minds in
a state of sanity." "A man cannot hem a pocket-handkerchief," said a
lady of quality to him one day, "and so he runs mad, and torments his
family and friends." The expression struck him exceedingly, and when one
acquaintance grew troublesome, and another unhealthy, he used to quote
Lady Frances's observation, "That a man cannot hem a
pocket-handkerchief."

The nice people found no mercy from Mr. Johnson; such, I mean, as can
only dine at four o'clock, who cannot bear to be waked at an unusual
hour, or miss a stated meal without inconvenience. _He_ had no such
prejudices himself, and with difficulty forgave them in another.
"Delicacy does not surely consist," says he, "in impossibility to be
pleased, and that is false dignity indeed which is content to depend upon
others."

The saying of the old philosopher who observes, "That he who wants least
is most like the gods, who want nothing," was a favourite sentence with
Dr. Johnson, who on his own part required less attendance, sick or well,
than ever I saw any human creature. Conversation was all he required to
make him happy; and when he would have tea made at two o'clock in the
morning, it was only that there might be a certainty of detaining his
companions round him. On that principle it was that he preferred winter
to summer, when the heat of the weather gave people an excuse to stroll
about and walk for pleasure in the shade, while he wished to sit still on
a chair and chat day after day, till somebody proposed a drive in the
coach, and that was the most delicious moment of his life. "But the
carriage must stop some time," he said, "and the people would come home
at last," so his pleasure was of short duration.

I asked him why he doated on a coach so? and received for answer, "That
in the first place the company were shut in with him _there_, and could
not escape, as out of a room. In the next place, he heard all that was
said in a carriage, where it was my turn to be deaf," and very impatient
was he at my occasional difficulty of hearing. On this account he wished
to travel all over the world, for the very act of going forward was
delightful to him, and he gave himself no concern about accidents, which
he said never happened. Nor did the running away of t