to his house, where
he discovered that she was one of those wretched females who had fallen
into the lowest state of vice, poverty, and disease. Instead of harshly
upbraiding her, he had her taken care of with all tenderness for a long
time, at considerable expence, till she was restored to health, and
endeavoured to put her into a virtuous way of living[995].

He thought Mr. Caleb Whitefoord singularly happy in hitting on the
signature of _Papyrius Cursor_, to his ingenious and diverting
cross-readings of the newspapers; it being a real name of an ancient
Roman, and clearly expressive of the thing done in this lively
conceit[996].

He once in his life was known to have uttered what is called a _bull_:
Sir Joshua Reynolds, when they were riding together in Devonshire,
complained that he had a very bad horse, for that even when going down
hill he moved slowly step by step. 'Ay (said Johnson,) and when he
_goes_ up hill, he _stands still_.'

He had a great aversion to gesticulating in company. He called once to
a gentleman who offended him in that point, 'Don't _attitudenise_.' And
when another gentleman thought he was giving additional force to what he
uttered, by expressive movements of his hands, Johnson fairly seized
them, and held them down[997].

An authour of considerable eminence[998] having engrossed a good share
of the conversation in the company of Johnson, and having said nothing
but what was trifling and insignificant; Johnson when he was gone,
observed to us, 'It is wonderful what a difference there sometimes is
between a man's powers of writing and of talking. ---- writes with great
spirit, but is a poor talker; had he held his tongue we might have
supposed him to have been restrained by modesty; but he has spoken a
great deal to-day; and you have heard what stuff it was.'

A gentleman having said that a _conge d'elire_[999] has not, perhaps,
the force of a command, but may be considered only as a strong
recommendation; 'Sir, (replied Johnson, who overheard him,) it is such a
recommendation, as if I should throw you out of a two-pair of stairs
window, and recommend to you to fall soft[1000].'

Mr. Steevens, who passed many a social hour with him during their long
acquaintance, which commenced when they both lived in the Temple, has
preserved a good number of particulars concerning him, most of which are
to be found in the department of Apothegms, &c. in the Collection of
_Johnson's Works_[1001]. But