cherished a violent
prejudice against my illustrious friend, to whom I must do the justice
to say, there was on his part not the least anger, but a good-humoured
sportiveness. Nay, though he knew of his Lordship's indisposition
towards him, he was even kindly; as appeared from his inquiring of me
after him, by an abbreviation of his name, 'Well, how does _Monny_?'
BOSWELL. Boswell (_Hebrides, post_, v. 74) says:--'I knew Lord Monboddo
and Dr. Johnson did not love each other; yet I was unwilling not to
visit his lordship, and was also curious to see them together.'
Accordingly, he brought about a meeting. Four years later, in 1777
(_ante_, iii. 102), Monboddo received from Johnson a copy of his Journey
to the Hebrides. They met again in London in 1780 (Piozzi Letters, ii.
III), and perhaps then quarrelled afresh. Dr. Seattle wrote on Feb. 28,
1785:-'Lord Monboddo's hatred of Johnson was singular; he would not
allow him to know anything but Latin grammar, "and that," says he, "I
know as well as he does." I never heard Johnson say anything severe of
him, though when he mentioned his name, he generally "grinned horribly a
ghastly smile,"' ['Grinned horrible,' &c. _Paradise Lost_, ii. 846.]
Forbes's _Beattie_, p. 333. The use of the abbreviation _Monny_ on
Johnson's part scarcely seems a proof of kindliness. See _ante_, i. 453,
where he said:--'Why, Sir, _Sherry_ is dull, naturally dull,' &c.; and
iii. 84, note 2, where he said:--'I should have thought _Mund_ Burke
would have had more sense;' see also Rogers's _Boswelliana_, p. 216,
where he said:--'_Derry_ [Derrick] may do very well while he can outrun
his character; but the moment that his character gets up with him he
is gone.'

[841] On May 13 he wrote:--' Now I am broken loose, my friends seem
willing enough to see me. ... But I do not now drive the world about;
the world drives or draws me. I am very weak.' _Piozzi Letters_,
ii. 369.

[842] See _ante,_ iii, 443.

[843] See _ante,_ p. 197.

[844] Boswell himself, likely enough.

[845] Verses on the death of Mr. Levett. BOSWELL. _Ante,_ p. 138

[846] If it was Boswell to whom this advice was given, it is not
unlikely that he needed it. The meagreness of his record of Johnson's
talk at this season may have been due, as seems to have happened before,
to too much drinking. _Ante,_ p.88, note 1.

[847] _Ante,_ ii. 100.

[848] George Steevens. See _ante,_ iii. 281.

[849] Forty-six years earlier Johnson wrote of t