e found fault
with _appropinquabant_[594], in the character of Gilmour. I tried him
with the opposition between _gloria_ and _palma_, in the comparison
between Gilmour and Nisbet, which Lord Hailes, in his _Catalogue of the
Lords of Session_, thinks difficult to be understood. The words are,
_'penes illum gloria, penes hunc palma_[595].' In a short _Account of
the Kirk of Scotland_, which I published some years ago, I applied these
words to the two contending parties, and explained them thus: 'The
popular party has most eloquence; Dr. Robertson's party most influence.'
I was very desirous to hear Dr. Johnson's explication. JOHNSON. 'I see
no difficulty. Gilmour was admired for his parts; Nisbet carried his
cause by his skill in law. _Palma_ is victory.' I observed, that the
character of Nicholson, in this book resembled that of Burke: for it is
said, in one place, _'in omnes lusos & jocos se saepe resolvebat_[596];'
and, in another, _'sed accipitris more e conspectu aliquando astantium
sublimi se protrahens volatu, in praedam miro impetu descendebat[597]'._
JOHNSON. 'No, Sir; I never heard Burke make a good joke in my
life[598].' BOSWELL. 'But, Sir, you will allow he is a hawk.' Dr.
Johnson, thinking that I meant this of his joking, said, 'No, Sir, he is
not the hawk there. He is the beetle in the mire[599].' I still adhered
to my metaphor,--'But he _soars_ as the hawk.' JOHNSON. 'Yes, Sir; but
he catches nothing.' M'Leod asked, what is the particular excellence of
Burke's eloquence? JOHNSON. 'Copiousness and fertility of allusion; a
power of diversifying his matter, by placing it in various relations.
Burke has great information, and great command of language; though, in
my opinion, it has not in every respect the highest elegance.' BOSWELL.
'Do you think, Sir, that Burke has read Cicero much?' JOHNSON. 'I don't
believe it, Sir. Burke has great knowledge, great fluency of words, and
great promptness of ideas, so that he can speak with great illustration
on any subject that comes before him. He is neither like Cicero, nor
like Demosthenes[600], nor like any one else, but speaks as well as
he can.'

In the 65th page of the first volume of Sir George Mackenzie, Dr.
Johnson pointed out a paragraph beginning with _Aristotle_, and told me
there was an error in the text, which he bade me try to discover. I was
lucky enough to hit it at once. As the passage is printed, it is said
that the devil answers _even_ in _engines_. I c