at column. And let it be remembered, as an admonition to the genus
irritabile of dramatick writers, that this great man, instead of
peevishly complaining of the bad taste of the town, submitted to its
decision without a murmur. He had, indeed, upon all occasions, a great
deference for the general opinion: 'A man (said he) who writes a book,
thinks himself wiser or wittier than the rest of mankind; he supposes
that he can instruct or amuse them, and the publick to whom he appeals,
must, after all, be the judges of his pretensions.'

On occasion of his play being brought upon the stage, Johnson had a
fancy that as a dramatick authour his dress should be more gay than what
he ordinarily wore; he therefore appeared behind the scenes, and even in
one of the side boxes, in a scarlet waistcoat, with rich gold lace, and
a gold-laced hat. He humourously observed to Mr. Langton, 'that when in
that dress he could not treat people with the same ease as when in his
usual plain clothes.' Dress indeed, we must allow, has more effect
even upon strong minds than one should suppose, without having had
the experience of it. His necessary attendance while his play was in
rehearsal, and during its performance, brought him acquainted with
many of the performers of both sexes, which produced a more favourable
opinion of their profession than he had harshly expressed in his Life of
Savage. With some of them he kept up an acquaintance as long as he and
they lived, and was ever ready to shew them acts of kindness. He for a
considerable time used to frequent the Green Room, and seemed to take
delight in dissipating his gloom, by mixing in the sprightly chit-chat
of the motley circle then to be found there. Mr. David Hume related to
me from Mr. Garrick, that Johnson at last denied himself this amusement,
from considerations of rigid virtue; saying, 'I'll come no more behind
your scenes, David; for the silk stockings and white bosoms of your
actresses excite my amorous propensities.'

1750: AETAT. 41.]--In 1750 he came forth in the character for which
he was eminently qualified, a majestick teacher of moral and religious
wisdom. The vehicle which he chose was that of a periodical paper, which
he knew had been, upon former occasions, employed with great success.
The Tatler, Spectator, and Guardian, were the last of the kind published
in England, which had stood the test of a long trial; and such an
interval had now elapsed since their publication, a