CHAP. vill.J THE CLUB A1STD ITS FIRST MEMBERS.
This was modest in Johnson, but there was more truth ires,
than he perhaps intended in it. Infgeneral, Burke's views m. 35.
were certainly the subtler and more able. He penetrated
deeper into the principles of things, below common life and
what is called good sense, than Johnson could. " Is he like
" Burke," asked Goldsmith, when Boswell seemed to exalt
Johnson's talk too highly, " who winds into a subject like a
" serpent ? " * On the other hand, there was a strength and
clearness in Johnson's conversational expression which was
all his own, and which originated Percy's likening of it, as
contrasted with ordinary conversation, to an antique statue
with every vein and muscle distinct and bold, by the side of
an inferior cast, f He had also wit, often an incompa-
rable humour, and a hundred other interesting qualities,
which Burke had not; while his rough dictatorial manner,
Ms loud voice, and slow deliberate utterance, so much
oftener suggested an objection than gave help to what he
said, that one may doubt the truth of Lord Pembroke's
pleasantry to Boswell, that " his sayings would not appear
" so extraordinary, were it not for his bow-wow way." I
Of the ordinary listener, at any rate, the bow-wow way
exacted something too much; and was quite as likely to stun
as to strike him. " He's a tremendous companion," said poor
George Garrick, when urged to confess of him what he really
thought.§ He brought, into common talk, too plain an antici-
pation of victory and triumph. He wore his determination
not to be thrown or beaten, whatever side he might please
to take, somewhat defiantly upon Ms sleeve; and startled
peaceful society a little too much with his uncle Andrew's
habits in the ring at Srnithfield.|| It was a sense, on Ms own
* Boswell, iii. 304. f Ibid, vii. 169. J Ibid, iv. 8. § Murphy's Essay, 77.
II Mrs. Piozzi's Anecdotes, 5-6. Sir James Macintosh remembered that while