and it must be confessed, that they contain some studied compliments,
so finely turned, that if there had been no previous offence, it is
probable that Johnson would have been highly delighted.* Praise, in
general, was pleasing to him; but by praise from a man of rank and
elegant accomplishments, he was peculiarly gratified.

* Boswell could not have read the second paper carefully.
It is silly and indecent and was certain to offend Johnson.
--ED.

This courtly device failed of its effect. Johnson, who thought that
'all was false and hollow,' despised the honeyed words, and was even
indignant that Lord Chesterfield should, for a moment, imagine that he
could be the dupe of such an artifice. His expression to me concerning
Lord Chesterfield, upon this occasion, was, 'Sir, after making great
professions, he had, for many years, taken no notice of me; but when my
Dictionary was coming out, he fell a scribbling in The World about it.
Upon which, I wrote him a letter expressed in civil terms, but such as
might shew him that I did not mind what he said or wrote, and that I had
done with him.'

This is that celebrated letter of which so much has been said, and about
which curiosity has been so long excited, without being gratified. I
for many years solicited Johnson to favour me with a copy of it, that so
excellent a composition might not be lost to posterity. He delayed from
time to time to give it me; till at last in 1781, when we were on a
visit at Mr. Dilly's, at Southill in Bedfordshire, he was pleased to
dictate it to me from memory. He afterwards found among his papers a
copy of it, which he had dictated to Mr. Baretti, with its title and
corrections, in his own handwriting. This he gave to Mr. Langton; adding