Johnson or TO him, I never practised myself, nor approved of in another.
There is something so ill-bred, and so inclining to treachery in this
conduct, that were it commonly adopted all confidence would soon be exiled
from society, and a conversation assembly-room would become tremendous as a
court of justice. A set of acquaintance joined in familiar chat may say a
thousand things which, as the phrase is, pass well enough at the time,
though they cannot stand the test of critical examination; and as all talk
beyond that which is necessary to the purposes of actual business is a kind
of game, there will be ever found ways of playing fairly or unfairly at it,
which distinguish the gentleman from the juggler. Dr. Johnson, as well as
many of my acquaintance, knew that I kept a common-place book, and he one
day said to me good-humouredly that he would give me something to write in
my repository. "I warrant," said he, "there is a great deal about me in
it. You shall have at least one thing worth your pains, so if you will get
the pen and ink I will repeat to you Anacreon's 'Dove' directly; but tell
at the same time that as I never was struck with anything in the Greek
language till I read THAT, so I never read anything in the same language
since that pleased me as much. I hope my translation," continued he, "is
not worse than that of Frank Fawkes." Seeing me disposed to laugh, "Nay,
nay," said he, "Frank Fawkes has done them very finely."

"Lovely courier of the sky,
Whence and whither dost thou fly?
Scatt'ring, as thy pinions play,
Liquid fragrance all the way.
Is it business? is it love?
Tell me, tell me, gentle Dove.
'Soft Anacreon's vows I bear,
Vows to Myrtale the fair;
Graced with all that charms the heart,