As background, elsewhere Boswell writes : "Two men more different could
perhaps not be selected out of all mankind. They had even attacked one
another with some asperity in their writings; yet I lived in habits of
friendship with both.'"

ps/ 'Jack Ketch' was British slang for 'the hangman'
----

I conceived an irresistible wish, if possible, to bring Dr. Johnson and Mr.
Wilkes together. How to manage it, was a nice and difficult matter.

My worthy booksellers and friends, Messieurs Dilly in the Poultry, at whose
hospitable and well-covered table I have seen a greater number of literary
men, than at any other, except that of Sir Joshua Reynolds, had invited me
to meet Mr. Wilkes and some more gentlemen, on Wednesday, May 15. "Pray
(said I,) let us have Dr. Johnson." "What with Mr. Wilkes? not for the
world, (said Mr. Edward Dilly;) Dr. Johnson would never forgive me."
"Come, (said I,) if you'll let me negociate for you, I will be answerable
that all shall go well." DILLY. "Nay, if you will take it upon you, I am
sure I shall be very happy to see them both here."

Notwithstanding the high veneration which I entertained for Dr. Johnson, I
was sensible that he was sometimes a little actuated by the spirit of
contradiction, and by means of that I hoped I should gain my point. I was
persuaded that if I had come upon him with a direct proposal, "Sir, will you
dine in company with Jack Wilkes?" he would have flown into a passion, and
would probably have answered, "Dine with Jack Wilkes, Sir! I'd as soon dine
with Jack Ketch." I therefore, while we were sitting quietly by ourselves at
his house in an evening, took occasion to open my plan thus: "Mr. Dilly,
Sir, sends his respectful compliments to you, and would be happy if you
would do him the honour to dine with him on Wednesday next along with me, as
I must soon go to Scotland." JOHNSON. "Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Dilly. I
will wait upon him " BOSWELL. "Provided, Sir, I suppose, that the company
which he is to have, is agreeable to you." JOHNSON. "What do you mean, Sir?
What do you take me for? Do you think I am so ignorant of the world, as to
imagine that I am to prescribe to a gentleman what company he is to have at
his table?" BOSWELL. "I beg your pardon, Sir, for wishing to prevent you
from meeting people whom you might not like. Perhaps he may have some of
what he calls his patriotick friends with him." JOHNSON. "Well, Sir, and
what then? What care I for his patriotick friends? Poh!" BOSWELL. "I should
not be surprized to find Jack Wilkes there." JOHNSON. "And if Jack Wilkes
should be there, what is that to me, Sir? My dear friend, let us have no
more of this. I am sorry to be angry with you; but really it is treating me
strangely to talk to me as if I could not meet any company whatever,
occasionally." BOSWELL. "Pray, forgive me, Sir: I meant well. But you shall
meet whoever comes, for me." Thus I secured him, and told Dilly that he
would find him very well pleased to be one of his guests on the day
appointed.

Upon the much expected Wednesday, I called on him about half an hour before
dinner, as I often did when we were to dine out together, to see that he was
ready in time, and to accompany him. I found him buffeting his books, as
upon a former occasion, covered with dust, and making no preparation for
going abroad. "How is this, Sir? (said I). Don't you recollect that you are
to dine at Mr. Dilly's?" JOHNSON. "Sir, I did not think of going to Dilly's:
it went out of my head. I have ordered dinner at home with Mrs. Williams."
BOSWELL. "But, my dear Sir, you know you were engaged to Mr. Dilly, and I
told him so. He will expect you, and will be much disappointed if you don't
come." JOHNSON. "You must talk to Mrs. Williams about this."

Here was a sad dilemma. I feared that what I was so confident I had secured,
would yet be frustrated. He had accustomed himself to shew Mrs. Williams
such a degree of humane attention, as frequently imposed some restraint upon
him; and I knew that if she should be obstinate, he would not stir. I
hastened down stairs to the blind lady's room, and told her I was in great
uneasiness, for Dr. Johnson had engaged to me to dine this day at Mr.
Dilly's, but that he had told me he had forgotten his engagement, and had
ordered dinner at home. "Yes, Sir, (said she, pretty peevishly,) Dr. Johnson
is to dine at home." "Madam, (said I,) his respect for you is such, that I
know he will not leave you, unless you absolutely desire it. But as you have
so much of his company, I hope you will be good enough to forego it for a
day: as Mr. Dilly is a very worthy man, has frequently had agreeable
parties. at his house for Dr. Johnson, and will be vexed if the Doctor
neglects him to-day. And then, Madam, be pleased to consider my situation; I
carried the message, and I assured Mr. Dilly that Dr. Johnson was to come;
and no doubt he has made a dinner, and invited a company, and boasted of the
honour he expected to have. I shall be quite disgraced if the Doctor is not
there." She gradually softened to my solicitations, which were certainly as
earnest as most entreaties to ladies upon any occasion, and was graciously
pleased to empower me to tell Dr. Johnson, "That all things considered, she
thought he should certainly go." I flew back to him, still in dust, and
careless of what should be the event, "indifferent in his choice to go or
stay"; but as soon as I had announced to him Mrs. Williams's consent, he
roared, "Frank, a clean shirt," and was very soon drest. When I had him
fairly seated in a hackney-coach with me, I exulted as much as a
fortune-hunter who has got an heiress into a post-chaise with him to set out
for Gretna-Green.

When we entered Mr. Dilly's drawing-room, he found himself in the midst of a
company he did not know. I kept myself snug and silent, watching how he
would conduct himself. I observed him whispering to Mr. Dilly, "Who is that
gentleman, sir?" "Mr. Arthur Lee." JOHNSON. "Too, too, too," (under his
breath,) which was one of his habitual mutterings. Mr. Arthur Lee could not
but be very obnoxious to Johnson, for he was not only a patriot, but an
American. He was afterwards minister from the United States at the court of
Madrid. "And who is the gentleman in lace?" "Mr. Wilkes, Sir." This
information confounded him still more; he had some difficulty to restrain
himself, and taking up a book, sat down upon a window-seat and read, or at
least kept his eye upon it intently for some time, till he composed himself.
His feelings, I dare say, were awkward enough. But he no doubt recollected
his having rated me for supposing that he could be at all disconcerted by
any company, and he, therefore, resolutely set himself to behave quite as an
easy man of the world, who could adapt himself at once to the disposition
and manners of those whom he might chance to meet.

The cheering sound of "Dinner is upon the table," dissolved his reverie, and
we all sat down without any symptom of ill humour. There were present,
beside Mr. Wilkes, and Mr. Arthur Lee, who was an old companion of mine when
he studied physick at Edinburgh, Mr. (now Sir John) Miller, Dr. Lettsom, and
Mr. Slater, the druggist. Mr. Wilkes placed himself next to Dr. Johnson, and
behaved to him with so much attention and politeness, that he gained upon
him insensibly. No man eat more heartily than Johnson, or loved better what
was nice and delicate. Mr. Wilkes was very assiduous in helping him to some
fine veal. "Pray give me leave, Sir; It is better here A little of the
brown Some fat, Sir A little of the stuffing Some gravy Let me have
the pleasure of giving you some butter Allow me to recommend a squeeze of
this orange; or the lemon, perhaps, may have more zest." "Sir, Sir, I am
obliged to you, Sir," cried Johnson, bowing, and turning his head to him
with a look for some time of "surly virtue," but, in a short while, of
complacency.