Mr. Johnson was not intentionally, however, a
pompous converser ; and though he was accused of
using big words, as they are called, it was only when
little ones would not express his meaning as clearly, or
when perhaps the elevation of the thought would have
been disgraced by a dress less superb. He used to say,
that " the size of a man's understanding might always
be justly measured by his mirth ; " and his own was
never contemptible. He would laugh at a stroke of
genuine humour, or sudden sally of odd absurdity, as
heartily and freely as I ever yet saw any man; and
though the jest was often such as few felt besides him-
self, yet his laugh was irresistible, and was observed
immediately to produce that of the company, not merely
from the notion that it was proper to laugh when he
did, but purely out of want of power to forbear it. He
was no enemy to splendour of apparel or pomp of equi-
page — " Life," he would say, '* is barren enough surely
with all her trappings ; let us therefore be cautious how
we strip her.'' In matters of still higher moment he
once observed, when speaking on the subject of sudden
innovation, — ^^ He who plants a forest may doubtless
cut down a hedge ; yet I could wishy methinks, that even
he would wait till he sees his young plants grow."

With regard to common occurrences, Mr. Johnson



1 10 JOHNSONIANA.
