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Having left Ashbourne in the evening, we stopped to change horses atDerby, and availed ourselves of a moment to enjoy the conversation of mycountryman, Dr. Butter, then physician there. He was in greatindignation because Lord Mountstuart's bill for a Scotch militia[1] hadbeen lost. Dr. Johnson was as violent against it. 'I am glad, (said he,)that Parliament has had the spirit to throw it out. You wanted to takeadvantage of the timidity of our scoundrels;' (meaning, I suppose, theministry). It may be observed, that he used the epithet scoundrel verycommonly not quite in the sense in which it is generally understood, butas a strong term of disapprobation; as when he abruptly answered Mrs.Thrale, who had asked him how he did, 'Ready to become a scoundrel,Madam; with a little more spoiling you will, I think, make me a completerascal[2]:' he meant, easy to become a capricious and self-indulgentvaletudinarian; a character for which I have heard him express greatdisgust.
Johnson had with him upon this jaunt, 'Il Palmerino d'Inghilterra,' aromance[3] praised by Cervantes; but did not like it much. He said, heread it for the language, by way of preparation for his Italianexpedition.—We lay this night at Loughborough.
On Thursday, March 28, we pursued our journey. I mentioned that old Mr.Sheridan complained of the ingratitude of Mr. Wedderburne[4] and GeneralFraser, who had been much obliged to him when they were young Scotchmenentering upon life in England. JOHNSON. 'Why, Sir, a man is very apt tocomplain of the ingratitude of those who have risen far above him. A manwhen he gets into a higher sphere, into other habits of life, cannotkeep up all his former connections. Then, Sir, those who knew himformerly upon a level with themselves, may think that they ought stillto be treated as on a level, which cannot be; and an acquaintance in aformer situation may bring out things which it would be verydisagreeable to have mentioned before higher company, though, perhaps,every body knows of them.' He placed this subject in a new light to me,and shewed that a man who has risen in the world, must not be condemnedtoo harshly for being distant to former acquaintance, even though he mayhave been much obliged to them.' It is, no doubt, to be wished that aproper degree of attention should be shewn by great men to their earlyfriends. But if either from obtuse insensibility to difference ofsituation, or presumptuous forwardness, which will not submit even to anexteriour observance of it, the dignity of high place cannot bepreserved, when they are admitted into the company of those raised abovethe state in which they once were, encroac