HOW TO WRITE THE LIFE OF ONE'S FRIEND.

An Extract from the LIFE OF DR. Pozz, in ten volumes folio, written by JAMES Bozz, Efq. who FLOURISHED with bim near fifty years.)

WE dined at the chop-houfe. Dr. Pozz was this day very inftructive. We talked of books; I mentioned the Hiftory of Tommy Trip-I faid it was a great work.

Pozz. "Yes, Sir, it is a great work; but, Sir, it is a great work relatively; it was a great work to you "when you was a little boy: but now, Sir, you are a "L great man, and Tommy Trip is a little boy." I felt fomewhat hurt at this comparison, and I believed he VOL. IV.

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perceived it; for, as he was fqueezing a lemon, he faid, "Never be affronted at a comparison. I have "been compared to many things, but I never was af"fronted. No, Sir, if they would call me a dog, and "you a canister tied to my tail, I would not be af "fronted."

Cheered by this kind mention of me, though in fuch a fituation, I asked him what he thought of a friend of our's, who was always making comparisons ?-Pozz. "Sir, that fellow has a fimile for every thing but him

felf; I knew him when he kept a fhop; he then made "money, Sir, and now he makes comparisons: Sir, he "would say, that you and I were two figs stuck to"gether; two figs in adhesion, Sir; and then he would 66 laugh.""-Bozz. "But have not fome great writers determined that comparisons are now and then odious ?” Pozz. "No, Sir, not odious in themfelves, not odious 66 as comparisons; the fellows who make them are "odious. The Whigs make comparisons.'

We supped that evening at his houfe. I fhewed him fome lines I had made upon a pair of breeches.-Pozz. "Sir, the lines are good; but where could you find "fuch a fubject in your country ?"-Bozz. "There"fore it is a proof of invention, which is a characte"ristic of poetry."-Pozz. "Yes, Sir, but an inven"tion which few of your countrymen can enjoy." I reflected afterwards on the depth of this remark; it affords a proof of that acuteness which he displays in

every

eyéry branch of literature. I asked him, if he approved of green spectacles?---Pozz. “As to green fpectacles,

Sir, the question feems to be this: if I wore green *fpectacles, it would be because they affisted vifion, or because I liked them. Now, Sir, if a man tells me ❝he does not like green spectacles, and that they hurt his eyes, I would not compel him to wear them. No, *Sir, I would diffuade him." A few months after, I confulted him again on this fubject, and he honoured me with a letter, in which he gives the fame opinion. It will be found in its proper place, vol. 6, p. 2789. I have thought much on this fubject, and must confefs, that in fuch matters a man ought to be a free moral agent.

Next day I left town, and was abfent for fix weeks, three days, and feven hours, as I find by a memorandum in my journal. In this time I had only one letter from him, which is as follows:

"Dear Sir,

To JAMES Bozz, Esq.

"My bowels have been very bad. Pray buy for me "fome Turkey rhubarb, and bring with you a copy of "your Tour.

Write me foon, and write me often.

"I am, dear Sir,

"Your's, affectionately,

"SAM. POZZ.” .

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It would have been unpardonable to have omitted a letter like this, in which we fee fo much of his great and illuminated mind. On my return to town, we met again at the chop-houfe. We had much converfation to-day his wit flashed like lightning; indeed, there is not one hour of my prefent life in which I do not profit by fome of his valuable communications.

We talked of wind. I faid I knew many perfons much diftreffed with that complaint.---Pozz. "Yes, Sir, "when confined, when pent-up." I said I did not know that, but I questioned if the Romans ever knew it.--Pozz. "Yes, Sir, the Romans knew it."---Bozz. “Livy "does not mention it."---Pozz. "No, Sir, Livy wrote "Hiftory. Livy was not writing the Life of a Friend."

On medical fubjects his knowledge was immenfe. He told me of a friend of our's who had just been attacked by a most dreadful complaint; he had entirely loft the use of his limbs, fo that he could neither stand nor walk, unlefs fupported: his fpeech was quite gone; his eyes were much swollen, and every vein diftended, yet his face was rather pale, and his extremities cold; his pulfe beat 160 in a minute. I faid, with tenderness, that I would go and fee him; and, said I, "Sir, I will take

Dr. Bolus with me."---Pozz. "No, Sir, don't go." I was startled, for I knew his compaffionate heart, and earnestly asked why?---Pozz. "Sir, you don't know

his disorder."---Bozz. "Pray what is it?"---Pozz. Sir, the man is dead drunk!" This explanation threw

me

me into a violent fit of laughter, in which he joined me, rolling about as he used to do when he enjoyed a joke; but he afterwards checked me.---Pozz. "Sir, you, "ought not to laugh at what I faid. Sir, he who laughs "at what another man fays, will foon learn to laugh at “that other man. Sir, you should laugh only at your own jokes; you should laugh feldom."

We talked of a friend of our's who was a very violent politician. I faid I did not like his company.---Pozz. "No, Sir, he is not healthy; he is fore, Sir, his mind

is ulcerated; he has a political whitlow; Sir, you cannot touch him without giving him pain. Sir, I would not talk politics with that man; I would talk "of cabbage and peafe; Sir, I would ask him how he

got his corn in, and whether his wife was with child;

but I would not talk politics."--Bozz. "But per"haps, Sir, he would talk of nothing else."---Pozz. "Then, Sir, it is plain what he would do." On my very earnestly inquiring what that was, Dr. Pozz an fwered, "Sir, he would let it alone."

I mentioned a tradesman who had lately fet up his coach.---Pozz. "He is right, Sir; a man who would

go on fwimmingly cannot get too foon off his legs. "That man keeps his coach; now, Sir, a coach is better "than a chaife, Sir, it is better than a chariot."---Bozz.

Why, Sir?"---Pozz. "Sir, it will hold more." I begged he would repeat this, that I might remember it, and he complied with great good humour. "Dr, "Pozz,"

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