The Pepyses came to visit me in form, but I was dressing; in the evening, however, Mrs. and Miss T. took me to them. Dr. Johnson would not go; he told me it was my day, and I should be crowned, for Mr. Pepys was wild about Cecilia.

   "However," he added, "do not hear too much of it; but when he has talked about it for an hour or so, tell him to have done. There is no other way."

   A mighty easy way, this! however, 'tis what he literal!y practises for himself.

   At dinner we had Dr. Delap and Mr. Selwyn, who accompanied us in the evening to a ball; as did also Dr. Johnson, to the universal amazement of all who saw him there; -- but he said he had found it so dull being quite alone the preceding evening, that he determined upon going with us; "for," he said, "it cannot be worse than being alone."

   Strange that he should think so! I am sure I am not of his mind.. . .

   Dr. Johnson was joined by a friend of his own, Mr. Metcalf," and did to!erably well.

   Poor Mr. Pepys had, however, real cause to bemoan my escape; for the little set was broken up by my retreat, and he joined Dr. Johnson, with whom he entered into an argument upon some lines of Gray, and upon Pope's definition of wit, in which he was so roughly confuted, and so severely ridiculed, that he was hurt and piqued beyond all power of disguise,

   Dr. Johnson was certainly right with respect to the argument and to reason; but his opposition was so warm, and his wit so satirical and exulting, that I was really quite grieved to see how unamiable he appeared, and how greatly he made himself dreaded by all, and by many abhorred. What pity that he will not curb the vehemence of his love of victory and superiority!

   The sum of the dispute was this. Wit being talked of, Mr. Pepys repeated, -- -
"True wit is Nature to advantage dress'd,
What oft was thought, but ne"er so well express'd."

   "That, sir," cried Dr. Johnson, "is a definition both false and foolish. Let wit be dressed how it will, it will equally be wit, and neither the more nor the less for any advantage dress can give it.".

   Mr. P. -- But, sir, may not wit be so ill expressed, and so obscure, by a bad speaker, as to be lost?

   Dr. J. -- -The fault, then, sir, must be with the hearer. If a man cannot distinguish wit from words, he little deserves to hear it.

   Mr. P. -- But, sir, what Pope means -- -

   Dr. J. -- Sir, what Pope means, if he means what he says, is both false and foolish. In the first place, "what oft was thought," is all the worse for being often thought, because to be wit, it ought to be newly thought.

   Mr. P. -- But, sir, 'tis the expression makes it new.

   Dr. J. -- How can the expression make it new? It may make it clear, or may make it elegant; but how new? You are confounding words with things.

   Mr. P. -- But, sir, if one man says a thing very ill, may not another man say it so much better that -- -

   Dr. J. -- That other man, sir, deserves but small praise for the amendment; he is but the tailor to the first man's thoughts.

   Mr. P. -- True, sir, he may be but the tailor; but then the difference is as great as between a man in a gold lace suit and a man in a blanket.

   Dr. J. -- Just so, sir, I thank you for that: the difference is precisely such, since it consists neither in the gold lace suit nor the blanket, but in the man by whom they are worn.

   This was the summary; the various contemptuous sarcasms intermixed would fill, and very unpleasantly, a quire.