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.