Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. When he had disappeared, the room was very silent. Suddenly Goldsmith, who had remained sitting- at the table with his face buried in his hands, started up, crying' out, " 'Rasse- las, Prince of Abyssinia'! How could I be so great a fool as to forget that he published 'Rasselas' since the Dictionary?" He ran to the door and opened it, calling- downstairs : " 'Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia' ! ' Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia' 1" "Sir I "came the roar of Dr. Johnson. " Close that door and return to your chair, if you desire to retain even the smallest amount of the respect which your friends once had for you. Cease your bawling-, sir, and behave decently." Goldsmith shut the door. "I did you a gross injustice, sir," said he, returning- slowly to the table. "I allowed that man to assume that you had published no book since your Dictionary. The fact is, that I was so disturbed at the moment I forgot your ' Rasselas.' " "If you had mentioned that book, you would but have added to the force of your relation's contention, Dr. Goldsmith," said Johnson. "If lam suspected of being an idle dog-, the fact that I have printed a small volume of no particular merit will not convince my accuser of my industry." " Those who know you, sir," cried Goldsmith, " do not need any evidence of your industry. As for that man " "Let the man alone, sir," thundered Johnson. " Pray, why should he let the man alone, sir ?" said Boswell. "Because, in the first place, sir, the man is a clergyman, in rank next to a Bishop ; in the second place, he is a relative of Dr. Goldsmith's; and, in the third place, he was justified in his remarks." "Oh, no, sir," said Boswell. "We deny your g-enerous plea of justification. Idle ! Think of the dedications which you have written ev...