Show GREAT MAN HAD VAGARIES johnsons peculiar ideas as to mat tere of speech while johnson was in france he was generally very resolute in sneah aspea i tug ing latin it was a maxim with him that 1 a man should not let himself down by speaking a language which he be speaks imperfectly indeed we must have often odea observed how inferior how bow much like a child a man appears ap peara who speaks a broken tongue when sir joshua reynolds at one ol 01 the he dinners of the royal abade academy in Y presented him to a frenchman ol of great distinction he be we would u id not deign to speak french hut but talked latin though his excellency did not dundei stand it owing perhaps to johnsont johnsons english pronunciation yet upon an other occasion be h was waa observed to tc speak freach to a frenchman of high ran rank k who spoke english and being asked the reason with mith some espres elon of surprise he an andred ered be cause I 1 think my french la Is as good as his english london chronicle |