Samuel Johnson (1) (1709–1784)

All animal substances are less cleanly than vegetables. Wool, of which flannel is made, is an animal substance; flannel therefore is not so cleanly as linen. I remember I used to think tar dirty; but when I knew it to be only a preparation of the juice of the pine, I thought so no longer. It is not disagreeable to have the gum that oozes from a plumb-tree upon your fingers, because it is vegetable, but if you have any candle-grease, any tallow upon your fingers, you are uneasy till you rub it off. I have often thought, that, if I kept a seraglio, the ladies should all wear linen gowns, or cotton — I mean stuffs made of vegetable substances. I would have no silk; you cannot tell when it is clean: it will be very nasty before it is perceived to be so. Linen detects its own dirtiness.

Johnson: Why, sir, I can see no superiour virtue in this. A serjeant and twelve men, who are my guard, will die, rather than that I shall be robbed.
Pennington: But the soldiers are compelled to do this, by fear of punishment.
Johnson: Well, sir, the Arabs are compelled by the fear of infamy.
Pennington: The soldiers have the same fear of infamy, and the fear of punishment besides; so have less virtue, because they act less voluntarily.

Boswell: You yourself, sir, have never seen, till now, any thing but your own native island.
Johnson: But, sir, by seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can shew.
Boswell: You have not seen Pekin.
Johnson: What is Pekin? Ten thousand Londoners would drive all the people of Pekin: they would drive them like deer.