LETTER XXVIII. TO THE HON. WARREN HASTINGS, Esq GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF BENGAL. SIR, AMIDST the importance and multiplicity of affairs in which your great office engages you, I take the liberty of recalling your attention for a moment to literature, and will not prolong the interruption by an apology, which your character makes needless. Mr. Hoole, a gentleman long known and long efteemed in the India-Houfe, after having translated Taffo, has undertaken Ariofto. How well he is qualified for his undertaking, he has already fhewn. He is defirous, Sir, of your favour in promoting his proposals, and flatters me by fuppofing that my teftimony may advance his intereft. It is a new thing for a clerk of the India-Houfe to tranflate poets. It is new for a Governor of Bengal to patronize learning. That he may find his ingenuity re warded, and that learning may flourish under your protection, is the wish of, SIR, Your most humble fervant, Jan. 9, 1781. SAM. JOHNSON. LETTER LETTER XXIX. TO DR. LAWRENCE. SIR, Jan. 17, 1782, OUR old friend Mr. Levett, who was laft night eminently chearful, died this morning. The man who lay in the fame room hearing an uncommon noife got up, tried to make him fpeak, but without effect. He then called Mr. Holder, the apothecary, who, though when he came he thought him dead, opened a vein, but could draw no blood. So has ended the long life of a very useful and very blameless man. I am, SIR, Your most humble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON. LETTER XXX. To DR. JOHNSON. Bath, May 4, 1782. SIR, CONSCIOUS of the motive from which I write, and trusting that it will readily and clearly appear; I fhall leave it to plead my excufe for the trouble I may hereby give you. Without farther preface, therefore, I take the liberty to inform you, that, in the Morning Chronicle of Dec. 12 laft, a perfon, in the character of a mafter of an academy, recommended the "Beauties of your Writings," a book published last year, to all perfons who have the care of youth, as well calculated to convey at once both pleasure and inftruction, particularly to young minds. However, he pointed out one paffage in it, under the article DEATH, which, he said, is fuppofed by fome readers to recommend suicide; but, knowing your principles too well to join in this opinion, he hoped you would favour the public, through the channel of the fame paper, with an explanation, which will effectually remove fo erroneous an idea. The paffage is as follows: "To die, is the fate of man; but to die with lingering anguifh is generally his folly." I confefs, I have joined in the wish of the letter-writer, but have not had the pleasure of feeing it gratified. Poffibly the letter has not come to your knowledge, and therefore I take this method of acquainting you with it; or probably the paffage, when taken with the context, lofes its exceptionable appearance. I own, I do not recollect my having met with it in any of your works, though I cannot but fuppofe it is to be found there, and on that account you may have thought it unneceffary to give it any farther explanation. Whatever may be the caufe of your not having taken any notice of the letter, I cannot be fatisfied whilft any thing, which has the fanction of your name, even appears, uncontroverted, to recommend fuicide; whilft the acknowledged friend of Religion and Virtue is fuppofed, uncontradicted, to have published any fentiment inconfiftent with the Chriftian Religion. I fhall ftill hope, therefore, that you will not think your time mis-fpent by publicly re moving this, poffibly, "stone of stumbling," this, as it appears, "rock of offence;" especially as your filence may tend to confirm the opinion of those who underftand the paffage in this very unfavourable fense: and if you fhall think this deferving of your private notice, you will thereby confer an honour, as well as an obligation SIR, on, Your obedient humble fervant, &c. To Dr. Johnson, &c. LETTER XXXÍ. Το SIR, May 15, 1782. BEING now in the country in a state of recovery, as I hope, from a very oppreffive diforder, I cannot neglect the acknowledgment of your Christian letter. The book, called "The Beauties of J-n," is the production of I know not whom; I never faw it but by cafual infpection, and confidered myself as utterly dif engaged from its confequences. Of the paffage you mention I remember fome notice in fome paper; but, knowing that it must be mifreprefented, I thought of it no more, nor do I now know where to find it in my own books. I am accustomed to think little of news-papers; but an opinion fo weighty and ferious as yours has de termined termined me to do, what I fhould, without your feafonable admonition, have omitted; and I will direct my thought to be fhewn in its true ftate. If I could find the paffage, I would direct you to it. I fuppofe the tenor is this: "Acute difeafes are the immediate and inevitable strokes of Heaven; but of them the pain is fhort, and the conclufion fpeedy: chronical diforders, by which we are fufpended in tedious torture between life and death, are commonly the effect of our own mifconduct and intemperance. To die," &c. This, Sir, you fee is all true, and all blameless. I hope, fome time in the next week, to have all rectified. My health has been lately much fhaken; if you favour this with any answer, it will be a comfort to me to know that I have your prayers. I AM to acknowledge and thank you for your favour of the 15th; and I am happy to find, that you think the business on which I wrote to you not undeferving |